Book Description
In 1939, the German Air Ministry asked aircraft manufacturers for proposals for an "Amerikabomber," an ultra-long-range, four-engined aircraft capable of attacking the United States from airfields in Germany. Projects were tendered by Junkers, Focke-Wulf, and Messerschmitt. The latter proposed the Me 264 and Messerschmitt’s personal influence was such that he was not only allowed to go ahead with the design, but was also given an immediate order for three aircraft. Using original German documentation and rare photographs, this book details the story of the remarkable Amerikabomber projects. Aircraft types featured in the book include the Me 264, the Ta 400, Fw 238, Ju 390 and the jet-powered Ho XVIII B flying wing. The book also examines the reality behind the myth associated with Germany’s atomic bomb carrier.
Customer Reviews:
A Bomber That Could Reach New York.......2007-01-08
The fact that Germany began the design of large bombers with the intent of bombing the United States, serving as recon for U-Boats, or bombing beyond the Ural mountains is well known. There were a hald dozen or so projects underway to design and build such an airplane. Of these, the Messerschmitt Me 264 was the most advanced, the most tested (70+ flights), and the one closest to being ready to put into production.
Had the Germans bombed New York City, the effect would probably be similar to that of the Japanese after the Doolittle raid, that is, putting a lot more effort in creating a stronger air force at home, and generally beefing up anti aircraft defenses.
But the planes were never built. The Me 264 reached the stage of having one flying prototype, but by then the Germans had had enough. All aircraft production was put into fighters to defend against the Allied bomber campaign.
This book details the construction of the Me 264, as well as having chapters on competitive aircraft, the German Atomic Bomb project, and the political aspects of the decision to discontinue the effort of building the plane. This is a very well researched book on a subject that has only been hinted at before.
An Excellent Book!.......2006-12-23
If you have a strong interest in this unique German aircraft (only one was ever completed), then you'll want to own this book. I have waited many years for such a volume to appear in print and at last it has. You will NOT be disappointed with it.
The authors give us a technically detailed and comprehensive description of the Me 264's genesis, development, construction, flight testing and ultimate destruction at the hands of Allied bombers. They also provide extensive background history on the Luftwaffe's efforts to produce a long-range strategic bomber fleet, the personalities involved in those efforts and the reasons why it eventually all came to naught.
Competing designs for the "Amerika Bomber" project (such as the Junkers Ju 290 and 390, Heinkel He 177 and Blohm & Voss Bv 222) are reviewed as well as brief mention of Italian plans to strike New York using the four-engined Cant Z.511 floatplane, the SM.95 land plane and the three-engined Piaggio P.23R.
The book is profusely illustrated with large-format close-up photos of the Me 264 V 1 under construction and undergoing flight evaluation, factory design plans, 3-view renderings of the proposed swept wing version (using a combination of piston engines and turbo-jets) and includes interesting sidebars on the BMW 801 engine, the British recon flight confirming the plane's existence to the Allies and on Messerschmitt test pilot Karl Baur who flew the Me 264 at least thirty times.
Well-researched and consistently absorbing to read, this book will serve as an excellent reference work on the Me 264 for both the WWII military aircraft enthusiast and modeler. Robert Forsyth and Eddie Creek deserve kudos for sharing their extensive knowledge of this elegant-looking aircraft and removing it from undeserved obscurity.
Book Description
During the first phase of World War II, the German forces advancing on all fronts, the Ju87 Stuka had been an essential element in the Luftwaffe's armory attack. However, from mid-1943 as the War drug on, the Stuka began incurring heavy losses. Dunkirk, Warsaw, Rotterdam, and other early victories became distant memories as severe reversals came about in the East. Wherever possible and often against overwhelming resources, the Stukas supported the retreating German armies by conducting not just precision dive-bombing missions, but low-level ground attack operations against enemy transport targets, gun positions, and ships. This second and concluding volume in this series examines the role of the Stuka during these years of retreat. Aspects of the Stuka's role, which the book recounts, includes the attacks against the Malta convoys, the retreat in North Africa, the war over the Arctic, the Russian campaign including the battle for Stalingrad, and the collapse of the Eastern front. This volume contains an impressive selection of historic photos, color artworks, and first-hand accounts from those who flew the aircraft.
Customer Reviews:
Stuka Volume Two: Luftwaffee Ju87 Dive-Bomber Units 1942-1945.......2007-09-02
An outstanding resource for remarkable photographs and color illustrations of this famous plane. The authors have done an outstanding job reviewing the wartime use of this plane and finally its end in May 1945.
