Flygstridföring

Fighting Men of World War II: Axis Forces is the first part of a two-volume set (Allied Forces is also available) which sets out to examine in detail the weapons and equipment of the average soldier of Germany, Japan, Italy, and the other nations like Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, comprised the Axis forces. In these pages we examine a broad range of general equipment that was used every day, including binoculars, goggles, radios, water bottles, fuel cans, medical kits, skis, wire cutters and detonators. We give detailed specifications of weapons such as pistols and revolvers, rifles, bayonets, fighting knives, hand grenades, landmines, flamethrowers, mortars and light artillery. The clothing sections include headgear, from the feathered hats of the Italian Bersaglieri sharpshooters to the redoubtable Stahlheim of the German troops. We examine footwear as diverse as polished officers’ shoes, cavalry boots, paratroopers’ jump boots and Japanese Tabi canvas shoes. Uniform tunics, shirts, trousers and greatcoats all receive attention, as do all-weather gear, gloves, ponchos and shelter sections, such as the German Zeltbahn. Camouflage variations are shown, as are rank badges together with unit badges and medals. Personal items too are included. We show cigarettes and lighters, letters and postcards home, campstools, fans, identity tags, mending kits and eating utensils. Almost all the items shown have not been featured in book form before and have been specially chosen from museums and private collections to form a unique reference source for the general reader, budding collector, military enthusiast, re-enactor, and modeller. The fighting man is placed within the context of his unit organization, while carefully researched archive photos show him with his weapons and equipment in action. The text, by seasoned military expert David Miller, is the result of painstaking research, backed up by his own military experience in the British Army, which has given him the necessary credentials to understand what the average fighting man’s needs and day-to-day preoccupations actually were. David has been assisted by editor Graham Smith, and the two of them have pulled together all these diverse elements to form one of the most definitive works of its kind.

‘A comprehensive overview of how the Luftwaffe’s air battle evolved from offensive to defensive and the lead-up to the bitter downfall.’  Richard OveryArnold Döring was just 23 years old when he flew his first mission against the Soviet Union on 21 June 1941. On that day he started writing his diary. His account not only describe the technical aspects and the difficulties posed by weather and terrain, but are also filled with suspense, with detailed descriptions of bombing raids and narrow escapes from enemy fighter planes. With detached professionalism, Döring offers us thrilling, action-packed snapshots of life as a Luftwaffe pilot.This volume of the diaries, translated into English for the first time, covers the period from August 1943 to May 1945, when the author was flying sorties as a nightfighter, including Operation Gisela, the largest and final operation of the Luftwaffe against the Allies. Despite experiencing crash-landings, near misses, terrifying night missions and precarious flights with too little fuel and under-trained crew, Döring survived through his skill and instincts, as well as a fair amount of luck.

Volym 6 i den banbrytande dokumentationen av det hittills okända luftkriget på östfronten under andra världskriget. Helt unik i innehållet.

Denna volym berättar historien om enorma luftstrider mellan tyskarna och sovjeterna efter slaget vid Kursk i juli 1943 – strider av svindlande omfattning, med tusentals flygplan nedskjutna och där luftmakten spelade en avgörande roll för utgången på marken – som nästan helt har förbisetts av historiker.

Luftstriden över Tyskland mellan västallierade och Luftwaffe är ett av de mest välkända kapitlen i luftkrigets historia. De tre månaderna augusti, september och oktober 1943 utgör en central period i denna berättelse. Men under samma tidsperiod sköts fyra gånger så många sovjetiska flygplan ned som de brittiska och amerikanska förlusterna över Tyskland, och Luftwaffes förluster i öst var tre gånger större än förlusterna i försvaret av Rikets luftrum under samma period.

Med Black Cross Red Star, Volym 6, ges dessa episka luftoperationer och strider för första gången den heltäckande skildring de förtjänar – vilket kastar nytt ljus över andra världskrigets förlopp i Europa och placerar luftkriget i sitt rätta perspektiv.

