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About this title

Thumbnail image of book cover: Fischer, Development of Military Night AviationThe Development of Military Night Aviation to 1919
William Edward Fischer Jr

1998, 172 pages
ISBN: 1-58566-064-7
$11.00

order no. B-66 | download

Major Fischer examines the development of military night aviation from its origins through the First World War. Emphasis is on the evolution of night flying in those countries that fought on the Western Front, namely France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States. While night flying occurred in other theaters, the most intense air effort was clearly in the west. There, belligerents pressed aviation technology and tactics to the limits. To illustrate the rapid development of night military aviation during the First World War, the author surveys the state of night flying prior to August 1914. The author concludes that the Western Front belligerents failed to appreciate and conserve the lessons of night flying learned during the First World War.

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Reviews and reader comments:


“This book illustrates that like its effect on other aspects of aviation, World War spurred innovation in night flying. . . . Overall . . . an alarmingly short book on a very important topic. . . .  Despite . . . frustrating points, Fischer's book contributes to the scant literature on World War I aerial operations at night.” [Reviewed by Jeremy R. Kinney in  Airpower History, Spring 2000]

“. . . reveals how, through trial and error, the challenges of . . . night flying were . . . exploited for both tactical and strategic purposes. Painstakingly researched and referencec, this book is highly readable and of considerable interest. . . . Fischer's analysis is as germane today as it was to a time when strategic military night flying bordered upon science fiction fantasy.” [Reviewed by David Hanna in Air Power History, Spring 2000]

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