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Duel Under the Stars

The Memoir of a Luftwaffe Night Pilot in World War II

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Duel Under the Stars

By: Wilhelm Johnen, James Holland
Narrated by: Steven Crossley
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About this listen

Wilhelm Johnen flew his first operational mission in July 1941, having completed his blind-flying training. In his first couple of years he brought down two enemy planes. The tally went up rapidly once the air war was escalated in spring 1943, when Air Marshal Arthur Harris of the RAF Bomber Command began the campaign dubbed the Battle of the Ruhr.

During this phrase of the war Johnen's successes were achieved against a 710-strong force of bombers. Johnen's further successes during Harris's subsequent Berlin offensive led to his promotion as Staffelkapitan (squadron leader) of Nachtjagdgeschwader and a move to Mainz. During a sortie from there, his Bf 110 was hit by return fire and he was forced to land in Switzerland.

He and his crew were interned by the authorities. The Germans were deeply worried about leaving a sophisticatedly equipped night fighter and its important air crew in the hands of a foreign government, even if it was a neutral one. After negotiations involving Göring, the prisoners were released.

Johnen's unit moved to Hungary and by October 1944, his score was standing at 33 aerial kills. His final one came in March the following year, once Johnen had moved back to Germany.

©1956 Richard Bärenfeld Verlag, Düsseldorf and Wilhelm Johnen; copyright 2009 by Verlagshaus Würzburg GmbH & Co. KG; translation copyright 2018 by Greenhill Books; foreword copyright 2018 by James Holland (P)2018 Tantor Air Forces Armed Forces Military Military & War World War II War Transportation Aviation Luftwaffe Hungary Military World War Ii

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All stars
Most relevant  
A cracking audio book which provides a valuable insight into wartime Night Fighting. Great

Insightful

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loved this book, not really into aviation but this was a fascinating listen, glad I listened to it

really enjoyed this book

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Interesting to hear the account of the air war from the German prospective. Brave men who were in reality little different from the allied airmen, doing their perceived duty to save their motherland

Engaging accounts of brave men

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I didn’t like the fact that so many good people died including my uncle . Most people are decent, it’s some leaders and politicians that are responsible. Thank you all in our armed forces for for my freedom .

Humanity

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Well read, easy to understand on any level of listener and very informative.

A solid description of the evolving cat and mouse between the Luftwaffe and Bomber Command.

I highly recommend this title.

Excellent historical document

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This is an excellent memoir from the other side - a few minor errors due no doubt to not all of the information being accessible relatively soon after the war ended when the book was written. Otherwise this is a brilliant read.

Brilliant authentic and well read memoir!

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The narrator having a very upper British accent makes for an interesting choice, and in my view a clever choice. it's impossible to tell the author apart from his British pilot counterparts. Swap the aircraft model numbers and city names, you'd never know... and that's the point, and perhaps points to why the adversarial respect between pilots. Those looking for a guy supporting national socialism, or wanting a guy apologising for stuff he didn't do, speaking out against his country will be disappointed, this is a night fighter pilots memoirs, and that's all, and it's brilliant. I knew nothing at all about fighter planes at night, and it was always a mystery to me what exactly went on after sun down. I'm very glad I listened, and had no idea they already had a radar, and early versions of chaff. Having the cover of night, I very much got the impression despite losses, there were no where near as many friends lost as most other German ww2 memoirs, which makes for a much easier listen than most German ww2 memoirs, something I have struggled with in past. one of the best catalogue included audio books I've heard

Brilliant and Different - A Night Fighter

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Remarkable. Never seen a war story told in such a humane way. Very engaging

War story delivered in such a humane way.

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If you're interested in the history of night-fighting aircraft this is a must listen. Very well read and an exciting but also poignant story of German night fighting aircraft especially the ME 110.

Excellent story of war from the other side

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Ive not listened to many accounts from the Luftwaffe side of the war and it is a good story of the challenges they faced.

A good view from the other side

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