Battles with the Nachtjagd: The Night Airwar over Europe, 1939-1945

9780764325243

0764325248

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 arm. The authors have traced surviving aircrew from both sides and have succeeded in matching many Bomber Command losses to German night fighter claims. Above all this book is the gripping story of the German night fighter versus bomber war over the Third Reich 1941-1945. There are contributions from scores of veteran RAF and Commonwealth aircrew and their German adversaries, which shed new light on many aspects of the giant and deadly nocturnal battle over northwestern Europe. The narrative is extensively illustrated with more than 400 rare and mostly unpublished photographs from the personal collections of the veterans‚ wartime albums, which grippingly illustrate the strategic and tactical developments in this most deadly struggle.