The Stuka at War, Part 1!.......2007-08-20
Peter C. Smith is THE author when it comes to the history of dive bombing. In this 'Luftwaffe Colours' volume, he examines the development and early combat career of the most famous - and probably the deadliest - dive-bomber to fly in World War II, the ungainly Junkers 87 Stuka.
Smith's book initially surveys the pre-war development of dive bombing in Germany which culminated in the introduction of the Ju 87. Swiftly proving its effectiveness once war broke out, the Stuka gave sterling service in supporting the various Blitkzreig campaigns from 1939 to 1941 and proved a champion ship-killer as well. The Ju 87 however was no invincible wonder weapon and suffered serious losses in the Battle of Britain.
Stuka missions and personalities are well-covered in this volume, the first of two. The book benefits from a number of first-hand accounts of the Stuka in action and also provides eight side-bars detailing influential or well-known Stuka pilots like Schwartzkopff, Dinort, Mahlke, Hozzel, etc.
The book includes over 160 color and black & white photographs of aircrew, aircraft and targets being attacked along with 15 color side-views by Tom Tullis.
All in all, Smith's book is an authoritative, well-illustrated introduction to this most deadly of dive-bombers. Highly recommended.
Ju-87 Stuka Units 1942-1945.......2007-05-21
I have been impressed with Classic Publications since their first efforts on this subject. Their Battle of Britain series kept me busy for some time. Luftwaffe colors are enigmatic at best and this subject is a monumental task to want to take on. Bang for buck this series of books simply can not be beat. I think that Classic Publications could not have picked a better champion for this subject than Peter C. Smith. His study of dive-bombers and the Stuka in particular are legendary in the world of Luftwaffe history.
While working with the always amazing Tom Tullis to help illustrate Peter's color conclusions, constantly gives the reader vivid and significant weight to the book. Peter Smith relied on first person accounts of the aircraft from ground crew and pilots to reconstruct a compressive story of this famous aircraft.
Starting off in 1942 and the Dora series of the vendible Sturzkampfflugzeug and running through to 1945 and the Gustav and specialized versions of this subject, the author makes reading this book a pleasure. More never published photos show up continuing to stun the educated late war Luftwaffe historian in me. I am always amazed at what comes out of the file cabinets of these guys and Mr. Smith doesn't disappoint.
Done in the standard Luftwaffe Colors series more familiar to us as the Jagdwaffe publications, Stuka Volume Two is printed on high quality paper with fantastic color transfer and very clear black and white photos. Although almost all the photos are in black and white, the color profiles sprinkled throughout the text compliment the page and augment the information present.
The ability to gleam out colors from black and white photos using many resources crossed into very educated conclusions is getting better and better. In the beginning of the book Mr. Smith tells you what everyone should keep in mind. It is still guess work. Unless you were there and cared what shade of RLM 76 the bottom of your plane was painted, you probably do not have a definitive proof of the subject.
Guys like Jerry Crandall, Eddie Creek, Brett Green and others at the top of their game will be the first to tell you that nothing is certain. Things change, opinions oscillate and theories are crushed all the time. Facts change and research yields new information all the time. And this is coming from the experts in the field.
I really enjoy these series of books and highly recommend them to anyone trying to become educated in the art of Luftwaffe color schemes. The Stuka has held a particular fascination with me for sometime. It is what I call "Cool Ugly" and is the granddaddy of aircraft like the A-10 Thunderbolt II. (Another "Cool Ugly" airplane). The book can be found for less than 30 dollars a pop, this book is worth every cent.
Book Description
This is the story of the air war over Western Europe, told first hand by the American and German pilots and aircrew who took part. It spans the period between 1942 and 1945 and covers the encounters between the audacious Luftwaffe fighter pilots and the Fortress and Liberator bomber crews of the American 8th Air Forces flying from East Anglia.
Many unique experiences are recounted from both the night and day bombing raids that were hurled against Hitler's war machine. What was it like to fly through the dense flak over the Ruhr and against the German Experten and to be hit by machine gun and cannon fire from Focke Wulf 190s and Bf 109s? How did so many badly damaged bombers manage to struggle back, against all odds, to their East Anglian bases?
The author has sought the experiences of German fighter pilots, who explain how they stalked their prey in the sky over the Reich and how they pounced on their four engine victims from 12 o'clock high. This book contains vivid accounts of some of the most heroic actions in the history of air warfare and contains many previously unpublished action photographs.
