Battles With The Nachtjagd

Battles of the Nachtjagd traces the parallel developments in RAF night-bombing and night-fighting in the Luftwaffe, from the pioneering efforts on both sides in this new form of airwar up to the climax of the strategic bombing offensive in 1945 and the simultaneous introduction of the Me 262 jet in the German night fighter army.

The result of over twenty years of meticulous research, this two volume work will transform our knowledge of the Luftwaffe's battle to defend the cities of the Reich from night attack. It has previously been assumed that no detailed history of the night battles could ever be compiled because so much information had been lost at the end of the war, but Dr Boiten has succeeded where others failed. During his research Dr Boiten has analysed and cross referenced many sources, mostly unpublished, and some from private collections never seen by researchers before. For the first time the picture of each major raid has been compiled as seen from both the Luftwaffe and RAF view, each night's activity is detailed and each of the more than 6,000 night fighter claims listed. Importantly it has been possible to conclusively identify the victors and victims of the majority of combats, a thing previously considered impossible in all but a few cases. This has been made possible by accurately locating the crash sites of most of the fallen bombers through newly discovered Luftwaffe documents, again significantly improving on previously available material.

NachtjagdBoitenSubtitled: The Night Fighter Versus Bomber War Over the Third Reich 1939-45. Of the 7,953 Bomber Command aircraft lost on night operations during WWII, an estimated 5,833 fell victim to Luftwaffe night fighters. This volume traces the parallel developments in RAF night bombing and the Luftwaffes night fighting capability using archive material and interviews with surviving aircrew from both sides.Hdbd., 7 3/4x 1, 24 pgs., 17 bandw ill.

WORLD HISTORY: SECOND WORLD WAR. The long-awaited reprints of the NachtJagd War Diaries are Wing Leader's first published titles. The result of over twenty years of meticulous research, this two volume work casts new light on the nightime battles in the west. It has previously been assumed that no detailed history of the night battles could ever be compiled because so much information had been lost at the end of the war. However, by analysing and cross referencing hundreds of sources, mostly unpublished, and some from private collections never seen by researchers before, Dr Boiten has for the first time been able to clearly analyse each night's operations from both sides. This monumental task included taking over 6,000 night fighter claims and matching them wherever possible to RAF and USAAF losses, a task previously considered impossible in all but a few cases. Amazingly, these books can now positively identify victors and victims in over 70% of the claims.

"Night Fighters examines the historical, technological. tactical, and strategic evolution of limited-visibility aerial combat as the air forces of Great Britain and Germany dueled in the night skies during World War II. The book is based on extensive research and interviews with the key planners and policy makers responsible for their respective national strategies governing the conduct of the nighttime air war, as well as with the airmen who fought the war, which makes it far more detailed than previous works on this subject. The science developed by both nations greatly increased the momentum and lethality of air combat in that conflict. In addition, this arena of World War II combat also produced many technological innovations, the results of which are seen today in everyday military and civilian life."--BOOK JACKET.

This collection and analysis of first-hand accounts from World War 11 veteran aircrew offers a fresh look at the day air war that raged over Europe from 1942 to 1945. it retraces not only the course of events of the war years as experienced by both Allied and Axis pilots, but also offers vivid descriptions of weaponry, aircraft and tactical developments during the extensive bombing campaign against Germany. Richly illustrated with some 300 photographs, many of which previously unpublished, Battles with the Luftwaffe is a fascinating account of the realities of air-combat during World War II.

This, the fourth volume of a five part work that provides a comprehensive insight into all aspects of RAF Bomber Command in World War Two, begins in the spring of 1944 with a completely new insight on the catastrophic raid on Nuremburg on the night of 30/31 March and follows with the disastrous attack on Mailly-le-Camp in May. Gradually, the Allied Bomber Offensive began to bear fruit and in June 1944 the invasion of Normandy took place under an umbrella of almost total Allied air superiority. RAF Bomber Command was to play a huge part in what proved to be the final steps to ultimate victory, returning to the mass raids on German cities by night and even mounting raids on the Reich by day. The authors well-tried formula of using background information interspersed with the crews personal narrative takes you raid by raid through each tour of ops while carrying full bomb loads in sub-zero temperatures, blighted by atrocious weather conditions and dogged by fear of fire, death or serious injury or having to endure months if not years of miserable existence and near starvation behind the wire in notorious PoW camps. The path to peace was paved with the unmitigated slow ebbing of courage with an ever-present possibility of death unannounced from a prowling night fighter, nondescript and unseen, as night after incessant night, shattered and ailing bombers could run out of luck to crash in some foreign field while other crews, almost home almost empty - ran out of fuel and died horrible tortuous deaths in twisted and tangled wreckage. Not for them the glory that was accorded The Few but as Winston Churchill said: Fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide the means of victory.

“Relates how the American Eighth Air Force bombers helped Britain's Royal Air Force in fighting Germany during World War II.”—ProtoView From the beginning of World War II, the RAF’s Bomber Command had been the only means of striking Hitler’s Reich and its war machine. But the entry into the war of the United States—and the subsequent arrival in the UK of the Eighth Air Force—would more than double the Allied capability. The Flying Fortress and Liberator heavy bombers were mostly flown across the Atlantic by their young, green aircrew, and many succumbed en route and never arrived. Flying in northern Europe was a different ball game from American skies and it took a considerable time before the crews familiarized themselves with the vagaries of fog, low cloud, rain and snow. The American bombers bristled with defensive armament and elected to fly in close defensive formation during the day, leaving the RAF to carry out nighttime raids. With the arrival of long-range protective escort fighters, the task became a little easier. This book is the story, including many firsthand accounts, of how the American bomber force helped fight to eventual victory, by decimating German industry and transport systems—and breaking the Nazi war spirit.

The result of over twenty years of meticulous research, this two volume work will transform our knowledge of the Luftwaffe's battle to defend the cities of the Reich from night attack. It has previously been assumed that no detailed history of the night battles could ever be compiled because so much information had been lost at the end of the war, but Dr Boiten has succeeded where others failed. During his research Dr Boiten has analysed and cross referenced many sources, mostly unpublished, and some from private collections never seen by researchers before. For the first time the picture of each major raid has been compiled as seen from both the Luftwaffe and RAF view, each night's activity is detailed and each of the more than 6,000 night fighter claims listed. Importantly it has been possible to conclusively identify the victors and victims of the majority of combats, a thing previously considered impossible in all but a few cases. This has been made possible by accurately locating the crash sites of most of the fallen bombers through newly discovered Luftwaffe documents, again significantly improving on previously available material.