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Basic Field Manual, FM 30-35, Identification of German Aircraft (RARE Restricted Edition), 1941 📜✈️💣

Basic Field Manual, FM 30-35, Identification of German Aircraft (RARE Restricted Edition), 1941 📜✈️💣

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1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a rare and a cornerstone work of military history and intelligence. The book, Basic Field Manual, FM 30-35, is a “RESTRICTED” military manual providing American soldiers and airmen with a firsthand look at the technical and strategic details of German aircraft in 1941.

As a rare restricted edition from 1941, this volume is a highly sought-after artifact for collectors of World War II history and military intelligence. It offers a unique window into the early days of the war, when American intelligence on its enemies was often incomplete or inaccurate.

This volume represents a critical period of World War II scholarship.


2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

Basic Field Manual, FM 30-35 is a comprehensive guide to German military aircraft.

The manual contains illustrations, photos, and multi-view silhouette drawings with explanatory data on the appearance and general characteristics of enemy planes. The book’s contents include detailed descriptions of various German aircraft, from fighters and bombers to reconnaissance planes.

It was a vital tool for the instruction of officers and men in a time of great uncertainty. The book is an important primary source for any scholar or dedicated reader of World War II history. It is a work that provides a fascinating look into the lives of a generation of American soldiers who were central figures in some of the most important social movements of their time.

The physical book itself, with its official government printing and straightforward design, provides a fascinating look into the life of an American soldier in 1941.


3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

The collective author of this work is the United States War Department, which published the manual under the direction of the Chief of Staff. This manual was the official voice of a nation that was mobilizing for war and was determined to win. The book was a vital tool for the instruction of officers and men in a time of great uncertainty.


4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1941, this book is an artifact of the early years of World War II. It was a period of immense political and social upheaval, as the world was grappling with the rise of fascism in Germany and the growing tensions over war.

The book is a "time capsule" of mid-20th-century geopolitical and social thought. It captures the spirit of an era when the world was divided into two competing ideologies.


5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is intended for a curator of World War II history, a scholar of military intelligence, or a private collector of military manuals.

It is an ideal acquisition for an individual who values a book's dual importance as a foundational historical document and a personal artifact of its time. It is not just for display, but for a reader who is serious about understanding the lives and journeys of a past generation of Americans.


6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

As a rare restricted edition from 1941, this book represents a genuinely scarce non-replicable asset class. As a military manual, these books were often destroyed after the war, making surviving copies in good condition exceptionally rare. The book is a unique window into the history of military intelligence and publishing.

The price is a direct reflection of the book's rarity, its historical importance, and its condition for an item of its age. This is a unique and non-replicable asset class that is unlikely to reappear on the market for years to come. 

This volume offers a unique opportunity to build a personal library with an item of true academic and historical importance.


7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This volume is a handsome survivor from the early 1940s, showing honest and authentic wear consistent with its age. The original binding is in a solid state, with a tight and sound binding. The pages are free from any major tears or stains, and the interior text block is clean.


8. Translation of Inscriptions/Ephemera (Conditional) ✍️📜🔤

This book contains no known inscriptions or unique markings from a previous owner. The value is derived from its well-preserved state as an authentic piece of mid-20th-century American bookmaking.

Its beauty lies in its original state, unmarred by the personal history of its past owners. The absence of an inscription means that the book's narrative is purely historical and literary. It is a blank canvas, waiting for a new collector to add their chapter to its long and dignified life. The book is ready to be a centerpiece in a library, where its true value can be understood and appreciated.


9. Fun Facts & Unique Features 📜

  • The Messerschmitt Bf 109, the backbone of the Luftwaffe, was known for its narrow, inward-retracting landing gear. This was a result of the landing gear being attached to the fuselage rather than the wings, a design choice to make the wings cheaper to produce. This design made landings notoriously difficult for pilots.

  • The Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bomber was equipped with a siren, known as the "Jericho Trumpet," on its landing gear. This siren was not for technical purposes but was a psychological weapon designed to terrify ground troops during its steep, high-speed dive attacks.

  • The Heinkel He 111, a prominent German bomber, had a unique "greenhouse" style nose. This distinctive, asymmetrical glass-paneled cockpit provided the pilot with an excellent field of vision.

  • The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, known as the "Butcher Bird," was powered by a radial engine. Unlike the liquid-cooled inline engines of most of its contemporaries, the Fw 190's engine provided superior performance at low altitudes and was more robust against combat damage.

  • The Messerschmitt Me 262 "Schwalbe" (Swallow) was the world's first operational jet fighter. Its revolutionary Jumo 004 engines allowed it to achieve speeds far greater than any Allied propeller-driven aircraft, but its deployment was delayed by technical issues and political interference from Hitler.

  • The Dornier Do 17 bomber was nicknamed the "Flying Pencil" due to its remarkably thin and long fuselage. This design choice was intended to increase its speed and evade interception by enemy fighters.


10. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

  • Title: Basic Field Manual FM 30-35, Identification of German Aircraft

  • Author/Maker: United States War Department

  • Year: 1941

  • Publisher/Foundry: U.S. Government Printing Office

  • Place of Origin: Washington, D.C., USA

  • Format/Binding: Softcover

  • Edition: First Edition

  • Rarity: Rare

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