Syftet med denna bok är att för första gången genomföra en djupare undersökning och analys av de haverier med dödlig utgång som skedde mellan 1946 och 1989. Det är också ett försök att för allmänheten på ett begripligt sätt klarlägga vad som egentligen hände. Och inte minst, ge de flygare som omkom en egen historia – alla de flygare vars namn nu finns på väggen i Flygvapnets minneshall. Andra upplagan Utsedd till ÅRETS BOK OM SVENSK HISTORIA

The complete story of A-6 combat operations during the Vietnam War, illustrated throughout.Designed in the years following the Korean War and then manufactured for over 30 years starting in 1960, the A-6 quickly became the most capable attack aircraft in the US Navy's stable. The first squadron, VA-75, made its initial deployment directly into combat in south-east Asia in 1965, and, over the next eight years, ten US Navy and four Marine Intruder squadrons would conduct combat operations throughout Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.After initial problems and a high loss rate, the type proved itself beyond all doubt as the Naval services' best night and foul-weather platform, particularly during the region's notorious monsoon season. The A-6 Intruder became a true classic of naval aviation over the skies of North Vietnam but the cost was high as 69 Intruders were lost in combat to all causes during the war.This work tells the complete story of these aircraft in combat during the Vietnam War.

An illustrated exploration of the dramatic aerial combats between the US Navy's long-range bomber and Japanese flying boats in the Pacific War.Edward Young explores these rarely written about combats, examining the aggressive and strategic tactics deployed by both US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force and analyzing the technical improvements installed throughout the war.The PB4Y-1/2 Liberator/Privateer was the US Navy’s first four-engined, land-based bomber, adapted and allocated to fight the U-boat menace in the Atlantic and protect the vast reaches of the Pacific Ocean. The long range, speed, armament and bomb load of the PB4Y-1 enabled the US Navy’s Pacific squadrons to adopt more aggressive tactics. The PB4Y-1, and its follow-on PB4Y-2, engaged in dangerous bombing missions against Japanese installations, shipping strikes, and air combat. On the other side, with its doctrine of making the first strike against an enemy fleet, the Imperial Japanese Navy recognized the vital importance of maritime reconnaissance, relying on carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft, ship-borne floatplanes and, for long-range maritime patrol, flying boats. The Japanese would continue to develop their aircraft throughout the war, resulting, among others, in the H6K ‘Mavis’ and the H8K2 ‘Emily’, which despite never achieving a victory, was regarded by the Allied pilots as the most difficult Japanese aircraft to destroy. Enriched with specially commissioned artwork, including armament and cockpit views, battlescenes and technical diagrams, this title analyses technical specifications in detail. By including first-hand accounts, aviation expert Edward Young provides a detailed account of these one-sided yet dramatic and aggressive combats.

The incredible true story of Louis Zamperini, now a major motion picture directed by Angelina Jolie.THE INTERNATIONAL NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERIn 1943 a bomber crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Against all odds, one young lieutenant survives. Louise Zamperini had already transformed himself from child delinquent to prodigious athlete, running in the Berlin Olympics. Now he must embark on one of the Second World War’s most extraordinary odysseys. Zamperini faces thousands of miles of open ocean on a failing raft. Beyond like only greater trials, in Japan’s prisoner-of-war camps.Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini’s destiny, whether triumph or tragedy, depends on the strength of his will …Now a major motion picture, directed by Angelina Jolie and starring Jack O’ Connell.

'Suddenly, flash bombs to my right, I instantly dive low to avoid being a direct target. We stay down, close above ground … before too long life returns in the area and we spot men milling around; Richard and Pitt let them have it, but good. We’re down to our last bit of ammunition. Some Russians have frozen in fear, others lift their arm, others still lie flat on the ground. Not a single one remembers to get up and fire.'On 21 June 1941, assigned to Luftwaffe bomber wing Kampfgeschwader 53, the 23-year-old Arnold Döring took off to fly his first mission against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front. From that day, he kept a diary describing his operations in vivid detail.These diaries, here translated into English for the first time, give a unique perspective on the action on the Eastern Front, from the point of view of a bomber pilot. Döring’s accounts not only give technical aspects but are also filled with suspense and excitement with their close descriptions of bombing raids and narrow escapes from enemy fighter planes.This unembellished account gives an honest and meticulous record that moves rapidly from one area to another, from one operation to the next. With a detached professionalism, Döring offers us thrilling, action-packed snapshots of life as a Luftwaffe nightfighter.Döring flew a total of 392 aerial attacks and was awarded the Knight’s Cross in April 1945.

