Thunder Over the Reich - Hardcover

Wollenweber, Wolfgang

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1902109392 ISBN 13: 9781902109398

Publisher: Hikoki, 2014

Synopsis

First Lieutenant Wolfgang Wollenweber's WWII odyssey, from combat operations in the Me110 over Russia with the 'Arctic Sea Hunters', to pitting the extraordinary He 162 jet fighter against Allied fighters over Germany, and flying possibly the final Luftwaffe mission of WWII, may be the last great 'untold' story from a WWII Luftwaffe pilot.

Posted to the Arctic front in 1943, Wollenweber flew Me110s on escort missions and ground attack, shooting down several Soviet aircraft in the process, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class. As the fortunes of the war turned against the Third Reich, Wollenweber volunteered for defence duties and soon found himself training to fly the lethal Me163 Komet rocket fighter, before being transferred to the innovative 'wonder weapon'--the He 162 Jet Fighter.

The He 162 'Volksjäger' (People's Fighter) was meant to be capable of being flown by members of the Hitler Youth with only rudimentary flying experience, but instead turned out to be an unforgiving machine in untrained hands and while Wollenberger himself became one of the most experienced He 162 pilots, he witnessed the brutal human toll it exacted on the unwary or unlucky. And as one of the few pilots to have flown the He 162 in combat, he finally settles the vexed question of whether the He 162 ever shot down an Allied aircraft.

Wollenweber describes in his own words the shocking truth of the last desperate days of the Third Reich, and does not shy away from describing the horrors he witnessed and naming the corrupt and incompetent individuals he came across. This is a vividly told story and an important inside account not just of the revolutionary He 162, but also the changing fortunes of the Luftwaffe - from happy hunting on the Russian front to its final disintegration over a destroyed homeland.

About this title

About the Author:

First Lieutenant (Engineer) Wolfgang Wollenweber flew many different types of aircraft during WWII. Among them two very contrasting planes: the two-piston engine destroyer Messerschmitt Me 110 and the turbojet fighter Heinkel He 162.

After solid flight training he was transferred to the Far North, served with the Arctic Sea Hunters of Fighter Squadron 5, flew escort missions with the famous “Dachshund” unit over the North Atlantic, bomb attacks against Murmansk and Russian airfields and shot down several Soviet aircrafts within a very short time.

For those merits he was awarded with the Iron Cross First Class, the Flight Clasp in Silver and the Mannerheim Cross.

Review:

"This is an interesting story, well told and with humor. Extensively illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs, it is recommended reading for anyone interested in the Luftwaffe and its little Heinkel jet." (Aeroplane 2015-01-01)

"One of the best books of its type that I have read in a very long time." (Scott Van Aken Modeling Madness 2015-01-19)

"This is a very good book! The book provides a lot of information for those interested in aviation history, WWII history as well as inspiration for the modeler as well. I recommend it to all!" (Hub Plott IPMS/USA 2015-02-26)

About this edition

• Publisher: Hikoki
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1902109392
• ISBN 13: 9781902109398
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192