Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Just released: "Das Flurschadengeschwader- Die Chronik des Kampfgeschwaders 51 zwischen 01.01.1944 und 08.05.1945" by Jan Horn.

Apparently a unit history about KG51's Fernnachtjagd with Me 410, Einsatzkommando I./KG51 (Schenck) till the final days in Prague with Me 262. 398 pages text and 31 pages with photos. See also www.horn-me262.de

Opinions, anyone?

Regards,

Marcel

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Dear All,

I, too, would be interested in reading a review of this book. I've been told by someone who has it but is currently too ill to assess it that the photos are not new. My interest, as most know, is in the Me 262 and I am wondering how much of the book is devoted to this aircraft and, if, considering the photos, any of the information presented is actually new.

At an asking price of 88 Euros, a decision to buy or not should be done with some foreknowledge.

Regards,
Richard

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

I'd just like to be able to afford it, as Richard points out, 88 Euros + P&P....phew!

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Personally I'm very curious to see how the announced Japo book on the 262 units and Horn's book compare, judging from the descriptions the overlap must be large. In general, regarding value for money and photo quality, I think you can never go wrong with Japo.....

Regards,

Marcel.

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Gents,

Horns new book is definitely not worth its price if you're only interested in 262-photos; Most of them are known...

But: Compared to other books about this a/c with KG 51 (often in english Language), it is the best available "Unit History" with interesting personell accounts, obviously written under consideration of first hand material (unfortunatley without mentioning those in detail!), and especially without the usual typos of british and/or american authors (sorry).

IMHO: very interesting, definitley an extension of the known "Classic" and "Japo" books.

The price of this book is not really justified, same as those in Freiburg :(...

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Dear Heuser,

Thanks for that brief critique. Could you or someone else possibly elaborate a bit more on what it covers? From what you say, it sounds like a potential collection of personal interviews. Do you get the impression that actual wartime documentation was also used? How well does it handle the day to day activities?

Regards,
Richard

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Hi gents,

It is realy a day to day history of I. and II./KG 51 using the Me.410 in the west between 6/2/44 and 28/8/44. There are 5 pages with photos, mostly known.
Next chapter deals with III./KG 51 flying the Fw.190 Jabos, between 1/1/44 and march 1944 + 18/7/44 and 25/11/44. At the end there are 8 known prictures of a 190 during the Allied Invasion in 1944.
The next chapter tells the story of the Erg.Gruppe IV./KG 51 (Jan.~Dec.1944) and includes 9 pictures at least not known to me.
From page 128 the 262 comes into the picture: the first arrivals; equipment of the first gruppe, Einsatskommando Schenk, the missions of I. and II./KG 51, Gefechtsverband Kowalewski, the last battles.
Then you get a list of pilots with RK and RK/EL and Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold. You will find a incomplete list with the unit leaders (Kdre,Gr.Kdr, St.Kap.) and at last also a list with al the known losses.
Ok its not cheap, but as my interest is the unit histories of the German units during WW2, I'm verry satisfied that I bought the book.
So if someone want some more details, feel free to ask.
Kind regards,

Dirk
Erps-Kwerps
Belgium

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Dear All,

Thanks for the descriptions of this book. I decided to take the plunge. We'll see if it was worthy the hefty price when it arrives.

Regards,
Richard

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

I think, on balance, you'll probably find that it is. I'm wondering though how much material was sourced from Dan O'Connell's book and how much is 'new'. I'm not very knowledgeable on the 262..
FWIW my review and a couple of translated bits at http://falkeeins.blogspot.com

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Dear All,

I received this book today and agree with Dirk's description and assessment as to its value. For me, its coverage of the Me 262 is quite extensive and thus worth the price, even if more expensive than most books. And, most books run 220 pages or less, whereas this one runs 398 pages, so the higher price can, from this count, be excused.

The question was asked as to how it stacks up to the new JaPo book on Me 262 activity in Czechoslovakia. The simplest way to handle this is to compare the amount of text per day.

For 16 April 1945, Horn's book runs about 3/5ths of a page of larger text, whereas the JaPo book runs only a paragraph specifically on KG 51, but 1-1/5th pages on all units that day.