`THE BIG SHOW IS AS CLOSE AS YOU’LL EVER GET TO FIGHTING YOUR LIFE FROM THE COCKPIT OF A SPITFIRE OR TYPHOON. PERHAPS MOST VISCERALLY EXCITING BOOK EVER WRITTEN BY A FIGHTER PILOT’ Rowland White, Author of Vulcan 607Pierre Clostermann DFC was one of the outstanding Allied aces of the Second World War. A Frenchman who flew with the RAF, he survived over 420 operational sorties, shooting down scores of enemy aircraft, while friends and comrades lost their lives in the deadly skies above Europe. The Big Show, his extraordinary account of the war has been described as the greatest pilot’s memoir of WWII. `

The story of the RAF, and in particular Fighter Command, during the Battle of Britain has been told many times. It is a tale of the gallant pilots of The Few', in their Hurricanes and Spitfires, with the nation's back to the wall, fighting off the Luftwaffe's airborne assault against enormous odds. But the story of Fighter Command's operations immediately after the Battle of Britain is less well known.Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard commanded the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War. His policy then had been for his aircraft and men to be continually on the offensive, always over the German lines taking the fight to the enemy. After being promoted to command the RAF, Trenchard retired in 1930.In November 1940, Trenchard showed up again at the Air Ministry and proposed that the RAF should Lean Towards France' - that it should go on the offensive. The RAF would, claimed Trenchard, win the resulting battle of attrition.One of the main outcomes of the RAF's new offensive stance was the introduction of the Circus sorties. These were attacks undertaken by a small force of bombers with a powerful fighter escort. They were intended to lure enemy fighters into the air so that they could be engaged by RAF fighters, the primary objective being the destruction of Luftwaffe fighters, followed by the protection of the bombers from attack.A further development of the Circus missions were Ramrods, Rhubarbs and Rodeos, all of which were variations on the same theme. A Ramrod was similar to a Circus, though in this instance the primary objective was the destruction of the target, the main role of the accompanying fighters being to protect the bombers from attack. A Rhubarb was a small-scale attack by fighters using cloud cover and/or surprise, the object of which was to destroy German aircraft in the air and/or striking at ground targets, whilst a Rodeo consisted of a fighter sweep over enemy territory with no bombers.Drawing on official documents and archive material, as well as accounts by many of those involved, James Starkey reveals just how Trenchard's views won through and the RAF went on the offensive from late 1940 into 1941. Was it a failed strategy? If so, why was it not halted once the results began to be seen?

I Del 4 i Christer Bergströms populära bokserie om tyska flygare under andra världskriget får du bland annat möta Luftwaffes ”problembarn” som blev en huvudvärk för många överordnade.

This book details the operations of the USAAF’s overlooked XV Fighter Command that protected the bombers during the campaign against the Romanian oil fields in World War II.Formed in the fall of 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force was popularly known as the “The Forgotten Fifteenth,” as its achievements were overshadowed by more glamorous exploits of the Eighth Air Force in the air war over Germany. Nevertheless, the Fifteenth’s contribution to Allied victory was crucial, and a vital part of that was the role played by the escorting fighter groups from the XV Fighter Command who protected the B-17s and B-24s from the Luftwaffe in the skies over Romania.In this new history of the campaign, renowned aviation historian Tom Cleaver tells the story of the Fifteenth’s air war through first-person accounts of the fighter pilots of the Fifteenth Fighter Command, including such famous units as the Red Tails – the Tuskegee Airmen – the 82nd Fighter Group and the 325th’s “Checkertail Clan,” and with his ability to place wartime events in their greater context.

Illustrated with detailed artworks of combat aircraft and their markings, Aircraft of World War I: The Essential Aircraft Identification Guide is a comprehensive study of the aircraft that fought in the Great War of 1914–18. Arranged chronologically by theatre of war and campaign, this book offers a complete organizational breakdown of the units on all the fronts, including the Eastern and Italian Fronts. Each campaign includes a compact history of the role and impact of aircraft on the course of the conflict, as well as orders of battle, lists of commanders and campaign aces such as Manfred von Richtofen, Eddie Rickenbacker, Albert Ball and many more. Every type of aircraft is featured, including the numerous variations and types of well- known models, such as the Fokker Dr.I, the Sopwith Camel and the SPAD SVII, through to lesser-known aircraft, such as the Rumpler C.1, and the Amstrong Whitworth FK8. Each aircraft profile is accompanied by exhaustive specifications, as well as details of individual and unit markings. Packed with more than 200 colour profiles of every major type of combat aircraft from the era, Aircraft of World War I 1914–1918 is an essential reference guide for modellers, military historians and aircraft enthusiasts.

