Warriors and Wizards

In August 1943 the Luftwaffe began using radio-controlled anti-ship glide bombs, and within weeks they had sunk one battleship, crippled another, wrecked two cruisers, and destroyed numerous merchant ships. Yet a year later the Germans abandoned their use, defeated in part by electronic systems to jam the radio links that guided the bombs. Drawing on a wealth of new sources, Martin Bollinger examines what happened from both a historical and technological perspective and lays out a mission-by-mission analysis of effectiveness. Based on interviews with participants, intelligence documents, and archival records in four countries, his book chronicles the yearlong battle between Allied seamen and Luftwaffe airmen (the warriors) and German and Allied scientists (the wizards) for a story of courage, technical achievement, and sacrifice.