Customer Reviews:
super read from Eighth AF historian.......2007-06-30
..author Martin Bowman is probably one of the UK's most prolific aviation authors and he is on home ground with this - another volume dealing with the US bomber war over Europe. The title is a bit of a misnomer; it doesn't tell the story of the bombers war as such - but paints a picture of exactly what it was to fly and fight over Europe in a B-17 or B-24. It is extremely well written - in terms of sheer reading experience one of the best WWII aviation books I've come across recently - the personal accounts are mostly very moving, grey (gray), sombre (somber), gritty, even brutal in places. I would say though that the accounts by Luftwaffe veterans hinted at in the title are few and far between and generally extracted from other well-known works. While the author covers the 28 September 44 massacre of the 445th BG by the Sturm assault fighters, he could usefully have covered the history of these specialist Luftwaffe bomber destroyer units in more detail .. Otherwise nice production and the Amazon discount certainly invites a purchase.. on second thoughts this is probably worth that extra star...
In-the-Cockpit Memories of 8th Air Force Missions!.......2007-03-29
With the passing of the widely respected Roger Freeman, Martin Bowman is in line to become THE 8th Air Force historian. Bowman has authored at least a half-a-dozen books on the 8th including JANE'S BATTLES WITH THE LUFTWAFFE and WILD BLUE YONDER. Unlike the former title which was more of a photo history and the latter which recounted the human interactions of 8th personnel and Englishmen and women, Bowman's latest book is a straightforward narrative account of 8th AF combat ops.
From 1942 to 1945 8th AF B-17 and B-24 crews engaged in a merciless air campaign against Hitler's Germany. The battles grew increasingly savage with American bomber losses becoming so high that only the introduction of the P-51 Mustang saved the American daylight offensive.
Using the words of many 8th Air Force personnel and their Luftwaffe opponents, Bowman vividly traces the daylight bombing campaign. The 8th Air Force story has been told before but CLASH OF EAGLE'S first-person accounts, some of which are quite lengthy and sometimes graphic, present the human experience behind those scenes of contrail-streaming formations of bombers wending their way toward Germany. Bowman's book underscores the tremendous hardships endured by the Fortress and Liberator crews.
Eighth Air Force fans will want to pick up a copy of this book. It's a great read and a great tribute to those young warriors who braved the flak and fighters so long ago.
Book Description
This is the second of two volumes covering the history of the Zerstorer squadrons between 1939 and 1945. Following the attack on the west, the Me 110 also saw major deployment in the North African and Mediterranean theatres. In the East, in the early phases of Barbarossa, the Zerstorergruppen accounted for significant numbers of Russian aircraft destroyed on the ground and in the air. As the war progressed and Germany moved over to the defensive, Zerstorer units flew the Me 210 and Me 410, which saw service as a bomber destroyer with units such as ZG1, ZG26 and ZG76 in the defense of the Reich, equipped with heavy cannon and 21cm air-to-air mortars. Also included with the scope of these titles will be a study of the Luftwaffe’s long-range Ju 88 maritime Zerstorer, which were used over the Atlantic and Bay of Biscay against Allied convoys and to provide escort for the U-boats as well as lesser-known types such as the Ar 240 and Ta 154.
Customer Reviews:
ROLIHO.......2007-07-15
SEHR INFORMATIV VERY GOOD PICTURES AND SIDE PROFILES.
RECOMMENDED FOR ALL MODELLERS AND LUFTWAFFE FANS.
An incomplete story.......2007-07-03
There were at least three types of Luftwaffe aircraft produced for the
zerstorer ( destroyer)/heavy fighter/light bomber/recon role: the Bf-110, Me 210 and Me 410; there were also a number of D0-17 types converted for the " night intruder" role . But this book covers only the Bf-110's. Now that coverage is copious and thorough, but it still leaves a big hole in the story!
The book needs updating and expansion.
Great quality, as usual.......2007-05-21
Volume Two of the Zerstorer units is of the same high quality as all of the Luftwaffe Colours series I've seen and makes an excellent addition to that collection. Almost all of the photos seemed new, and as always the profiles are simply stunning.
It's a nice feature to see such a detailed profile illustration placed alongside a photo (or two) of the same aircraft, and be afforded the opportunity to see just how meticulously the profiles are rendered. You'll find yourself combing over the aircraft photo for tiny details and then checking them against the profile only to see that, yes, the artist got that detail right too.
One minor disappointment: the book included no photos or profile illustrations of other aircraft pressed into the Zerstorer role; the Me-210 and Me-410 are absent in this volume. The volume focuses exclusively on the Me-110, which should probably be referenced in some way in the book's title.
Me 110s at War, Pt. 2.......2007-04-19
John Vasco concludes his two-volume history of Luftwaffe fighter bombers and 'destroyers' in action with this lavishly-illustrated tribute to Messerschmitt's ungainly warrior.