An illustrated study of RAF Coastal Command’s deployment of the Beaufighter against German supply lines in 1941 and the long-running ‘arms race’ with Kriegsmarine Flak ships that followed.Crucial German shipping lines faced a new threat in 1941 when RAF Coastal Command debuted the iconic long-range Beaufighter. The aircraft and its subsequent Mk VIC and Mk X versions gave the Allies a tough, relatively fast and very hard-hitting platform for air attack on German convoys, and so it became essential for the Kriegsmarine to fit ever-heavier anti-aircraft batteries to its escort vessels, and even to develop specialist Flak vessels. In this compelling study, naval aviation historian Matthew Willis chronicles the little-explored arms race that saw RAF Coastal Command and the Kriegsmarine engaged in a fierce battle of one-upmanship until war’s end. New artwork, rare archive photography and contemporary records of Beaufighter operations add depth to fascinating historical accounts, including the actions of the famous North Coates Strike Wing against shipping in the North Sea and the exploits of Beaufighter units tasked with severing Rommel’s all-important supply lines.

The Lockheed P-80/F-80 Shooting Star was the first American operational jet fighter. David McLarens new book chronicles the development and early trials of the aircraft during Lockheeds groundbreaking attempts to create a viable jet fighter, in a period when jet propulsion was still an innovative unknown. This period also saw engineers and test pilots like Kelly Johnson and Tony LeVier facing many challenges, incidents and accidents as they attempted to create a new fighter from yet untested aerodynamic theories, and engines that were still under development. Also discussed are the record breaking transcontinental and absoulte speed records set by the Shooting Star. Detailed analysis of the Shooting Stars combat record in Korea shows why the F-80 flew more combat missions than any aircraft in the war theater. Also presented is a summation of all USAF, USAFR, and foreign countries that flew the P-80/F-80. David McLaren is also the author of Lockheed F-94 Starfire(with Marty Isham), and Beware the Thunderbolt!: The 56th Fighter Group in World War II (both titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).

An illustrated account of the action-packed combat missions carried out by the Luftwaffe's powerfully armed Junkers Ju 88C day and nightfighters.The Junkers Ju 88A was the Luftwaffe's most effective medium bomber during much of World War 2, and its high speed and surprising agility made it an ideal candidate for conversion into a Zerstörer (destroyer) fighter. Initially designed to be used as a long-range bomber escort, the solid-nosed Ju 88C fighter boasted powerful cannon that made the aircraft ideally suited to the nightfighter role. Its unrivalled endurance also meant the Ju 88C could undertake sweeps of the Bay of Biscay from the French Atlantic coast in search of Allied maritime patrol aircraft hunting U-boats. Luftwaffe historian Chris Goss charts the action-packed service history of the Ju 88C through first-hand accounts and combat reports from the crews that flew the twin-engined Zerstörer into combat. Newly commissioned profile artworks and more than 50 photographs of aircraft and crews help detail the aircraft’s conversion from a fast bomber into a deadly heavy fighter that proved to be the scourge of Allied bomber and patrol aircraft.

"Bombing to Win is a critically important book." Navel War College ReviewFrom Iraq to Bosnia to North Korea, the first question in American foreign policy debates is increasing: Can air power alone do the job? Robert A. Pape provides a systematic answer.Analyzing the results of over thirty air campaigns, including a detailed reconstruction of the Gulf War, he argues that the key to success is attacking the enemy's military strategy, not its economy, people, or leaders. Coercive air power can succeed, but not as cheaply as air enthusiasts would like to believe.Pape examines the air raids on Germany, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq as well as those of Israel versus Egypt, providing details of bombing and governmental decision making. His detailed narratives of the strategic effectiveness of bombing range from the classical cases of World War II to an extraordinary reconstruction of airpower use in the Gulf War, based on recently declassified documents.In the first major book since the Vietnam War on the theory and practice of airpower and its political effects, Robert A. Pape helps policy makers judge the purpose of various air strategies, and helps general readers understand the policy debates.

Helikoptrar har funnits i det svenska försvaret i över 60 år, men har, precis som transportflyget, under lång tid setts som en stödresurs. Helikoptrar användes för transporter, sjöräddning och emellanåt även för ubåtsjakter, det var det som allmänheten kände till. Det var inte förrän Försvarsmakten 1998 bildade ”Helikopterflottiljen” som helikopterverksamhetens kompetens och förmåga kom att lyftas fram som en samlad resurs. Boken om helikopterflottiljen berättar inte bara historien om flygvapnets största fredsförband, utan ger även en introduktion till helikopterns historia, i Sverige som i världen. Boken är skriven på svenska med bildtexter och en sammanfattning på engelska. 168 sidor, rikt illustrerad.

