Author: E. R. Hooton Publisher: ISBN: 9781860199950 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 392
Book Description
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.'
Author: Frederick A. Johnsen Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1782009736 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 303
Book Description
The growth in size, lethality, and technology of the German Luftwaffe was of concern to some defense planners in the United States before American entry into the war. Learning about the Luftwaffe became a significant effort once the conflict broke out in Europe. From defectors with German aircraft to battlefield trophies and combat crew reports, the race to understand German aero technology took on sometimes heroic proportions. After the war, German technology infused American aerospace developments in many ways: German ribbon parachutes were evaluated for high-speed bailouts; sweptwing leading edge slat technology benefited the F-86 Sabre; overall comprehension of sweptwing benefits to fast jet aircraft was validated; pulse jet V1s and supersonic V2 rockets boosted American drone weapon, ballistic missile, and space exploration efforts. In this volume, Frederick A. Johnsen traces that path of discovery.
Author: Chris McNab Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 178200310X Category : History Languages : en Pages : 712
Book Description
At the beginning of World War II, the Luftwaffe was the world's most advanced air force. With superior tactics, aircraft and training, it cut through opposition air forces. Despite this auspicious beginning, by 1945 the Luftwaffe was a dying force. The Allies were destroying German aircraft at unequal rates, and Luftwaffe aviators were dying in their thousands in an unbalanced battle to save Germany from destruction. Hitler's Eagles charts the turbulent history of the Luftwaffe from its earliest days to its downfall. Once Hitler was in power, the Luftwaffe came out of the shadows and expanded under a massive rearmament programme, then embarked upon the war that would define its existence. As well as providing a detailed history of the Luftwaffe's combat experience, the book expands on its human and material aspects. Aces and commanders are profiled and aircraft are described both technologically and tactically. The book conveys all the drama of the Luftwaffe's existence with Osprey's famous aviation artwork bringing the story incomparably to life.
Author: Douglas C. Dildy Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1472820592 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 92
Book Description
In August 1940, the Luftwaffe began an operation to destroy or neutralize RAF Fighter Command, and enable Hitler to invade Britain that autumn. It was a new type of air warfare: the first ever offensive counter-air campaign against an integrated air defence system. Powerful, combat-proven and previously all-conquering, the German air force had the means to win the Battle of Britain. Yet it did not. This book is an original, rigorous campaign study of the Luftwaffe's Operation Adlerangriff, researched in Germany's World War II archives and using the most accurate data available. Doug Dildy explains the capabilities of both sides, sets the campaign in context, and argues persuasively that it was the Luftwaffe's own mistakes and failures that led to its defeat, and kept alive the Allies' chance to ultimately defeat Nazi Germany.
Author: Walter Schuck Publisher: ISBN: 9781910809280 Category : Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
Luftwaffe pilot Walter Schuck flew the Me 109 in the Arctic Sea fighter squadrons becoming the Russian air force's feared enemy in the far north. Awarded the Knights Cross in April 1944 he claimed his 100th kill in June of that year, then barely 48 hours later shot down 12 aircraft in one day - a record never achieved by any other Arctic Sea pilot. Celebrated by his colleagues for his skill, courage, sheer guts and chivalry including the deep feelings for those he shot down, he earned the nickname "Adler der Tundra" or "Eagle of the Tundra". In this autobiography, the author tells his story simply, conveying his impressions of life, the rationale of the Lufwaffe and the everyday life of a military man in those times, including the difficulties and hardships of the war in the Arctic Seas. In a gripping narrative, the author helps us to understand why he and his colleagues were prepared to lay down their lives for their people, and their country. Rich in detail and facts and supplemented by photographs from his personal collection and color aircraft profiles, Walter Schuck helps us to put the past into context, painting a unique picture of life in the Luftwaffe during the times of the Third Reich.
Author: Johannes Kaufmann Publisher: Pen and Sword ISBN: 1784382787 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 273
Book Description
The first English translation of one German military pilot’s experience before, during, and after World War II flying for the Third Reich. Johannes Kaufmann’s career was an exciting one. He may have been an ordinary Luftwaffe pilot but he served during an extraordinary time with distinction. Serving for a decade through both peacetime and wartime, his memoir sheds light on the immense pressures of the job. In this never-before-seen translation of a rare account of life in the Luftwaffe, Kaufmann takes the reader through his time in service, from his involvement in the annexation of the Rhineland, the attack on Poland, fighting against American heavy bombers in the Defense of the Reich campaign. He also covers his role in the battles of Arnhem and the Ardennes, and the D-Day landings, detailing the intricacies of military tactics, flying fighter planes and the challenges of war. His graphic descriptions of being hopelessly lost in thick cloud above the Alps, and of following a line of telegraph poles half-buried in deep snow while searching for a place to land on the Stalingrad front are proof that the enemy was not the only danger he had to face during his long flying career. Kaufmann saw out the war from the early beginnings of German expansion right through to surrender to the British in 1945. An Eagle’s Odyssey is a compelling and enlightening read, Kaufmann’s account offers a rarely heard perspective on one of the core experiences of the Second World War.
