Bomber Command’s night offensive against Nazi Germany; which lasted for nearly six years; was one of Britain’s major contributions to the Allied effort during the Second World War. But the decision to conduct its main operations at night only came about following heavy losses by day; when its prewar medium bombers had been found lacking in modern air warfare. The Luftwaffe; too; had its early problems. Initially without a dedicated night fighter; it was ill-equipped to defend the Reich; and so the stage was set for what would become one of the most critical strategic encounters of the war.Things had to change on both sides. Soon there came new and more capable aircraft; in ever-increasing numbers; coupled with new tactics and technology; as each side strove to gain the upper hand. It became a fascinating encounter between the crews of Bomber Command and the Luftwaffe’s night fighter force; the Nachtjagd; with no shortage of courage and heavy losses on both sides. Amongst the epic encounters were Bomber Command’s Thousand Bomber raids; the attack on the German V-weapons research establishment at Peenemünde; the campaigns against the industrial Ruhr; Hamburg and Berlin; and the disastrous raid on Nuremberg. This new publication consolidates accounts from both sides and from all ranks of service in an effort to provide a comprehensive account of some of the most ferocious nocturnal engagements of the Second World War.
#843240 in Books Pen Sword Books 2015-09-19 2015-10-03Original language:English 9.20 x 1.00 x 6.20l; 1.58 #File Name: 1781592519368 pagesPen Sword Books
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The author's writing style is excellent and this book is not just informativeBy Charles KovacsThis is an outstanding book for readers interested in naval history and who are not specialists in its Middle Age aspects. The author's writing style is excellent and this book is not just informative; but also a pleasant read. Organization is chronological; while the Mediterranean and the Atlantic/Northern European shores are treated separately. This is well justified by the differences in climate and geography which led to radically different shipbuilding in Europe. Although I did not find anything original in this volume; it is a good and up to date synthesis of what has been written on this topic in the past 1300 years or so. The end notes are extensive and should be useful both for explanation and further reading or research. An extra bonus is that this book is also a good start on knowing more about the more obscure wars of the pre-1400 period.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Knights at Sea.By CustomerExcellent book on this subject. Covers the period through geographical areas: The Med; English Channel/North Sea and Baltic sea. Gives details of types of ships(lots more than I'd heard of of); crews; weapons; and tactics. The North Sea area and Baltic would develop the ship types that would become the ocean going ships that would rule the waves for Europe later on; especially after being mated with gun powder weapons. Galleys of this Medieval Period could not travel long distances without nearby bases and stay at sea for long periods of time. The great ships of the line would be able to accomplish all this and more. Highly Recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Survey of a Neglected PeriodBy P. WeiserThis is a really good survey of the period; in more detail than (for example) Conway's "The Age of the Galley" since it covers tactics as well as construction; and wider also since it covers northern Europe and origin of the round ship. Organization as a narrative plus a detail case study of a battle for each period/region is well thought out and effective.The writing did not; frankly; sparkle; but was effective in conveying information and interpretation. Considering the size of the task; I don't hold that against it.
