Adolf Dickfeld
 

Hi guys

I am currently reading Adolf Dickfeld's 'Footsteps of the Hunter' (only started a few minutes ago) and whilst it is enjoyable, it does not contain any dates of events. Frustrating!

Even more of a mystery is the unit in which he served during the Battle of Britain. He was transferred from III/JG52 to a 'Test Gruppe' and mentions pilots such as Fw Bach, Oblt Steiner, Fw Arling, Fw Marquardt and Ltn Weller, all of whom FTR from sorties over England. I can't seem to find any of these names. Has dementure caught up with me? What unit are we talking about and on what dates were these pilots lost?

Having rejoined III/JG52, he mentions that he was posted to Greece for ops during Operation Mercury (May 1941), and shot down a Hurricane over Crete but was shot down by another, following which he force-landed on the island. What date did this happen?

Cheers
Brian

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Brian:

I recall a thread a LONG time ago about Dickfeld & the problem is that he didn't have his logbooks & other records so much of the book was written basically from memory; that and there was some question as to why he was 'pulled' from combat flying in late 1943--a time when the JW was in VERY dire need of experienced unit leaders...I Know that's not much help but it was how the problems of specific dates & historical context was explained to me...

NickM

PS: Dickfeld had a very eventful life AFTER WW2 as well & I think he wrote a book about that too---one that has NOT been translated into English; he alludes to MANY post war events in 'Footsteps' but I guess I'LL NEVER know!

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Footsteps of the Hunter is a translation of Die Fährte des Jägers, his biography. He also wrote three travel/adventure books, never translated to my knowledge.

Die Fährte des Jägers (1993, 394 pages)
Footsteps of the Hunter (1993, viii+206)
I have not attempted to compare the two books to see if the English version is an abridgement of the original.

Das Jahr der Cobra: … und ewig schweigt de Namib? (236 pages)
Im Pazifik verschollen: Jenseits Bora Bora (328 pages)
Im Schatten des Kilimandscharo (412 pages)

The first two were published in 1998; I cannot find a date in the third book. All four German books were published by ALF Verlag, in Dreieich.

Frank.

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

For what it is worth:
The second german edition, which I have, of "Die Fährte des Jägers" was published in 2005 in "Verlag Siegfried Bublies", Schnellbach. About 380 pages. It's a very personal account, a good read in my view, but I agree with Brian, a lot more of when's in when&where would not have hurt...!

Greetings
Hans

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Hi Brian,



till sept.42 JG 52
then II/JG2
from april 43 II/ JG11
may43 wia there after general Luftfahrtministerium/Inspekteur FHJ
and some flights with HE161 and bü181 vs russian tanks

Greets" Sis

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

NickM, Frank, Hans and Sis

Thanks for your responses BUT no one has yet been able to answer my queries:

What was the 'Test Unit' he joined during the Battle of Britain? Who were the pilots he mentioned (see above) and were they their real names? What date was he shot down during the Battle of Britain? What date was he shot down over Crete?

Hopefully one of our expertes has the answers!

Cheers
Brian

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Hi Brian,

the only "Marquardts i know "negus" Heinz Marquardt JG 51, Fw. Friedrich Marquardt III/KG53, Josef Marquardt Uffz. 8. Stuka Geschwader 2, bout weller only i know Uffz. H. Weller - Fluglehrer

Greetz "Sis

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Any possibility that this Test unit is actually an error in translation?

Could someone check the original german book?

Might be Ergänzungsstaffel/JG 52?

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Thanks Sis and Ruy

Ergänzungsstaffel/JG 52 - what do we know about this unit and its operations during the Battle of Britain?

Cheers
Brian

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

OK guys, I've been doing some digging!

My conclusion so far, is that Dickfeld was with 2/JG52 during the Battle of Britain. Was this also the Ergänzungsstaffel?

The names given are obviously not correct, but I believe the following makes sense:

Fw 'Bach' (in book) and three FTR - on 26/8/40, Fw Bacher, Uffz Hartlieb, Uffz Bokel and Obgfr Malecki of 2/JG52 all FTR

Fw 'Arling' (in book) - probably Fw Urlings 1/JG52 POW

Ltn 'Weller' (in book) - probably Ltn Geller 2/JG52 lost 30/8/40

Oblt 'Steiner' (in book) - probably Oblt Ulrich Steinhilper 3/JG52 POW 27/10/40

Fw 'Marquardt' (in book) - still no idea.

What do you think? Or know?

Also, when did I/JG52 arrive in Greece for ops over Crete?

Cheers
Brian

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Weller might be Oblt Albert Hinrich Waller, POW 6-9-1940 (that is dd-mm-yyyy). Source Barbas I./JG 52

Can't find anything on Dickfeld in either Barbas his I. and II./JG 52 histories (*), nor Prien et al in JFV 3 or 4/II covering the Westfeldzug and the Battle of Britain.

Dickfeld is bit of an enigma.

But I may be overlooking the obvious here.

(*other volumes still in the making).

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

In the german version of Dickfeld's book he refers two times to "Erprobungsgruppe", and one time even "Erpr-Gr.". He also says he arrived after two days travelling (no date as usual) at ("in der Nähe von...") St. Omer.
In Prien 4/II the only Gruppe that fits this description would have been
3./Erprobungsgruppe 210, which obviously used St. Omer in July/August 1940.
But there the similarities end - no names mentioned by Dickfeld fit here. Prien acknowledges that the losses-list is incomplete, as is the mission-list, so...

Greetings
Hans

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Gentlemen,

Adolf Dickfeld set down at his writing desk in a high age without the help of his Flugbuch or other historical data for this book. He put on the paper those stories he or others had told during the last years when sitting in the club while having a beer. Except his own crash during the Tunisian campaign no one of the described accidents can become proved by official loss reports. Most of the names of other pilots or the “test unit” during the BoB are born in his fantasy.

This book is good for a lazy hour during winter times in front of the fireplace but not useable for any serious historic research.

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Many thanks for your contributions, guys.

I hope he is not going down the same road as Gottfried Dulias!

Cheers
Brian

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Hi Brian,

Unlike Gottfried "Dubias" most of Dickfeld's claims are listed in reliable sources (RLM claims lists/Prien etc). His awards are also well documented.

DKiG 22Jan42, RK 19Mar42, EL 18(or 14)May42

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

Re: Adolf Dickfeld
 

Sorry Brian....I was wanting to say that Dickfeld's book was a great story but due to it's being written WAAAY After the war, from memory without any supporting docs, it was not a very good tool for historical research....I apologize for not being clear;

NickM