Author: Erich Sommer Publisher: Grub Street Publishing ISBN: 9781911667308 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 224
Book Description
In this compelling memoir, Erich Sommer recalls his life in pre-war Germany and the adventures he had flying for the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Born in 1912, the third son of a district court judge, Erich grew up in an atmosphere of uncertainty following the First World War. In 1932 he started training as a brewery engineer, shortly before the Nazis came to power. The implications this had on the lives of average Germans are described in great detail. When war came in 1939, he became a navigator, successfully serving with the Luftwaffe's first pathfinding unit, then a special and little-known control commission in Morocco to monitor the disarmament of Vichy French forces. He then served as a navigator with a high-altitude squadron flying the relatively rare Ju 86 bomber fitted with a pressurized cabin in missions during the Battle of Britain. He then went to the Russian Front flying radar-equipped Ju 88s tracking Soviet fleet movements. This led to training as a pilot, following which Erich joined a special commando equipped with the revolutionary Arado Ar 234 jet. Shortly afterwards Erich flew the world's first jet-reconnaissance sortie over the invasion front. He ended his war in Italy. After the war, Erich moved with his wife to Australia where he lived peacefully until his death in 2005. With a detailed introduction from acclaimed Luftwaffe historian J. Richard Smith and illustrated throughout with photographs from private family albums, Luftwaffe Eagle is a fascinating insight into the life of an exceptional Luftwaffe pilot and navigator.
Author: Philip Kaplan Publisher: Skyhorse ISBN: 1510705163 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 465
Book Description
Take someone with superior intelligence, unusual strength, perfect vision, catlike reflexes, exceptional marksmanship, and nerves of steel – and you just might have what it takes. The fighter pilot had total control of an airborne vehicle traveling hundreds of miles an hour, and was capable of leaving a devastating path of destruction in his wake. Navigating with brains and stamina, making life-or-death decisions in the blink of an eye, these unique heroes succeeded or failed by their skill and wit. And although their planes have changed over the years – from World War I’s precarious contraptions made of wood, wire, and cloth; to the metal monsters of the second World War, and finally to sleek, computerized birds able to cruise at speeds that exceed Mach 1 – fighter pilots still must out-think and out-fly opponents in a one-on-one contest where everything is at stake. Profusely illustrated throughout with action photos, paintings, memorabilia and mementoes, Lone Eagle is a vivid volume recalling the thrill of flying Spitfires, Phantoms, Zeroes, and other fighter planes throughout aviation history. Through engaging personal stories and remembrances, this book examines the combat missions and evolution of tactics gathered over the last 70 years, where every hour of every day was an unforgettable and marvelous experience.
Author: Herrmann Hajo Publisher: ISBN: 9781841451299 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 288
Book Description
Eagle's Wings is the autobiography of Hajo Herrmann, one of the best known Luftwaffe pilots of World War II. With well over three hundred perational missions and with a tally of nine RAF bombers destroyed during mass attacks on Germany the author was one of the most successful Luftwaffe pilots of World War II. The author writes about his career from the early days when he was an officer cadet in the German army, through his experiences as a founder member of the Condor Legion in Spain, to the part he played in the war. Herrmann was an acknowledged expert in anti-shipping operations, a divisional commander and creator of the 'Wild Boar' Wilde Sau method of night fighting. He was a close confidant of Hermann Goring, who promoted him to high office in the fighter defence of the Third Reich. Ten years as a prisoner of war in Russia, questions from historians and institutions, and his passion for flying encouraged him to write this account. Hajo Herrmann is a gifted writer and a dedicated historian making Eagle's Wings more than the biography of an outstanding airman: it is also a unique contribution to the history of a turbulent era.
Author: Doug Dildy Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1472820576 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 92
Book Description
A new analysis of the Battle of Britain, told unusually from the perspective of the Luftwaffe, detailing its plans to crush Fighter Command and win the war with air power.
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Author: E. R. Hooton
Author: Frederick A. Johnsen
Author: Chris McNab
Author: Douglas C. Dildy
Author: Walter Schuck
Author: Johannes Kaufmann
Author: Erich Sommer
Author: Philip Kaplan
Author: Herrmann Hajo
Author: Doug Dildy