A look at the evolution of air combat during WWII, focusing on the Luftwaffe's engagements with the Allies in the Battle of France, the Battle of Britain, the Eastern Front against the Soviets, and the defence of the Reich against the US.
How did Luftwaffe fighters compare to American, British, and Soviet designs? Did the Messerschmitt Bf 109 remain competitive throughout the war? And how did Allied fighter pilots and the latest American technology stack up against the Luftwaffe's aces? Did the Me-262 make any difference to Germany's war effort?
Additional sources not mentioned in the video:
Overy, R.J (1989) Air Power, Armies & The War in the West, USAFA Harmon Memorial Lecture 32.
Harvey, A.D (1990) The French Armee de l’Air May-June 1940: A Failure of Conception. Journal of Contemporary History. Vol.25, No.4.
Kirkland, Faris R (1993) French Air Strength in May 1940. Air Power History (Vol.40, No.1)
Raffal, Harry A.N (2021) The Royal Air Force in the Battle of France: A Failure to Commit. Nacelles, Past and Present of Aeronautics and Space. Issue 10.
Foucrier, Jean-Charles (2021) Operation Paula: a Success Story Largely Ignored for Polish Code Breakers?
Gallais, Xavier (2018) The Tactical Effectiveness of the French Air Force During the War in the West 1939-1940. School of Advanced Air & Space Studies.
Shields, J (2015) The Battle of Britain: A Not So Narrow Margin. Air Power Review (Battle of Britain Edition)
Dildy, Douglas C. (2016) The Air Battle for England: The Truth Behind the Failure of the Luftwaffe's Counter-Air Campaign in 1940. Air Power History, Vol 63, No.2
Overy, R.J (1980) The Air War 1939-1945
Stoll, Hans G. Luftwaffe Doctrine and Air Superiority Through World War Two. Advisor: Prof. Dan Hughes. Maxwell Air Force Base, AL: USAF, April 1994
Olsen, Loren M. The Battle of Britain, A Study in Command and Control. Individual Study Project, Project Advisor: Colonel Robert F. Hervey. U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA
Plocher, Hermann. The German Air Force Versus Russia, 1943. Edited by Harry R. Fletcher. Historical Studies: No. 15. USAF Historical Division.
Williamson, David A. Strategy and the Use of Airpower on the Eastern Front: Lessons for the Airpower Strategist. Thesis, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, June 2010
Caldwell, Donald, and Richard Muller. The Luftwaffe Over Germany: Defence of the Reich. First published 2007 by Greenhill Books; subsequently published by Frontline Books, South Yorkshire, 2014
Zamansky, Dan. How were German air force resources distributed between different fronts in the years 1941 to 1943 and what are the implications of this case study for understanding the political economy of the period?
00:00 Introduction
00:51 The Battle of France
04:35 The Battle of Britain
11:29 The Eastern Front
20:54 Defence of the Reich
33:08 Comparisons & Analysis
