Graham White (8)

Night Fighter Over Germany is a supremely frustrating book. Graham White is a charming storyteller of the codgerly British variety, and he seems like he'd be a great guy to have a pint with. He also had one of the most terrifying jobs of World War 2, as a nightfighter intruder pilot. In a Beaufort or Mosquito, he flew over occupied Europe at night, stalking Nazi nightfighters that were themselves trying to bring down the heavy bombers. For security reasons, they flew with last generation show more radar sets, and by the guidance of navigator-radar operators shouting "Right, left, he's above us. You're right on top of him! Don't you see him!" It was a knife-fight by oscilloscope above enemy territory, and the Nazis had aerial radar and ground guidance to help.

Yet in this book, there's about one chapter devoted to a mission. The rest is life in the RAF during the war and immediately after, when White was young, horny, and very drunk. The escapades get exhausting. I have to give him credit for quitting his war reserve job as an apprentice draftsman in supreme style, and I enjoyed learning that he trained at my local airbase of Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ. That said, while this book is fun enough, I wish it had a little more technical heft. show less

Good story about an area of RAF WW2 combat that has been obscured by the focus on the Battle of Britain. The development of a capable night fighter force was rapid and fraught with technical and human error. Many strange devices and airplane configurations were tested and found failing. Even more curious was the rapid disposal of the successful products such as the Mosquito and the P 61 Black Widow. at wars end. Pilot training was as onerous with many accidents and strange training show more methodology. "Dumbo" Wright lived to tell the tale and he does it quite well. show less