Luftwaffe handbook, 1935-1945

Reichmarschall Hermann Goring's Luftwaffe was the most pro-Nazi of the three services. As well as aviation units, the Luftwaffe included airborne forces and units of ground troops. The Luftwaffe was at the forefront of the dramatic German Blitzkrieg successes of the early part of the war, with dive-bombers working in close co-operation with armoured units on the ground. As the tide of the war turned, the Luftwaffe was unsuccessful in preventing the destruction of German cities and industry by Allied bombers, despite the development of a highly effective night-fighter force. The latter years of the war saw the development of new, technologically advanced aircraft that were light years ahead of anything the Allies were considering, such as jet fighters, rocket-propelled aircraft, 'flying wings' and many others. As well as examining the Luftwaffe's organisation and command structure, strategy, tactics, research and development, Gordon Williamson provides brief biographies of its most important figures, from field marshals to individual fighter pilots. He also surveys key aircraft types, uniforms and insignia to provide a comprehensive summary of the Luftwaffe in action between 1935 and 1945.