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.

Drawn from newly-available historical archives, this German air force history is “packed with many fascinating revelations.” (IPMS/USA) The end of the Second World War in Europe was an epoch of complete social, cultural and technological upheaval. In the realm of military and aviation history this period was revolutionary. The eclipse of the piston-engine, and the introduction of electronic detection equipment, rockets and airborne weapons in previously unknown quantities changed the face of the air war and paved the way for post-war developments in aviation technology. Many details of this crucial phase of the war remained hidden for many years in top-secret files, but in this fascinating new history Manfred Griehl makes use of recently declassified sources, alongside his own vast collection of photographs, to provide a fresh look at the story of the Luftwaffe. Among the many aspects he covers are the new models of Bf 109 and Fw 190; the Me 262 jet plane; the establishment of He 162 squadrons; Stukas and Fw 190 fighter-bomber operations on the Eastern Front; Me 262 Blitzbombers in the West, the recruitment of 1928-born Hitler Youth into the two hundred glider schools; the increasing importance of remote-controlled air-to-air rockets; and the development of heavy bombs, remote-controlled bombs, atom bombs and Germany’s chemical and bacteriological arsenal. Brimming with intriguing discoveries, such as the existence of the real-life Luftwaffe kamikaze squadron, this meticulously researched and fully illustrated book will be of interest to historians and enthusiasts alike.

This book examines the reality behind the myths of the legendary German fighter aces of World War II. It explains why only a small minority of pilots - those in whom the desire for combat overrode everything - accounted for so large a proportion of the victories. It surveys the skills that a successful fighter pilot must have - a natural aptitude for flying, marksmanship, keen eyesight - and the way in which fighter tactics have developed. The book examines the history of the classic fighter aircraft that were flown, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke Wulf Fw 190, and examines each type's characteristics, advantages and disadvantages in combat. The accounts of the experiences of fighter pilots are based on archival research, diaries, letters, published and unpublished memoirs and personal interviews with veterans. The pilots included are Werner Molders, Gunther Rall, Adolf Galland, Erich Hartmann and Johannes Steinhoff.

This comprehensive volume tells the rarely recounted stories of the numerous foreign air forces that supported the German Luftwaffe as part of the Axis' quest to dominate the European and Pacific theaters—a highly compelling and often overlooked chapter of World War II history. The Axis Air Forces: Flying in Support of the German Luftwaffe presents an untold history of that global conflict's little-known combatants, who nonetheless contributed significantly to the war's outcome. While most other books only attempt to address this subject in passing, author Frank Joseph provides not only an extremely comprehensive account of the "unsung heroes" of the Axis fliers, but also describes the efforts of Axis air forces such as those of the Iraqi, Manchurian, Thai or Chinese—specific groups of wartime aviators that have never been discussed before at length. This book examines the distinct but allied Axis air forces of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. An extensive introduction provides coverage of Luftwaffe volunteers from Greece, Lithuania, Holland, Denmark, Norway and even the United States. Detailed descriptions of the personnel themselves and the aircraft they operated are portrayed against the broader scope of combat missions, field operations, and military campaigns, supplying invaluable historical perspective on the importance of their sorties.

The Life and Death of the Luftwaffe is the story of Germany’s bomber forces in World War II—the counterpart to the story of German fighter forces told by Adolf Galland in The First and the Last. Designated General of the Bombers—the highest post in the Luftwaffe bomber command—Werner Baumbach saw combat as a dive bomber pilot at Narvik and Dunkirk. Later he commanded the Luftwaffe forces in Norway, attacking Allied convoys on the Murmansk run, and led Germany’s bomber fleets on the Russian front and in the Mediterranean. An outspoken critic of the Luftwaffe blunders committed by Göring and Hitler, Baumbach was saved from dismissal only by his extraordinary record of leadership and courage. In The Life and Death of the Luftwaffe, he presents a rare inside view of German decisions and strategy, based on personal combat experience and official Luftwaffe files—from the blitzkrieg in Poland and the fall of France to the Battle of Britain, the siege of Stalingrad, and the collapse of German air power under the torrent of American bombing at the end of World War II.

Get in the cockpit with some of the greatest German flying aces of all time! In this exciting book, Mike Spick shows how the Luftwaffe's leading fighter pilots were able to outscore their allied counterparts so effectively and completely during World War II. When the records of the Jagdflieger pilots became available after the war, they were initially greeted with incredulity—the highest claim was for 352 kills, and more than one hundred pilots had recorded more than one hundred victories. However, post-war research proved that these claims had in fact been made in good faith and confirmation had only been given after rigorous checking. To discover the secret of this success, aviation history expert Mike Spick examines the exploits of these aces and sets out the context in which they took place. Every major theatre is covered in detail including the conditions peculiar to each: climate, relative numerical and qualitative strengths, the presence or absence of radar and other measures, and the relative merits of the planes being flown. He focuses on the methods and tactics used by individual aces and uses first-hand sources wherever possible to put the reader right alongside the pilot in the cockpit.

This stunning pictorial record of the German Air Force, from its establishment in the 1930s through service in World War II from 1939 to 1945, features a wealth of rare images complemented by dramatic and thoroughly researched text. 250 photos.