Download or read book Air Power and the Evacuation of Dunkirk written by Harry Raffal and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-07-15 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The evacuation of Dunkirk has been immortalised in books, prints and films, narrated as a story of an outnumbered, inexperienced RAF defeating the battle-hardened Luftwaffe and protecting the evacuation. This book revives the historiography by analysing the air operations during the evacuation. Raffal draws from German and English sources, many for the first time in the context of Operation DYNAMO, to argue that both sides suffered a defeat over Dunkirk. . This work examines the resources and tactics of both sides during DYNAMO and challenges the traditional view that the Luftwaffe held the advantage. The success that the Luftwaffe achieved during DYNAMO, including halting daylight evacuations on 1 June, is evaluated and the supporting role of RAF Bomber and Coastal Command is explored in detail for the first time. Concluding that the RAF was not responsible for the Luftwaffe's failure to prevent the evacuation, Raffal demonstrates that the reasons lay elsewhere.

Download or read book Dogfight written by David Owen and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-06-20 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Innumerable books have been published on the two most famous fighter aircraft of all time, the Supermarine Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Bf109. But books setting out to tell the story of both aircraft are very much rarer - probably fewer than the fingers of one hand. Yet their joint story is one which bears retelling since both were essential to the air campaigns of World War Two. Incredibly, the men who designed them lacked any experience of designing a modern fighter. R J Mitchell had begun his career working on industrial steam locomotives, Willy Messerschmitt had cut his aeronautical teeth on light and fragile gliders and sporting planes. Yet both men not only managed to devise aircraft which could hold their own in a world where other designs went from state-of-the-art to obsolete in a staggeringly short time, but their fighters remained competitive over six years of front-line combat. Despite the different ways their creators approached their daunting tasks and the obstacles each faced in acceptance by the services for which they were designed, they proved to be so closely matched that neither side gained a decisive advantage in a titanic struggle. Had either of them not matched up to its opponent so well, then the air war would have been a one-sided catastrophe ending in a quick defeat for the Allies or the Axis powers, and the course of twentieth century history would have been changed beyond recognition.

Download or read book Stuka written by Alistair Smith and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-01-19 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A very nice release about the most recognizable German aircraft of the Second World War” from the author of Rommel’s Army in the Desert (Inscale.org). The photographs in this collection belonged to Luftwaffe Stuka rear gunner and radio operator Erich Heine. The collection includes photographs of flights of Stukas in formation, operating training aircraft, and a selection of different Luftwaffe uniforms and flight gear. The photographer was based for a period in Czechoslovakia, was shot down over the Ukraine in August 1943 and for a time was listed as missing in action. This collection offers a unique insight into the German experience of World War Two, providing the opportunity to access materials that have never been published before “The book very ably documents the war career of the aircraft and the pilots, reproducing some outstanding images of war.” —Firetrench “The most remarkable thing about this album is that it contains photographs of perhaps the most famous Stuka ace, Hans-Ulrich Rudel.” —Inscale.org “The photographs . . . show the life of Erich and Luftwaffe Stuka crew members through training/deployment/leave and include funerals of squadron members . . . The narrative gives a good overview of the Stuka in service and the photographs show varied views of the aircraft and day to day life within the squadron.” —WW2 Talk

Download or read book Hitler s Northern War written by Adam R. A. Claasen and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adolf Hitler had high hopes for his conquest of Norway, which held both great symbolic and great strategic value for the Fuhrer. Despite early successes, however, his ambitious northern campaign foundered and ultimately failed. Adam Claasen for the first time reveals the full story of this neglected episode and shows how it helped doom the Third Reich to defeat. Hitler and Raeder, the chief of the German navy, were determined to take and keep Norway. By doing so, they hoped to preempt Allied attempts to outflank Germany, protect sea lanes for German ships, access precious Scandinavian minerals for war production, and provide a launchpad for Luftwaffe and naval operations against Great Britain. Beyond those strategic objectives, Hitler also envisioned Norway as part of a pan-Nordic stronghold—a centerpiece of his new world order. But, as Claasen shows, Hitler's grand expectations were never realized. Gring's Luftwaffe was the vital spearhead in the invasion of Norway, which marked a number of wartime firsts. Among other things, it involved the first large-scale aerial operations over sea rather than land, the first time operational objectives and logistical needs were fulfilled by air power, and the first deployment of paratroopers. Although it got off to a promising start, the German effort, particularly against British and arctic convoys, was greatly hampered by flawed strategic thinking, interservice rivalries between the Luftwaffe and navy, the failure to develop a long-range heavy bomber, the diversion of planes and personnel to shore up the German war effort elsewhere, and the northern theater's harsh climate and terrain. Claasen's study covers every aspect of this ill-fated campaign from the 1940 invasion until war's end and shows how it was eventually relegated to a backwater status as Germany fought to survive in an increasingly unwinnable war. His compelling account sharpens our picture of the German air force and widens our understanding of the Third Reich's way of war.

