Download or read book Jagdflieger written by Robert F Stedman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-06-20 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the years much has been written about Luftwaffe aces, but this book seeks to examine the lives of the ordinary men who took to the skies. These men all shared the same “aggressive spirit, joy of action and the passion of a hunter.” Rich with fascinating first-hand accounts exploring every step of the fighter pilot's career from his enlistment and intensive training to his exploits in the Battle of Britain and on the Eastern Front, this book is an invaluable insight into the life of a Luftwaffe fighter pilot.

Download or read book Luftwaffe Fighter Aces written by Mike Spick and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2011-07-19 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this exciting book Mike Spick shows how the Luftwaffe's leading fighter pilots were able to outscore their allied counterparts so effectively and completely during the Second World War. When the records of the Jagdflieger pilots became available after the war, they were initially greeted with incredulity _ the highest claim was for 352 kills, and more than 100 pilots had recorded more than 100 victories. However postwar research proved that these claims had in fact been made in good faith and confirmation had only been given after rigorous checking. To discover the secret of this success, aviation history expert Mike Spick examines the exploits of these aces and sets out the context in which it took place. Every major theater is covered in detail including the conditions peculiar to each: climate, relative numerical and qualitative strengths, the presence or absence of radar and other measures, and the relative merits of the planes being flown. He focuses on the methods and tactics used by individual aces and uses firsthand sources wherever possible to put the reader right alongside the pilot in the cockpit.

Download or read book Jagdflieger written by Robert F Stedman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-06-20 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the years much has been written about Luftwaffe aces, but this book seeks to examine the lives of the ordinary men who took to the skies. These men all shared the same “aggressive spirit, joy of action and the passion of a hunter.” Rich with fascinating first-hand accounts exploring every step of the fighter pilot's career from his enlistment and intensive training to his exploits in the Battle of Britain and on the Eastern Front, this book is an invaluable insight into the life of a Luftwaffe fighter pilot.

Download or read book Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean written by Jerry Scutts and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-11-20 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Totally outnumbered throughout their short two-year sojourn in the Western Desert, the crack fighter pilots of the handful of Jagdgeschwader in-theatre fought an effective campaign in support of Rommel's Afrika Korps against the British and American forces. Relying almost exclusively on the Luftwaffe's staple fighter of World War 2, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the battle-hardened aces used the aircraft's superior performance to achieve incredible scores against the Allies. Similarly, once pushed out of North Africa, these units continued to take the fight to the RAF and USAAF from makeshift bases in northern Italy.

Download or read book The Black Art written by Lee Richards and published by www.psywar.org. This book was released on 2010 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As well as the open propaganda of the British Government produced during the Second World War, like the foreign language radio broadcasts of the BBC and the aerial propaganda leaflets dropped by the RAF over Occupied Europe, a secret underground propaganda battle was also fought. ‘The Black Art’ documents this history of Britain’s clandestine psychological warfare conducted against the Nazi’s Third Reich. This black propaganda was the work of several secret intelligence organisations including the Political Warfare Executive and Special Operations Executive. Using previously undiscovered primary source material ‘The Black Art’ charts the progress of and catalogues the range of propaganda leaflets covertly distributed across Occupied Europe and beyond to subvert the morale of German soldiers and civilians. The propaganda included such ruses as malingering instructions to fake the symptoms of illness, tips for desertion to neutral countries, parody postage stamps, advice on sabotaging a U-boat, counterfeit ration coupons, identity documents and newspapers plus numerous other falsely attributed leaflets and stickers. Over 350 illustrations are included.

Download or read book Kriegsprache written by Thomas Houlihan and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Translated literally as "War Speak," Kriegsprache is a glossary of WWII German military and period specific words, phrases, abbreviations, and Landser slang. Over 7,000 abbreviations and more than 17,500 words and phrases have been collected to aid the student, historian, and researcher in translating and understanding German documents, letters, and reports from WWII.

Download or read book Aces of the Luftwaffe written by Peter Jacobs and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2014-09-03 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of Nazi Germany’s air force along with details of some of its most successful pilots. World War II’s air battles were fought ferociously and with extraordinary skill and courage on both fronts. The fighter pilots of Luftwaffe, the jagdflieger, in fact outscored their Allied counterparts by some margin and were some of the highest scoring fighter pilots of all time. More than a hundred recorded a century of aerial successes with two going on to surpass an astonishing 300 victories. In the end, the vast effort required by the Luftwaffe to maintain the air war on so many fronts proved too much. Few jagdflieger survived the last days of the Reich. But their ability was beyond question, and the names of some will live on in the annals of air warfare with their extraordinary achievements never to be surpassed. In Aces of the Luftwaffe, Peter Jacobs examines the many campaigns fought by the Luftwaffe, from its fledgling days during the Spanish Civil War to its last days defending the Reich, and recounts the exploits of Erich Hartmann, the highest scoring fighter pilot of all time; Hans-Joachim Marseille, the Star of Africa; Werner Mölders, the first recipient of the Diamonds; and Adolf Galland, perhaps the most famous of all.

