The Luftwaffe and the War at Sea
The Luftwaffe and the War at Sea

Author: David C. Isby

Publisher: Greenhill Books

Published: 2017-11-30

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1784382469

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The Luftwaffe and the War at Sea is a collection of fascinating accounts written by German military officers – both Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe – about the naval war in the air in the North Atlantic and around Great Britain. Most of the documents were written immediately post-war as part of the Allied debriefing programme. However, some are wartime German originals produced for internal use by military staff, but all have the value of immediacy; they were written when memories were fresh and, in many cases, by those who were directly caught up in the action. These men were personally involved in all aspects of the German attempts to control the seas through maritime power, from the use of Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers during the invasion of Norway to the missions of FW 200 Condors in cooperation with the U-boat campaign against Britain's Atlantic lifelines. The writers include such well-known names as Grossadmiral Karl Doenitz, Kontreadmiral Gerhard Wagner, General der Flieger, Ulrich O. E. Kessler and Vizeadmiral Eberhard Weichold. The history recounted in these reports is unique and first-hand, allowing the reader a fresh perspective on those famous campaigns. Furthermore, much of that wartime experience was harnessed during the formation of the Bundersmarine's Marineflieger in the 1950s that then served throughout the Cold War. Today it still participates in the global war on terror with its Atlantic marine patrols.

Six Air Forces Over the Atlantic
Six Air Forces Over the Atlantic

Author: Col. Joseph T. Molyson, Jr. (RET)

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2024-04-16

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 0811775372

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The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest campaign of World War II, lasting the entirety of the war in Europe from September 1939 to May 1945. It was also one of the war’s most complex campaigns, involving strategy, operations, tactics, logistics, politics, diplomacy, and alliances. During the war’s first two years, the United States was drawn deeper into partnership with Great Britain, and closer toward conflict with Germany, in the waters of the North Atlantic. Franklin Roosevelt realized this theater’s importance: “I believe the outcome of this struggle is going to be decided in the Atlantic.” And so American, British, and Canadian forces battled Germans at sea and in the air to protect the flow of first materiel and then men from the United States to the United Kingdom. The sea part has been well covered: how German U-boats and other warships hunted Allied convoys and how the Allies ultimately turned the tide. Not so much the air war. In Six Air Forces over the Atlantic, Joseph Molyson tells the story of the Battle of the Atlantic from the perspective of the air forces—and airmen—who waged it from the skies above the icy waters of the North Atlantic. He blends big-picture attention to strategy and tactics with dramatic episodes of air-to-air and air-to-sea combat, including the engagement in which a British light bomber captured a German U-boat near Iceland. He details the close eye Franklin Roosevelt kept on the campaign, the effect B-24 Liberator bombers had, and the rise of the Royal Air Force Coastal Command as a true U-boat-busting force. The result was victory in the Atlantic, as well as a significant contribution to victory in World War II.

Warriors and Wizards
Warriors and Wizards

Author: Martin J Bollinger

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2010-10-15

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 1612510027

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In August 1943, the Luftwaffe began using radio-controlled anti-ship glide bombs and within weeks they had sunk one battleship, crippled another, wrecked two cruisers, and destroyed numerous merchant ships. Yet, a year later the Germans abandoned their use, defeated by scientists who developed electronic systems to jam the radio links that guided the bombs. Drawing on a wealth of new sources, Martin Bollinger examines what happened from both a historical and technological perspective and lays out a mission-by-mission analysis of effectiveness. Based on interviews with participants, intelligence documents, and archival records in four countries, his book chronicles the yearlong battle between the Allied seamen (the warriors) and the scientists (the wizards) for a story of courage, technical achievement, and sacrifice.

Luftwaffe Victorious
Luftwaffe Victorious

Author: Mike Spick

Publisher: Skyhorse

Published: 2016-01-26

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9781634505192

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A bold reimagining of the Luftwaffe’s successes during World War II At the outbreak of World War II the Luftwaffe was considered by many to be the world’s most powerful air force. Driven by the new strategy of blitzkrieg, or lightning war, it stormed across Europe in a very short time. Opposing air forces were swept aside as the Luftwaffe blasted a path for the panzers and protected their flanks as they raced for the sea. Flushed with victory, its formidable reputation apparently justified, the Luftwaffe regrouped in occupied Western Europe for a final showdown with its one remaining enemy—Britain. Supremely confident, the odds seemed to be on their side. But in the summer of 1940 they suffered a dramatic defeat during the Battle of Britain, and by May 1945 the Germans had surrendered to the Allies and the Third Reich collapsed. What went wrong? How could things have been different? What if Göring, the brilliant yet flawed Luftwaffe commander, had died prematurely in September 1940? What radical alterations in the pattern of command would have transpired? What if a Luftwaffe strategic bomber force had become a reality? In this engagingly written and thought-provoking addition to the world of alternate history, aviation enthusiast Mike Spick asks these very questions, envisaging an altogether different series of events that culminate in a dramatic new conclusion to the war. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Hitler's Miracle Weapons: the Secret History of the Rockets and Flying Crafts of the Third Reich
Hitler's Miracle Weapons: the Secret History of the Rockets and Flying Crafts of the Third Reich

Author: Friedrich Georg

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 154

ISBN-13:

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Following on from the success of volume 1, Friedrich Georg's second book in the series covers unconventional short- and medium-range weapons. In particular, this volume includes a wealth of information about the V-rocket programme, not just the more familiar V-1 and V-2, but special variants of these two rockets as well as later experimental craft and weaponry. Following a fascinating examination of pre-war efforts to build flying bombs, the author examines the V-1 and V-2 projects in great detail. Particular attention is paid to special variants that have previously received little coverage. These include the V-2 A-4 'America Rocket', and V-2s designed to carry nuclear and radiological warheads. The capability of the Germans to deploy such weapons is also discussed. A large number of weird and wonderful projects that never left the drawing board are examined, including the FR-35, V-6, V-101, Waterfall and Naval EMW A-7 rockets. The fascinating final section examines German plans to utilise such rocketry against London and Paris in 1945, as well as recounting the activities of V-weapons on other fronts, including Italy, Yugoslavia and the Eastern Front. The text is supported by b/w photographs and 16 superb pages of colour artwork, including profiles, computer-generated images of designs that never flew, and pictures of the author's own models.

Eagles of the RAF
Eagles of the RAF

Author: Philip D. Caine

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 1994-07

Total Pages: 428

ISBN-13: 0788111140

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U.S. citizens fought and died in WW II long before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Among them were the pilots of the Eagle Squadrons, three fighter squadrons of Britain's Royal Air Force manned by young U.S. flyers. This book tells how the Eagle squadrons were formed and summarizes the history of the units and evaluates their deeds, motivations, and contributions. Draws on interviews from more than 35 surviving Eagles, their letters and memoirs, and official records. Depicts their daily lives along with special heroes and amazing sacrifices. "An important contribution to the study of American involvement in WWII. Highly recommended."