Fw 190 Jabo Units in the West

An illustrated study of the Luftwaffe’s iconic Fw 190 Jabo units and their high-speed, low-level attacks on the south coast of England.

The service debut of the Fw 190 in the late summer of 1941 marked a quantum leap in the Luftwaffe’s capability to oppose the RAF on the Channel Front. Conceived to be purely a fighter, the type soon revealed its potential as a Jabo fighter-bomber, and the manner in which it was used matured from the ad hoc style of its early operations to highly effective ‘hit-and-run’ coastal raids. This progress was aided both by frequent refinements from Focke-Wulf and the development of sub-types designed specifically for air-to-ground operations, equipping the Fw 190 to deliver useful munitions loads and also to look after itself when meeting British fighter interception.

This engaging study sees Luftwaffe historian Malcolm V. Lowe chart the action-packed history of the Fw 190 Jabo force on the Channel Front. Following the aircraft from its origins to its successful strikes on valued targets on England’s south coast and eventual combat during D-Day, the text complements first-hand accounts from both Luftwaffe pilots and their RAF opponents with photographs from private archives and 24 specially commissioned profile artworks.