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Thread: WGSB: Enemy In The Dark: The Story of A Luftwaffe Night-Fighter Pilot

  1. #1

    Default WGSB: Enemy In The Dark: The Story of A Luftwaffe Night-Fighter Pilot

    Book Title:
    Enemy In The Dark: The Story of A Luftwaffe Night-Fighter Pilot
    Author:
    Peter Spoden (translated by Peter Hinchcliffe OBE)
    ISBN:
    10: 1499647107
    Category:
    Biography
    Format:
    Paperback
    Summary:
    Peter Spoden's wartime memoirs give a look inside the world of the Nachtjaeger pilots opposing the RAF Bomber Command offensive, and inside the career of a particular pilot. Illustrated with photographs and enlivened with personal anecdotes.

    Spoden does not conclude his training until late 1942; so, while he receives quite thorough and professional training (rather than the rushed crash-courses which sent so many men unprepared into air combat late in the war) he arrives after the "glory days" of easy victories and reliably superior machines. He chronicles the technological rivalry which was so important to the war at night, and the stress, humor and contradictions of daily life in a squadron, while occasionally referencing the "big picture", including the horrors of firebombing cities, and what he later comes to realize was the "criminality" (his word) of his own regime.

    An incident featured at the time in a Nazi propaganda magazine, was Spoden's bailout from his badly-damaged Me-110 in August, 1943. In abandoning the aircraft he was caught on the rudder, freeing himself with great difficulty and then passing out after managing to deploy his parachute. "Signal" magazine titled the article "The Rider on the Rudder", and it (with a few other documents) is reproduced in the book.

    Spoden writes with respect for his enemies, genuine affection for his comrades and an informed horror of war. Technical details are not wanting, but the human stories are the real reason for his book.

    A poignant reunion between Spoden and a crewman from a Lancaster he'd shot down, give perspective on the parallel nature of their service on opposite sides and of their personal losses. Spoden concludes the war as an Oberleutnant in control of an ersatz ground force made up of Luftwaffe personnel - which leads to a critical decision (at least, for himself and a few dozen others) which is the real culmination of his military career.

    Very much a recommended read, for students of the night air war, for those who are interested in what motivates fighting men, and for anyone suffering under the delusion that all Luftwaffe fliers were devils - OR that they were angels.
    Last edited by fast.git; 12-02-2018 at 13:33. Reason: Spelling

  2. #2

    Default

    Something to add to the wishlist.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  3. #3

    Thumbs up

    That sounds like a great read.
    Thanks for the review.

  4. #4

    Default

    Thanks Joe.
    <img src=http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2554&dateline=1409073309 border=0 alt= />
    "We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."

  5. #5

    Default

    Another reason to get my new bookcase started.
    Thanks for the Review Joe.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  6. #6

    Default

    I've been on a reading kick about this aspect of the war since Max Hastings' "Bomber Command" came to my attention.

    I haven't tried any of the "night fighting" rules here yet - I'm still figuring out the basic game, and I have a hunch that the individuality of WoG tends to be more suitable for daylight dogfighting, anyhow! Maybe if we played the games blindfolded and relied on girls to tell us what to do next, that would be more like night-fighting. Especially if some of the girls were deliberately giving bad instructions once in a while to represent disinformation!

    Oh - and collision cards, lots of collision cards. Another aspect of WoG I haven't messed with yet!

  7. #7

    Default

    I read the book in German, Joe.

    Very good report.


    If you want to read another interesting one, I can recommend:

    Duel Under the Stars by Wilhelm Johnen

    or

    Bomber by Len Deighton


    Here are some nightfight (Schräge Musik) rules:

    http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...chr%E4ge+Musik




    ...and a nightfight scenario:

    http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...aid-March-1944

    We played this at Prague Summer Con 2015
    Last edited by Marechallannes; 05-28-2015 at 09:00.
    Voilà le soleil d'Austerlitz!

  8. #8

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    Thank you, I look forward to seeing what you've done to create night-fighter rules! And the books will go onto my list of future things to read, though it's a long list already.


    Quote Originally Posted by Marechallannes View Post
    I read the book in German, Joe.

    Very good report.


    If you want to read another interesting one, I can recommend:

    Duel Under the Stars by Wilhelm Johnen

    or

    Bomber by Len Deighton


    Here are some nightfight (Schräge Musik) rules:

    http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...chr%E4ge+Musik




    ...and a nightfight scenario:

    http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...aid-March-1944

    We played this at Prague Summer Con 2015

  9. #9

    Default

    Good call Joe, a must for everyone's bookcase

  10. #10

    Default Returning to an ancient thread...

    If you're still out there, by any chance: I've now looked up and read both of those books, and listened to "Duel Under the Stars" - twice. Terrific recommendation!


    Quote Originally Posted by LTJG NSCC View Post
    Thank you, I look forward to seeing what you've done to create night-fighter rules! And the books will go onto my list of future things to read, though it's a long list already.



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