Aircraft of the Aces Bf-109 Defence of the Reich Aces Osprey Books

This proposed volume tells the story of the daylight air battles over Germany through the eyes of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 pilots involved. It traces the development of the aerial defence of the Reich from its small beginnings the first daylight raid comprising just 55 B-17s in January 1943 into arguably the most savage and costliest campaign in the history of aerial warfare. The Luftwaffe pilots explain their tactics and relate their experiences: in the early days, waiting for the short-range Allied fighter escorts to turn back before attacking the bomber formations; the see-saw battle for aerial supremacy that followed; the advent of the long-range P-51 and its devastating effect; the growing might of the US heavy bomber streams, and the final desperate measures against overwhelming odds. The story based on personal accounts and official records from both sides is predominantly that of the Bf 109s struggle to defeat the US Eighth Air Force (although latterly both the mediums of the US Ninth Air Force and the heavies of RAF Bomber Command were also active by day over Germany). It should therefore appeal on three different levels. While specifically aimed at those interested in the wartime German Luftwaffe, it should also prove of particular interest to American readers keen to learn details of the other side, as well as to the many fans of the Mighty Eighth worldwide.