Books on the Luftwaffe

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Dean Wick
Dieter Musset
Thu Dec 20 01:41:22 2001


Greetings: Trying to find out if Musset had much of a career after being shot down during the Peene munde raid. According to Martin Middlebrooks book on that raid, it would appear that he had 4 vic. that night as well as possibly 2 unconfirmed. In Cajus Bekkers "Luftwaffe War Diaries" There is A combat report for that night that appears Verbatim,that also states 4 vic.,However, Aders History of the german NF force has Musset listed as having scored 5 Vic. that night ( but no other reference to him).Recognizing that claims and actual Victories allowed were two different things, could anyone clarify what his claims actually were, as well as any other info. would be most welcome. Thanks ...Dean.

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

K Dejima
Luftwaffe organization book
Sat Dec 29 22:41:25 2001


Hello,
I want to gather comprehensive knowledge about Luftwaffe
organization during WW2.
Following books are rather easily available in my
familiar webshop in Japan.
I want need futher information what is suitable.
Would anyone who has read them give suggestion?

Cajus Bekker.,1994: The Luftwaffe War Deiaries
The German Air Force in World War2.Da Capo Press

Williamson Murray.,1996:The Luftwaffe,1933-45 Strategy
for Defeat.Brassey's Commorative Series

Best Regards,

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Alex Martin
Good Book
Mon Dec 31 18:16:53 2001


Hello,
Manfred Griehl & Joachim Dressel, 1994: Luftwaffe Combat Aircraft
Development, Production, Operations 1935-1945. Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
Information includes tactical callsigns, order of battle from 1 September 1939 (Luftflotte 1, Luftflotte 2, etc., and Lehrdivision, Marineflieger Units by area of operation), 1944, Luftflotte in Norway, Latvia, Paris, and Fliegerfuhrer 1 (Minsk), Fliegerkorps (Rumania and Poland). March 1945. Units and types of aircraft flown, and until the end of the war. Many black and white photos of aircraft and equipment.
Regards,
Alex

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

K Dejima
Re: Good Book
Wed Jan 2 14:26:21 2002


Thank you very much for good information.
I will investigate it.
Best Regards,

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Daniel Bowen
luftwaffe term paper
Tue Feb 5 01:57:07 2002
12.86.217.93

Hey, this is my first time at this site but I'm doing a term paper on how the luftwaffe rose (secretly) from nothing to dominance. can anyone help me out on finding sources.
-thanks
daniel

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

ArtieBob
Pre 1933 German Military Aviation
Tue Feb 5 12:22:46 2002
65.82.100.93

The almost unbroken development of German military aviation, albeit at a very reduced level, is associated primarily with the German Army and particularly the facilities located in the USSR, especially Lipetsk. IIRC, there are several books that cover various aspects of these clandestine activities, one is "Maulwerfen" or "Moles", it is either bilingual or published in both English and German. If you want to go for primary sources, some university libraries in the USA have microfilms of the Weimar republic goverment documents, in the "black budget" portions of these records, one can find some leads to this activity. mostly financing.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Rabe Anton
German Military Air, 1919-1939
Tue Feb 5 18:31:38 2002
198.26.123.36

Artie Bob has made some good suggestions, but as you indicate you are doing a "term paper," time and other considerations will probably deny you archival sources.

One essential work you cannot overlook is Edward L. Homze,
Arming the Luftwaffe (Lincoln, Neb.: University
of Nebraska Press, 1976), 296 pp. Homze's work
is dedicated to the Luftwaffe, the Reichsluft-
ministerium, and the armaments industry in
the period 1919-1939.

RA

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Siegfried
Secret birth of the Luftwaffe
Tue Feb 5 17:54:21 2002
130.13.144.116

I have read a very interesting book written by An ex RAF pilot, Peter Townsend (I am not sure of the correct spelling) titled "duel d'aigles". It gave a lot of details of the secret creation of the luftwaffe and the training of its future personnel.

Siegfried

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Kenneth Miner
The Rise of the Luftwaffe
Tue Feb 5 20:16:30 2002
207.64.79.87

A source I think you may find helpful is a book by the title of "Luftwaffe: Creating the Operational Air War, 1918-1940" by James S. Corum. It's a well written scholarly work on the between-the-wars evolution of the Luftwaffe.

Kenneth Miner

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Charles Metz
A few more books on the subject
Wed Feb 6 06:33:39 2002
128.135.56.76

Daniel,

In addition to the books mentioned already by others, I would recommend:

Mombeek, Smith and Creek: 'Jagdwaffe: Birth of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force' (Luftwaffe Colours series, No. 1.1; Classic Publications [UK], 1999; 96 pages)

Royal Air Force: 'The Rise and Fall of the German Air Force: 1933-1945' (St. Martin's Press [UK], 1983; 425 pages)

and:

Schliephake: 'The Birth of the Luftwaffe' (Regnery [USA], 1972; [pages not numbered]).

The early parts of:

Vajda and Dancey: 'German Aircraft Industry and Production' (SAE International / Airlife [USA / UK], 1998; 330 pages)

also may be helpful.

