Luftwaffe Bomber Aces: Men, Machines, Methods - Net Assessment - Book Review

Air & Space Power Journal, Fall, 2002 by Robert F. Tate

Luftwaffe Bomber Aces: Men, Machines, Methods by Mike Spick. Greenhill/Stackpole Books (http://www.stackpolebooks.com/cgi-bin/StackpoleBooks.storefront), 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055, 2001, 256 pages, $34.95.

Luftwaffe history is replete with legends of indomitable German fighter pilots. Names of day pilots such as Marseille, Hartmann, and Galland and night pilots such as Wittgenstein, Schnaufer, and Lent are common to students of the Luftwaffe. Little is written, however, about Luftwaffe bomber pilots and crews. These men, many with careers equally as distinguished and important as those of their fighter-pilot brethren, are nevertheless relatively unknown within aviation circles. Like the fighter pilots, they did not enjoy the luxury of combat tours--these men flew until they died or became unfit for combat duty. Several flew over 1,000 missions; when viewed against the backdrop of Allied air superiority and inferior German aircraft performance and pilot training in the latter stages of the war, their feats become even more impressive. Perhaps there is more glory or interest in a man who shoots down 352 aircraft than in crews who leveled the English city of Coventry, but men like Hajo Hermann and Stuka pilot Hans -Ulrich Rudel, the most decorated German airman with 2,530 sorties, made significant contributions to the German war effort.

In Luftwaffe Bomber Aces, well-known aviation historian Mike Spick makes a valiant attempt to bring out the legacy of Luftwaffe bomber aviation, taking the reader from the Condor Legion in Spain, the blitzkrieg in Poland, the assault in the West, the Battle of Britain, the war in the Mediterranean and North Africa, the devastating war in Russia, and the Battle of the Atlantic, to Germany's final stand in the West. The final two chapters are devoted to the "bomber aces" as well as the Stuka pilots and crews. Even though Spick includes short combat biographies and highlights the exploits of the pilots and crews, I expected a bit more information on these men, considering the title of the book. In light of the author's expert explanations of formations, tactics, and specific missions, however, the omission of additional details about crew members only marginally detracts from this study.

Although I don't believe this volume is quite as readable or polished a work as its companion, Luftwaffe Fighter Aces: The Jagdflieger and Their Combat Tactics and Techniques (1996), the author still delivers a decent historical analysis. Adding to the book's appeal are 30 illustrations and 25 diagrams covering men, machines, and tactics of the Luftwaffe bomber arm, in addition to Spick's successful use of detailed explanations and pilot accounts. The author includes in-depth discussions of many weapons, such as the Fritz X guided bomb, the Hs 293 glider bomb, and the Mistel piggyback bomber, but I was a bit surprised at the absence of accompanying photographs. The anemic picture selection leads one to believe that illustrations were not a high priority in the production of this book.

My only complaint is that, in trying to analyze so many different Luftwaffe bomber methodologies, the author at times seems to lose his focus by interspersing too much information. For example, he might have been better off dedicating a single chapter to bomber navigation and blind-bombing techniques. German advances in this area throughout the war, much like those within the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command, were dynamic and inventive. Giving them a chapter of their own would have made for better comparisons and allowed for much more detailed descriptions of the technical aspects of bombing and navigation.

Overall, Luftwaffe Bomber Aces is a good book. Greenhill/Stackpole Books and Mike Spick have come through again with a solid publication, and I give them high marks for this effort. Although it may not be a "must buy," it is definitely a "must read" for anyone interested in Luftwaffe bomber tactics, aircraft, or weapons.