The Luftwaffe Zerstörer units, equipped with the twin-engined Me 110, were first used to great effect in the escort and air superiority roles against the Polish Air Force in 1939. Later these units took part in the occupation of Norway and Denmark, and during the Blitzkrieg against the west in 1940, when their numbers were expanded with the addition of new units. Considered by Göring to be among the elite of the Luftwaffe, the Zerstörer were deployed in the Battle of Britain, in the Balkans, North Africa and in the East, where Zerstörergruppen accounted for significant numbers of Russian aircraft destroyed on the ground and in the air. This is the first of two volumes covering the history of the Zerstörer squadrons between 1939 and 1945. Each volume adopts the traditional Classic approach of a detailed narrative matched with a comprehensive selection of photos, many previously unpublished, and specially prepared color artworks.