Charles Metz

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Dipl.-Ing. Volker Leiste
German history
Wed Feb 6 18:20:23 2002
194.138.37.43

The German aviation history is / will be published by the publishing house of BernardGraefe in cooperation with "Deutsches Museum", Munich. At present some 30 volumes are availiable....

Most of the authors of these books have been personally involved in the subject.......

One of the books describes the early fighter development - and this books includes a lot of the story "behind" the technical features.

The book-series is called "Geschichte der Deutschen Luftfahrt" - (German Aviation History) - sorry available only in German language. And really ALL you want to know can be found in these books on approx. 10,000 ...12,000 pages (!)

Regards
Volker Leiste
(..a guy, who will add some more 400 pages to the book project...)

[Richard T Eger]

At least 2 of the books in the series Volker mentions have been translated into English and published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., Atglen, PA, U.S.A.:

<U>Willy Messerschmitt - Pioneer of Aviation Design</U>, by Hans J. Ebert, Johann B. Kaiser, and Klaus Peters, © 1999.

<U>The First Jet Aircraft</U>, by Wolfgang Wagner, © 1998.

Regards,
Richard

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

co de swart
combat 20.10.1943, JG26, JG3 vs. B-17's
Fri Feb 22 13:44:44 2002
213.17.71.85

Afternoon Fighter attacks on B17's returning from a raid on Düren brought a loss of ± 9 B17's. Does anybody know of surviving records, individual battle reports of the Luftwaffe pilots involved that can trace, "who was the pilot that scored on the B17 MZ-V, crashed in De Bilt Holland at 14.45 hr.??"
Thanks i.a. for any help, Co, Holland

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

richard dunn
20 Oct 43
Fri Feb 22 21:45:14 2002
68.49.0.249

Co

I believe there were only three LW claims for bombers. They were for Boeings by Hptm. Luckas 4./JG3, Lt. Burkhardt 9./JG26 and Fw. Schoenroch (umlaut not "e") 4./JG1. Luckas and Schoenrock were aided by Air Intel Regt 5./201.

1st Bombardment Div lost 2 B-17s both to enemy aircraft. 3d Bombardment Div lost 7 B-17s. One to enemy aircraft and 6 to unknown causes.

Jafue 4 (former Jafue 2) of which III/JG 26 was a part apparently intercepted the 3d BD around 1340 hours. They also encountered the 1st BD later but it does not appear that any were in action as late as 1445. Not does it appear that any of the aircraft of Jafue 5 (former Jafue 3) was in action that late.

Jafue Holland/Ruhr fighters made first contact around 1430. A victory call was heard at 1440 and a "Bravo Bravo" sometime later may also have been a victory call.

My guess based on the above information (which someone else may be able to correct or supplement) is that the choice is narrowed down to Luckas or Schoenroch.

Hope this helps.

Rick

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

co de swart
LW-claims 20.10.1943
Sat Feb 23 10:27:05 2002
213.17.71.73

Thanks Richard. Some info I know of:
Claim list Western Front for that day gives the loss of 4 B17's and 2 unknown 45/45
Pilot's: Schoenrock 4JG1(15.12),Zinkl 6JG1(14.18), 2 unkwown
II/JG2 and 4/JG2, W.Lucas(14.39 and H.Rüffler(14.45)<
The book "Battles with the Luftwaffe" of Boiten and Bowman brings the loss of 9 B17's for that day. (Four claimed by JG26, Priller 1, Burkert 1, rest not mentioned (page74))
That could be a total of eight, one ?.
Only two crash places are stated, (Priller: S.E Arras-Cambrai, and Schoenrock's: 15 km S.E. of den Bosch (Venray?)
Rüffler's score time matches with that of MZ-V 14.45 but De Bilt is not mentioned. (That's why I look for his "Abschutzprotokoll of the confirmed kill)
I asked the Don Caldwell org. for info about JG 26 claims, Also W. Molge (Trad.Geschw.JG26), no answer yet and G. Baeker of Tr.Geschw.3, who thinks it should have been Rüffler, but anyway, no definite confirmation yet.
Thanks for any comment of anybody. Co.
N.B.: Geoff Ward of the heritage 96BG, states crashtime 14.45 for the MZ-V, which matches local sources in De Bilt, so Rüffler is the most suspect.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Joss
crash sites
Sat Feb 23 12:22:09 2002
64.12.104.166

Indeed, Hptm MIETUSCH of III./JG 26 shot down a 303rd B.G. B-17 in a frontal pass. This B-17 exploded in mid-air right over the town of Valenciennes, France, with 2 KIAs on board. The other 8 crewmembers bailed out and were captured.
This was 1st Lt J.W. HENDRY Jr crew, from 360th B.S., B-17 41-24629 VK-G (MACR # 1032).
Anton KRATZEL of JG 26 was shot down a few minutes prior to this, by P-47s, and came down between Cambrai and Valenciennes. I don't have the name of the crash site ready at hand.
B-17 42-03372 of 96th B.G. came down at Harchies/Quevaucamps (B),
the 95th B.G. B-17 ditch off Great Yarmouth.
B-17 42-30719, CC-P, "Shatzi" of 390th B.G. came down in Holland, one evader. MACR # 1039.
The second B-17 lost by 303rd B.G. came down near Mons (B).
Hope this helps you a little.
Joss

