My logbook

Johannes Kaufmann, born in 1915, left school early to work as an apprentice in an aircraft factory. In 1934, he volunteered for the newly formed Luftwaffe, embarking on an exciting military career. He rose steadily through the ranks, ending the war as a captain commanding a squadron of Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters.

While he may have been an ordinary Luftwaffe pilot, he served during extraordinary times and performed well. His ten years of military service spanned both peace and war, and his memoirs shed light on the demands of the job during both eras.

In his book, Kaufmann recounts his life as a Luftwaffe pilot, from his involvement in the occupation of the Rhineland and the invasion of Poland to defending the Reich against American heavy bombers. He also describes his role in the Battle of Arnhem, the Ardennes offensive, and the Allied D-Day landings.

The author goes into great detail when describing the challenges of flying a fighter aircraft, the complexities of combat tactics, and the hazards of war. His vivid accounts of getting lost in dense cloud over the Alps, or following a line of half-buried telegraph poles through the snow to find a landing spot on the Stalingrad front, prove that the enemy was not the only danger he faced during his long flying career.

Kaufmann fought in the war from the very beginning of German expansion until surrendering to the British in 1945. His story provides an extraordinary insight into the experiences of a Second World War pilot.