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Definitive account of the last great Luftwaffe attack of World War II Gripping stories of Fw 190s and Bf 109s in combat Contains hundreds of eyewitness accounts and rare photos In the early morning of January 1, 1945, as the Battle of the Bulge smoldered to an end, the German Luftwaffe--assumed to be starved of fuel and fighting spirit--launched a massive, surprise, low-level strike on Allied airfields throughout France, Belgium, and Holland, an operation code-named Bodenplatte. More than 900 German aircraft took to the skies and attacked the vulnerable fields, destroying 200 Allied aircraft and damaging 150 more. In a pyrrhic victory, the Luftwaffe lost 271 fighters, with many more damaged, and 213 pilots--irreplaceable losses at this stage of the war.

In 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.

Definitive account of the last great Luftwaffe attack of World War II Gripping stories of Fw 190s and Bf 109s in combat Contains hundreds of eyewitness accounts and rare photos In the early morning of January 1, 1945, as the Battle of the Bulge smoldered to an end, the German Luftwaffe--assumed to be starved of fuel and fighting spirit--launched a massive, surprise, low-level strike on Allied airfields throughout France, Belgium, and Holland, an operation code-named Bodenplatte. More than 900 German aircraft took to the skies and attacked the vulnerable fields, destroying 200 Allied aircraft and damaging 150 more. In a pyrrhic victory, the Luftwaffe lost 271 fighters, with many more damaged, and 213 pilots--irreplaceable losses at this stage of the war.

295 pages of excellent text, with some great photos. This book gives both sides' stories to this mammoth aerial engagement, in almost minute-to-minute coverage - excellent human detail on a bizarre and destructive battle. First Edition.

At first light on the morning of 1st January 1945, over 800 Luftwaffe fighters took off from their bases in Germany to attack Allied airfields in Holland, Belgium and France. Some of these surprise attacks proved successful, some were hardly noticed, while others were disastrous for the attackers. Basing his account on information from both Wing and Squadron diaries, with many first-hand accounts from the men who were there, Norman Franks paints a picture of that winter morning and the rest of the day. In these attacks, and in the air battles which were fought at low level across the open countrysides and over towns in the low countries, the Luftwaffe lost up to 300 of their fighter aircraft and over 200 pilots were killed or taken prisoner. The damage inflicted on the Allied air forces was some 200 aircraft but with little loss of life and the Allies were able to replenish their forces within days - whereas the Luftewaffe had greater difficulty in finding new pilots. Operation Bodenplatte was planned as a lightening blow to smash the British and American forces in north-west Europe. In fact it turned out to be the Luftwaffe's final act of self-destruction.

At first light on the morning of 1st January 1945, over 800 Luftwaffe fighters took off from their bases in Germany to attack Allied airfields in Holland, Belgium and France. Some of these surprise attacks proved successful, some were hardly noticed, while others were disastrous for the attackers. Basing his account on information from both Wing and Squadron diaries, with many first-hand accounts from the men who were there, Norman Franks paints a picture of that winter morning and the rest of the day. In these attacks, and in the air battles which were fought at low level across the open countrysides and over towns in the low countries, the Luftwaffe lost up to 300 of their fighter aircraft and over 200 pilots were killed or taken prisoner. The damage inflicted on the Allied air forces was some 200 aircraft but with little loss of life and the Allies were able to replenish their forces within days - whereas the Luftewaffe had greater difficulty in finding new pilots. Operation Bodenplatte was planned as a lightening blow to smash the British and American forces in north-west Europe. In fact it turned out to be the Luftwaffe's final act of self-destruction.

It has been more than 30 years since the original and highly acclaimed history of 2nd Tactical Air Force was first published, and it has been long out of print. Now at last, this book is a completely rewritten and greatly expanded account of this important command's vital contribution to the Invasion of Normandy and the defeat of the forces of the Third Reich in Western Europe. The 2nd TAF, equipped with rocket- and bomb-carrying Typhoons, Tempests, Spitfires, Mosquitos, Mustangs and medium bombers, flew ground-attack and tank-busting missions in support of Montgomery's 21st Army Group as it advanced through Normandy and northwest Europe in 1944-45. The medium bomber units struck at enemy transport, ammunition dumps, and communication targets. The 2nd TAF comprised British, Canadian, Polish, Czech, Norwegian, French, South African, Australian, and New Zealand crews. This second volume covers the breakout from Normandy, the advance across the Low Countries, and the German ripostes in the Ardennes and Operation 'Bodenplatte' in the winter that followed.

Operation Bodenplatte was devised to despatch 800 Luftwaffe fighters to attack Allied bases in Western Europe on the first of January 1945. The operation turned out to be the Luftwaffe's final act of self-destruction. This book tells the story of that fated operation.