Download or read book Luftwaffe Bomber to Nightfighter written by Arnold Doring and published by Greenhill Books. This book was released on 2024-06-30 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers the reader thrilling, action-packed snapshots of life as a Luftwaffe nightfighter pilot. 'Suddenly, flash bombs to my right, I instantly dive low to avoid being a direct target. We stay down, close above ground … before too long life returns in the area and we spot men milling around; Richard and Pitt let them have it, but good. We’re down to our last bit of ammunition. Some Russians have frozen in fear, others lift their arm, others still lie flat on the ground. Not a single one remembers to get up and fire.' On 21 June 1941, assigned to Luftwaffe bomber wing Kampfgeschwader 53, the 23-year-old Arnold Döring took off to fly his first mission against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front. From that day, he kept a diary describing his operations in vivid detail. These diaries, here translated into English for the first time, give a unique perspective on the action on the Eastern Front, from the point of view of a bomber pilot. Döring’s accounts not only give technical aspects but are also filled with suspense and excitement with their close descriptions of bombing raids and narrow escapes from enemy fighter planes. This unembellished account gives an honest and meticulous record that moves rapidly from one area to another, from one operation to the next. With a detached professionalism, Döring offers us thrilling, action-packed snapshots of life as a Luftwaffe nightfighter. Döring flew a total of 392 aerial attacks and was awarded the Knight’s Cross in April 1945.

Download or read book Jagdverband 44 written by Robert Forsyth and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-01-20 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides up-to-date insight into the notorious German unit, JV 44, its numerous aces and its stunning success with the revolutionary Me 262 during the last dramatic months of World War 2. There was no Luftwaffe fighter unit like Jagdverband 44. Formed in February 1945, the unit grew out of Hitler's bizarre decision that the Me 262 jet fighter should be used as a bomber, despite its potential in the daylight defensive battles over the Reich. Seen as a grave mistake by Göring, a small fighter unit was formed in southern Germany to 'prove' the Me 262's ability as an interceptor. Formed with some of Germany's most experienced fighter pilots, Jagdverband 44 numbered a disproportionately high number of leading aces in its ranks, to the extent that it was said that the Knights' Cross was the unofficial badge of the unit. With numerous first-hand accounts from pilots and detailed colour profiles, this book is a fascinating account of the dramatic birth of the jet fighter and the impact it had during the bitter struggles of 1944-45.

Download or read book Alarmstart East written by Patrick G. Eriksson and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2018-10-15 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The experiences of the German fighter pilots in the Second World War, based on extensive recollections of veterans as well as primary documents, and diary and flying log book extracts, with photographs from the veterans themselves, many never previously published.

Download or read book The Battle of Heligoland Bight 1939 written by Robin Holmes and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2010-01-19 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This illustrated history chronicles the first British bombing raid of WWII and the early lessons learned about strategic bombing. On the 4th of September 1939, Squadron Leader Paul Harris led 149 Squadron to Brunsbüttel, Wilhelmshaven in a Vickers Wellington Mk. 1 medium bomber. On the way he ordered that the guns of his airplane be tested, only to make the horrifying discovery that not one of them worked. Though he was flying completely defenseless, he chose to press on. On the 18th of December, Harris flew to Wilhelmshaven once again and took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, the first major encounter between the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe. This time he flew a Wellington Mk.1A—codenamed “R” for Robert—and his guns were red hot and ready. Of all the Wellington bombers that fought the Luftwaffe, Paul Harris’ old Wimpy is the only one left, preserved at the Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, England.

Download or read book Aces of the Reich written by Mike Spick and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2013-10-23 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Fascinating . . . you’ll gain tremendous insight into some of the best fighter pilots the world has ever known, as well as the Luftwaffe’s rise and fall.” —The Military Book Club In 1939, the Luftwaffe was arguably the world’s best-equipped and best-trained air force. Its fighters were second to none, and their pilots had a tactical system superior to any other in the world. In campaigns over Poland, Norway, the Low Countries and France, they carried all before them. Only in the summer of 1940 did they fail by a narrow margin in achieving air superiority over England. In the West, with a mere holding force, they maintained an enviable kill-loss ratio against the RAF, while elsewhere they swept through the Balkans, then decimated the numerically formidable Soviet Air Force. Their top scorers set marks in air combat that have never been surpassed. Yet within three years—despite the introduction of the jet Me 262, the world’s most advanced fighter—the Luftwaffe fighter arm had been totally defeated. How did this happen? Air-warfare historian Mike Spick explores this question in depth in this incisive and compelling study of World War II’s most fearsome air force. “Spick’s work explores one of the interesting questions of World War II: why did the Jagdwaffe, the most efficient, best-trained and most technically advanced air force in the world in 1939 endure a bewildering defeat within three short years. Spick comes up with some interesting theories to do with the influence of the cult of Manfred Von Richtofen (the Red Baron).” —In Flight USA

