Osprey Aviation Elite 20 : Luftwaffe Sturmgruppen

By the spring of 1944, hundreds of American heavy bombers were venturing deep into occupied Europe, escorted by ever increasing numbers of Mustangs, Thunderbolts and Lightnings. In a desperate attempt to deal a single knock-out blow to the Allied daylight bomber offensive, an outstanding band of Luftwaffe fighter pilots volunteered to be organised into elite bomber destroyer units known as Sturmgruppen, or 'assault wings'. Through first-hand accounts and rare archival photography, this book chronicles the brief but violent career of the Sturmgruppen during the dark days of 1944. Text and illustrations by John Weal.

Contents

• Origins : Early Daylight Raids, and the Initial Luftwaffe Opposition
• Growing Desperation : The Increase of the USAAF Daylight Bombing Campaign in 1943
• Sturmgruppen : The Elite Sturmgruppe are Created and Hastily Trained
• Bloody baptism : The Sturmgruppen see Action
• Annihilation : The Sturmgruppen are Overwhelmed by American Fighter Escorts
• Appendices