Operation Bodenplatte

Author : Tomasz Szlagor,Janusz Swiatlon,Arkadiusz Swiatlon
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 34 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2010-02-15
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 8361220585

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Operation Bodenplatte by Tomasz Szlagor,Janusz Swiatlon,Arkadiusz Swiatlon Pdf

Colour artwork profiles perfect for modelers Launched on January 1, 1945, Operation Bodenplatte was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries of Europe during the Second World War. The Germans husbanded their resources in the preceding months at the expense of the Defence of the Reich units in what was a last-ditch effort to keep up the momentum of the German Army during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge. The operation was a Pyrrhic success for the Luftwaffe as the losses suffered by the German air arm were irreplaceable. The losses of the Allied Air Forces were replaced within weeks. The operation failed to achieve air superiority, even temporarily, for the Luftwaffe and the German Army continued to be exposed to air attack. Bodenplatte was the final major Luftwaffe offensive during World War II. About the Series This is a series of highly illustrated books on the key machines of World War II and their combat use. Perfect for modelers and filled with color artwork profiles, each volume details the camouflage, markings, insignia, modifications and variants of the best of the war. With extra features such as decals, photo-etched brass and masking foil.

Author : John Manrho,Ron Pütz
Publisher : Stackpole Books
Page : 594 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : Air bases
ISBN : 9780811706865

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Bodenplatte by John Manrho,Ron Pütz Pdf

"One of our goals was to describe, as accurately as possible, the events taking place in the morning of January 1st, 1945... We had to refrain from going into the nightfighter attacks of December 31st, 1944, and for reasons of brevity we also had to let go of any other bomber or escort missions of the Allied air forces on January 1st. The contents of the book have been divided into chapters dealing with the individual attacks of the Luftwaffe Geschwader. As a result, the subject matter is dealt with primarily from a Luftwaffe point of view. After all, it was a Luftwaffe operation. However, we have endeavoured to create a balanced view of each attack, showing in just as much detail the Allied perspective. At the end of each chapter, we have drawn our conclusions, carefully evaluating all available Luftwaffe and Allied points of view"--P. ix.

Author : Norman L. R. Franks
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 232 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 1982
Category : History
ISBN : UOM:39015001155665

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The Battle of the Airfields by Norman L. R. Franks Pdf

800 tyske jageres angreb mod allierede flyvepladser i Holland, Belgien og Frankrig den 1. januar 1945. 300 tyske og 200 allierede fly gik tabt. En skæbnesvanger operation for Luftwaffe.

Author : John Manrho,Ron Pütz
Publisher : Specialty Press (MN)
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Air bases
ISBN : 1902109406

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Bodenplatte by John Manrho,Ron Pütz Pdf

8 1/2 x 11, 350 b&w photosIn the early morning of New Year's Day 1945, as the last great German offensive in Ardennes slowly smoldered to an end and the Allies prepared for a final year of war in northwest Europe, against all odds, the Luftwaffe -- assumed to be starved of fuel and fighting spirit -- launched a massive, surprise, low-level strike targeted at Allied tactical airfields throughout France, Belgium, and Holland. Planned under great secrecy, the raid gambled on using the bulk of Luftwaffe fighter assets on the Western Front, with the aim of decimating significant elements of both the British 2nd RAF and the USAAF on the ground. As the winter skies lightened, more than 900 German aircraft, -- most of them Fw 190s and Bf 109s -- swept across vulnerable and unsuspecting airfields, including Brussels and Eindhoven. Altogether, more than 200 Allied aircraft were destroyed, with a further 150 damaged. But for the Luftwaffe it was a pyrrhic victory; 271 fighters were lost and many more damaged. Worse still, of the 213 pilots lost, more than 20 were valuable formation leaders. Using hundreds of eye-witness accounts and rare photographs, this is a definitive study.

Author : William Arthur Bishop
Publisher : McGraw-Hill Companies
Page : 295 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 1998-01-01
Category : Air bases
ISBN : 0075604205

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Destruction at Dawn by William Arthur Bishop Pdf

Author : Christer Bergstrom
Publisher : Casemate / Vaktel Forlag
Page : 504 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2014-12-19
Category : History
ISBN : 9781612002774

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The Ardennes, 1944-1945 by Christer Bergstrom Pdf

In December 1944, just as World War II appeared to be winding down, Hitler shocked the world with a powerful German counteroffensive that cracked the center of the American front. The attack came through the Ardennes, the hilly and forested area in eastern Belgium and Luxembourg that the Allies had considered a “quiet” sector. Instead, for the second time in the war, the Germans used it as a stealthy avenue of approach for their panzers. Much of U.S. First Army was overrun, and thousands of prisoners were taken as the Germans forged a 50-mile “bulge” into the Allied front. But in one small town, Bastogne, American paratroopers, together with remnants of tank units, offered dogged resistance. Meanwhile the rest of Eisenhower’s “broad front” strategy came to a halt as Patton, from the south, and Hodges, from the north, converged on the enemy incursion. Yet it would take an epic, six-week-long winter battle, the bloodiest in the history of the U.S. Army, before the Germans were finally pushed back. Christer Bergström has interviewed veterans, gone through huge amounts of archive material, and performed on-the-spot research in the area. The result is a large amount of previously unpublished material and new findings, including reevaluations of tank and personnel casualties and the most accurate picture yet of what really transpired. The Ardennes Offensive has often been described from the American point of view; however, this balanced book devotes equal attention to the perspectives of both sides. With nearly 400 photos, numerous maps, and 32 superb color profiles of combat vehicles and aircraft, it provides perhaps the most comprehensive look at the battle yet published.

