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Luftwaffe Fighter Aces: The Jagdflieger and Their Combat Tactics and Techniques
HOW THE LUFTWAFFE FIGHTER ACES ACHIEVED THEIR SUCCESS
The Luftwaffe's leading fighter aces outscored their Allied counterparts astonishingly during World War II--so much so that when the records of these pilots (the Jagdflieger) first became available after the war they were greeted with disbelief. A single ace with a hundred victories might have been credible, but one hundred six aces each recorded one hundred victories or more, and the top scorer claimed three hundred fifty-two. However, postwar research proved that German shoot-down confirmations were given only after rigorous checking.
To discover the secret of the Luftwaffe pilots' success, aviation historian Mike Spick examines the exploits of Nazi Germany's most famous pilots, focusing on the methods and tactics of individual aces, examining the importance of machinery, training, climate, numbers, and theater of war, and using firsthand accounts to put the reader in the pilot's seat. This book is easily the best possible guide to how the German aces achieved such amazing results in battle.
The Luftwaffe's leading fighter aces outscored their Allied counterparts astonishingly during World War II--so much so that when the records of these pilots (the Jagdflieger) first became available after the war they were greeted with disbelief. A single ace with a hundred victories might have been credible, but one hundred six aces each recorded one hundred victories or more, and the top scorer claimed three hundred fifty-two. However, postwar research proved that German shoot-down confirmations were given only after rigorous checking.
To discover the secret of the Luftwaffe pilots' success, aviation historian Mike Spick examines the exploits of Nazi Germany's most famous pilots, focusing on the methods and tactics of individual aces, examining the importance of machinery, training, climate, numbers, and theater of war, and using firsthand accounts to put the reader in the pilot's seat. This book is easily the best possible guide to how the German aces achieved such amazing results in battle.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 17, 2025
Unteroffizier Fick mentioned!
August 17, 2018
I have read a bunch of WWII pilot biographies and histories. Allied, German and Finnish.
This was surprisingly good even though a quite analytical approach to the subject. Perhaps exactly that's why. Not altogether heroic pilot stories but description of the tactics, flight formations, rules of engagement and the characteristics and performance of the planes used.
It was not often an even fight and especially at the end of the war German pilots were heavily outnumbered and outgunned.
It is also astonishing that the best German pilots could shoot down so much enemy planes. The best being Erich "Bubi" Hartmann who shoot down 352 allied aircraft. 352! And the wins were after the war mostly confirmed by allied war history too. As a comparison the best Spitfire pilot shoot down "only" 38 German planes.
Btw. Excluding German pilots the biggest number of shot down enemy planes belongs to Finnish pilot Eino Ilmari Juutilainen with 94 wins. But as said before him in numbers there were tens and tens of German aces.
After reading this book I understand a bit better also the other WWII air warfare novels I have read and shall read. And respect those men regardless on which side they fought.
Luftwaffen hävittäjä-ässät
Koala kustannus 2012
This was surprisingly good even though a quite analytical approach to the subject. Perhaps exactly that's why. Not altogether heroic pilot stories but description of the tactics, flight formations, rules of engagement and the characteristics and performance of the planes used.
It was not often an even fight and especially at the end of the war German pilots were heavily outnumbered and outgunned.
It is also astonishing that the best German pilots could shoot down so much enemy planes. The best being Erich "Bubi" Hartmann who shoot down 352 allied aircraft. 352! And the wins were after the war mostly confirmed by allied war history too. As a comparison the best Spitfire pilot shoot down "only" 38 German planes.
Btw. Excluding German pilots the biggest number of shot down enemy planes belongs to Finnish pilot Eino Ilmari Juutilainen with 94 wins. But as said before him in numbers there were tens and tens of German aces.
After reading this book I understand a bit better also the other WWII air warfare novels I have read and shall read. And respect those men regardless on which side they fought.
Luftwaffen hävittäjä-ässät
Koala kustannus 2012
October 5, 2021
Good for understanding the fighter tactics as a function of time through WWII. It helped put together some of the technical content in other books written by other authors
February 11, 2009
This was a hell of a book. I'm a real fan of IL:2, the on-line flight simulator, and being able to apply RL tactics is brilliant. Evil, yes, but some astounding pilots!
January 26, 2017
Tactics,Formation, Rules of engagement, or at and all interesting stuff!
August 10, 2016
Very through.Dont start if you think you'll get away lightly.Enough said
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews