German Air-Dropped Weapons to 1945 by Wolfgang Fleischer. Specialty Press (http://www.specialtypress.com), 39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, Minnesota 55056, 2004, 250 pages, $44.95 (hardcover).
German Air-Dropped Weapons to 1945 addresses the underpublished area of aircraft armament by comprehensively covering the Luftwaffe’s development of weapons from the crude “aeronautical artillery” of World War I to the sophisticated rockets of late 1945. Author Wolfgang Fleischer identifies air-dropped chemical munitions as the most important development in the Reichswehr during the interwar years. Pretending to develop sprays for use on harmful forest parasites, the Reichswehr actually perfected the delivery of toxic gases from Junkers F13 and W33 aircraft. Work in high-explosive bombs continued with the help of the Swedish air force.
Fleischer uses both a technical and tactical approach to describe weapons development during World War II: (1) German improvements to air-dropped munitions and (2) battle events that shaped the development of new and better weapons for the Luftwaffe during the course of the blitzkrieg and conquest of the Soviet Union. Interestingly, after the fall of Poland and France, the Luftwaffe had to adapt Polish and French bomb stocks for use on German aircraft since it had exhausted its own stockpile.
The book provides a description and cross section of every bomb the Luftwaffe dropped, including demolition bombs, incendiaries, special-dropped ammunition, and canisters. Fleischer catalogues information on 100 bombs, 22 canisters, and 50 of the most important bomb fuses. He also describes the chemical composition of toxic chemicals and explosive bomb fillings used by the Luftwaffe. Although German Air-Dropped Weapons to 1945 will have special appeal to the World War II specialist and Luftwaffe historian, armament historians will quickly discover that it is a gold mine of information on a little-studied subject.
Capt Gilles Van Nederveen, USAF, Retired
Fairfax, Virginia
Disclaimer
The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.
Book Reviews | Home Page | Feedback? Email the Editor