The Luftwaffe's air campaign on the Western Front

'I was only able to leave the Western Front so completely uncovered because I had two such outstanding Geschwader to leave behind.'

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring, 5 December 1941

'When you look at how we fought against the Americans later, the Battle of Britain was very little in comparison.'

Post-war comment by Julius Meimberg, formerly Staffelkapitän of II./JG2

'Opening fire from behind at 300 metres distance, and taking five to six seconds to overtake the bombers, these attacks were indescribable in their sheer physical and mental stress. Just imagine standing under a shower with 160 jets of water pouring out and not getting wet! That, of course, is quite impossible. Even when we attacked with four [aircraft] in line abreast in an effort to split up the defensive fire, statistically there were still 40 guns firing at each one of us'

Otto Stammberger, formerly Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 4./JG26, describing rear attacks on US four-engined bombers.