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Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot: Defending the Reich Against the RAF and the USAAF
Within weeks of war being declared, Wolfgang Fischer had volunteered to join the Luftwaffe and spent nearly five of the succeeding six years of hostilities in uniform. During this time he was given a succession of postings varying from a long-range recce unit; as a decoder in a met office in occupied France; to a bomber squadron; and as a flying instructor, before joining a squadron of the famous Richthofen Geschwader in Italy, from where he was shot down in his FW 190 by Mustangs en route to Normandy.
By now a Lieutenant, he survived to fly offensive rocket attacks over Gold Beach on D-Day, only to be shot down again on D + 1, and captured and sent first to a hospital in the UK, then into captivity in the USA. He was finally repatriated in April 1946. His description of all these events is entertaining and well-written, ranging from comic to tragic. It is unique in flavor, giving a valuable insight into the undeniably typical lot of those serving in the air arm of the Third Reich. Expertly translated and edited by John Weal, this is a worthy accompaniment to Norbert Hannig’s ‘Luftwaffe Fighter Ace� published by Grub Street in 2004.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 13, 2024
Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot: Defending the Reich against the RAF and USAAF is Wolfgang Fischer's account of his wartime experiences with the Luftwaffe. He, shortly after passing out of high school and little less than 2 months after the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, joined the Luftwaffe, anxious to achieve his cherished ambition of becoming a fighter pilot.
For the first 3 years of war, Fischer was shuttled into a number of non-flying positions in the Luftwaffe. After receiving a spate of training designed to instill a military bearing in him, Fischer was assigned to a reconnaissance squadron in Northeastern Germany tasked with flying photographic missions above the Baltic coast as well as keeping a covert eye on the Soviet Union nearby (though at that stage of the war, the Soviet Union and Germany were allies). He was a part of that squadron for several months and then was posted in August 1940 to a meteorological center in France. His role was "to decode the weather reports sent in by aircraft and ships out in the Atlantic, and by German-manned weather stations operating in Greenland." This work went on for several months before Fischer was given another job within the same office that was pretty humdrum, giving him very little to do. What I found interesting about this period of Fischer's service in the Luftwaffe, is his detailing of experiences he had in exploring various parts of France to which he had been assigned, his interactions with French people, and his impressions of the German occupation, which was then less than a year old following the French surrender in June 1940.
All the while, Fischer was intent on getting into flight training and after making a considerable effort to show his superiors how earnest he was in carrying out his duties, he was transferred back to Germany in the summer of 1941. He underwent a 2-month NCO instructional course in which he learned the basics of command. Afterwards, Fischer was sent back to his unit in France for a short stint and, at long last, on February 1, 1942, he was poised to begin training as a pilot at a flight school in his native Bavaria.
As an aviation aficionado, I enjoyed reading about the various stages of Fischer's flight training, which, at that stage of the war, was typical of the exacting and systematic prewar flight training regimen that was standard in the Luftwaffe. A year later (February 1, 1943), Fischer was posted to a fighter training unit (JG 107) in Nancy, France, where he would be for the next 8 months, serving as a flight instructor. Subsequently, he would be somewhat sidetracked by being assigned to a flight school in Germany, where he learned blind flying (preparatory training for a night fighter pilot) during the first 2 months of 1944.
By the time Fischer had served his apprenticeship, he was a highly skilled fighter pilot and an officer - albeit one who had yet to see active service. He was overjoyed to learn that instead of being assigned to a night-fighter unit, he was posted to one of the Luftwaffe's premiere fighter units in the West: Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen' (JG 2). It was while with JG 2 that Fischer was schooled in front line fighter tactics and experienced his first air combat over Italy during the early spring of 1944. Fischer would go on to fly both the Messerschmitt Bf 109G 'Gustav' and the Focke Wulf FW 190 on a number of missions in France. He would shoot down down 2 enemy fighters (one of them the P-51 Mustang). But his combat service would be fated to be a short one.
Whilst flying a mission over the invasion beaches at Normandy on June 7, 1944, Fischer, rather than staying close to his Gruppenkommandeur, for whom he was serving as wingman, opted to cut out of formation (as his unit was returning to base) and attack a British landing craft, sustained grievous damage to his FW 190, was forced to bail out, and upon landing, was soon captured by a group of British soldiers. A short time later, after his wounds were treated, Fischer was transferred to a POW camp in England. Subsequently, he was put under U.S. jurisdiction with several other POWs and was shipped to the U.S., where he would be in a POW camp until he was repatriated to Germany in the spring of 1946.
I liked this book because it gave me, as a reader, a glimpse into the wartime experiences of a Luftwaffe fighter pilot who - though he didn't become an ace - nevertheless achieved a great deal in realizing his dream to fly.
For the first 3 years of war, Fischer was shuttled into a number of non-flying positions in the Luftwaffe. After receiving a spate of training designed to instill a military bearing in him, Fischer was assigned to a reconnaissance squadron in Northeastern Germany tasked with flying photographic missions above the Baltic coast as well as keeping a covert eye on the Soviet Union nearby (though at that stage of the war, the Soviet Union and Germany were allies). He was a part of that squadron for several months and then was posted in August 1940 to a meteorological center in France. His role was "to decode the weather reports sent in by aircraft and ships out in the Atlantic, and by German-manned weather stations operating in Greenland." This work went on for several months before Fischer was given another job within the same office that was pretty humdrum, giving him very little to do. What I found interesting about this period of Fischer's service in the Luftwaffe, is his detailing of experiences he had in exploring various parts of France to which he had been assigned, his interactions with French people, and his impressions of the German occupation, which was then less than a year old following the French surrender in June 1940.
All the while, Fischer was intent on getting into flight training and after making a considerable effort to show his superiors how earnest he was in carrying out his duties, he was transferred back to Germany in the summer of 1941. He underwent a 2-month NCO instructional course in which he learned the basics of command. Afterwards, Fischer was sent back to his unit in France for a short stint and, at long last, on February 1, 1942, he was poised to begin training as a pilot at a flight school in his native Bavaria.
As an aviation aficionado, I enjoyed reading about the various stages of Fischer's flight training, which, at that stage of the war, was typical of the exacting and systematic prewar flight training regimen that was standard in the Luftwaffe. A year later (February 1, 1943), Fischer was posted to a fighter training unit (JG 107) in Nancy, France, where he would be for the next 8 months, serving as a flight instructor. Subsequently, he would be somewhat sidetracked by being assigned to a flight school in Germany, where he learned blind flying (preparatory training for a night fighter pilot) during the first 2 months of 1944.
By the time Fischer had served his apprenticeship, he was a highly skilled fighter pilot and an officer - albeit one who had yet to see active service. He was overjoyed to learn that instead of being assigned to a night-fighter unit, he was posted to one of the Luftwaffe's premiere fighter units in the West: Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen' (JG 2). It was while with JG 2 that Fischer was schooled in front line fighter tactics and experienced his first air combat over Italy during the early spring of 1944. Fischer would go on to fly both the Messerschmitt Bf 109G 'Gustav' and the Focke Wulf FW 190 on a number of missions in France. He would shoot down down 2 enemy fighters (one of them the P-51 Mustang). But his combat service would be fated to be a short one.
Whilst flying a mission over the invasion beaches at Normandy on June 7, 1944, Fischer, rather than staying close to his Gruppenkommandeur, for whom he was serving as wingman, opted to cut out of formation (as his unit was returning to base) and attack a British landing craft, sustained grievous damage to his FW 190, was forced to bail out, and upon landing, was soon captured by a group of British soldiers. A short time later, after his wounds were treated, Fischer was transferred to a POW camp in England. Subsequently, he was put under U.S. jurisdiction with several other POWs and was shipped to the U.S., where he would be in a POW camp until he was repatriated to Germany in the spring of 1946.
I liked this book because it gave me, as a reader, a glimpse into the wartime experiences of a Luftwaffe fighter pilot who - though he didn't become an ace - nevertheless achieved a great deal in realizing his dream to fly.
July 1, 2019
This is actually quite a good autobiography about a young pilot’s brief career as a Luftwaffe fighter pilot at the height of WW2 in Europe. I enjoyed the writing/translation style and also the personality of the author. It ends rather abruptly, however, and I’d have like to follow his life a bit further after his repatriation back to Germany after a stint as a POW. Nevertheless it’s an interesting memoir from a chap who lived a life that I can only imagine. Definitely worth the time to read if you’re into war and/or aviation history.
April 27, 2019
The drawback of this book is the lack of action. I mean, the kind of dogfight tales and so. It's not the author fault though. These are true memories and if there wasn't much of fight in his military career he ca't just create it for the leisure of the reader.
With his memories we have an interesting insight to the life in Germany before war and also to the captivity many Germans endured after the end of the war.
Overall it was a pleasant reading.
With his memories we have an interesting insight to the life in Germany before war and also to the captivity many Germans endured after the end of the war.
Overall it was a pleasant reading.
January 28, 2025
Another great read about flying for the other side
A modest and frank tale that gives some insight into the way of thinking on the Nazi side, by someone who really just wanted to be a pilot. He did not avoid his orders to fly even when things looked very negative. Perhaps there was no way out of this.
He does survive bailing out two times. The second time right during the D Day invasion.
I thought it was also interesting to read about his time in a POW camp during the war.
A modest and frank tale that gives some insight into the way of thinking on the Nazi side, by someone who really just wanted to be a pilot. He did not avoid his orders to fly even when things looked very negative. Perhaps there was no way out of this.
He does survive bailing out two times. The second time right during the D Day invasion.
I thought it was also interesting to read about his time in a POW camp during the war.
April 22, 2020
An amazing journey
Fischer recounts his entire life leading up to his service in the luftwaffe.
There are great details about his training and his life as a pilot and eventual prisoner of war in America. All in all, a very interesting book.
Fischer recounts his entire life leading up to his service in the luftwaffe.
There are great details about his training and his life as a pilot and eventual prisoner of war in America. All in all, a very interesting book.
June 16, 2024
interesting
Interesting especially the captive time in the United States and his perspectives of the war. The photos helped tell his story
Interesting especially the captive time in the United States and his perspectives of the war. The photos helped tell his story
August 14, 2015
This is not a "war book". Although the author was a Luftwaffe fighter pilot and had claimed two allied fighters, he served as an instructor during most of his military pilot career. This is more of a autobiography covering not quite eventful war years and his POW days.
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