Late in 1938, the German Navy Supreme Command commissioned a report into
the combat effectiveness of its airborne divisions. As a result of its
findings, the German High Command instigated a major construction
program for planes with a specifically maritime role: carrier-borne,
reconnaissance, mine laying and most importantly, long-range units were
all developed.
In this volume of the outstanding Luftwaffe at War series, Manfred
Griehl showcases a photo-history of the development of the Kriegsmarine
airborne capability from the early Condor missions to the introduction
of Me 262 A-1a jet fighters in 1944.
More than a hundred rarely seen pictures illustrate the gradual turning
of the tide against Germany in the war for the skies over the Atlantic:
as the German war machine struggled to match demand for aircraft, so the
pilots attempting to control crucial supply routes struggled to compete
with mounting allied technical and numerical superiority.