Luftwaffe Emergency Fighters: Blohm & Voss BV P.212 , Heinkel P.1087C, Junkers EF 128, Messerschmitt P.1101, Focke-Wulf Ta 183 and Henschel Hs P.135

In late 1944, the German Air Ministry organised what it called an `Emergency Fighter Competition' intended to produce designs for quick-to-build yet technically and tactically effective jet fighter aircraft capable of tackling the anticipated arrival of the B-29 Superfortress over Europe, as well as the British Mosquito and US P-38 Lightning which were appearing in ever greater numbers. Thus was born a cutting-edge, highly sophisticated series of aircraft including the futuristic and elegant Focke-Wulf Ta 183; the extraordinary Blohm und Voss P.212, and the state-of-the-art Messerschmitt P.1101 series. Armed with heavy cannon and the latest air-to-air rockets and missiles, these were designed to inflict carnage on American bomber formations at high speed. Using stunning three-view illustrations of each prototype along with full colour artwork, aviation expert Robert Forsyth traces the history of the extraordinary aircraft of the `Emergency Fighter Competition', Hitler's last throw of the dice in the air war against the Allies.