In this new, fully updated edition 2025, expert author Francis Crosby traces the development of fighters from World War I to the present day, and highlights actions in which fighters played a crucial role. The A-Z sections form an illustrated guide to over 170 fighter aircraft. The first covers aircraft from the pioneering days of air fighting in World War I through to the early jets at the end of World War II, and the second focuses on the remarkable advances of post-World War II, mainly jet, aircraft from 1945 to the present day. Specification boxes for each aircraft provide information about the plane's country of origin, first flight, power, armament, size, weight and performance. Also included is a glossary explaining aviation terms. Illustrated with 600 photographs, this is a key reference book for all aircraft enthusiasts.

A frightened boy pursued by racist bullies who grew up to become a trailblazing soldier in the British Army and then the SAS, Melvyn Downes was one of the first British-born Black men to join the elite regiment. During his 24 years of service, he was involved in secret missions across more than 50 countries and since leaving active duty has travelled to some of the world’s most dangerous places, protecting charity workers and journalists amidst natural disasters and in brutal conflict zones.In this gripping memoir, Melvyn takes us behind enemy lines and onto the front line of war, never shying away from the darker side of what he endured, such as losing friends, experiencing psychological traumas and facing racial harassment head-on. Yet, he believes that with the right willpower and mindset, anyone can overcome life's challenges.Melvyn wasn’t born fearless, strong or confident; these traits were forged through hard work, a willingness to learn from his mistakes and a desire to push himself out of his comfort zone. Inspired by the founding principles of the SAS – humility, integrity, humour, classlessness and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence – Melvyn embodies these values in every aspect of his life. And in Unbreakable, he shows that you don’t need to be a soldier to follow these ideas – we can all use them to build resilience when life throws us curveballs, and to live a life without limits.

”Det var märkligt att inse att jag i tjock dimma i min S 18 förgäves hade ­spanat över den plats där DC-3:an hittades ett halvt sekel senare”. Många har bett Roland Printzsköld, löjtnant i flygvapnet och ­jordbrukare, att ­berätta om sina erfarenheter i en bok. Här är den: Vid 100 års ­ålder ­publicerar han sina minnen från Krusenhof, krigsflygskolan i Ljungbyhed, ­spaningar i kallt krig och ett jordbruk som har gått fram i en jetfart liknande den som han fick hantera i S 29C Tunnan. Roland föddes 1923 och växte upp mellan två världskrig, som liksom det ­efterföljande kalla kriget präglar vår historia och nutid. Vi får en personlig skildring av hur svenskt flygvapen byggdes upp och hur jordbruket har utvecklats. Här berättas om kvinnor i beredskap, krigsfångar, bönders ­utmaningar, haverier, omkomna flygarkollegor och krigets motståndsrörelser. Vi ­flyger dessutom till såväl USA som Nordkorea. Spioner? Jodå, som när Roland ­misstogs för att vara en viss Wennerström… Flygentusiaster känner nog igen Roland från hans tid som ­guide på ­Flygvapenmuseum i Linköping och kan här läsa om ett femtiotal ­flygplanstyper, varav Roland har flugit över tjugo. Gödseltunnor finns ­förstås med, liksom prinsesor, en riksmarskalk och en fjärdingsman. Klimatförändringar och pågående krig gör att tankarna även går in i ­framtiden, för vårt försvar och lantbruk. Ta del av spännande läsning med mängder av fotografier! * Detta mjukband är utgåva 2 av Roland Printzskölds memoarer, där vissa uppdateringar har gjorts främst i det sista kapitlet. Boken finns också som hårdband.

Fully illustrated, this study explores the technology, roles, and combat performance of Coalition airpower in the biggest air campaign of the early 21st century. In 2003, a US-led Coalition invaded Iraq with the aim of overthrowing Saddam Hussain’s regime. Just as it had in the 1991 Gulf War, airpower played a vital role. However, this war was very different to its predecessor and represented a new style of warfare: focused targeting with precision-guided munitions and close integration with land forces made air power particularly effective and efficient.Airpower scholar and former RAF pilot Michael Napier explains how the 2003 air campaign was planned and fought. He describes the preparatory work that was carried out in the No Fly Zones before hostilities began, how the plan was changed at the last minute to attempt a decapitation of the Iraqi government, and how the campaign then developed to support both the advance of Anglo-American land forces and SOF operations against tactical ballistic missiles in the western desert. He analyses in detail the relationship between the conduct of air operations and progress on the battlefield during the three-week war.Illustrated with dramatic artwork, 3D diagrams, maps and photos, this book assesses what made Iraq 2003 the textbook air campaign of the early 21st century.

