Overview
Based on the author's personal World War II diaryAn unflinching look at Luftwaffe combat, tactics, and leadership during the campaign for SicilyA concluding chapter assesses the war's lessons for air forces
In an account of unusual power, Luftwaffe ace Johannes Steinhoff recounts the final days of the German air force on Sicily in June and July 1943. Facing crushing odds—including a commander, Hermann Göring, who contemptuously treated his pilots as cowards—Steinhoff and his fellow Messerschmitt 109 pilots took to the skies day after day to meet waves of dreaded Flying Fortresses and swarms of Allied fighters, all bent on driving the Germans from the island. A captivating narrative and a piercing analysis, this book is a classic of aerial combat.
Synopsis
In an account of unusual power, Luftwaffe ace Johannes Steinhoff recounts the final days of the German air force on Sicily in June and July 1943. Facing crushing odds—including a commander, Hermann G(ering, who contemptuously treated his pilots as cowards—Steinhoff and his fellow Messerschmitt 109 pilots took to the skies day after day to meet waves of dreaded Flying Fortresses and swarms of Allied fighters, all bent on driving the Germans from the island. A captivating narrative and a piercing analysis, this book is a classic of aerial combat.
Author Biography: Johannes Steinhoff shot down 176 Allied aircraft during World War II. After the war, he served as Chief of Staff of the West German Air Force and later as Chairman of NATO's Military Committee. He wrote several books on his war experiences before his death in 1994.