To be produced in the same style as the 'Jagdwaffe' series (which concentrated on German day fighters), this is the first of a two-part history of the German Nachtjager - the nightfighter force - in World War 2. The Luftwaffe used many aircraft in the nightfighter role, primarily to combat RAF Bomber Command's nocturnal heavy bombing raids against German targets from 1940/1 onwards and a 'cat and mouse' development of aircraft enhancement, weapons, guidance systems and radar took place. The book contains a wide variety of aircraft. This volume, for example, concentrates on the single-seat Me109 fighter adapted as a nightfighter, early versions of the Me110 and the Ju88. The text will be accompanied by a wide range of photographs - many being published for the first time - together with the usual colour profiles, biographies of top nightfighter aces such as Falck, Schnaufer, Lent, Jabs and others. Furthermore, there will be pilot accounts and text boxes offering details of the Schrage Musik upward-firing, FuG202 Lichtenstein and SN-2 radar sets, etc.With the great importance attached by the Royal Air Force to its nocturnal bombing raids, the importance to the defence of Germany of the nightfighter squadrons cannot be overstated. This volume and its companion will provide the modeller and historian with a detailed examination of the Nachtjager forces deployed by the Luftwaffe during the war and will be required reading for all interested in the subject of the nightly battles over the skies of the Reich during World War 2.

This is a compendium edition of the much regarded and long out of print Nachtjägervolumes in the acclaimed Classic Coloursseries on the aircraft, camouflage and markings of the Luftwaffe between 1933-1945. The book focuses on the operations and the aircraft of the Nachtjagdfrom its origins in the inter-war years through its desperate and climactic battles against the massed raids of RAF Bomber Command from 1943 onwards. The force evolved from using single-seat Bf 109s to twin-engined Bf 110s and Ju 88s, with advanced radar equipment and weapons systems, supported by a sophisticated ground reporting network. It produced many leading night fighter aces such as Wolfgang Falck, Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer and Helmut Lent. As the war progressed and the strategic situation began to tilt away from Germany's favor so, ironically, the pace of development quickened with the Luftwaffe introducing uprated versions of the Ju 88 as well as new types such as the Do 217 and He 219 alongside the tactical innovation of 'Wilde Sau' night fighting which saw the return of single-seat Bf 109s and Fw 190s. In the last, desperate months of the war, even the Me 262 was introduced as a night fighter in limited numbers. Nachtjägeris an important resource for modellers and students of Luftwaffe history, providing a detailed narrative augmented by many photographs and specially commissioned color profiles.

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.

In the style of the successful Jagdwaffe series, which concentrated on German day fighters, this concludes a two-part history of the Nachtjager, the Luftwaffe's nightfighter force, in World War II. The Luftwaffe used many aircraft in the nightfighter role, primarily to combat RAF Bomber Command's nocturnal heavy bombing raids against German targets from 1940/1 onwards. Both sides engaged in a 'cat and mouse' development of aircraft enhancement, weapons, guidance systems and radar. In this volume, the later versions of the Ju88G, Fw 190 'Wild Sau', Do 217, Me 262, Ta 154 and others are examined in depth. The text is accompanied by a wide range of photographs, many of which are published here for the first time, together with color profiles and biographies of top nightfighter aces. This volume and its predecessor, published in July 2005, will provide the modeler and historian with a detailed examination of the Nachtjager forces deployed by the Luftwaffe during the war and will be required reading for all interested in the subject of the nightly battles over the skies of the Reich during the conflict.

Night fighters

Both a guide for modellers and a basic introduction to the working practices of the steam railway, this is an in-depth look at the nature of passenger train operation on Britain's railways. Topics discussed include working practices and train formations, non-passenger coaching stock on passenger trains, locomotive types developed specifically for passenger services and station design. c200 b/w photos. c96 pages. Softback. This title has not yet been published. Your order will be recorded and the book will be supplied as soon as it becomes available. Your credit/debit card will not be charged until the book is available for despatch

Volume two, Operational History, covers the training, transport, deployment and a month by month fighting account of the two Panzer Jäger units equipped with Jagdtigers. Using original documentation and veteran accounts in the text; documents, maps and the wealth of striking photographs presented, dramatically illustrate the combat experiences of these unique weapons. Other planned deployments and training vehicles are covered, together with Intelligence reports and a detailed study of the three surviving examples. The author's own color artwork illustrating the camouflage systems used completes this definitive study of the Jagdtiger.