Description

Beating its biplane rivals in a 1936 Reich Air Ministry design competition, the Arado Ar 196 provided the Kriegsmarine with possibly the best shipborne reconnaissance seaplane of World War II. Replacing the Heinkel He 60 biplane as the standard catapult-launched floatplane embarked on the Kriegsmarine's capital ships, the Ar 196 flew an assortment of combat missions during World War II, including coastal patrol, submarine hunting, light bombing, general reconnaissance and convoy escort sorties. The first vessel to take its Ar 196A-1s to sea was the pocket battleship Graf Spee, which embarked two in the autumn of 1939. The battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz could carry six Arados each, the battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst four and smaller pocket battleships and cruisers two. Shore-based aircraft were also operated from coastal ports on the Channel, Baltic, North Sea and Bay of Biscay coasts, as well as in the Balkans and Mediterranean.


In this title, supported by an excellent selection of photographs and full-colour illustrations, Peter de Jong explores the history of the Arado Ar 196, detailing their development and assessing the combat capabilities of one of the last fighting seaplanes.

Table of Contents

1. The Last Floatplane
2. First Blood
3. Ahead of the Atlantic Wall
4. The Seven Seas
5. Eastern Front and the Mediterranean
6. War's End and Foreign Use
Appendices
- Colour Plates Commentary
- Bibliography
- Index

Product details

Published Feb 18 2021
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Extent 96
ISBN 9781472845009
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Series Combat Aircraft
Short code COM 136
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Peter de Jong

A professional editor and translator, Peter de Jon…

Illustrator

Janusz Swiatlon

Janusz Swiatlon lives in Krakow, Poland. A veteran…

Illustrator

Mark Postlethwaite

Mark Postlethwaite was born in Leicestershire in 1…

Resources

Discover More

Visit our exclusive member's website to see artwork, maps, and more from this book.

Resources

Book Vote

Tell us what titles you would like to see published by Osprey, then vote for your favourites in our monthly book vote!

Related Titles

Sign up for Osprey membership for access to thousands of plane profiles, maps, battle scenes and more. Plus up to 30% off website purchases

Free US delivery on orders $35 or over