Luftwaffe Bomber to Nightfighter: Volume I: The Memoirs of a Knight's Cross Pilot

On June 21, 1941, Arnold Döring, a 23-year-old Luftwaffe bomber pilot, took off on his first mission against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front. He kept a diary that detailed his operations in vivid detail, providing a unique perspective on the action from the point of view of a bomber pilot. Döring's accounts are filled with suspense and excitement, describing bombing raids and narrow escapes from enemy fighter planes. He flew a total of 392 aerial attacks and was awarded the Knights Cross in April 1945.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 24 April 2024
Publisher: Greenhill Books

Suddenly, flash bombs explode to my right, and I instinctively dive low to evade being a direct target. We remain crouched close to the ground for a brief period, before life gradually returns to the area, and we spot men milling around. Richard and Pitt unleash their ammunition on them, but fortunately, they manage to take them down. We are now down to our last bit of ammunition. Some Russians have frozen in fear, while others lift their arms, and others still lie flat on the ground. Not a single one remembers to rise and fire.

On June 21, 1941, Arnold Döring, aged 23, was assigned to Luftwaffe bomber wing Kampfgeschwader 53 and embarked on his first mission against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front. From that day onward, he maintained a diary that vividly captured his operational experiences on the Eastern Front. These diaries, translated into English for the first time, offer a unique perspective on the actions of a bomber pilot. Döring's accounts not only provide technical details but are also filled with suspense and excitement, as they vividly describe bombing raids and narrow escapes from enemy fighter planes. This unembellished account moves swiftly from one area to another, from one operation to the next, offering an honest and meticulous record of his wartime experiences. With a detached professionalism, Döring presents us with thrilling, action-packed snapshots of life as a Luftwaffe nightfighter.

Döring completed a total of 392 aerial attacks and was awarded the Knights Cross in April 1945.

Weight: 800g
Dimension: 163 x 242 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781784388164