Once Nazi Germany had conquered Norway in 1940, just a handful of Gruppen flying the Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters was able to shatter all opposition and dominate the air in the Arctic Circle. Yet as the dual threat of the Royal Air Force and the Red Air Force grew, the Luftwaffe was forced to increase its fighter presence to full Geschwader strength with the formation of JG 5 Eismeer (Ice-Sea) in early 1942.
The struggle for the frozen skies of the arctic raged on until the end of the war as the embattled JG 5 produced some of the Eastern Front's leading aces: pilots of the caliber of Theodor Weissenberger, Heinrich Ehrler, Walter Schuck, Franz Dörr, and Jakob Norz, all achieving over one hundred kills. Featuring firsthand accounts from the pilots, extensive research from a leading authority on the Luftwaffe, and illustrations of the aircraft in unique winter camouflage, this book is a comprehensive guide to the Arctic Experten and the planes they flew.