The Luftwaffe: A History

Author: John Killen
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473819482
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 443

Book Description
An extensive history of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany’s air force. In his thoroughly researched study, John Killen examines German air power between 1914 and 1945, from the early days of flying when Immelmann, Boelke, Richtofen, and other First World War aces fought and died to give Germany air supremacy, to the nightmare existence of the Luftwaffe as the Third Reich plunged headlong to destruction. Here are the aircraft: the frail biplanes and triplanes of the Kaiser’s war; the great Lufthansa aircraft and airships of the turbulent Thirties; the monoplanes designed to help Hitler in his conquest of Europe. Here are the generals who forged the air weapon of the Luftwaffe: the swaggering Goering, the playboy Udet, the ebullient Kesselring, and the scapegoat Jeschonnek. Here, too, are the pilots who tried to keep faith with their Fatherland despite overwhelming odds: Adolf Galland, Werner Molders, Joachim Marseille, and Hanna Reitsch. Not least are the actions fought by the Luftwaffe from the Spanish Civil War to the Battle of Britain, through the bloody struggle for Crete, and the siege of Stalingrad to the fearful twilight over Berlin. “A good, readable account of the rise and fall of the Luftwaffe that covers all of the main fronts on which it fought, and examines the reasons for the eventual failure as well as providing a readable narrative.” —History of War

Warplanes of the Luftwaffe

Author: David Donald
Publisher: Aerospace Pub Limited
ISBN: 9781880588109
Category : Airplanes, Military
Languages : en
Pages : 254

Book Description
Book illustrated with photos and cutaways of all types of German aircraft form the Second World War.

The Luftwaffe Data Book

Author: Alfred Price
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781853672934
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
-- Invaluable Luftwaffe reference book -- Fully revised and greatly extended from the original Luftwaffe Handbook 1939-1945 This is the reference book that anyone interested in World War II aviation should have on hand. This single volume presents a remarkable range of data, from the organization of the Luftwaffe High Command to details of unit identification markings on aircraft. Based on the Luftwaffe Handbook 1939-1945, long out of print, it has been fully revised and extended to almost double the original length by aviation historian Alfred Price. Lists of the strengths, serviceability states, and equipment of units at significant points throughout the war, as well as details of operational tactics of the different units are included.

The Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe

Author: Jay A. Stout
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 0811706591
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 474

Book Description
Dramatic story of World War II in the air How the U.S. built an air force of 2.3 million men after starting with 45,000 and defeated the world's best air force Vivid accounts of aerial combat Winner, 2011 San Diego Book Awards for Military & Politics In order to defeat Germany in World War II, the Allies needed to destroy the Third Reich's industry and invade its territory, but before they could effectively do either, they had to defeat the Luftwaffe, whose state-of-the-art aircraft and experienced pilots protected German industry and would batter any attempted invasion. This difficult task fell largely to the U.S., which, at the outset, lacked the necessary men, materiel, and training. Over the ensuing years, thanks to visionary leadership and diligent effort, the U.S. Army Air Force developed strategies and tactics and assembled a well-trained force that convincingly defeated the Luftwaffe.

Strategy For Defeat: The Luftwaffe, 1933-1945 [Illustrated Edition]

Author: Williamson Murray
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN: 178625770X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 883

Book Description
Includes the Aerial Warfare In Europe During World War II illustrations pack with over 200 maps, plans, and photos. This book is a comprehensive analysis of an air force, the Luftwaffe, in World War II. It follows the Germans from their prewar preparations to their final defeat. There are many disturbing parallels with our current situation. I urge every student of military science to read it carefully. The lessons of the nature of warfare and the application of airpower can provide the guidance to develop our fighting forces and employment concepts to meet the significant challenges we are certain to face in the future.

