Description
Book SynopsisThe Fw 190D-9 -- the ''long-nosed'' Dora -- represented the cutting edge and pinnacle of wartime Germany''s piston-engine aviation development. This new history by leading German aviation specialist Robert Forsyth reveals what it was like to pilot her in combat as Germany desperately battled to remain in the war.
Arguably one of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, the ''long-nosed'' Fw 190D9 ''Dora'' bettered most of the fighters that the Allied and Soviet air forces could field when it first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1944. Indeed, with experienced German pilots at the controls it proved to be an immediate match for even the later-mark Griffon Spitfire and the P-51D/K. Well-armed, with two 13mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon, the D-9 began to equip Luftwaffe units fr
Trade Review
A natural storyteller, the author is ably assisted by fine illustrations from Gareth Hector and numerous photographs and maps. -- Nick Stroud * The Aviation Historian *
Table of Contents
Introduction Chapter 1 In Battle An all-action account of III./JG 54 engaging Typhoons or Tempests over western Germany in April 1945 Chapter 2 Setting the Scene Design, development, production, early actions, the Ardennes and Operation Bodenplatte Chapter 3 Path to Combat Charting the careers of two Luftwaffe pilots who flew the D-9 in combat – one, a Knight’s Cross-holder and ace, the other, a lesser known ‘Dora 9’ pilot Chapter 4 Weapon of war A brief technical appraisal of the Fw 190D-9, detailing its development and the weaponry it employed Chapter 5 Art of War Tactics for Fw 190D-9 units were quite ‘loose’, as was tactical doctrine by this stage of the war – the key word was ‘survival’. This chapter will look at the ‘Split S’ manoeuvre and the evolution of the Rotte and Schwarm tactical formations Chapter 6 Combat In this chapter, Fw 190D-9 pilots explain what it was like fly the ‘Dora 9’ in an aerial engagement against some of the best Allied fighters of World War II such as the Spitfire XIV, P-51D Mustang and Tempest V Aftermath Selected Sources Index
