HISTORY:
** When the Battle of Britain commenced in July 1940, the Luftwaffe committed more than 1,200 medium bombers, 300 Ju 87 Stukas and 760 Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters to the campaign. The response from AA Command mustered 359 4.5in., 666 3.7in. and 226 3in. guns, as well as 3,538 light and medium AA weapons to tackle low-level Luftwaffe raiders, but it still struggled to provide sufficient protection for every key site. Nevertheless, AA gunners had claimed almost 300 German aircraft shot down by the end of the Battle of Britain on 31 October, upping this count to 578 before the Blitz finished on 11 May 1941.
In this action-packed study, World War II aviation expert Donald Nijboer examines the capabilities of both sides, and explores how British AA Command not only shot down enemy aircraft, but – more importantly - forced them to fly higher, broke up their formations and decreased their bombing accuracy. Tactical diagrams, maps, archival photographs and newly commissioned artwork provide additional insight and detail, bringing the bitter struggle over the skies of southern England to life. **
** Quoted from the back cover of the book.
THE BOOK:
Osprey Publications has released Luftwaffe Bombers vs British AA Defences, Britain 1940–41 as Number 145 in their Duel series. It is a soft cover book with 80 pages and is the standard Osprey Publishing size of 7 1/4 x 9 3/4 inches. Included with the text are black and white photographs and color photographs, color illustrations, detailed captions and more. It has a 2025 copyright, a publication date of April 24, 2025, and the ISBN is 978-1-4728-6576-2.
THE CONTENTS:
- Introduction
- Chronology
- Design and Development
- Technical Specifications
- The Strategic Situation
- The Combatants
- Combat
- Statistics and Analysis
- Aftermath
- Further Reading
- Index
The Osprey Publishing website states that the contents list shown with the book listing is “subject to confirmation”. The contents listing I have provided is quoted from the book and is accurate.
THE TEXT:
Author Donald Nijboer has written an excellent history about Germany’s Luftwaffe bombers and their attacks on targets in England and the British anti-aircraft crews and their weapons and the combat action between the two in the opening stages of World War II. The text goes into great detail in all areas of the book as outlined on the contents page, please refer to the contents listing that I have provided for the areas that are covered. The design and development section covers the anti-aircraft program and details subjects such as gun engagement, radar, barrage balloon use, siting the guns, electronic counter measures and more and it also covers the German bombers and details subjects such as bombs and bomb aiming, navigation and blind bombing as well as various aircraft such as the He 111 and Ju 88A-1. Technical specifications are given on both German and British subjects such as various aircraft, anti-aircraft guns, machineguns, bombs, and other items such as radar, search lights, range and height finders. A wealth of information is given on the combatants on both sides of the conflict as well as several specific combat actions and the results of the actions. Along with his own words Donald Nijboer has also provided quotes from British Lt Col John R. Kennedy, second to the 23rd (Northumbrian) Division from the Royal Engineers, an official British account of AA Command published in Roof Over Britain in 1943 by the Ministry of Information, German Gefreiter Willi Gailer of DO 17Z-equipped 6./KG 3, German Oberleutnant Werner Luderitz of Stabl KG 51, German Do 17 pilot Feldwebel Wilhelm Raab, German Unteroffizier Albert Bloss of 2./KG 76, and British Lt Gen Sir Frederick Pile. The text in the book is nicely written and well detailed. As I read through the text, I didn’t notice any spelling or grammatical errors. Grammar and spelling might not be an important factor to everyone however it is something that I take notice of and pass on my findings. I feel that if the text is well written then it shows that the author has taken the time to be professional with their writing. Anyone wanting to add an excellent reference and history book on British anti-aircraft defenses that were used against Luftwaffe bombers during the Battle of Britain in the early stages of World War II to their personal library will be pleased with this very informative and interesting book.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS:
A total of 59 black and white photographs and 3 color photographs are included in this volume. The photographs range from wide angle photographs to close-up detailed photographs. They are a combination of in-action photographs, photographs removed from motion pictures to photographs that have been staged for the photographer. The majority of the photographs are clear and easily viewable; however, a few have an out-of-focus appearance, and some appear to be too dark, and others appear too light. This is typical of the period of history discussed and the quality of the photographs is no fault of the author and does not take anything away from the book. The photographs include overall images of the various aircraft discussed as well as German bombs and British anti-aircraft weapons and other items such as British radar, search lights, range finders and height finders. The close-up photographs show items such as German and British uniforms to include pilot and aircraft crewmember uniforms, British helmets, gas mask carriers, raincoats soft caps, rank insignia as well as medals and military ribbons. Also included are photographs of battle damage that was done to various aircraft by British AA defenses and aerial photographs of ground targets. Author Donald Nijboer stuck to the title of the book and chose subject specific photographs and did not include photographs that strayed from the main subject. The majority, if not all, of the photographs will prove to be excellent reference material for the scale modeler due to the details they contain. The military historian, and the aviation and anti-aircraft weapons enthusiast will benefit from the excellent photographs as will anyone that is interested in British anti-aircraft defenses against Luftwaffe bombers during the Battle of Britain in the early stages of World War II.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS:
There are 12 color illustrations included in the volume by illustrators Gareth Hector and Jim Laurier.
