Stormbird

Hermann Buchner's transformation from bomber to fighter pilot reveals a remarkable survival and elite endurance.

Bomber pilots who become fighter pilots are rare, but Hermann Buchner was one. The author, a Luftwaffe NCO pilot and Knight's Cross holder gives a riveting account of his training with the pre-war Austrian air force, instructing with the Luftwaffe then the terrifying ground attack operations on the Eastern Front trying to stop the Russian juggernaut. Despite being shot down twice, Buchner himself targeted Il 2s, Yak 9s and Boston bombers who fell victims to his eagle eye.

Later tasked with opposing the Allied daylight bombing raids into the heart of Germany, Buchner laboured to protect his homeland. Serving alongside many well-known aces and sometimes taking off from his home airfield while under Soviet shellfire, he paints a picture of a man surviving against incredible odds, who became one of the elite with JG7 and learnt that the important thing with the Me 262 was to land near a convenient foxhole.

Illustrated with many photographs, mostly from the author's personal collection together with colour profiles of his aircraft and opponents, Stormbird presents a remarkable insight into the life of a Luftwaffe pilot in WWII.