Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

Kowalewski did lead the 15 Aug 43 mission and was Gesch Komm for a month, taking over from Oberst Martin Vetter and then handing over to Obstlt Rupprecht Heyn. It would appear then that his connections with bombers ended in August/September 1943

Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

Good afternoon Andrew,

his Leistungsbuch ? Cool.
Can you have a look how many of Bätcher's missions were flown as an observer and how many in the Arado ?

Kind regards,

Michael

Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

Hi Andrew. Nice to see another Aussie in the discussion.
I take it from your answer that his Leistungsbuch does not tell us about >4 hr missions, or is it too difficult to extract?
Or can we assume that the 45 difference is the number of >4 hr missions?
Thanks for the info!
Did you find a number Michael?
Cheers
Peter

Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

Hi Chris.
Yes, in 8/44 Kowalewski went to NJG2, but then in 11/44 he went to KG76 as GeK flying the Ar234 to the end of the war.
Cheers

Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

FF - Feindflug - are the number you are looking for here. These are 'flights/sorties against the enemy'. All other flights would not be included in this category. A lot of these guys would have numerous other flights, training, Werkstattflug, Frontflug, courier flights and whatever. The last would be particularly true for commanders. I suspect this may be why some of the flight numbers you have are way off. The only way to get truly accurate counts is through a LTB or other LW documents, or better yet a Flugbuch. Bätcher & Kuntz's FB are out there in trading circles - both of which I still need to acquire myself.

Sure, a board such as this is for asking questions, but there is a big difference in asking a question and posting a lengthy list and asking others to 'fill in the blanks'. Like I said before, I was happy to spend a couple of hours to help you out and point out sources for you, but 'helping out' ends there and turns into 'gimme'. BTW, you may not be able to afford to buy a suggested book, but there are libraries and inter-library loan.

Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

Hello Peter,

did you know that Germans from the former Easter Germany are called "Ossies" in my country ? I'm one of them.
I think we can safely say that Bätcher flew 658 Feindflüge (combat missions). 45 of these lasted more than 4h, by couting twice giving him a total of 703 Frontflüge.
I wonder how many Feindflüge were flown in a He 111. Brütting indicates a minimum of 600 and a maximum of 655.

Have a nice evening,

Michael

Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

Easily the BEST post I have ever seen on a thread of this kind. Brilliantly told, Jim.

Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

Well, that's it, I'm done with this thread.
Nick, I don't know what you were trying to say, or how deep your relationship with JimP goes, but if you can't make a meaningful contribution to a thread, why bother posting at all? Particularly when all you seem to be able to post is negative.
Hope not to bump into you.
Peter from Adelaide.

Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

Jim,
We already know how you feel about this thread, and were not expecting any further contribution from you, so you don't need to repeat yourself.
Why are you bothering to still read it?
Peter

Re: Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list
 

Peter, as Jim P said...

Sure, a board such as this is for asking questions, but there is a big difference in asking a question and posting a lengthy list and asking others to 'fill in the blanks'. Like I said before, I was happy to spend a couple of hours to help you out and point out sources for you, but 'helping out' ends there and turns into 'gimme'. BTW, you may not be able to afford to buy a suggested book, but there are libraries and inter-library loan.

By now, you hopefully understand what I was trying to say Peter. Plain English. Most of us here in Adelaide have mastered it....