Download or read book JG 26 Luftwaffe Fighter Wing War Diary written by Donald Caldwell and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2012-04-15 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Day-by-day account of a German fighter squadron, one of only two Luftwaffe units to spend the entire war in the West Covers the Battle of France, the Battle of Britain, the Dieppe raid, and more JG 26 was known as "The Abbeville Boys" and seen by the Allies as an elite squadron Unit flew Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s

Download or read book Jagdgeschwader 2 written by John Weal and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-20 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first instalment of the Aviation Elite Units series, a detailed history of this key unit, featuring photographs and colour illustrations throughout. Tracing its roots to Manfred, Freiherr von Richthofen's 'Flying Circus' of WWI, the Jagdgeschwader 'Richthofen' is arguably the most famous fighter unit of all time. Designated JG 1 during the Great War, then disbanded following defeat, the Jagdgeschwader reformed as JG 132. By September 1939 the unit had become JG 2, seeing much action during the Blitzkrieg and Battle of Britain. This first in a new series focusing on elite fighter and bomber units, charts the career of JG 2 from its first aerial kills in 1939 to the destruction of its own Fw 190s in the face of the Allied advance in 1945.

Download or read book Spitfire vs Bf 109 written by Tony Holmes and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-05-28 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Churchill's words, 'never was so much owed by so many to so few', came to encapsulate how, in a few critical months, the entire fate of the British Empire, if not the war, hung in the balance, to be determined by a handful of pilots fighting tirelessly in the skies over Britain. Tony Holmes describes the Battle of Britain, the clash between the Spitfire I/II and the Bf 109E - detailing not only the key elements of both aircraft types - the airframe, engine, armament and flying characteristics, but also the pilots' training and tactics accompanied by diagrams of actual flight formations. The growing influence of radar and the efforts of British air defences are also examined, as are real-life engagements - from both German and British perspectives. With a wealth of first-hand accounts from the veterans who strapped themselves into these legendary machines as well as illustrations and cockpit-view artwork, this book puts the reader in the midst of a dogfight, providing a unique insight into one of the greatest duels of history in the world's first major aerial battle.

Download or read book The Luftwaffe and the War at Sea written by David C. Isby and published by Greenhill Books. This book was released on 2017-11-30 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Luftwaffe and the War at Sea is a collection of fascinating accounts written by German military officers – both Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe – about the naval war in the air in the North Atlantic and around Great Britain. Most of the documents were written immediately post-war as part of the Allied debriefing programme. However, some are wartime German originals produced for internal use by military staff, but all have the value of immediacy; they were written when memories were fresh and, in many cases, by those who were directly caught up in the action. These men were personally involved in all aspects of the German attempts to control the seas through maritime power, from the use of Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers during the invasion of Norway to the missions of FW 200 Condors in cooperation with the U-boat campaign against Britain's Atlantic lifelines. The writers include such well-known names as Grossadmiral Karl Doenitz, Kontreadmiral Gerhard Wagner, General der Flieger, Ulrich O. E. Kessler and Vizeadmiral Eberhard Weichold. The history recounted in these reports is unique and first-hand, allowing the reader a fresh perspective on those famous campaigns. Furthermore, much of that wartime experience was harnessed during the formation of the Bundersmarine's Marineflieger in the 1950s that then served throughout the Cold War. Today it still participates in the global war on terror with its Atlantic marine patrols.

Download or read book Hitler s Stuka Squadrons written by John Ward and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hitler's Stuka Squadrons is a book that separates fact from fantasy regarding the achievements and military career of the Ju 87 aircraft. Able to deliver its bombs accurately onto a target, the Stuka wreaked havoc in Poland and France against ground targets and refugee columns. Hitler's Stuka Squadrons charts the Ju 87's career in 1939-40, when German aerial superiority ensured aircraft losses were low. However, against Spitfires and Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain in 1940 the Stuka was shot out of the skies. The campaign in Russia saw the re-establishment of the Ju 87's supremacy, and would lead to a change in role to one of tank-busting. Hitler's Stuka Squadrons also covers the individual Stuka squadrons, their campaigns, tactics, and pilots. Illustrated with full-color artworks, which show the various changes in livery and design that the Ju 87 underwent during its career, accompanied by a full specifications table that lists range, armament, performance, dimensions, ceiling and weights;- An authoritative book written by an expert on Military history- First-hand accounts from Stuka pilots- Full-colored artworks- Specifications boxes

Download or read book Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerst rer Aces of World War 2 written by John Weal and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-20 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is the first of its type to be devoted exclusively to the Zerstörer day fighter aces, spanning the war years from Poland to the defence of the Reich. Although Messerschmitt's single-engined Bf 109 has received most of the plaudits for achieving virtual air superiority over Europe in 1939-40, the exploits of the manufacturer's twin-engined Bf 110, the Ju 88 and the Me 410 Zerstörer in the first year of the war also make for very impressive reading. Indeed, on the eve of World War 2 a posting to a Bf 110 unit was considered to be the best career move available in the Luftwaffe.

