Me 262

Me 262: HITLER'S JET PLANE
by Mano Ziegler.


Mano Ziegler was a wartime Luftwaffe pilot & flying instructor & flew the rocket-powered Me 163 during the second world war. A prisoner of the Russians, he eventually returned to Germany & would later became an aviation journalist. 
This book came about from many conversations with fellow pilots who flew the Me 262, as well as access to German archives.
The book was first published in Germany in 1978 & translated into English in 2023.

Not a technical book of the aircraft & its design, but it does tell the story of the aircraft from design to flight & into combat, through many accounts of those involved throughout the project, including Willy Messerschmitt & Adolf Galland. These eyewitness accounts include meetings in which both Goering & Hitler were in attendance, providing an interesting look into the German thinking as the war began to turn against them.
It was fascinating to learn how Hitler himself put the project back a year by insisting the Me 262 became a bomber and not a fighter. It just hadn't been designed to carry bombs.
In truth, had the aircraft been ready that year earlier & the numbers mentioned actually built, the war in the air above Europe could of turned out significantly different.

There were a number of other reasons which meant the aircraft's role in the war was limited. A shortage of trained pilots including many who were lost during their first experience of a jet aircraft. 
Germany's diminishing stock of fuel & the materials to build & maintain the aircraft, were also contributing factors. 
Readers even learn that as new airfields were being found closer to Berlin in the final months of the war, many of the fighters had to be dismantled, moved by rail & rebuilt on site, all due to the shortages mentioned above. 

The fact that this book looks at the story from the views of those  involved, made for especially interesting reading.
The author's narrative has benefited from his own flying experience as well as knowing some of those he interviewed. 
This is a perfect companion for those more technical books on this aircraft & the history in general of jet powered aircraft.

The hardback book is published by and available from Grub Street Publishing. 
I thank them for this review copy.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MITCHELL

Image
MITCHELL: Father of the Spitfire  By Paul Beaver. The majority of readers will have heard the name R.J. Mitchell and certainly his most famous aircraft design, the beloved Spitfire. Yet many, myself included, might not have known that his career began in railway engineering. This and so much more is revealed by author , Paul Beaver, who shares the full story of this remarkable man who became Supermarine's chief designer at the age of just 24. Alongside Reginald's career, we also learn how the Supermarine company was founded and then grew during the decades between the two world wars.  Mitchell's answering of Supermarine's job advertisement  would prove to be the beginning of a remarkable legacy. Importantly, o ne the author also states came about with the brains and skills of a talented group of people who have been too often overlooked. This legacy is of course far more than just the Spitfire. Many other types of aircraft especially flying boats were also d...
Read more

ROYAL NAVY FORCE H: 1940-42

Image
ROYAL NAVY FORCE H 1940-42 This is book 14 in Osprey's 'Fleet' series and is written by naval historian, Angus Konstam. If you have read any second world war books on the Mediterranean war and/or Malta, then it is highly likely that Force H and its well respected commander, V.Adm. Sir James Somerville, is mentioned. Based at Gibraltar, Force H patrolled both the Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean often escorting vital convoys to Malta. It was Somerville who led the fleet in the attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir and they would also be later involved in the hunt for the Bismarck.  As well as describing the fleet's ships, its commander and their wartime endeavors, the role and defences of Gibraltar is also covered. This is an added bonus as most books generally only give Gibraltar a passing mention. With a fascinating narrative, aided with many useful maps, charts and original artwork, it is a book I have certainly enjoyed and would definitely rec...
Read more

THE DUMMY DRONE

Image
THE DUMMY DRONE BY Rob More. Away from the Battle of Britain in the skies over the English Channel and Southern counties, or the devastating blitz bombing of London and other major cities, surely  the far North of Scotland would hardly be effected by the second world war?  Well the opposite was true. In this fabulous new book, local author and resident, Rob More reveals how the county of Caithness was a scene of great change from the coastline and beaches to the farmland, hills and villages. Not forgetting all those who lived and worked there.  With the area hosting a range of wartime installations and airfields it received many visits from the Luftwaffe. As we learn in the book, civilians and their properties would also be caught up in these raids. From the radar stations searching for enemy aircraft, to those recruited for the local Home Guard and the lesser known Auxiliary Units. Communities the length of Britain prepared for an expected German invasion. Ro...
Read more