An illustrated account of the action-packed combat missions carried out by the Luftwaffe's powerfully armed Junkers Ju 88C day and nightfighters.

The Junkers Ju 88A was the Luftwaffe's most effective medium bomber during much of World War 2, and its high speed and surprising agility made it an ideal candidate for conversion into a Zerstörer (destroyer) fighter. Initially designed to be used as a long-range bomber escort, the solid-nosed Ju 88C fighter boasted powerful cannon that made the aircraft ideally suited to the nightfighter role. Its unrivalled endurance also meant the Ju 88C could undertake sweeps of the Bay of Biscay from the French Atlantic coast in search of Allied maritime patrol aircraft hunting U-boats.

Luftwaffe historian Chris Goss charts the action-packed service history of the Ju 88C through first-hand accounts and combat reports from the crews that flew the twin-engined Zerstörer into combat. Newly commissioned profile artworks and more than 50 photographs of aircraft and crews help detail the aircraft’s conversion from a fast bomber into a deadly heavy fighter that proved to be the scourge of Allied bomber and patrol aircraft.

After a career in the RAF and industry, Chris Goss now concentrates on writing about the air war over northwest Europe in World War 2. He lives in Buckinghamshire, England.

Gareth Hector has worked on numerous Osprey aviation titles over the past 18 years. He produced the cover art for this volume.

Based in Poland, Janusz Swiatlon has produced artwork for a variety of publications for many years. This is his ninth commission for Osprey.