Me 262: Northwest Europe 1944-45

THe German jet fighter, the Me 262 was years ahead of its time and became the scourge of Allied bomber formations from 1944 onwards. The problem for the Germans was that there weren't enough of them to make a crucial difference. Here then is Dogfight 6, which is slightly odd because most of the actions undertaken were attacking bombers, or ground targets. To this end there are illustrations showing the jets were used to attack formations. Some of these are actual battles in the sky (to make it relevant to the series title), with annotations for the steps that the combatants took.

The book covers the technical development of the Me 262, but where it really comes to life is in the quotes from the pilots flying it and the American bomber crews having to fend them off. It really is more about the flying, fighting and tactics than the technical side, though the conclusion does illustrate how elements of the Me 262 design were then incorporated into Cold War jet fighters. It makes for an interesting and entertaining read.

• Osprey Publishings
• ISBN: 978-4728-5051-5
• 82 pages. Softcover. £15.99

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