Night Fighters: A Development and Combat History

Night Fighters: A Development and Combat History

Author: Bill Gunston

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2004-01-15

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 0752495127

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From its beginnings during World War I, the role of the dedicated night fighter aircraft and its pilots in the 21st century has evolved greatly. This work reflects the massive changes in technology and in tactics. It also covers the problems of tracking aerial targets by radar.


Queen of the Midnight Skies

Queen of the Midnight Skies

Author: Garry R. Pape

Publisher: Schiffer Pub Limited

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 9780887404153

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This new book chronicles not only the aptly named P-61 "Black Widow", but also the Douglas P-70 series, the P-38 night fighter variants, the Bristol Beaufighter, B-25s and the DeHavilland Mosquito - the proposed XA-26A and the P-39 nightfighters are also discussed. Historical accounts of American night fighter pilots, as well as the complets history of all night fighter squadrons formed during World War II are included, as is the development of radar and modern air defenses. This book is the product of over twenty years of study and research. Its sources include the National Archives, Northrop Aircraft archived, the U.S. Air Force Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and interviews with P-61 test pilots, designers and engineers. Garry Pape's previous works include books on the P-61 and the P-38 night-fighter versions. He is currently employed by Northrop, after years with Hughes and Lockheed, and lives in California. Brig. Gen. Ronald Harrison is an F-16 Wing Commander in the Air Force Reserves, and lives in Georgia as an attorney.


The 421st Night Fighter Squadron in World War II

The 421st Night Fighter Squadron in World War II

Author: Jeff Kolln

Publisher: Schiffer Pub Limited

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 9780764313066

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As one of seventeen night fighter squadrons established during the course of World War II, the 421st Night Fighter Squadron carried the war into the night skies over the battlefields of the Southwest Pacific when most other fighter squadrons remained on the ground. In the squadron's years of service they would be based in a number of places ranging from New Guinea, Leyte, and finally ending up as an "Occupational" squadron in Japan after the war. The 421st NFS would be credited with thirteen kills, three damaged, one probable, and a number they simply never received credit for. On February 2, 1945 the 421st NFS would finally be deactivated and overnight become the 68th Fighter Squadron (All Weather). The history of the 421st however, would by no means end there. The 421st would again rise in later years as the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron and fight in the skies of Vietnam, and later be one of the first squadrons flying in Operation Desert Storm รข true to its tradition the 421st would fly night missions over Iraq.


Conquering the Night

Conquering the Night

Author: Stephen L. McFarland

Publisher: Department of the Air Force

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 54

ISBN-13:

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United States Army Air Forces in World War 2. Traces the Army Air Forces' development of aerial night fighting, including technology, training, and tactical operations in the North African, European, Pacific, and Asian theaters of war.


Night Cats and Corsairs

Night Cats and Corsairs

Author: Alan C. Carey

Publisher: Schiffer Publishing

Published: 2014-02-01

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 9780764343735

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The threat of enemy aircraft striking American naval forces at night with impunity during World War II led the Navy to seek fighter aircraft capable of stopping this threat. Trace the history of radar-equipped night fighter aircraft produced for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps by the American aircraft companies Grumman and Vought before the arrival of jets with nocturnal capabilities. World War II squadrons operated night variants of the Vought F4U-2 Corsair and Grumman F6F-3/5N Hellcat while post-war night fighter units were equipped with the Grumman F7F-3N Tigercat and/or Vought F4U-5N/NL. Night Cats and Corsairs contains never before published color and black and white photographs covering the night variants of the F6F Hellcat, F7F Tigercat, F4U-2 and F4U-5N/NL Corsairs.


A Concise History of the U.S. Air Force

A Concise History of the U.S. Air Force

Author: Stephen Lee McFarland

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13:

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Except in a few instances, since World War II no American soldier or sailor has been attacked by enemy air power. Conversely, no enemy soldier orsailor has acted in combat without being attacked or at least threatened by American air power. Aviators have brought the air weapon to bear against enemies while denying them the same prerogative. This is the legacy of the U.S. AirForce, purchased at great cost in both human and material resources.More often than not, aerial pioneers had to fight technological ignorance, bureaucratic opposition, public apathy, and disagreement over purpose.Every step in the evolution of air power led into new and untrodden territory, driven by humanitarian impulses; by the search for higher, faster, and farther flight; or by the conviction that the air way was the best way. Warriors have always coveted the high ground. If technology permitted them to reach it, men, women andan air force held and exploited it-from Thomas Selfridge, first among so many who gave that "last full measure of devotion"; to Women's Airforce Service Pilot Ann Baumgartner, who broke social barriers to become the first Americanwoman to pilot a jet; to Benjamin Davis, who broke racial barriers to become the first African American to command a flying group; to Chuck Yeager, a one-time non-commissioned flight officer who was the first to exceed the speed of sound; to John Levitow, who earned the Medal of Honor by throwing himself over a live flare to save his gunship crew; to John Warden, who began a revolution in air power thought and strategy that was put to spectacular use in the Gulf War.Industrialization has brought total war and air power has brought the means to overfly an enemy's defenses and attack its sources of power directly. Americans have perceived air power from the start as a more efficient means of waging war and as a symbol of the nation's commitment to technology to master challenges, minimize casualties, and defeat adversaries.


Nachtjager, Volume One

Nachtjager, Volume One

Author: David P. Williams

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781903223536

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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.


Duel Under the Stars

Duel Under the Stars

Author: Wilhelm Johnen

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2018-02-28

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 1784382604

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"The enemy bomber grew larger in my sights and the rear gunner was sprayed by my guns just as he opened fire. The rest was merely a matter of seconds. The bomber fell like a stone out of the sky and exploded on the ground. The nightmare came to an end."In this enthralling memoir, the author recounts his experiences of the war years and traces the story of the ace fighter pilots from the German development of radar to the Battle of Britain.Johnen flew his first operational mission in July 1941, having completed his blind-flying training. In his first couple of years he brought down two enemy planes. The tally went up rapidly once the air war was escalated in spring 1943, when Air Marshal Arthur Harris of the RAF Bomber Command began the campaign dubbed the Battle of the Ruhr.During this phase of the war Johnens successes were achieved against a 710-strong force of bombers. Johnens further successes during Harriss subsequent Berlin offensive led to his promotion as Staffelkapitan (squadron leader) of Nachtjagdgeschwader and a move to Mainz. During a sortie from there, his Bf 110 was hit by return fire and he was forced to land in Switzerland. He and his crew were interned by the authorities. The Germans were deeply worried about leaving a sophisticatedly equipped night fighter and its important air crew in the hands of a foreign government, even if it was a neutral one. After negotiations involving Gring, the prisoners were released.Johnens unit moved to Hungary and by October 1944 his score was standing at 33 aerial kills. His final one came in March the following year, once Johnen had moved back to Germany.