Though the Me 110's reputation had suffered a bloody nose in the Battle of Britain, its overall versatility - and the lack of a suitable replacement - meant that the Messerschmitt continued to see service in various theaters throughout the war. Vasco summarizes the 110's combats in Russia, the Med and over Germany. Deployed against USAAF bombers, the aircraft - armed with heavy cannons and air-to-air rockets - truly earned its 'destroyer' moniker.
Vasco includes a three-page summary of notable Me 110 Knights' Cross holders along with a detailed summary of Wolfgang Schenck's career, 'Bombo' Schenck playing an influential role in developing fighter-bombers tactics. I would have enjoyed the inclusion of some first-person reminiscences but Vasco's narrative is quite good nevertheless.
The book bristles with photos - over 200 black & white and color shots in all - plus 15 color profiles by Fernando Estanislau.
All in all, a superbly illustrated, comprehensive history of the Me 110 in action. Recommended.
*****
Question: Given the lack of coverage of the Me 210 and 410 in this set, is "Classic Colours" planning a separate volume on those destroyers?
Book Description
Fighting the Bombers takes an unrivalled look at the Allied bombing campaign from the point of view of the Luftwaffe establishment and command. Included here is the writing of such notables as Messerschmitt, Galland, and von Rohden.
Customer Reviews:
Primary sources should be important to even casual readers.......2005-07-28
I agree with both reviews previousl published here. David Isby is the editor of this volume, and he's done a magnificent job. The individual pieces by former Luftwaffe officers tell compelling stories, although more could be done to annotate each piece to explain technical details that were familiar to the speakers, but no longer command any common knowledge some sixty years after the end of the war. All too often, current histories of this sort lack essential groundings in the times and circumstances of events that are related, and all too often, they are "dumbed down", supposedly to appeal to the widest range of readers. This book does not do so, and readers should be encouraged to read the material, and then to ask questions. Granted, this is an area for specialists, but for those who want to see what first-hand information looks like, this is a good place to start. If I may make a general statement about history-writing in general, and about military history in particular, I would say that British writers generally write to a higher standard than do Americans; why this is so I cannot say, although I suspect that American writers are encouraged to entertain, rather than to inform their readers. One need only look at publishers such as Osprey to understand that these are indeed serious people who respect their readers. I wish I could say the same about publishers, save a few, like Schiffer, on this side of the "pond". Returning to "Fighting the Bombers", I would say that this is a book intended for serious readers, and it deserves our respect.
A broad range of Luftwaffe authors.......2004-08-18
I thought it might be useful for prospective buyers to see what they are getting in terms of chapter titles, authors, and the sources of the original documents.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter title authors Source
List of Figures and Maps
INTRODUCTION David C. Isby, editor
GLOSSARY
SECTION 1 - The Defense of the Reich
Chapter 1: Reich Air Defense in World War II. A Strategic-Tactical Survey Von Rohden (compiler) USAFHRA file 512-045-4. OB from AUL 940.544943 R737e
Chapter 2: The Overall Defense of the Reich 1940-44 (January) Weise USNARA RG-338 D-111 Foreign Military Studies
Chapter 3: Development of Nightfighting July 1940 - 15 September 1943 Kammhuber USAFHRA file 519.601
SECTION 2- A Battle of Increasing Numbers and Technology
Chapter 4: Technical and Communications Equipment Used in the Reich's Defense von Rohden AUL 940.544943 R737e
Chapter 5: German Nightfighting from 15 June 1943 to May 1945 "Beppo" Schmid USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 6: German Dayfighting in the Defense of the Reich from September 15, 1943 to the End of the War "Beppo" Schmid USAFHRA file 519.601
SECTION 3 - Developing Technology to Defend the Reich
Chapter 7: Fighter Control Galland USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 8: Luftwaffe Radars Martini USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 9: Luftwaffe Radars and Radios OKL Staff USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 10: the Me-262: Development, Experience, Success and Prospects Messerschmitt German Naval Archive, Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C
SECTION 4 - Applying the Technology: Operations and Tactics
Chapter 11: Commanding the Night Fighters Kammhuber USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 12: Night Fighter Control Ruppel USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 13: Night Fighter Direction Sandmann USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 14: Night Fighter Operations Sandmann USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 15: Night Fighter Tactics (NJG 4) Schnaufer USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 16: Night Fighter Tactics (NJG 6) Scholls USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 17: Night Fighter Missions Scholls USAFHRA file 519.601
Chapter 18: Fighting the P-61 Ruppel USAFHRA file 519.601
SECTION 5 - Summing Up
Chapter 19: Looking Back Von Rohden AUL 940.544943 R737e
Biographies editor
A new English-language collection of immediate postwar writings by senior Luftwaffe commanders and fighter pilots is in print. Entitled FIGHTING THE BOMBERS: THE LUFTWAFFE'S STRUGGLE AGAINST THE ALLIED BOMBER OFFENSIVE; it is being published by Greenhill in the UK and Stackpole in the US. It is currently available on both US and UK Amazon.com web sites. I edited the volume.
