This title offers a detailed look at the crucial but
little-acknowledged role of the German heavy flak guns in the defense
against allied heavy bombers in World War II.
Since the end of World War II, the strategic bombing of Germany has
inspired numerous studies, countless books and several documentary
films, and it is not surprising. With more than one million tons of
bombs dropped, close to 300,000 civilians killed, 700,000 wounded and in
excess of 3,500,000 industrial and residential structures destroyed, the
Allied bomber offensive was industrial war on a grand scale. The air
battle that raged over Germany has often been described as a battle
between Allied and German fighters but what has been frequently missed
by historians on all sides is the impact of German anti aircraft
defenses (flak).
Though often dismissed as ineffective and a waste of valuable material
and personnel, the German flak arm made a major contribution to the
defense of the Third Reich--at least half of the American aircraft shot
down over Germany fell to flak, and according to the RAF Official
History, it was estimated that flak accounted for 1229 of 3302 aircraft
lost by Bomber Command between 1942 and April 1945. Additionally, the
strategic role of flak extended beyond simply shooting down
aircraft--its other, more important task was to force bombers to drop
their ordnance sooner or from a higher altitude, thus reducing bombing
accuracy.
Both these roles are explored in depth in this detailed study of the
German flak defenses and of their adversaries, the Allied heavy bombers.
Containing full-color illustrations including cockpit scenes and
armament views, this is the definitive guide to the much-overlooked
conflict between Allied planes and German anti aircraft defenses.