Front cover of the book
- (Top) German JU 88s of KG 51 attacking the British Ventnor radar station and the Portsmouth harbour on August 12, 1940.
- (Bottom) British 3.7in. AA guns from the 1st AA Division unleash q salvo skyward at incoming Luftwaffe bombers over London in early October 1940.
Plate A
HAA (Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery) Battery
- A layout plan for a typical British anti-aircraft command four-gun 3.7in. fixed HAA site at the beginning of the war. Also provided is a key pointing out 11 points of interest.
Plate B
Vickers-Armstrongs QF 3.7in. HAA Gun (Mobile)
- Three drawings of the British gun showing it with its riggers out ready for action. The three views of the gun are the right side, the front and from overhead.
Plate C
Ju 88A-1 Wk-Nr 4136 3Z+BB of Stab I./KG 77, Laon-Athies, France, October 1940.
- One view of the German aircraft from the port side.
Plate D
Ju 87B-1 Wk-Nr 5227 6G+KS of 5./StG 1, Saint-Omer, France, November 1940.
- One view of the German aircraft from the port side.
Plate E
SC 250 Bomb
- A German 551lb Sprengbombe-Cylindrisch (SC, explosive bomb, cylindrical) 250.
Plate F
3.7in. HAA Shell
- Standard British 28lb fixed HE round which were filled with amatol, TNT or RDX/TNT explosive.
Plate G
No. 207 Mk I Fuze
- External and internal views of a British No. 207 mechanical time (clockwork) fuze that was used on rounds fired by 3.7in. and 4.5in. HAA guns in 1940-41. Also provided is a key pointing out 11 points of interest.
Plate H
Do 17Z-3 F1+CT of 9./KG 76, Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France, 18 August 1940
- One view of the German aircraft from the port side.
Plate I
A two-page action illustration showing German Do 17Zs of 9./ZG 76 attacking the RAF Fighter Command airfield at Kenley, England.
Plate J
He 111H-3 Wk-Nr 5606 V4+FA of Stab/KG 1, Amiens-Glisy, France, September 1940
- One view of the German aircraft from the port side.
THE CAPTIONS:
The captions are well written and explain the accompanying photographs and illustrations in great detail eliminating any doubt as to what is shown. The captions go into very specific detail as to the type of aircraft shown, the type and caliber of anti-aircraft weapons, military unit the aircraft or anti-aircraft weapons are assigned to, the type and purpose of specialized anti-aircraft equipment such as radar, sound locators, range finders, search lights and height-finders, battle damage, bomb type, the specific individuals shown and their military rank and military unit they are assigned to, military operation names, items of interest on various aircraft, dates and locations and other such pertinent information. I found Donald Nijboer’s captions to be very helpful due to their detailed content as opposed to other captions that I have seen that lack pertinent information.
MAPS:
There are two color maps included in this volume that show:
- England 1940-41 airfields and CH radar stations
- AA Command’s designated HAA gun battery sites in the London Inner Artillery Zone on September 14, 1940
PROFILES:
There are two individuals profiled in this volume, and they are:
- Sir Frederick A. Pile – British General Officer Commanding of Anti-Aircraft Command.
- Hugo Otto Sperrle – German Generalfeldmarschall of the Luftwaffe.
INFORMATION CHARTS:
There are 5 information charts included in this volume, and they are:
- He 111H-2 Specification
- Do 17Z-2 Specification
- Ju 88A-1 Specification
- Ju 87B-1 Specification
-Bf 109E-4/B Specification
CONCLUSION:
As with the other Osprey Publishing titles I was impressed with this book. This is a very nice reference book that contains a well written informative text, many subject specific photographs and illustrations, well detailed captions and more, all detailing British anti-aircraft defenses against Luftwaffe bombers during the Battle of Britain in the early stages of World War II. As with the other Osprey Publishing titles, I have no hesitation recommending this book to others as it will be a welcome addition to one’s personal reference library.
Osprey Publishing also offers Luftwaffe Bombers vs British AA Defences, Britain 1940–41 as:
Ebook (Epub & Mobi) ISBN: 978-1-4728- 6577-9
and
Ebook (PDF) ISBN: 978-1-4728- 6578-6
Osprey Publishing’s, Luftwaffe Bombers vs British AA Defences, Britain 1940–41 is also available as a Kindle version through Amazon.
PRICE:
UK £15.99 / US $23.00 / CAN $31.00
This book was provided to me by Osprey Publishing. Please be sure to mention that you saw the book reviewed here on the KitMaker Network when making your purchase. Thank you.