Those familiar with the previous volume done by Greenhill, THE LUFTWAFFE FIGHTER FORCE: THE VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT will find this similar. However, it is not simply the bits that would not fit into the first volume. Rather, these are a selection of immediate post-war interrogations and writings by a number of key figures in the Luftwaffe. I believe such post-war accounts, while by no means the last word, are valuable and should have a broader availability than being in the archives at Maxwell AFB. This volume is much more an attempt at putting together a narrative from multiple Luftwaffe viewpoints.
The book itself is 256 pp, hardbound, with a glossary. The book is illustrated with lots of b&w photos and drawings throughout. The table of contents shows the source. USAFHRA is the US air Force historical Research Agency. Appendix B-4 holds a listing of file 519.601 material. AUL is the Air University Library (reproduced typescript). USNARA is the US National Archives.
Not For Everyone.......2004-01-17
This is a very interesting book. Interesting in the respect that it is a study of the Allied bomber offensive against Germany in WWII as seen through the eyes of the German commanders tasked with stoping those raids. The text is complied from numerous post-war interviews with and reports written by the German High Command. The original target audience of those reports was not the casual reader or mild history buff. As a result the text has a choppy flow and tends to be dry. It's a good book but a real niche book. If you're a student of WWII you may find it intriguing, if you're looking for a casual read or gripping stories of air warfare pass on this one.
Book Description
The Luftwaffe Zerstorer units, equipped with the twin-engined Me 110, were first used to great effect in the escort and air superiority roles against the Polish Air Force in 1939. Later these units took part in the occupation of Norway and Denmark, and during the Blitzkrieg against the west in 1940, when their numbers were expanded with the addition of new units. Considered by G˜ring to be among the elite of the Luftwaffe, the Zerst˜rer were deployed in the Battle of Britain, in the Balkans, North Africa and in the East, where Zerst˜rergruppen accounted for significant numbers of Russian aircraft destroyed on the ground and in the air. This is the first of two volumes covering the history of the Zerst˜rer squadrons between 1939 and 1945. Each volume adopts the traditional Classic approach of a detailed narrative matched with a comprehensive selection of photos, many previously unpublished, and specially prepared color artworks.
Customer Reviews:
Tales of Messerschmitt's Twin-Engined "Destroyer".......2006-02-21
John Vasco, an acknowledged expert on Luftwaffe fighter-bomber ops, and Classic Colours have combined to produce this nicely done history on the development and first combats of Messerschmitt's twin-engined destroyer. (Volume two which covers the 1941-45 period is in the works).
Though much was expected of the Bf 110 - Goering thought of the Zerstorer units as his elite - realistically the twin-engined craft could never compete with modern, single-engined opponents. Nevertheless in the attacks on Poland, Scandinavia and France, Bf 110 crews turned in credible performances in air combat and ground attacks. Used as both a fighter and fighter bomber (with Erpr. Gr. 210) in the Battle of Britain, the 110's inadequacies were brought painfully to light with various ZG units suffering heavy losses.
Vasco's book follows the Classic Colours template with many first-hand accounts of air combats, dozens of rare wartime photos, 14 color profiles by Fernando Estanislau and several color photos as well.
If you're a fan of Messerschmitt's twin-engined destroyer, you'll enjoy this book. Nicely written and well illustrated, it's a winner!
Average customer rating:
- A book of mixed quality
- Good Source of Information on Luftwaffe
- The Luftwaffe Album
|
The Luftwaffe Album: Fighters and Bombers of the German Air Force 1933-1945
Joachim Dressel , and
Manfred Griehl
Manufacturer: Arms & Armour Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Aviation
| Military
| History
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General
| World War II
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General
| Germany
| Europe
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Aerospace
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| Professional & Technical
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| Aerodynamics
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ASIN: 1854095196 |
Book Description
An unprecedented photo collection - over 600 photos in one volume Photos drawn from personal archives as well as national and international collections Ideal for modellers looking to source close-up detail Commentary on the design and deployment of each aircraft type
Customer Reviews:
A book of mixed quality.......2001-09-22
This is a book that will be great if you allready have another book about the Luftwaffe to complement it. While it has Pictures and short descriptions of every aircraft in the Luftwaffe except a few very early types that are grouped under their own chapter.
