AFHRA Karlsruhe Collection

[Richard T Eger]

From within a thread on 12 O'Clock High!:

LwFlieger
KG 1
Sat Jun 15 05:53:10 2002
205.188.198.189

No, there is no history of KG 1 PUBLISHED. The Knight's Cross Holders of KG 1 book recently published is not a unit history (but it does give a thumbnail account). Its about any RK holders who had any association with KG 1 and its predecessors. It also lists all the Kommodores going back to 1933 (!) but nothing for Kommandeure. It was somewhat dissappointing but at the same time it had much useful data on commanders. It was obviously written from data supplied from veterans BUT unfortunately it is also apparent that the author does not have sufficient familiarity with the subject. I found that the book made contradictory statements and was also in conflict with reliable sources. A history of KG 1 was written by a staff officer in KG 1 in 1944 when the unit was being dissolved but has never been published:

Spohr (Hptm.) – “Kriegschronik des Kampgeschwader 1 ‘Hindenburg’”, a 78 page manuscript c. late 1944/early 1945. Hptm. Spohr was a member of the Stab/KG 1 with access to all KTBs and Anlagen. From microfilms from: BA-MA Freiburg RL 10/529; NARA WashDC T-971 roll 50/f. 965-1056; AFHRA Maxwell AFB Karlsruhe Collection K113.408-3

All this stems out of a joint project between Larry deZeng and myself, where we are writing histories of all bomber units (for the first volume). Our KG 1 history takes up 6 and half pages of 9 point double column text. Eventually we hope to publish this. All the drafts are done but we are awaiting on a number of important references to be published.

The above is just for your information.

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

David Isby
dci@rosslyn.sparta.com
FIGHTING THE BOMBERS - new book
Wed Feb 19 23:04:07 2003
157.185.86.235

A new English-language collection of immediate postwar writings by senior Luftwaffe commanders and fighter pilots is in print. Entitled FIGHTING THE BOMBERS: THE LUFTWAFFE’S STRUGGLE AGAINST THE ALLIED BOMBER OFFENSIVE; it is being published by Greenhill in the UK and Stackpole in the US. It is currently available on both US and UK Amazon.com web sites. I edited the volume.

Those familiar with the previous volume done by Greenhill, THE LUFTWAFFE FIGHTER FORCE: THE VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT will find this similar. However, it is not simply the bits that would not fit into the first volume. Rather, these are a selection of immediate post-war interrogations and writings by a number of key figures in the Luftwaffe. I believe such post-war accounts, while by no means the last word, are valuable and should have a broader availability than being in the archives at Maxwell AFB. This volume is much more an attempt at putting together a narrative from multiple Luftwaffe viewpoints.

The book itself is 256 pp, hardbound, with a glossary. The book is illustrated with lots of b&w photos and drawings throughout (mainly pulled from RG 242 holdings at the US National Archives). Following is the table of contents, giving chapter title, author’s surname, and approximate length in kilowords.




TABLE OF CONTENTS

chapter title authors Page (kilowords)
List of Figures and Maps
INTRODUCTION David C. Isby, editor
GLOSSARY
SECTION 1 - The Defense of the Reich
Chapter 1: Reich Air Defense in World War II. A Strategic-Tactical Survey Von Rohden (compiler) 12.2
Chapter 2: The Overall Defense of the Reich 1940-44 (January) Weise 5.2
Chapter 3: Development of Nightfighting July 1940 – 15 September 1943 Kammhuber 4.0
SECTION 2- A Battle of Increasing Numbers and Technology
Chapter 4: Technical and Communications Equipment Used in the Reich’s Defense von Rohden 2.3
Chapter 5: German Nightfighting from 15 June 1943 to May 1945 “Beppo” Schmid 16.8
Chapter 6: German Dayfighting in the Defense of the Reich from September 15, 1943 to the End of the War “Beppo” Schmid 8.0
SECTION 3 – Developing Technology to Defend the Reich
Chapter 7: Fighter Control Galland 2.3
Chapter 8: Luftwaffe Radars Martini 2.4
Chapter 9: Luftwaffe Radars and Radios OKL Staff 5.2
Chapter 10: the Me-262: Development, Experience, Success and Prospects Messerschmitt 2.4
SECTION 4 – Applying the Technology: Operations and Tactics
Chapter 11: Commanding the Night Fighters Kammhuber 2.5
Chapter 12: Night Fighter Control Ruppel 2.4
Chapter 13: Night Fighter Direction Sandmann 3.0
Chapter 14: Night Fighter Operations Sandmann 1.8
Chapter 15: Night Fighter Tactics (NJG 4) Schnaufer 2.0
Chapter 16: Night Fighter Tactics (NJG 6) Scholls 2.4
Chapter 17: Night Fighter Missions Scholls .6
Chapter 18: Fighting the P-61 Ruppel 1.2
SECTION 5 - Summing Up
Chapter 19: Looking Back Von Rohden .9