I Flew for the Fuhrer

Author: Heinz Knocke
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1783030763
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 245

Book Description
“Reading like a novel, this primary source is a valuable look at the ‘other side’ of World War II aviation.”—Gazette665 Heinz Knoke was one of the outstanding German fighter pilots of World War II and this vivid first-hand record of his experiences has become a classic among aviation memoirs, a bestselling counterbalance to the numerous accounts written by Allied pilots. Knoke joined the Luftwaffe on the outbreak of war, and eventually became commanding officer of a fighter wing. An outstandingly brave and skillful fighter, he logged over two thousand flights, and shot down fifty-two enemy aircraft. He had flown over four hundred operational missions before being crippled by wounds in an astonishing ‘last stand’ towards the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross for his achievements. In a text that reveals his intense patriotism and discipline, he describes being brought up in the strict Prussian tradition, the impact of the coming of the Nazi regime, and his own wartime career set against a fascinating study of everyday life in the Luftwaffe, and of the high morale of the force until its disintegration. In a postscript provided for this edition, Heinz Knoke writes of the struggle to survive after the war in Germany, and his building of a new life. Now that the Berlin Wall has been torn down, his memoirs are set in a new perspective, both a valuable contribution to aviation literature and a moving human story.

The Sting of the Luftwaffe

Author: John J. Vasco
Publisher: Schiffer Pub Limited
ISBN: 9780764313059
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 159

Book Description
This photo-history of Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 and Zerstrergeschwader 1 Wespengeschwader in the years 1941-1944 shows for the first time in a single volume the many personalities, and the varied Messerschmitt and Junkers aircraft types flown by these units. Drawing photographic content from mainly private sources, this work fills a gap in the overall documented history of the Luftwaffe in World War II.

The Luftwaffe Over Germany

Author: Donald Caldwell
Publisher: Frontline Books
ISBN: 1473896967
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 469

Book Description
“A wonderful book on the Luftwaffe’s WW2 operations (German Air Force) and its struggle to defend Germany from the Allied bomber attacks.” —FSAddon The Luftwaffe over Germany tells the story of one of the longest and most intense air battles in history. The daylight air struggles over Germany during World War II involved thousands of aircraft, dozens of units, and hundreds of aerial engagements. Until now, there has been no single book that covers the complete story, from the highest levels of air strategy to the individual tales of Fw 190s, Bf 109s and Me 262s in air combat against the American bomber streams. This ground-breaking work explores the detrimental effect of Luftwaffe theory and doctrine on the German air arms ability to defend the homeland once the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive began in earnest. By mid-1944, they had lost the battle—but had exacted a terrible price from the Americans in the process. The product of a ten-year collaboration between two noted Luftwaffe historians, this work fills a major gap in the literature of World War II. The authors have examined original war diaries, logbooks, doctrine manuals, after-action reports, and interviews with many combat veterans to produce a richly detailed account. Illustrated with nearly two hundred photographs, as well as new maps and diagrams, this is the standard work on the subject. “Looking for a better book on the German air defense of the Third Reich in daylight during the war would probably be a useless endeavor.” —A Wargamers Needful Things

Deutsche Luftwaffe

Author: Santiago Guillen
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 9788496658394
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
When World War II began, Germany's Luftwaffe was the most powerful air force yet seen, achieving victory after victory in tandem with the German Army. But as other great powers rose to combat Hitler, the supremacy of the Me-109, Stuka, and Focke-Wulf soon began to pale before vast fleets of Allied warplanes which German industry could hardly match. Nevertheless, while "flying till they died," Luftwaffe pilots continued to write a record of heroism and innovation, until at the very end of the war they nearly gained the edge again with their aces flying the world's first jet fighter, the Me-262. In this large, lavishly illustrated, full-color work we gain an intimacy with the daily life of Luftwaffe pilots as never seen before. From their uniforms to equipment to everyday sundries, drawn from incredible collections of memorabilia, we can share their experiences on airfields or in the very skies of Europe, above the dark cause which unfortunately they served.

Wings of the Luftwaffe

Author: Eric Brown
Publisher: Crowood Press (UK)
ISBN: 9781853104138
Category : Air warfare
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
At the end of World War II, Eric Brown had the extraordinary experience of testing no fewer than 55 captured individual German aircraft types. These ranged from such exotic creations as the prone-pilot Berlin B9 and Horten IV, the push-and-pull Dornier DO335 and the remarkable little Heinkel He 162 Volksjager, to the highly innovative combat types that were entering the inventory of the Luftwaffe shortly before the demise of Germany's Third Reich. Brown also interrogated many of the leading German wartime aviation personalities, such as Willy Messerschmitt, Ernst Heinkel, Kurt Tank and Hanna Reitsch. From this background knowledge of German aviation he has selected those he considers the most important, and presents detailed descriptions of their background and characteristics.