Hikoki always produces some very interesting books on unusual subjects. Despite its rather Japanese name, Hikoki tends to concentrate European subjects, this one being Luftwaffe Aerial Torpedo planes and operations. It is an area that few think of when the Luftwaffe is discussed and though the amount of success engendered by this type of attack was not inconsiderable. Though you hear more about what happened in this type of attack in the Pacific theater, where most of the war required the use of naval power, the Luftwaffe was able to do well with its few torpedo attack assets.

The book is basically a history of German aerial torpedo usage. Though off to a a rather rocky start from its inception in WWI through the Spanish Civil War and into the early days of WWII, it was finally realized that having a capable torpedo strike force was a good thing and so aircraft were modified and crews were trained. As is often the case in warfare, the torpedo wasn't really up to snuff. This was the case with all the fighting powers, but more so with the Germans. It wasn't until after the war that the US was able to develop a torpedo that was actually reliable.

Needless to say, the poor quality of the product didn't result in the successes that were hoped. Still, the Germans were able to sink quite a few ships with them, mostly in the Mediterranean and the Arctic.

As with most historical books of this type, it is in diary format for the majority of the time. It is interspersed with superb photographs, many which were new to me, and some very nicely drawn profiles. There are also several interesting appendices, including a full list of verifiable ship sinkings as well as some personal recollections.

Overall, it is obvious that the author has done a lot of primary research and has compiled it all into a book that  is interesting to read and gets one to thinking about modeling some of the subjects covered. As such, it is highly recommended.

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