Hitler’s Jet Plane: The ME 262 Story – Mano Ziegler

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51fMqAQhlQL._SX345_BO1 204 203 200_I read this on the Kindle while working on my two 1/72 Me 262s.  2019-06-06 08.24.24It was written by a former Luftwaffe pilot, and he does a good job telling the story of the development of the aircraft and the units that operated it.  The usual controversies over its development and Hitler's role in it are detailed, and the story ends up being more complicated than we usually hear.

It seems that it was Willy Messerschmitt that answered Hitler's question as to whether it could be used as a bomber with an emphatic "yes" with visions of more aircraft contracts dancing in his head – when in fact it was a terrible use of the aircraft.  But to what extent that decision delayed its introduction into Luftwaffe air defenses is unclear.  What is clear is that the introduction of the aircraft into operational use was as poorly executed as the rest of the Luftwaffe's decisions, although – again – whether even the best decisions would have helped the aircraft through its teething troubles is unclear.  It began reaching units just as Allied air superiority ensured that it could be destroyed at its bases, where it was highly vulnerable, rather than in air to air combat. 

About Post Author

Michael C. Smith

Marshall, Texas lawyer. I post on things that attract my interest while puttering in my study. Mostly family, books, home, history, World War II and scale modeling.
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