Author : Norman Franks
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Air bases
ISBN : 190230442X

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Battle of the Airfields by Norman Franks Pdf

On the morning of January 1, 1945, over 800 Luftwaffe fighters took off to attack Allied air-fields in Holland, Belgium and France. Norman Franks uses diaries and first-hand accounts, plus material from Germany to tell the story of Operation Bodenplatte, which turned out to be a final act of self-destruction as the Luftwaffe lost up to 300 of their aircraft and over 200 pilots in the battle.

Author : Jean Paul Pallud
Publisher : After the Battle
Page : 1553 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2022-06-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9781399076128

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Battle of the Bulge by Jean Paul Pallud Pdf

This WWII pictorial history presents an in-depth study of Hitler’s epic, final offensive campaign. In December of 1944, nine days before Christmas, Hitler played Germany’s last card on which he staked everything to turn the tables in the West. In this densely illustrated volume, military historian Jean Paul Pallud examines the entire salient with ‘then and now’ photographs. Hundreds of miles have been traveled by the author throughout every corner of the battlefield to search out the scenes of past events — every known photograph belonging to combatants, civilians, and in public collections and private sources has been sought or considered. All available film has been examined frame by frame and certain sequences illustrated and analyzed. This painstaking process offers a vividly detailed look at the famous battle. A number of classic pictures used — or misused — in depicting the conflict are placed in their true context, often revealing them to be very different from what they seem!

Author : David Wragg
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
Page : 267 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2012-02-29
Category : History
ISBN : 9781781597798

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Fighter Operations in Europe and North Africa, 1939–1945 by David Wragg Pdf

Fighter Operations in Europe and North Africa 1939–1945 tells the story of Allied and German fighter pilots in Europe, over the Mediterranean and in North Africa during the Second World War. The book starts with the early skirmishes as each side tested the others defenses, moves through the Battle of Britain and then the Blitz, when the emphasis switched from single-engined day fighters to twin-engined night fighters, while increasingly fighters were used to sweep over enemy air fields and lines of communication in occupied France. This overlapped with the need to provide air cover for the besieged island fortress of Malta by day and by night, as well as defensive operations against Axis forces in Crete and North Africa, but as the balance of power changed in North Africa, the Desert Air Force was formed incorporating elements from many Allied air forces and the emphasis moved to offensive operations in support of ground forces. The invasions of Italy and the South of France also called for fighter cover, initially by carrier-based aircraft. The lessons learnt in North Africa were put to good use by the 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force, which accompanied the advancing allied armies towards and eventually into Germany, achieving all important air supremacy which was a major factor in the Allied victory. The book also covers Luftwaffe fighter pilots as they sought to stop the RAF by night and the USAAF by day, against increasingly overwhelming odds.

Author : John T. Kuehn
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 112 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2020-01-16
Category : History
ISBN : 9798216040798

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The 100 Worst Military Disasters in History by John T. Kuehn Pdf

The 100 Worst Military Disasters in History is a fascinating collection that educators, students, and historians will all find useful in helping them understand the causes and consequences of the most infamous military failures in history. The dynamics of military disaster are equally, if not more, important as understanding how to achieve success on the battlefield. This comprehensive book covers the complete gamut of human history as it tells the compelling stories of the worst military debacles of all time. It covers battles, campaigns, and wars, starting with the ancient Persians and Greeks and finishing with the U.S. conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not limited to land warfare, however, the book also includes a number of the most disastrous naval engagements and campaigns in world history. The 100 Worst Military Disasters in History opens with a detailed introduction illuminating the role military strategy and politics played in some of the worst battlefield failures throughout history. The entries are augmented with several engaging sidebars related to various military disasters. This eclectic collection includes coverage of many lesser known military disasters such as the Taiping Rebellion, during which 20 times more Chinese died than the number of people killed in the American Civil War.

Author : Helen Fry
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 351 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2019-09-10
Category : History
ISBN : 9780300238600

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The Walls Have Ears by Helen Fry Pdf

A history of the elaborate and brilliantly sustained World War II intelligence operation by which Hitler's generals were tricked into giving away vital Nazi secrets At the outbreak of World War II, MI6 spymaster Thomas Kendrick arrived at the Tower of London to set up a top secret operation: German prisoners' cells were to be bugged and listeners installed behind the walls to record and transcribe their private conversations. This mission proved so effective that it would go on to be set up at three further sites--and provide the Allies with crucial insight into new technology being developed by the Nazis. In this astonishing history, Helen Fry uncovers the inner workings of the bugging operation. On arrival at stately-homes-turned-prisons like Trent Park, high-ranking German generals and commanders were given a "phony" interrogation, then treated as "guests," wined and dined at exclusive clubs, and encouraged to talk. And so it was that the Allies got access to some of Hitler's most closely guarded secrets--and from those most entrusted to protect them.