This book isn't really as exact as I expected if contains no tech sheet on any aircraft describing it's performance. The text can be very frustrating at times when is say the next model has a greater bomb load but don't tell how big that bombload is.
However the vast number of aircraft described in it makes up for some of that and although it's 2 books bolted together as one (1 about Fighters and 1 about Bombers) it has a nice weight in your hands and looks very nice in the bookshelf.
Good Source of Information on Luftwaffe.......2000-07-14
This book starts with describing how the Luftwaffe was founded back in the 1920s and includes all the aircraft used from the beginning to the end. A very comprehensive account of the relatively short life span of the Luftwaffe.
The aircrafts were divided into 6 groups - single engine fighters, twin engine fighters, high-altitude fighters, night fighters, jet aircraft and rocket aircraft. It contains a large collection of rare Luftwaffe aircraft photographs some of which were never put to production.
This is a good book on the Luftwaffe and should satisfy a lot of Luftwaffe and military historians.
If this book can come with colour-plates of the aircraft like those from the Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series, then I will give it full mark. However, it is still worthwhile to get one.
The Luftwaffe Album.......1999-10-27
I found this book to be quite helpful for studying the types of aircraft flown by the Luftwaffe during World War Two. However, it lacked information on the pilots. Altogether, I would say it's a great book and worth the money.
Book Description
Disastrous day-time losses in WWII forced Bomber Command to switch to night bombing. When this happened the Germans had neither a night fighter force nor any night-fighter policy. RAF attacks filled that gap rapidly. This book traces these developments and also the strategic, tactical, technical, and personal aspects of these battles.
Customer Reviews:
A smashing piece.......2006-04-24
The Other Battle: Luftwaffe Night Aces Versus Bomber Command by Peter Hinchliffe tells the struggle of the British night raids during WWII. Focus for the book is Bomber Commands raids and the Luftwaffe's response to the raids. Mr. Hinchliffe takes us from the RAF's opening raids against Germany (and the failure of these early daylight raids) into their night raids during the heart of the war (1943 and 1944), concluding with the Gotterdammerung of Germany in 1945. These raids go from minor affairs where a few planes fly blindly thru the night, to hundreds destroying cities. The book can effectively be broken into four parts: The early war (Chapter 1, Back to War thru Chapter 4, The End of the Beginning); the mid war (Chapters 5 thru 10, 10 tells the story of the Nuremberg raid in March of 1944); preparing for the Invasion; and Gotterdammerung.
What is arguably the greatest piece of this book is that Mr. Hinchliffe tells us of the technical war that is being fought by the two sides. The Germans with their increasingly complex defenses and uses of different tactics (Wild Boar vs. Tame Boar) and the British with their increasing forces, ability to drop greater bomb loads, and increasing technology. While many people are quoted in this book, this is not a personal/unit history ala Stephen Ambrose. Instead, this is a history book that provides a good analysis of the combat occurring and good descriptions of what the combatants (from the national level down to the people flying the missions) are doing and how they're reacting.
Since Mr. Hinchliffe was a navigator in Bomber Command during WWII, his book has a little more personal touch than many other books dealing with this subject. There are some excellent maps in the book (a must for a good history book) along with some good pictures and drawings dealing with technical pieces used during the war (the drawing of the radar displays used by the Germans was great). If you're interested in how the night raids were performed in WWII, this book is a 5 star book! The technical details are very good, and some great biographies. As a history book, once more, 5 stars. Overall, 4.5, but since this is Amazon, I'll round up to 5!
Great combination of the big picture and significant details.......2003-03-03
Without taking sides the author tells the story of both sides of the night bombing campaign. Technical details were especially fascinating since I was an air search radar operator in the Navy in my younger days. Great description of progress made by both sides in a short period on things we take for granted today such as air intercept radar and electronic countermeasures. Well compiled with interviews from both British and German aircrew. Highly recommended!!
Extremely technical.......1999-11-16
This book gives you a nice all-around view of night fighting in Europe during WW II. It is extremely technical, and I thought it lacks a little bit concerning the human side of the pilots, engineers, etc. But it is the best book ever written about the subject, no doubt about that.
An Outstanding, impartial book on the Nachtjäger in WWII.......1999-10-20
When I say this book is impartial, I mean it is impartial in the fullest sense of the word. The author not only presents a bias-free view, he also writes in a lucid manner. The operations are described in great detail, and with proper analysis. Each stage and battle has significance, and we are brought to appreciate this complex air battle that raged for five years, involving the brave crews of the Allied bomber fleets, and the equally brave and tenacious Nachtjagd crews. We come face to face with the elite of the nightfighters including Schnaufer, Lent, Prinz zu-Sayn Wittgenstein and Becker. I feel this book is a must for understanding night operations over Europe during world war two and for all military buffs.
