Schnaufer: Ace of Diamonds (Military History Series)

Rating:
Summary: Most successful night-fighter of all time
Review: Many WWII aviation buffs will know the infamous aces, the likes of Galland, Bader, Boyington, Sakai off hand. But not many may know that during WWII, there exists special squadrons that earned their payroll by night. And the most successful of them all is the german night-fighter ace Schnaufer, the central figure of this book. This book is well-researched and easily slips the reader into the world of the night prowler. Numerous interviews with his squadron mates, crew mates pepper the book, as does many wartime photos, all of which helps to add to a very favourable impression of the man.

So why is he the most successful night-fighter of all time? He had 121 "kills" to his name, more than any other night-fighter. Given the progress of technology, it is unlikely that this tremendous record will ever be broken in any future war(Heaven forbids!).

However, it is indeed unfortunate that Schaufer passed away in 1950, in a tragic automobile accident. He was only 28. And that is perhaps why I gave it only 4 stars, there isn't many interviews with or quotations by the great man himself.