Author : Werner Girbig
Publisher : Schiffer Military History
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 1997
Category : History
ISBN : WISC:89065134397

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Six Months to Oblivion by Werner Girbig Pdf

This book covers the last chapter, the decline and fall of the air defense of Germany. It is a diary of losses and a chronicle in which the fighter pilot plays the lead. It tells of the young men who joined their squadrons full of optimism and derring-do, only to give their lives to no purpose in a last desperate endeavour.\nIts focal point is the controversial Operation "Bodenplatte" on the morning of New Year\s Day 1945, an operation in which the German fighter force received its final mortal wound - losing some 230 aircrew in less than 4 hours, the fighter units suffered their most severe defeat. Only now, after years of evaluation of all available sources, can the true figures of fighter losses on January 1, 1945 be reported. \nBut this picture of the sacrifice of fighter formations does not mean that fighter pilots were unable to score successes. The figures for enemy aircraft shot down and the contact reports show clearly that the German pilots could still both parry and deal out hard punches.\nFew people have any real idea of the actual scale of the German fighter force\s sacrifice. The imagination boggles at the tragic events that took place in the skies over Europe as the war neared its end, even in the perspective of history the full extent of the debacle can scarcely be depicted.\nIn Six Months to Oblivion Werner Girbig explains these last months of the Luftwaffe and the fall of a once mighty air force.

Author : David T. Zabecki
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 1938 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2014-10-28
Category : History
ISBN : 9781598849813

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Germany at War [4 volumes] by David T. Zabecki Pdf

Written by experts for use by nonexperts, this monumental work probes Germany's "Genius for War" and the unmistakable pattern of tactical and operational innovation and excellence evident throughout the nation's military history. Despite having the best military forces in the world, some of the most advanced weapons available, and unparalleled tactical proficiency, Germany still lost both World Wars. This landmark, four-volume encyclopedia explores how and why that happened, at the same time examining Germany as a military power from the start of the Thirty Years' War in 1618 to the present day. Coverage includes the Federal Republic of Germany, its predecessor states, and the kingdoms and principalities that combined to form Imperial Germany in 1871. The Seven Years' War is discussed, as are the Napoleonic Wars, the Wars of German Unification (including the Franco-Prussian War), World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. In all, more than 1,000 entries illuminate battles, organizations, leaders, armies, weapons, and other aspects of war and military life. The most comprehensive overview of German military history ever to appear in English, this work will enable students and others interested in military history to better understand the sociopolitical history of Germany, the complex role conflict has played in the nation throughout its history, and why Germany continues to be an important player on the European continent.

Author : G. H. Bennett
Publisher : A&C Black
Page : 289 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2011-04-28
Category : History
ISBN : 9781441106629

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The RAF's French Foreign Legion by G. H. Bennett Pdf

This book examines and analyses the relationship between the RAF, the Free French Movement and the French fighter pilots in WWII. A highly significant subject, this has been ignored by academics on both sides of the Channel. This ground-breaking study will fill a significant gap in the historiography of the War. Bennett's painstaking research has unearthed primary source material in both Britain and France including Squadron records, diaries, oral histories and memoirs. In the post-war period the idea of French pilots serving with the RAF seemed anachronistic to both sides. For the French nation the desire to draw a veil over the war years helped to obscure many aspects of the past, and for the British the idea of French pilots did not accord with the myths of "the Few" to whom so much was owed. Those French pilots who served had to make daring escapes. Classed as deserters they risked court martial and execution if caught. They would play a vital role on D-Day and the battle for control of the skies which followed.

Author : Patrick Delaforce
Publisher : Pen and Sword
Page : 340 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2014-04-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473835122

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The Battle of the Bulge by Patrick Delaforce Pdf

By late 1944 the Allies were poised to smash the Siegfried Line and break into Germany. Supply lines were shorter thanks to the port of Antwerp. Arnhem aside, there had been a long run of victories and there was no intelligence even from ULTRA to suggest a German counter-offensive.So the major December attack through the mountainous Ardennes by massed Panzers and infantry took the Allies totally by surprise. Fog and low cloud negated the Allies' air supremacy, English-speaking German commandos in captured jeeps created panic and withdrawal of US forces became a near rout with morale all but broken.For ten days the situation worsened and Antwerp was seriously threatened and 21st Army Group in danger of being cut off.Clear skies for the Thunderbolts and coherent counter-attacks by rapidly deployed reinforcements turned the tide in the nick of time, so preventing a catastrophic defeat for the Allies.All this and more is graphically narrated in this fine study of a pivotal battle, that so nearly changed the course of war.