A Well Balanced View of the Night War.......1999-03-10
The author has written a very balanced view of both sides of the Night War during WWII. His viewpoint is that the pilots and crews of both sides did their duty,full stop. One to bomb, the other to defend. His descriptions of the Luftwaffe Nightfighter aces and the overall strategies of the Luftwaffe High Command are quite accurate. I was quite suprised by his generous comments on Major Prinz Heinrich Sayn zu-Wittgenstein. They were a far cry from authors who while not disputing his courage and charisma, tend to label him as being overly ambitious.This author however dismisses that concept and rightly so. The Night aces, Schnaufer, Lent, Sayn zu-Wittgenstein,Meurer and Streib and many others were concerned with shooting down bombers decimating their civilian population and industrial areas and not with being ambitious. Although it cannot be denied that in this deadly game of cat and mouse they were in friendly rivalries in the mildest sense of the term, at least. A fine book for reference as well.
Book Description
The final volume in this four-volume study of the Luftwaffe bomber forces. Covers the final phase of the war, when the bombers were no longer attacking Allied cities, but rather helping to defend the Reich.
Customer Reviews:
Not your father's Luftwaffe Colours.......2006-09-04
I began collecting the Jagdwaffe series when that first came out several years ago. They were a wonderful followup to the earlier generations of Luftwaffe camouflage and markings books, featured excellent pilot biographies, contained carefully selected and unique photos, and had amazingly well executed and interpreted artwork.
Circumstances took me away from these books for the intervening years, and I am just now catching up, picking and choosing the volumes that I hoped would provide the most interesting new information.
Kampfflieger Volume Four, Bombers of the Luftwaffe Summer 1943 - May 1945 by Nick Beale (despite the better known authors whose names appear on the cover mock-up in Amazon's description) is nothing like the early volumes in the Jagdwaffe series. The writing is only about unit dispositions and combat operations, with almost nothing about the participants. There is nothing about camouflage and markings beyond the artwork and its captions, which contain many errors.
The photo captions are a disaster. Whoever wrote them simply did not know the difference between the three common versions of the Ju 88 (A-1, A-5, and A-4) or didn't care to look for the distinguishing features. Reaching into esoterica, a Ju 88 A-4 is called an A-15 because the caption writer ignored the plainly visible gondola. This confusion is compounded by artwork that relies on one late Ju 88 A-4 outline template, apparently repeated from earlier volumes, for all Ju-88 versions. Any squiggle upper surface camouflage pattern is called color 76, even when it's clearly a lighter color, probably white or 99 primer. The captions assign the cloud-spotted He 177s of KG 100 to KG 40, repeating an error that was cleared up nearly a decade ago. In short, none of the photo or artwork captions can be taken at face value; all must be evaluated with information from more reliable sources.
This volume contains many photos, some new and interesting, of the usual cast of Luftwaffe bombers, but only one (yes, just one each) Me 410 and Ju 88 S. The jet bombers are represented by a few of the same photos that everyone else uses. The artwork for the Ar 234 is prosaic beyond excuse.
If you are collecting this series, I suppose you'll want this volume to complete the set, but there is really no other reason to buy it. There are many more books available that cover the aircraft and their crews in more detail, have more accurate descriptions of camouflage and markings, and are more interesting at less expense.
Charting the Luftwaffe in Decline!.......2006-04-23
Author Nick Beale wraps up the four-volume 'Kampfflieger' set with this nicely done history of Luftwaffe bomber ops from mid-1943 to war's end. In this case, Ian Allan Publishing saved the best for last and that's saying something given the high quality of the first three volumes.
After years of triumphant combat, 1943 saw the first steps in the eventual decline of the German bomber force. Committed to action on all fronts, Luftwaffe bombers were stretched to the breaking point. During the last two years of war, irreplaceable losses of aircrew coupled with growing demands for more fighters and ground-support aircraft, dwindling fuel stocks and other factors eventually reduced the once-deadly Kampfflieger to a shell of its former self. Though new aircraft and weapons such as the Arado 234, Messerschmitt 262 and Mistel pick-a-backs were introduced during this period, many units labored on flying hoary old warhorses like Heinkel 111s.
Beale's book deserves a rating higher than 5 stars. Since German bombers were active on all fronts, Beale had a lot of history to cover. However he does a marvelous job of covering all fronts, summarizing the major actions, aircraft and weapons developments along with little-known ops and units.