Download or read book Luftwaffe Camouflage and Markings 1933 1945 Pre war development paint systems composition patterns applications day fighters written by Kenneth A. Merrick and published by Classic Publications. This book was released on 2004 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of the Luftwaffe during World War II is still of enormous interest to aviation enthusiasts and modellers. This is a definitive study of the Luftwaffe's colours and markings.

Download or read book Jagdgeschwader 54 Gr nherz written by John Weal and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-20 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most successful of the high-scoring Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader during World War 2, JG 54 'Grünherz' (Green Hearts) was formed from three disparate fighter 'Gruppen' immediately prior to the Battle of Britain. Having enjoyed immediate success over the Channel and South-east England during the summer of 1940, the unit was transferred to the Eastern Front in the spring of 1941 in preparation for Operation Barbarossa the German invasion of the Soviet Union. JG 54 would remain a Jagdwaffe stalwart in the east, flying firstly Bf 109Fs and then the Fw 190. By war's end, the Geschwader's pilots had claimed over 9500 kills, and produced over 100 aces. Men like Hans Philipp, Walter Nowotny and Otto Kittel are profiled in this volume, which reveals the struggle in the face of overwhelming odds that was the lot of the Jagdflieger on the Eastern Front.

Download or read book In the Skies of Europe written by Hans Werner Neulen and published by Crowood Press (UK). This book was released on 2000 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During WWII the air forces and pilots of the countries allied to Germany played a greater role than historians concede. In this volume, the author has gathered an enormous amount of information on the air forces of eight countries and the various foreign airmen (including Russian) who fought with the Luftwaffe. Their operations, mostly carried out in conditions of numerical inferiority, their successes and failures, as well as the motivation of these aircrew and their often tragic fate are fully incorporated into this comprehensive account.

Download or read book Eagle in Flames written by E. R. Hooton and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his earlier book, Hooton traced the German Air Force through its glory days of build up to war from 1933 and its original success as part of the Blitzkrieg offensive. Here he charts its downfall, from all-conquering force to defeat.'

Download or read book The German War Machine in World War II written by David T. Zabecki and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2019-12-02 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This invaluable resource offers students a comprehensive overview of the German war machine that overran much of Europe during World War II, with close to 300 entries on a variety of topics and a number of key primary source documents. This book provides everything the reader needs to know about the German war machine that developed into the potent armed force under Adolf Hitler. This expansive encyclopedia covers the period of the German Third Reich, from January 1933 to the end of World War II in Europe, in May 1945. Dozens of entries on key battles and military campaigns, military and political leaders, military and intelligence organizations, and social and political topics that shaped German military conduct during World War II are followed by an illuminating epilogue that outlines why Germany lost World War II. A documents section includes more than a dozen fascinating primary sources on such significant events as the Tripartite Pact among Germany, Italy, and Japan; the Battle of Stalingrad; the Normandy Invasion; the Ardennes Offensive; and Germany's surrender. In addition, six appendices provide detailed information on a variety of topics such as German aces, military commanders, and military medals and decorations. The book ends with a chronology and a bibliography of print resources.

Download or read book The British National Bibliography written by Arthur James Wells and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 1922 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Fallschirm Panzer Division Hermann G ring written by Lawrence Paterson and published by Greenhill Books. This book was released on 2021-12-22 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of the development and role during World War II of the private army of the Nazi Luftwaffe’s commander-in-chief. In the early years of the Third Reich, Hermann Göring, one of the most notorious leaders of the Third Reich, worked to establish his own personal army to rival Himmler’s SS and Reichswehr. The result: a private Prussian police force which grew into one of the most powerful armored units in Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht. This unit fought throughout the Second World War, meeting Anglo-American forces in vicious battles across the European theatres of Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy before finally being defeated by the Red Army on the Eastern Front. This book incorporates technical details of these battles with the turbulent politics and Machiavellian maneuvering of Hitler’s inner circle, giving military-history enthusiasts fresh insights into the development and role of this unusual division through the war. Drawing on first-hand accounts and extensive archive material, World War II historian Lawrence Paterson presents a comprehensive and unbiased history of the establishment of the famous 1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division. Praise for Fallschirm–Panzer Division ‘Hermann Göring’ “A fine study, well written, thoroughly researched and highly readable.” —The Journal of Military History “An important contribution to an otherwise little-known but fascinating unit.” —History of War “For anybody interested in the role of this elite unit, it is a ‘must read’ and as part of an understanding of the campaigns it fought, it offers a wider perspective of its interaction with adjoining units.” —Michael McCarthy, Battlefield Guide