An illustrated study of the Luftwaffe’s iconic Fw 190 Jabo units and their high-speed, low-level attacks on the south coast of England. The service debut of the Fw 190 in the late summer of 1941 marked a quantum leap in the Luftwaffe’s capability to oppose the RAF on the Channel Front. Conceived to be purely a fighter, the type soon revealed its potential as a Jabo fighter-bomber, and the manner in which it was used matured from the ad hoc style of its early operations to highly effective ‘hit-and-run’ coastal raids. This progress was aided both by frequent refinements from Focke-Wulf and the development of sub-types designed specifically for air-to-ground operations, equipping the Fw 190 to deliver useful munitions loads and also to look after itself when meeting British fighter interception.This engaging study sees Luftwaffe historian Malcolm V. Lowe chart the action-packed history of the Fw 190 Jabo force on the Channel Front. Following the aircraft from its origins to its successful strikes on valued targets on England’s south coast and eventual combat during D-Day, the text complements first-hand accounts from both Luftwaffe pilots and their RAF opponents with photographs from private archives and 24 specially commissioned profile artworks.

The Baader-Meinhof Group--later known as the Red Army Faction (RAF)--was a violent urban guerilla group which terrorized Germany in the 1970s and '80s, killing 47 people, wounding 93, taking 162 hostages, and robbing 35 banks--all in an attempt to bring revolution to the Federal Republic. Stefan Aust's masterful history of the Group presents the definitive account, capturing a highly complex story both accurately and colorfully. Much new information has surfaced since the mass suicide of the Groups' leaders in the 1980s. Some RAF members have come forward to testify in new investigations and formerly classified Stasi documents have been made public since the fall of the Berlin Wall, all contributing to a fuller picture of the RAF and the events surrounding their demise. Aust presents the complete history of the RAF, from the creation in 1970 to the breakup in 1998, incorporating all of the new information. For instance, there is growing evidence that the German secret service eavesdropped on Baader, Meinhof, and the other RAF members imprisoned in Stammheim and that they knew that the terrorists planned a mass suicide, but did nothing to prevent it. Also, there is new information about the role of the RAF lawyers (among them Otto Schily who later was Minister of the Interior in Gerhard Schröder's cabinet), and the roles of the different RAF members and the rivalry between them. The volume will also contain numerous photos.Terrorism today is never far from most people's thoughts. Baader-Meinhof offers a gripping account of one of the most violent terrorist groups of the late twentieth century, in a compelling look at what they did, why they did it, and how they were brought to justice.

An illustrated study of the famous Heinkel He 219 – the Luftwaffe's only pupose-built nightfighter – and its role in the bitterly contested nocturnal defence of the Reich.Originally conceived as a high-performance reconnaissance aircraft, the Heinkel He 219 went on to become the Luftwaffe’s only purpose-built nightfighter. Despite its many sterling qualities (including ejector seats for its two crew members), the type’s production was bedevilled by political manoeuvring and consequently it was only used in strength by one unit – the Luftwaffe’s elite Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. In this volume, respected historian Martin Streetly examines the development of the He 219, from its origins through to its implementation against the RAF’s ever-more destructive night offensive. First-hand accounts from Nachtjagdverband crew shed light on the He 219’s successes and failures in battle, while archive photos and newly commissioned artwork demonstrate the unique design and technology of this near-legendary aircraft.

Between 11 October 1944 and 8 April 1945, wireless operator/air gunner Roy Andrews flew thirty-five missions with the RAF’s 215 Squadron, based in Bengal, India. His ops comprised one long exercise, one Air-Sea Rescue flight, and either bombing and strafing, or just bombing, attacks against targets in Burma and Thailand, including three sojourns along the notorious Thailand-Burma ‘Death’ Railway. Roy began as his crew's second W/Op/AG, mostly manning a .50-calibre beam gun. By January 1945 he became the crew’s primary W/Op/AG and flew his final twenty-five missions in this role. In addition to his operational duties, Roy managed various squadron tasks, such as censoring mail and preparing jungle kits. This book, based on Roy’s personal experiences, offers insights into his upbringing in Hong Kong, England and Australia, his military training, and his time in India during the war. The detailed accounts of each of his thirty-five operations and his two longest non-operational flights are complemented by an analysis of every other 215 Squadron B-24 Liberator op. Historian Matt Poole contributes additional squadron information, including aerial bomb-strike photos and images never before published. This comprehensive work highlights a rarely covered chapter of World War II RAF operations in the Far East.