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Osprey Dogfight #1
Fw 190D-9: Defence of the Reich 1944–45
The Fw 190D-9 -- the 'long-nosed' Dora -- represented the cutting edge and pinnacle of wartime Germany's piston-engine aviation development. This new history by leading German aviation specialist Robert Forsyth reveals what it was like to pilot her in combat as Germany desperately battled to remain in the war.
Arguably one of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, the 'long-nosed' Fw 190D9 'Dora' bettered most of the fighters that the Allied and Soviet air forces could field when it first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1944. Indeed, with experienced German pilots at the controls it proved to be an immediate match for even the later-mark Griffon Spitfire and the P-51D/K. Well-armed, with two 13mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon, the D-9 began to equip Luftwaffe units from August 1944. Later on in the war, one of the key missions of the D-9 was to provide top cover for Me 262 jet fighters when they were at their most vulnerable during take-off and landing.
Featuring first-hand accounts, photographs, artwork, and innovative and colorful 3D ribbon diagrams, this fascinating volume portrays what it was like to fly the superlative Fw 190D-9 in combat, providing a realistic insight in to how German pilots used the superb Focke-Wulf aircraft in combat against American, British, and Russian fighters in the Defense of the Reich in 1944–45.
Arguably one of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, the 'long-nosed' Fw 190D9 'Dora' bettered most of the fighters that the Allied and Soviet air forces could field when it first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1944. Indeed, with experienced German pilots at the controls it proved to be an immediate match for even the later-mark Griffon Spitfire and the P-51D/K. Well-armed, with two 13mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon, the D-9 began to equip Luftwaffe units from August 1944. Later on in the war, one of the key missions of the D-9 was to provide top cover for Me 262 jet fighters when they were at their most vulnerable during take-off and landing.
Featuring first-hand accounts, photographs, artwork, and innovative and colorful 3D ribbon diagrams, this fascinating volume portrays what it was like to fly the superlative Fw 190D-9 in combat, providing a realistic insight in to how German pilots used the superb Focke-Wulf aircraft in combat against American, British, and Russian fighters in the Defense of the Reich in 1944–45.
80 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2022
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About the author
Robert Forsyth
126 books6 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 12, 2024
This book offers a first-rate, concise history of one of the best piston-engined fighter planes to see action during World War II, the Focke-Wulf FW 190D-9. What makes this aircraft truly unique was that it was created from a design devised during the war itself, rather than from a prewar design (as was the case with many of the best known World War II Allied and Axis fighters.)
The FW 190D-9 was meant to redress some of the deficiencies of the FW 190A-8 fighter, as well as take on on more or less equal terms the 2 best Allied fighters in 1944-45: the P-51D Mustang and the Tempest V. This book is further enriched with a variety of photos, air combat illustrations, and accounts both from the Luftwaffe pilots who flew the FW 190D-9 in combat and the Allied pilots who flew against it.
The FW 190D-9 was meant to redress some of the deficiencies of the FW 190A-8 fighter, as well as take on on more or less equal terms the 2 best Allied fighters in 1944-45: the P-51D Mustang and the Tempest V. This book is further enriched with a variety of photos, air combat illustrations, and accounts both from the Luftwaffe pilots who flew the FW 190D-9 in combat and the Allied pilots who flew against it.
December 27, 2022
Interesting details about the Fw 190D. Would have liked more technical data on the D version, plus the same for the Tempest V and Spitfire Mk. IX for comparison since these figured so prominently in the action narratives cited. Quite a few combat/after action reports from veterans of both sides. Technology aside, the book does a good job of describing the plight of the late war Luftwaffe with the Allies closing in on two fronts.
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December 10, 2023Good overview of the FW-190D and some of the dogfights that occurred in the last months of World War 2 in Germany.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews