About the book: 2012 / The book is dedicated to the activities of the Luftwaffe long-range reconnaissance squadrons on the Eastern Front. Unlike the well-known squadrons of fighters or Ju-87 attack aircraft, the few reconnaissance units did not attract as much attention. Their crews acted alone, trying to avoid contact with the enemy. But at the same time, the invisible activities of the intelligence officers had a huge impact on both the planning and the entire course of military operations. Most of the work is devoted to the activities of the elite Luftwaffe unit - Aufkl.Gr.Ob.dL, also known as the Rovel group. The latter made a huge contribution to the creation of long-range reconnaissance of the Luftwaffe, and the unit subordinate to him launched its secret activities even before the start of the war with the Soviet Union. After the attack on the USSR, Rovel’s group conducted reconnaissance of important strategic objects: industrial centers, naval bases, oil production areas, and also tracked the routes along which allied aid was supplied (Lend-Lease). Its planes flew over Kronstadt, Sevastopol, Moscow, the entire Volga region, Ufa and Perm, Baku, Tbilisi, even Iran and Iraq! The group reported directly to the Luftwaffe command and had at its disposal only the best equipment, the highest altitude and fastest reconnaissance aircraft.