Many think that the Battle of Britain was the end of troubles for the British populace. While it is true in hindsight that the threat of invasion was over, it was merely the beginning of the bomber offensive against the UK. The Blitz lasted from November of 1940 until May of 1941 when the Germans had to move their bomber units to participate in the Balkans war and later in the offensive against the Soviet Union.

In this book, author Chris Goss looks at the Blitz on a night by night basis, covering both the British and the German side of the offensive. During this time, the Germans went from doing fairly well with minimum opposition in the air to a period where the British had learned a great deal about night fighting and the losses mounted. Of course, this was as much a technological conflict as it was one of men and aircraft. The Germans used radio beacons to help guide their bomber forces and the British developed airborne radar to help them find the bombers in the black of night. Both sides developed methods of trying to counteract the improvements brought on by the others. In the end, neither side truly triumphed.

Preparing for this book, the author not only interviewed many surviving German bomber crews and British fighter crews, but also scoured the archives for post operations reports, interrogations of downed bomber crews as well as the archives of both Britain and Germany for photos of the aircraft that participated in the actions. As an example of when all the research went as planned, there would be a photo of the bomber before the raid, one of the crashed remains as well as interview material from both the surviving crew (or at least one member) and the pilot who shot down the plane (or his combat report).

It all makes for a fascinating look at the war over Britain during late 1940 and early 1941. Something that really struck me in reading the German accounts is not only how well they were treated once they parachuted to the ground or emerged from crashed planes, but how often they mentioned being offered tea by their captors. It is a book that I very much enjoyed reading for each experience was unique in several ways. It is a book I am sure you will enjoy as well and can easily recommend it for you.

January 2011

Review book courtesy of Specialty Press , where you can order your copy of this and many other superb aviation and modeling books. Visit their website at the link above or call them at 1-800-895-4585

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