Zerstörer- & Nightfighter Luftwaffe Units 1935-45, Pt.5

“The Zerstörer- & Nightfighter Units, Vol. 5” is the fifth volume of a six-part series on the so-called Zerstörer or “destroyer” and night fighter units of the German Luftwaffe from 1935–45. The book takes up the story with extensive photo coverage of 9./ZG 26 with photo captions comprising both the technical advances and tactical changes as the missions flown by the Me 110 evolved through the offensive to the defensive roles during the course of the war. The reader is then guided via IV./ZG 26 to Ju 88-equipped V./KG 40, which carved out a reputation for long-range anti-shipping and U-boat escort sorties over the Bay of Biscay, through to I./ZG 52 and concluding with ZG 76 and its Me 410s in the defence of the Reich. The only night fighter coverage touches on 10.(N) and 11.(N)/JG 72 to detail the very beginnings of the night fighter arm.

Why “Volume 5” and what about previous volumes? The explanation and story of this fifth volume are given by the authors in the Introduction. “Circumstances have meant that it has taken much longer to compile Volume 5 than originally planned.”