SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Hello,
Can anyone tell me if there is any form of written history regarding SG10? The whole Schlachtgeschwaderen seem to have been ignored to a greater extent by historians. From what I can find, this whole area seems to have been overlooked, but what I can find is most interesting.

Has anything been published except the recent Osprey book?
Regards,
Andy

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Too specialist but I would suggest you get hold of Schlachtflieger by Classic-6 of us wrote it

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Why is it 'too specialist' and all this stuff on JGs is not? I honestly don't see the point. E.g., I find Beale's book on NSGr.9,and that is really a way too specialist, much more interesting and fascinating than most of what has been written about JGs.

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Too specialist for most publishers to take a financial risk is what I meant. Furthermore, it is not a whole war unit and with losses, very few survivors are still around. My forthcoming book on I/SKG 10 is just about 30000 words for that very reason. However, look at the book I mention...........

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

If I may add my opinion, this is the perfect way to lose history, memories and all the material and knowledge one or more individuals may have gathered in their research about one single unit.

Once upon a time to be a publisher did not mean to take only directives from accountants, but to publish what it felt worth to publish and to value the material from a quality point of view.

Not taking any "financial risk" more and more means to make "generally" acceptable works on "general" topics and to lower even more the level of knowledge and interest.

My maximum respect to those who write and read such works, but by neglecting the existence of those who would like to learn "more" and "better", publishers are cutting their own market and, philosophically, their own feet.

My very own personal opinion, of course...

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Ahem.....!

It would likely interest you guys that we are in final negotiation with Ian Allan for our next two volume book:"Ground Attack Units of the Luftwaffe - A Reference Source" (tentative title) which will cover all of the Stuka, Schlacht and Panzerjäger units- it will follow a similar format to our Bomber Units book. It will come out sometime next year.

As for SG 10 we have a mini-history of this unit in our new book: c.7 A4 size pages, consisting of 81 paragraphs, 5,253 words describing what each gruppe did throughout the war.

We hope to do volumes of a number of unit types (but not fighters, Dr. Prien is in the process of totally covering all that). It will depend on sales of the Bomber and the Ground Attack books.

An even longer term project is to compile career histories for all Luftwaffe officers who had held command or staff positions, of all specializations, not just fighters and not just "aces". We are looking for historical significance, not some sensationalistic aspect. So far, we have about 23,805 guys, and eventually it should reach about 25,000. We currently are at 995 pages of info with scores more waiting to be incorporated. Most of the info comes out of assignment orders.

Anyway, we hope this will address some of these neglected areas.


Larry deZeng IV
Doug Stankey

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Bit of an understatement there!

They certainly will -- thanks for the update. Looking forward to all of the above. Keep up the good work!

Regards,
Leon Venter

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Andy,

I have some interesting details about their activity over Hungary but I'm afraid, now it is impossible to write a really comprehensive and detailed material about this unit. Too much specific materials went missing and the veterans are mostly gone too...

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Hi Veltro

I agree with you entirely. Writers are at the publisher's mercy and I am afraid Pounds Shillings and Pence seem to motivate them these days - perhaps understandably so. The only way to get round this is to personally finance such projects but then who is the position to do this?

Cheers
Brian

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

I will definitely buy such a book as the Schlachtfliegers were more important in the 43-45 on the Eastern Front then any other Luftwaffe arm. Looking forward to that!!

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Hi,

I agree entirely that the Luftwaffe ground-attack units have so far been neglected by historians.

However, Morten Jessen and I have collected a lot of material about the Schlachtflieger units, and intend to focus much of our future research and writing on these units. Expect to see some books about this topic from us appear during the next few years.

Cheers,
Andrew A.

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Actually, the list of neglected units is much longer. How about airmen, how many researched biographies have you seen?
Anyway, the future brings us a lot of tools. It is now possible to make a short run of books at a reasonable cost. The problem is with the authors willing to do the quality job. Anyone here?

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Gentlemen,
Thank you for all the replies. This has been a very beneficial thread (for me at least!) and has given me hope that soon this area of the Luftwaffe will, at last, be covered in some detail. There seems some interesting projects in the pipeline.
Regards,
Andy

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

http://supak.com/simpsons/images/monty-burns.gif

Excellent!

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

My NSG 9 book was obviously too specialist since I'm still having to do the day job!

There is one sense in which writers aren't at the mercy of publishers: get a website and you can write about anything you like. Plus you don't make any money, so it's almost exactly like beng a "real" author!

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Almost makes the difference! There is nothing more pleasureable than spending your royalties on beverages!

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

I'm afraid to say that - bar one or two = APAB (All Publishers Are Bastards). They have you by the short and curlies because they know you want your book published. The gentlemanly publisher/author relationship, of old is sadly now a thing of the past.

Whereas authors do it as a labour of love, devoting inordinate amounts of their own time, money and effort, from experience, publishing houses are staffed by staff who are just doing it as a 9 to 5 job and have no real interest in the subject matter, resulting in mistakes, slovenly work (which the reader automatically assumes is the author's fault).

Unless you are a big name author you will not make money out of having a book published. Chances are, once you assess all your expenses, you will have made a loss. So the only real reason to write nowadays is a passion or labour of love.

Bitter? Yes, probably. But speaking to fellow authors, this is a general experience of many writers and we seem to share a low opinion of publishers.

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

Sorry to have to quote almost all the message, but I cannot agree more. And it is not simply useless whining, it is a thing tried and tested on the bare skin of many of us... with some scars remaining...

The saddest thing is that those few publishers working like craftmen (or artisans, if you like) have been more and more pushed within the arms of big companies which ends dictating timings, sizes and costs, virtually deciding how a book should be to fall within "cost parameters", notwithstanding if this will need the deletion of "n" pages or photographs, maybe mutilating a work... all usually passing well above authors...

Maybe Nick is right, a nice website could solve all and you won't have your leg pulled when ironic royalties checks came to you...

Re: SG10: Is there any sort of written history of this unit?
 

What saddens me is that the ideal time for publishing histories of Luftwaffe units is drawing to a close. The gates are shutting. All those who could contribute from first hand experience have either passed away or are too old to contribute. I know we are at the end of an era and like the era of cheap fuel.......we will never get those times back.

However, we have some fine and honourable authors who will, I am sure, squeeze the orange dry.
Regards,
Andy

Ps I know what I mean and I hope that you do as well!