A detailed, good book on Luftwaffe bombing policy on the Eastern Front?

[Bombphoon]

Can anyone please recommend a good, detailed book on Luftwaffe bombing/bombing policy on the Eastern Front 1941-45?

Thanks.

[Simon Trew]

I'm no expert on these things, but in order better to understand the subject that does interest me (Op Steinbock), I've read (three times altogether!) Richard Muller's 'The German Air War in Russia'. I think it absolutely will meet your requirement.

Boog's long section in Vol VII of Germany and the Second World War is also a gold-mine of information both on the evolution of Luftwaffe bombing policy generally (including internecine struggles within the Luftwaffe and in terms of the influence of external agents, most obviously Hitler himself) and the 1943-5 use of bombers on the Eastern Front.

Finally, I read Dmity Degtev and Dmitry Zubov's 'Hitler's Strategic Bombing Offensive on the Eastern Front: Blitz over the Volga 1943' and found it full of interesting information.

No doubt, together with relevant unit histories and other stuff, these sources would give you much of what you want. If I had to choose one, it would probably be Muller, if only because GSWW VII tends to be a bit expensive and not too easy to find. having said that, I think I paid quite a sum for Muller's book so maybe GSWW VII would even be cheaper, at least if you can find a copy in softback.

Hope this helps,

Simon

[Orwell1984]

Hitler's Strategic Bombing Offensive on the Eastern Front: Blitz Over the Volga 1943 is worth a look.
https://www.casematepublishers.com/9781526789891/





Looks at the campaign of 1943 but also covers wider elements as well.

[Bombphoon]

Simon and Orwell1984 - thank you, that is so helpful.

[leonventer]

I'll second Simon Trew's recommendations -- they're golden.

Just to add some other useful resources:

• "The Luftwaffe's Way of War: German Air Force Doctrine 1911-1945" by James Corum and Richard Muller
  Consists of a collection of the directives issued by the Luftwaffe High Command that show the evolution in its thinking. Of particular interest are three directives for strategic operations that were issued after the failure of the Kursk offensive. They show that, at some level, the Luftwaffe understood what the bomber arm's strategic targets and priorities in the USSR should be, even when its actual capability to carry out such operations had been greatly reduced.
• "The Rise and Fall of the German Air Force 1933-1945" by the UK Air Ministry
  A good general history that includes coverage of the Luftwaffe's doctrinal changes in response to the setbacks and challenges it faced.
• "Strategy for Defeat: The Luftwaffe 1933-1945" by Williamson Murray (also published as "Luftwaffe" and "The Luftwaffe 1933-45: Strategy for Defeat", both with fewer illustrations)
  Excellent history and analysis of the ways in which the Luftwaffe failed to meet the demands placed on it, with many quantitative tables and graphs. Useful insights on some of the costly distractions (e.g. Greece, Yugoslavia, Crete) in the leadup to Barbarossa.
• "Die deutsche Luftwaffenführung 1935-1945" by Horst Boog
  An essential resource on the leadership of the Luftwaffe. It tends to be rather pricey and hard to find, but it's fortunately also available in summarized form (in English) as a 31-page chapter in "Air Power and Warfare: Proceedings of the Eighth Military History Symposium USAF Academy 1978." Describes several fundamental leadership flaws that doomed the Luftwaffe to failure.

Hope that helps,
Leon Venter

[Bombphoon]

Originally Posted by leonventer

I'll second Simon Trew's recommendations -- they're golden.

Just to add some other useful resources:

• "The Luftwaffe's Way of War: German Air Force Doctrine 1911-1945" by James Corum and Richard Muller
  Consists of a collection of the directives issued by the Luftwaffe High Command that show the evolution in its thinking. Of particular interest are three directives for strategic operations that were issued after the failure of the Kursk offensive. They show that, at some level, the Luftwaffe understood what the bomber arm's strategic targets and priorities in the USSR should be, even when its actual capability to carry out such operations had been greatly reduced.
• "The Rise and Fall of the German Air Force 1933-1945" by the UK Air Ministry
  A good general history that includes coverage of the Luftwaffe's doctrinal changes in response to the setbacks and challenges it faced.
• "Strategy for Defeat: The Luftwaffe 1933-1945" by Williamson Murray (also published as "Luftwaffe" and "The Luftwaffe 1933-45: Strategy for Defeat", both with fewer illustrations)
  Excellent history and analysis of the ways in which the Luftwaffe failed to meet the demands placed on it, with many quantitative tables and graphs. Useful insights on some of the costly distractions (e.g. Greece, Yugoslavia, Crete) in the leadup to Barbarossa.
• "Die deutsche Luftwaffenführung 1935-1945" by Horst Boog
  An essential resource on the leadership of the Luftwaffe. It tends to be rather pricey and hard to find, but it's fortunately also available in summarized form (in English) as a 31-page chapter in "Air Power and Warfare: Proceedings of the Eighth Military History Symposium USAF Academy 1978." Describes several fundamental leadership flaws that doomed the Luftwaffe to failure.

Hope that helps,
Leon Venter

That's brilliant Leon, thanks for taking the time.