Biographies editor
76.4 (exc. editorial matter)


LIST OF FIGURES AND MAPS

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Ruy Horta
Re: FIGHTING THE BOMBERS - new book
Thu Feb 20 11:21:18 2003
213.160.199.19

Just received the title yesterday and preliminary scanning gave an optimistic feeling, looking forward to start reading it more seriously.

Thanks David for posting this notice on the board.

Ruy Horta

[Richard T Eger]

David Isby
thanks
Thu Feb 20 22:33:05 2003
157.185.86.235

I hope you like the book.

Despite the limitations of the immediate post-war accounts I think (1) that they are less biased that the Karlsruhe studies (and I assume that the members of this group all have bought microfilm copies of those studies from the USAFHRA at Maxwell AFB) and (2) they deserve an audience, especially for authors like Heinz Bar and Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer who never got to tell their own stories.

If this one sells, Greenhill may do one on the Luftwaffe and the war at sea. Now, to find some English-langauge FW-200 Kondor operations narratives. ...

David Isby

[Todd Martin]

Report on Research at AFHRA, Pre-War German Aviation Industry, Jan, 8, 2007 to Feb. 9, 2007

1) Almost the entire Air Force Historical Studies series on the German Air Force, nos. 151-195, is now on-line at:http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/numbered_studies/studies4.asp

2) The AFHRA is located on Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama, and is part of the Air University. Maxwell is one of the most prestigious and historic establishments of the Air Force and the Air University, site of a wide variety of Air Force training and studies, is similar to a busy college campus set amidst oak trees and green lawns. Nearby is the Air Park featuring well-preserved examples of historic aircraft, such as the B-25, B-52, F-100, F-101 and F-104. AFHRA is open to the public, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. A gate pass to the base is required and may be obtained by contacting AFHRA at:
http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/contactusemail.asp
telephone: (334) 953-2395

3) The AFRHA is equipped with a mid-sized reading room with large tables and chairs, photo-copiers, microfilm reader-copiers and an extensive card catalog, arranged by both subject and call number. There is an on-line catalog that can be searched by call number or subject and which will often provide microfilm roll numbers for specific call numbers. Much of the captured German material is available both in paper collections and on microfilm and much of this microfilm is stored in metal cabinets in the reading room and is directly accessible by the researcher. For paper documents and other microfilm a request slip containing call numbers and a brief description is required and is turned into the front desk of the reading room. The reading room staff, Brandon and Sylvester, are helpful and diligent.

3) There is a brief finding aid for the German documents available at the reading room front desk but I required the help of the staff to find the material on the pre-war German industry that I was looking for. The Karlsruhe Collection numbers cited by Suchenwirth and others, i.e. D/I/2, Milch Interview, 9-29-54, are no longer used and are not cross-referenced to the current call numbers. Therefore a current call number is required to find the material.

4) For my topic of Charles Lindbergh's estimate of pre-war German airpower, the principle source at AFHRA is the Industry section of the Karlsruhe Collection. The call numbers for this material are K113.8074 through K113.8720. The "K" prefix refers to material received at AFHRA prior to the Korean War, not to Karlsruhe. The Karlsruhe Collection consists of typescripts and photocopies collected in old-fashioned binders with 2-4 binders in a box. The Industry section material consists of approximately 11 feet of shelf space comprising about two dozen boxes on three carts wheeled out into the reading room and left there until research was completed. Other material researched included the American intelligence and interrogation reports, the microfilm of the Hap Arnold Library of Congress Papers, the British ADIK and BIOS intelligence reports, the British translations of captured German documents, i.e., AFHRA K512.621(s),Translation VII/107, German Strength and Serviceability Tables , 1938-1945, the Columbia University Heritage of Flight interviews, attache reports and other documents. The specific call numbers in the Industry section researched were:

