The Other Battle

Without taking sides the author tells the story of both sides of the night bombing campaign. Technical details were especially fascinating since I was an air search radar operator in the Navy in my younger days. Great description of progress made by both sides in a short period on things we take for granted today such as air intercept radar and electronic countermeasures. Well compiled with interviews from both British and German aircrew. Highly recommended!!

When I say this book is impartial, I mean it is impartial in the fullest sense of the word. The author not only presents a bias-free view, he also writes in a lucid manner. The operations are described in great detail, and with proper analysis. Each stage and battle has significance, and we are brought to appreciate this complex air battle that raged for five years, involving the brave crews of the Allied bomber fleets, and the equally brave and tenacious Nachtjagd crews. We come face to face with the elite of the nightfighters including Schnaufer, Lent, Prinz zu-Sayn Wittgenstein and Becker. I feel this book is a must for understanding night operations over Europe during world war two and for all military buffs.

The author has written a very balanced view of both sides of the Night War during WWII. His viewpoint is that the pilots and crews of both sides did their duty,full stop. One to bomb, the other to defend. His descriptions of the Luftwaffe Nightfighter aces and the overall strategies of the Luftwaffe High Command are quite accurate. I was quite suprised by his generous comments on Major Prinz Heinrich Sayn zu-Wittgenstein. They were a far cry from authors who while not disputing his courage and charisma, tend to label him as being overly ambitious.This author however dismisses that concept and rightly so. The Night aces, Schnaufer, Lent, Sayn zu-Wittgenstein,Meurer and Streib and many others were concerned with shooting down bombers decimating their civilian population and industrial areas and not with being ambitious. Although it cannot be denied that in this deadly game of cat and mouse they were in friendly rivalries in the mildest sense of the term, at least. A fine book for reference as well.

After reading this book, I gained a new since of being a ace fighter pilot of WWII. I felt Peter Hinchliffe did a good job describing the methods and training of the night time fighter pilots of the luftwaffe. This is a book that gives light to a little known part of world war II. It tells us how the beganings of radar detection for planes came into combat for the first time. After reading this book. I have a deep respect for the german fighter pilots of the night. Unlike their counterparts in the day, these pilots had to navigate and fight almost totally blind in conditions more hazardous than in a normal daylight raid. So if you would like to read a book about the part of the luftwaffe that isn't really mentioned in the history books. Please read this book. I dont think you will be disapointed.