And the book is a visual treat depicting, as it does, the wide range of of aircraft flown during this period. Among the 14 color profiles by Tim Brown, Tom Tullis and Dennis Davison are artworks depicting He 111s and 177s, Focke Wulf 190s, Junkers 88s and 188s, Ar 234s, Me 262s and two profiles of Mistel combinations - talk about variety! The book also features 170 black & white and color photos of aircrew, aircraft, unit badges, maps and combat scenes.
Pick this one up asap - it's a delight!
Book Description
This third volume covers the Luftwaffe's bomber squadrons during the critical time from January 1942 through the summer of 1943 in all of the theatres in which they were active.
Customer Reviews:
Avoids Some Important Issues.......2006-09-04
I began collecting the Jagdwaffe series when that first came out several years ago. They were a wonderful followup to the earlier generations of Luftwaffe camouflage and markings books, featured excellent pilot biographies, contained carefully selected and unique photos, and had amazingly good and well interpreted artwork.
Circumstances took me away from these books during the intervening years, and I am just now catching up, picking and choosing the volumes that I hoped would provide the most interesting new information.
Kampfflieger Volume Three, Bombers of the Luftwaffe January 1942 - September 1943 by Dr Alfred Price is only somewhat like the early volumes in the Jagdwaffe series. The writing is mostly about unit dispositions and combat operations, with much less about the participants. There is little about camouflage and markings beyond the artwork and its captions, and those leave several questions unanswered.
Coverage of the Do 217 E and K bombers is generally good, although the line of thought is interrupted by a page of He 111 photos. There is probably more about the He 177 fiasco than necessary, but this section is informative and well supported by photos. The Ju 86 R-1 flights over Great Britain receive good treatment, although I am not fully convinced by the artwork showing broad yellow underwing markings. Early use of Ju 188s also gets some coverage.
The first section on The Eastern Front gets only to its second page before things start to go into a steep dive. An outline template for a late Ju 88 A-4 is used to make the artwork for what is obviously an early A-4 or A-5, which is also given two colors of yellow bands, the broader of which is really not there in the photo.
The matter of yellow fuselage bands on Eastern Front aircraft troubles the rest of the section. Price gives the order of battle which tells the reader which units were on the Eastern Front at which locations and times, and he tells us that units in the Southern Sector of the Eastern Front used white bands while those in the Middle and Northern Sectors used yellow bands, but the photo captions are very inconsistent in this regard, and the text does nothing to clarify the matter.
Comparing a color and a black & white photo of an He 177 test aircraft on page 211 shows why. It is nearly impossible to distinguish consistently light colors (the He 177 has a white band that is lighter than the aircraft's white code letters in the color photo but darker in the b&w photo). Contrast between the "yellow" fuselage bands with code letters and fuselage crosses is all over the place, sometimes lighter and other times darker.
The order of battle and the general rule of which color band goes where are what one should be able to rely on to make a determination. Notice the He 111 photos and illustrations on pages 229, 231, and 238, then throw in any of the Mediterranean-based unit photos which definitely had white fuselage bands (but watch out for the illustration on page 254 which repeats the early A-4 or A-5 using a late A-4 template).
Price's coverage continues with pretty standard fare about the Fw 200s of KG 40 and excellent photo coverage of bombers carrying Hs 293 and Fritz-X guided bombs. Price ends with a short essay concluding that Germany lacked the fuel refining capacity to sustain a strategic bomber force.
This volume contains enough that is new and interesting to be of value. It is not as crew focused as the early Jagdwaffe volumes, but it does contain some human interest from Price's many years of interviews. In the final analysis, it is a good resource, but not an excellent one, simply because it is weakest on what the series title promises: Luftwaffe Colours. It takes little effort to notice that the most interesting photos, from a camouflage and markings perspective, go unillustrated and unexplained except in the most general terms. This is presumably an editor's decision and not Price's.
Unfortunately, there is worse to come. Please see my review of Kampfflieger Volume Four.
Good Summary of Luftwaffe Bombers in the Mid-war Years!.......2005-12-15
Dr. Alfred Price covers German bomber operations in 1942/43 in this, the third volume of Luftwaffe Colour's four-volume Kampfflieger series.
The mid-war years saw Luftwaffe bomber units stretched to the breaking point as Germany's war widened. Dr. Price, who has authored many fine books on the Luftwaffe, does a commendable job of describing the widespread activities of KGs over England, Russia, the Med and in anti-shipping ops. Also covered are the introduction of new aircraft and weapons such as the ill-fated Heinkel 177.
The comprehensive text is illustrated with dozens of photos, including some rare color shots, and 14 color profiles by Tim Brown.
A very nice piece of work and reasonably priced. Recommended!
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