Download or read book Luftwaffe Special Weapons 1942 45 written by Robert Forsyth and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-06-10 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the course of World War II turned against the Third Reich after Stalingrad some of the most inventive and radical proposals, and designs, were put forward by armaments manufacturers, scientists and technicians, aircrew and even private individuals to the Reichsluftministerium (German Air Ministry) for consideration. Some proposals were destined never to leave the drawing board, while others not only underwent trials but were issued to operational units and used in action. In this fascinating new book, leading Luftwaffe historian Robert Forsyth examines the many different types of weapons that comprised the Luftwaffe's increasingly potent arsenal during the second half of the war. This was the period that saw the development and adoption of aerial torpedoes, wire-guided rockets and missiles, batteries fired by photo-electric cells, chemical weapons, composite bombers and air-launched flying bombs.

Download or read book American Raiders written by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2004 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World War II Cold War . At the close of World War II, Allied forces faced frightening new German secret weapons--buzz bombs, V-2s, and the first jet fighters. When Hitler's war machine began to collapse, the race was on to snatch these secrets before the Soviet Red Army found them. The last battle of World War II, then, was not for military victory but for the technology of the Third Reich. In American Raiders: The Race to Capture the Luftwaffe's Secrets Wolfgang Samuel assembles from official Air Force records and survivors' interviews the largely untold stories of the disarmament of the once mighty Luftwaffe and of Operation Lusty--the hunt for Nazi technologies. In April 1945 American armies were on the brink of winning their greatest military victory, yet America's technological backwardness was shocking when measured against that of the retreating enemy. Senior officers, including the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces Henry Harley Hap Arnold, knew all too well the seemingly overwhelming victory was less than it appeared. There was just too much luck involved in its outcome. Two intrepid American Army Air Forces colonels set out to regain America's technological edge. One, Harold E. Watson, went after the German jets; the other, Donald L. Putt, went after the Nazis' intellectual capital--their world-class scientists. With the help of German and American pilots, Watson brought the jets to America; Putt persevered as well and succeeded in bringing the German scientists to the Army Air Forces' aircraft test and evaluation center at Wright Field. A young P-38 fighter pilot, Lloyd Wenzel, a Texan of German descent, then turned these enemy aliens into productive American citizens--men who built the rockets that took America to the moon, conquered the sound barrier, and laid the foundation for America's civil and military aviation of the future. American Raiders: The Race to Capture the Luftwaffe's Secrets details the contest won, a triumph that shaped America's victories in the Cold War. Wolfgang W. E. Samuel, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, is the author of German Boy: A Refugee's Story, I Always Wanted to Fly: America's Cold War Airmen, and The War of Our Childhood: Memories of World War II, all published by University Press of Mississippi. He lives in Fairfax Station, Virginia."

Download or read book A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940 1945 written by Christopher Shores and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2018-11-05 with total page 697 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fourth volume in the comprehensive series “fills a gap in the existing narrative” of WWII’s Mediterranean air war (Journal of Military History). The fourth volume in this momentous series commences with the attacks on the Italian island fortress of Pantellaria, which led to its surrender and occupation achieved almost by air attack alone. The account continues with the ultimately successful, but at times very hard fought, invasions of Sicily and southern Italy as burgeoning Allied air power, now with full US involvement, increasingly dominated the skies overhead. The successive occupations of Sardinia and Corsica are also covered in detail. This is essentially the story of the tactical air forces up to the point when Rome was occupied, just at the same time as the Normandy landings were occurring in northwest France. With regards to the long-range tactical role of the Allied heavy bombers, only the period from May to October is examined, while they remained based in North Africa, with the narrative continuing in a future volume. This volume also delves into the story of “the soldiers’ air force.” Frequently overshadowed by more immediate newsworthy events elsewhere, the soldiers’ struggle was often of an equally Homeric nature. “No future publication on the Mediterranean air war will be credible without use of this series.” —Air Power History

Download or read book Flugwelt International written by and published by . This book was released on 1966 with total page 710 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Luftwaffe Victorious written by Mike Spick and published by Greenhill Books. This book was released on 2005 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the outbreak of World War II the Luftwaffe was considered by many to be the world's most powerful air force. However, during the summer of 1940 they suffered a dramatic defeat during the Battle of Britain, and by May 1945 the Germans had surrendered to the Allies and the Third Reich collapsed. What went wrong? How could things have been different? In this most engagingly written and thought provoking addition to the fascinating Greenhill alternate history series, aviation historian Mike Spick asks these very questions, envisaging a dramatic alternate reality in which the Luftwaffe succeeded in defeating Allied forces.