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

co de swart
20.10.1943 "scores" and losses
Sat Feb 23 14:10:21 2002
213.17.71.73

Thanks Joss, regret your info too didn't bring me closer to solving the case: "Who scored on the B17 96BG MZ-V, crashed in De Bilt Holland."? Info from over the "big water" and from over here out of several sources creates a clearer view of air-activity that day, also creates again the need for historians, interested Air war II enthusiasts and hobbyists for completion of and centralisation (+back-up) of archives, which are far too seperated now.
Does anybody know of claim lists/loss lists, LW or/and Allied, which give a better overall-view than those of -all kind sources- scattered-ones of today??
Seems there is still a lot of good work to do in this field for those who have the interest, possiblities, time, contacts, "entrees". Thanks for comment and willing to help, Co, Zeist Holland

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

RD
Book review : The German Air War in Russia
Sat Mar 30 17:05:19 2002
203.216.66.140

by Richard Müller, 300 pages, 1992

I can't find any review of this book anywhere. Now out of print, I felt like buying it second hand than I saw that it wasn't even mention in the four A4 size pages of bibliography of BC/RS vol.2.

As my library counts already more books than I will be able to read during the next ten years I want to be very selective in what I buy from now on.

300 pages on such a wide subject tells me that the author doesn't go much into combat details but a solid anlysis would be interesting to read. No much has been written since Plocher, German Air Force versus Russia (1968)

Thanks in advance.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Larry deZeng
Re: Book review : The German Air War in Russia
Sat Mar 30 19:47:36 2002
205.188.199.164

The Richard Müller book deals with strategic and tactical theory, not with operations. If you are looking for details on specific air operations and battles, units and related information, then this book is not for you. The only exception might be a chapter on IV.Fliegerkorps strategic bombing in spring 1944. Müller is a professor of air science at the Air University, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama. He teaches this and similar theoretical subjects to field grade USAF officers.
(Larry)

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

RD
Thank you !
Sat Mar 30 20:44:01 2002
203.216.66.238

I am not looking specifically for air operations and battles but neither for anything too theoretical. Just for a good analysis of the air war on the Eastern Front. But you gave enough elements to clear my question.

One can not open a book about WW2 aviation without seeing your name in the acknowledgements section. It seems that you have already spent a quarter of a century into researching and that a lot of authors owe you something or another. Thank you for that as well as your contribution to this board Mr deZeng.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Larry deZeng
Thank you for the kind words, RD! (n/t)
Sat Mar 30 23:29:01 2002
64.12.101.176

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Ruy Horta
Re: Thank you !
Sun Mar 31 09:01:58 2002
194.109.243.112

RD,

Clear indication that I must hurry the work on TOCH2002.
One major part of the revamped site will be a more thorough book section (of course in part to generate funds through affiliation programs). I'd say that Muller's book is a perfect addition to anyone who is seriously interested in the Luftwaffe.

To name a list of similar more theoretical works:

The German Air War in Russia, Muller

The Luftwaffe's Way of War, Corum & Muller

The Luftwaffe - Creating the Operational Air War, Corum

Arming the Luftwaffe, Homze

and of course

Strategy for Defeat, Murray

There are some exellent German language books on the topic as well. Part of "Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg" deals with the Luftwaffe on a more theoretical level and is worth a look at.

Got an original copy of Vom Luftkriege, by Von Rohden, however I haven't read it yet - published before the war and thus less tainted with hind sight.

Personally as time passes I find myself departing more and more from a technical and tactical area of interest to a theoretical and strategic one. Of course it does help to start from the former as you can fit the ideas to material and battlefield performance. Nothing worse then a theoretical or broad historical work filled with errors in the detail...

Ruy Horta

[Richard T Eger]

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

LwFlieger
Medical Ranks
Sun May 5 04:16:35 2002
152.163.204.202

You will find the Luftwaffe medical ranks in a book:

"Air Organizations of the Third Reich: the Luftwaffe" by Roger James Bender; published by Bender,Mountain View, Calif., 1972.

Unfortunately my copy is in a box about a thousand miles away or I could just tell you directly. Sorry!

(A 1993 edition of this book is currently available at Barnes & Noble.com. It has a slightly different title: "The Luftwaffe : Air Organizations of the Third Reich". It is described as follows:

"Bender's book covers Luftwaffe rank insignia, Waffenfarbe, uniforms, headgear, cuff titles/armbands, special uniforms, Fallschirmjäger equipment, accessories, specialty badges, clasps, decorations, standards, flags, pennants, aircraft markings."

An early 1967 edition is described on Back Creek Books as follows:

"Information on the organization, badges and insignia, uniforms, history, etc., of the Luftwaffe, NSFK, Condor Legion, Deutscher Luftsport Verband, and Reichsluftschutzbund (RLB)."

Note the seemingly different emphasis. It is thus not clear whether the historical information has been carried through to the latest edition.

Regards,
Richard)