Flak in World War II

by Donald Nijboer

More than half of the U.S.’s aircraft losses in Europe in World War II were due to German antiaircraft artillery, and many of the American aircraft shot down by Luftwaffe fighters had first been driven out of formation by flak and made easy prey for the fighters. A world away in the Pacific, American flak guns aboard naval ships formed the last line of defense against Japanese kamikazes. Historian Donald Nijboer relies on firsthand accounts, newly discovered files, photos, diagrams, and maps to reveal the forgotten contribution of flak in World War II, from doctrine and tactics to combat stories on the ground and in the air about what it was like to fly into the teeth of antiaircraft fire.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2018

About the author

Donald Nijboer is a freelance writer who lives in Toronto, Canada. He teaches courses in radio and broadcasting at Humber College of Technology and Advanced Learning.

His books have been published by the Boston Mills Press and Osprey Publishing.

He has also written articles for Flight Journal, Aviation History and Aeroplane Monthly.

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking on the seldom-mentioned subject of anti-aircraft (aka flak or AA) defenses in World War II, author Nijboer attempts to somewhat fill the void of information about the effectiveness of AA fire on both land and sea. I feel he does a good job of setting the table, but the scope of the book is pretty limited so there's not a huge amount of detail. However, the photo selections are well done and show a wide variety of AA pieces from multiple countries and on multiple fronts of action.

The book suffers from a lack of editing as there are several incorrect dates, some repetitive passages and some bits of information which are just wrong.

A good start on the conversation of AA defenses, but just a start.

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on anti-aircraft artillery in WWII with the author trying (successfully to my mind) to rehabilitate the reputation of AAA as an effective counter to aircraft. The main takeaway is that the primary role of AAA was to force aircraft up in altitude to diminish bombing accuracy. Actually, downing a plane was a bonus. He also highlights how flak and fighter craft worked in conjunction with fighters picking off strays damaged by flak, and flak forcing bomber formations to spread out, making the job of the fighter easier.

The volume is well-illustrated, though it does have some minor editing issues. Also, the author does occasionally go off on tangents and begin to discuss individual actions in more detail apart from the role of AAA. He also describes the use of AAA in various campaigns like the Battle of Britain, the fight against the V-1, Germany's struggle against the 8th AF and the US Navy's fight against the kamikaze.

The book would have well served with more tabular data for the reader to be able to compare specs on the 20mm Oerlikon, the 40mm Bofors, the famed German 88, the American 90mm, etc. Still, a handy book for the WWII library.