K113.8074 - K113.82 Lw Rustung, Allgemeine, Rohstoffe, Dringlichkeit
K113.82 - K113.821-1 Rohstoffe, Programm, Producktion, Beschaffung,
Reparateur
K113.821-2 - K113.821-2 Industrie
K113.821-3 - K113.8212 Industrie Personnel, Bauaufsicht, Firmen
K113.822 - K113.822 Beschaffungsmeldungen, 1936-37
K113.822 - K113.822 Beschaffungsmeldungen, 1938-39
K113.823 - K113.823 Produktion, Gross Zeitabschnitt
K113.823 - K113.823 Produktion, 1937, etc.
K113.8231 - K113.8231 Engine Produktion
K113.83 - K113.831 Takt-Tech Forderung
K113.832 - K113.833 Jagd Flugzeugen
K113.834 - K113.835 Aufklarer, 4-Motor
K113.836 - K113.85-1 Flugzeugmuster, Forschung
K113.85-2 - K113.8630 Leistung Tabellen, Flugzeugen, Entwicklung
K113.8671-1 - K113.8671-2 Technik, Bordwaffen, Abwurf
K113,8671-3 - K113.8672-2 Funk, Flak
K113.8720 Betriebstoff. Gerat

Other material researched at AFHRA included:
K113.107-150 German Aircraft, Spain
K113.3019-1 German Bombers
K113.107-150 Luftwaffe in Spain
K239.061-6 Simpson Notes on documents
K113.106-170 German Procurement, 1926-45
K146.34-36 Hanna Reitsch Interview
K146.34-68 Messerschmitt Interview
K512.621(S) Translation VII/107, German Strength and Serviceability
Tables, 1938-1945
K113.3013 Luftwaffe Strength, 1936-45
K239.71646-28(R) German Airpower, 1933-39, Truman Smith
K113.200 History of the German Air Force
K239.1461-11 Stuka Concept
K239.0512-729 Partridge Interview
K239.0512-729 Doolittle Interview
K146.34-10 Bixby Interview

512.621 German Translation, VII/92, German Aircraft;
Translation, VII/78, Goering Address; Numerical
Listing of German Translations
145.93-301 AC/AS Intelligence Report, Fi 156, 13 Oct. 1938
145.91-135RR AC/AS Plans, Notes, 1937-38
248.501-57 ACTS Intelligence Reports, Germany, 1918-1934
519.601B-4(C) USSTAF Intelligence, Germany
519.6511-6(NC) Germany, China, 1938
519.6314-6 German Aircraft Industry
512.6503A(R) Frydag Interrogation
512.6501-S-1 Fedden, Devereux Visits
248.211-26C ACTS, Bell Report, 1938
248.501-50 ACTS Intelligence, Czech
170.2278-4B MID, Germany, 1935-39'
170.2278-4A MID, Germany, 1937
145.91 135RR Kindleberger, 1937-38
145.91 135SS Germany, Italy, 1935-38
168.7012-5 Newspaper Clippings, Air Force
170.2281-12 Pre-War Development
MFilm 28,054, 43,799, 23,061, 23,010 Arnold Papers
MFilm 23321 Eaker Papers
MFilm 33,834a, 33,835 Martin Scanlon Personal Diary
MFilm 41,080 Thomas White Interview

5) Also, at the Fairchild Library which is immediatley adjacent to AFHRA, on the first floor of the library in the reference section is a microfilm collection with partial holdings of the following NARA series:

T-177 Reich Air Ministry
T-321 Oberkommando Luftwaffe
T-971 von Rohden Collection

Microfilm reader-copiers are available and at least one of these is capable of doing digital copies from the microfilm rolls.
A complete finding aid for the partial T-177 microfilm rolls and a partial finding aid for the partial T-321 microfilm rolls are available.
The T-971 finding aid is now on-line at:
http://www.archives.gov/research/captured-german- records/microfilm/t971.pdf

The T-321 microfilm contains some of the Milch Documents, i.e. T-321/157/734-770, Milch Document 56.87-.89, German-British Air Ministry conversations, 1937-38

6) Also at the Fairchild Library, on the 2nd floor, is an excellent collection of historical aviation periodicals. Those researched included:
Aeroplane
L'Air
L'Aerophile
L'Aeronautique
Aviation
Aero Digest
Flight
Journal of Strategic Studies
Flug und Technik
Wehrwissenschaftliche Rundschau

The Fairchild Library is open to the public and has extened hours Monday through Thursday and limited, daytime hours on the weekends. Again, a gate pass is required to enter the base.

7) I would be happy to discuss any of the above at toddemartin@gtmc.net

Best wishes.