For 18 April 1945, Horn's book runs about 3/4 page, while the JaPo book doesn't specifically mention KG 51 but runs 2-1/4 pages.

The difference, of course, is that the JaPo book covers all Me 262 activity, whereas Horn's book, I presume, restricts itself to KG 51.

Horn's book appears to pay more specific attention to the specific Me 262's involved in each combat, frequently giving the operational codes, which can then be back tracked through Dan O'Connell's Werknummer book, which Horn references and possibly used for this purpose.

Four tables are provided at the rear of the book which list, among other things, the Werknummer and operational code of each aircraft, including, besides Me 262's, Me 410's and Fw 190's, aircraft for which O'Connell did not provide this information.

Obviously, one big difference is that the JaPo book is in English, whereas Horn's book is in German.

Regards,
Richard

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

What date does Horn give for the first operation by Kommando Schenck — does he devote much space to this unit?

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

24 August 1944 - Wettererkungsflug, Ofw. Lauer in 9K + GL (Wnr. 170 002) - first 'Feindflug' from Juvincourt -attacking troop concentrations NW of Paris- the following day. Lauer flew three sorties that day.

about 20 'detailed' pages in total ..

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Thanks for that. Nice to know that someone else takes a similar view to mine (i.e. that they weren't operational in July). Sounds like Horn was working from Lauer's Flugbuch.

Now, can I justify spending that many Euros …

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

you're welcome. That article is an excellent piece of work - deserves to be in print somewhere. Meant to mention that Horn references your site in the Quellen. He's had access to log books to flesh his chapter out a little, the combat encounter for Lauer's downing is included but essentially all other archive sources used are the same....

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

talking of Ofw. 'Ronny' Lauer - Horn has no losses for 02 October 1944, just a couple of accidents. This is the date given in most sources (Smith/Creek, Hess etc..) for the first 9th AF Me 262 victory with Lauer as victim, forced down by 365th FG P-47s in the vicinity of Njimegen. Horn has Lauer sustaining serious injuries in 9K+NL (WNr. 170 069) crashing on take off for his second sortie of the day..

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

Dear Nick,

It looks like FalkeEins beat me to it.

For July 20, 1944 the book states:

"Neun dieser Flugzeugführer der 3./KG 51 sollen als Einsatzkommando I./KG 51 (kurz Ensatkommando Schenk genannt) mit ihren Me 262 von Lechfeld nach Châteaudun, Frankreich, verlegen. Von hier aus sollen Einsätze nach England geflogen werden. Da die neun Flugzeugführer bislang jedoch nur bedingt einsatzbar sind und auch Me 262 in der erforderlichen Anzahl nicht verfügbar sind, erfolgt diese Verlegung nicht."

It then goes onto say:

"Am Montag, dem 24, Juli 1944 treffen die Bodenteile der 3./KG 51 in Châteaudun, 175 km süd-östlich Caen, ein."

In essence, they were setting up the ground operation at Châteaudun, but lacked the needed Me 262's.

Sub-chapter 3.2, from which the above is taken, is entitled "Das Einsatzkommando I./KG 51, auch Einsatzkommando Schenk genannt (Zeitraum vom 15. Juli bis 30. Oktober)". It runs from page 131 through page 157.

Nick, whether you buy it depends on how interested you are in the subject. Horn does a quite good job of it and I don't regret the large expenditure of money, although you may note that I was a bit hesitant to take the plunge in the first place.

Regards,
Richard

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

strange sentence ..the 262 to fly sorties against England... Horn goes on to make the point that only the best pilots were deployed to France after a very accelerated conversion, but that they had simply not had enough time to get used to the foibles of the type..
I'm very happy with the book ; once you get over the lack of photos and the sparse personal accounts

Re: Jan Horn's "Flurschadengeschwader" (KG51) book
 

(1) You're very kind.
(2) Pre-empting some far distant update to my site, Ultra says that on 2 October Lauer was "slightly injured" in a take-off accident and 170069 was 98% damaged Two aircraft were duly reported off strength on the 3rd, Lauer's and the other accidental loss. Nothing about a combat loss.