Germany's nightfighter force was virtually non-existent at the start of the war, mainly due to Reichmashall Herman Goring's boast that bombs would never fall on Germany. By mid 1940 the folly of this statement had been revealed and the first Luftwaffe nightfighter wing was formed. Their effectiveness was greatly enhanced by the creation of a radar chain stretching from Denmark to Switzerland. By 1942 the Luftwaffe was equiped with some 389 fighters fitted with advanced airbourne radar which helped to destroy hundreds of RAF bombers. This detailed text explains the conflict and tactics flown and includes interviews with some of the leading aces. Scale drawings of the all the major nightfighters used are presented, including the Bf110, Ju88, Do 17/217 and Hs 219.

Author Biography

Jerry Scutts has worked in the field of aviation publishing since the late 1960s, writing over 40 books that have covered a broad spectrum of subject matter ranging from US Navy floatplane fighters in World War 2 to the exploits of the USAF_s Phantom IIs over Vietnam. His specialist areas are the Luftwaffe and the US Army Air Forces in World War 2, and he originally appeared on the Osprey list as long ago as 1977, when he wrote the second volume in the now much sought after Air Cam Air War series -- many of the jacket illustrations in this series were also painted by him. Jerry has been a regular contributor to Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series since its inception in 1994.