Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

Scheduled for 23 May.

https://www.amazon.com/Jabo-Units-We...194357&sr=1-18

Usual disclaimer,
Ed

Re: Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

From the blurb: '...At first ad hoc conversions were made 'in the field' to allow the aircraft to carry a bomb...'

Don't think so...

Re: Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

Precisely John- ErprGr 210, II.(S)/LG 2 and one Staffel per Bf 109 Gruppe were certainly not ad hoc!

Re: Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

One wonders who vets manuscripts regarding subjects like this for historical accuracy. Osprey is certainly not new to all this.

Re: Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

The cover was beautifully done, in spite of what you wrote.

Re: Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

Good or not, never judge a book by its cover! Frank Liesendahls Bf 109 F-2/B Blue 1-lots of photos of this plane in my big book on such attacks

Re: Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

I am almost certain that the first information that the under-wing bomb racks were installed in the field at the Lw. fighter bases in NE France came from P/W interrogation report(s) and, IMO, were probably never vetted.

L. deZ.

Re: Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

From ULTRA (TNA HW 5/2):

17 June 1940

CX/JQ/57

T20 4. It was reported on 17/6 that various NCO’s and men from fighter units of Luftflotte 2 were to undergo courses of instruction in the Messerschmitt factories at Augsburg and Rechlin. Courses would be from 20/6 to 26/6. Object of course is to instruct personnel in the new employment of Me 109 and Me 110 with bombing equipment. Units from which personnel are to be drawn are ZG 76, ZG 26, I./ZG 1. (A)

T9 6. It appears to be the intention of the Germans to use Me 109 and Me 110 aircraft for bombing purposes. Some at any rate, have been fitted with bomb-carrying apparatus. (B)

NOTE: T20 and T9 are the numbers of the teleprints in which this info was issued by Bletchley Park. 4 and 6 are the paragraph numbers within CX/JQ 57. (A) and (B) are categories of reliability of the interpretation with (A) being definite.

Re: Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

Nick -

IIRC, P/W interrogations from September and/or October 1940 corroborate the ULTRA intelligence you provided but go on to say that the selected factory-trained Jagdstaffel maintenance personnel were then doing at least some of the installation work in the field as previously stated.

L. deZ.

Re: Bf 109 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 149)
 

Chris, indeed books are like wine...you do not judge the cover you taste what is inside.

What I meant is that the cove is really wonderful...and yes, the images of Liesendahl's machine are well known on several books, including some old ones of Heimdal (France).

NICK: Nice INTEL material as usual.

This is a nice subject indeed and am happy for the writer. One more on the wish list for Xmas...