Publisher's Synopsis
This book examines the impact the Me 262 made upon the course of the European air war following its operational debut with Erprobungskommando 262 in the summer of 1944. This extraordinary new aircraft was a vital element to a possible revival of Nazi Germany's flagging war effort for as Hitler told his generals before the Normandy Invasion: "Every month that passes makes it more probable that we will get at least one Gruppe of jet aircraft. The most important thing is that the enemy get some bombs on top of them as they try to invade... If we can pin them on the beaches for just six to eight hours, you can see what that will mean to us..." Indeed as one senior Allied air commander warned in June, 1944: "German jets could wash away our air superiority tomorrow and give the Luftwaffe an immense advantage..."
Using the frank and concise personal reports of Messerschmitt's front-line inspectors, as well as combat reports and other eye-witness accounts, the authors reveal the later tactical successes and failures of the aircraft as it was deployed in both the fighter role with Kommando Nowotny and in the bomber role with Kommando Schenk and KG 51 over the western front in the autumn of 1944.
Also included is an in-depth look at the array of ingenious and formidable weapons systems designed for the aircraft as well as detailed descriptions of the projected rocket-powered interceptor, BMW-engined and heavily armed and armoured variants.
