Nachtjäger

Book excerpt: 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.