Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

Thanks for the clarification, Franek.

Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

This deserves to be emphasized. Some, due to partly understandable reasons, are quick to downplay or downgrade German achievements. This must always be kept in mind going forward. History must always be fair and accurate. Or it ceases to be history. It becomes 'my personal grievance against the Germans' or "my personal grievance against this or that member of the Luftwaffe."


We, especially here, cannot afford to ignore that.

Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

Ed
This is not about downgrading anything, but rather escaping the picture of Nazi/FRG picture of propaganda. The policy of blaming Hitler for all does not stand up with facts, so myths of overwhelming hostile forces. The problem of Jagdwaffe collapse starts in 1943, and I think it was never properly analysed.

Bronc
There is much more, from the myth of Spitfire talk with Goering to the myth of the mutiny. Galland was a very flexible person, and somehow he managed to keep in the lights after the war. In the effect, there is no voice of criticism towards him.

Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

History is based on photos, documents, eyewitness accounts and Allied reports. That is all we have at this point. Propaganda has nothing to do with that. New photos and documents continue to appear.

Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

I hope you do not mean AI generated new documents.
Quite a fair number of books on Luftwaffe history published over the years was just a pure propaganda in kind of blonde knights fighting over overwhelming odds. Nonetheless when one looks closely on some events, it looks very much different.

Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

There is no stopping AI generated books/documents. If they stop making money they will disappear. My father was in the Polish Army in 1939. No one should have any interest in your vague point of view. Actual records exist. You should focus on that.


"Ed
This is not about downgrading anything, but rather escaping the picture of Nazi/FRG picture of propaganda. The policy of blaming Hitler for all does not stand up with facts, so myths of overwhelming hostile forces. The problem of Jagdwaffe collapse starts in 1943, and I think it was never properly analysed."


You are chasing ghosts. You're not the one to say anything was a myth. I would like to add that a number of documents were marked Secret and Top Secret during the war. They did not start to become available until 1995 under President Clinton. Also, the brief period of glasnost in Russia allowed researchers access to some documents there.

Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

WWII documents are approx. 80 yrs old. I would not call them new. So, what is the importance of the fact your father was a Polish soldier?


Am I chasing ghosts? Have you ever heard of Himmerod Memorandum, not to mention read it? This was more less the official blame Hitler for all starting point. There were no wrongdoings of the German command, just Hitler. And the point is, that there were several critical errors committed by the German command, for which they should be blamed, and no one else. And this is clearly shown by documents. For example, a common myth spread by propaganda crap published since 1950s is that Luftwaffe lost because there were dozens of Allied aircraft against a single German aircraft. In reality, while checking combat after combat, nothing like that could be confirmed. It was not unusual, still well into 1944 for Allied pilots to face numerical advantage of Germans. Still, the latter only rarely were capable to get upper hand. Why? Poor training, lack of formation training and tactics, which resluted in no team combat capability. This was not a result of 1944 losses, though, but the extending period of very poor management of training system. For example, it was Galland and alikes who decided that blind flying was not necessary for day fighter pilots. The effect? In Normandy, flying in a bad weather they were unable to keep formation, to find intended target or even destination airfields. And this is just one sample. Jagdwaffe produced a number of mutliple scorers, with kill numbers exceeding anything possible, but could not realise, the war is a team work and not celebrities.

Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

My father was captured and spent the rest of the war in Germany as a forced laborer. I had another relative who was also a forced laborer. They told me about conditions at the time. All of the history has yet to be written. There are still gaps.


Perhaps you can write the corrected version of the history of the period. The rearming of West Germany and its relationship with the West is complex. And a separate matter entirely.

Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

To say that there are gaps in history is understatement. Conditions and issues of forced labour are important but irrelevant.


I have considered writing about Galland myth, but found it way too difficult and time consuming, given the documentation is decimated and dispersed, and no key witnesses available. I have just enough projects to be completed, far more interesting for myself.


History of transition of III Reich into FRG is very complex, but definitely not a separate matter. New names, old hands.

Re: Operation Bodenplatte (the real story?)
 

Another one is the line that "Allied fighters were constantly over our airfield". So how come we have photos of aircraft, often line-ups (JV 44 springs to mind) standing out in the open in broad daylight?

I don't doubt that they always had to be vigilant but "constantly" is probably better read as "frequently".