When WWII was well underway, the Germans realized that they did not really have an effective long range reconnaissance bomber to use against the British convoy system. Sure, the U-Boats were successful when they found a convoy, but their relatively slow speed meant that they spent a considerable amount of time searching for targets. Having aircraft help locate and initially attack shipping would be a huge help.

What the Germans did have was a good long range airliner, the FW-200 Condor. This aircraft was not really built for combat, but the type was modified as best that could be done and was sent out after shipping. The light weight structure meant it was easy to shoot down if found by enemy aircraft and it also meant several aircraft were written off due to the fuselage breaking during hard landings.  However, it did not stop the aircraft from being in production for several years and it was initially quite a shock to the British when they found their shipping off the coast of Portugal and west of Ireland being attacked by German aircraft.

The British initially had no real defense against the Condor, allowing it to perform some very successful low level bombing attacks that threw the British into a frenzy. As with many things in war, the actual effects of the Condor were far outweighed by the perceived threat. Though called by Churchill 'The Scourge of the Atlantic', it wasn't all that long before the British had started moving towards greater air defense for the convoys.

It started with arming ships with British Army AA guns and crews, to getting more long range aircraft to cover the fleet to the innovative CAM ships to catapult a fighter to go after the Condors to finally, small escort carriers to provide air defense with the convoy.

On the German side, a lack of coordination between the Luftwaffe's Condors of KG 40 and the Navy's submarine fleet meant a lot of lost opportunities and under the increased British defenses, it finally became too dangerous for the Condor to even shadow a convoy.

Author Robert Forczyk tells the full story of the rise and fall of the FW-200 in its battles against Allied convoys. This includes superb period photos as well as the usual 'there I was' sorts of stories we all enjoy reading.

Another superb addition to what has become a very popular series and one that I know you will find just as good a read as did I. Highly recommended.

April 2010

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