Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

The AIR series is RAF and Air Ministry files - they didn't deal with the issue of deciphered material. Is that what you meant or did I misunderstand?

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

No, you got it. Given that DEFE3 is primarily navy-related material, I was wondering if there is a series of primarily air-related material as well in the RAF and Air Ministry files? I have looked at HW1, which is very helpful but has obvious shortcomings, and HW5, which at least for the period I'm interested in (1941/42 Mediterranean) contains a lot of material, but is best described as a mess.

All the best

Andreas

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

Steve C. wrote in part:

Thank you Steve and Bruce D. for clearing this up. I guess we can't expect the archives to digitize everything - not even in good economic times when funds are more readily available. BNA has already done a great service by digitizing DEFE 3 and the community of World War II historians should be grateful for that. Still, a disappointment for those of us who are captivated by the nitty-gritty details of it all from the German side. :cry:

L.

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

I hadn't thought that DEFE3 is primarily naval, there are "main series" files (Luftwaffe/Heer with message serials BT, HP, VL. KO etc.) and others which are purely naval (with message serials like ZTPGM).

I hadn't really thought of HW5 as a mess, either although I haven't looked at the years you mention. It's much easier to use than DEFE3 and in 1944-45 the Mediterranean material is easy enough to find.

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

Some news about Bletchley Park's plans to put their archive online: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11...chives_online/

When I contacted BP back in April they told me "the project is still in its infancy."

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

Thanks for the information, Nick!

Bright futures expects us! Looking forward for hang them on my screen

Cheers
Marc

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

There's some new ULTRA-related material amongst 2014's first updates to the Ghost Bombers website:

• The HW 11 file series which contains several volumes of Air and Military Official Histories written by the Government Code & Cipher School; and
• The code groups introduced into German signals late in the war to denote numbers, dates and times.

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

Can anyone help me with a scan of ULTRA report XL6844 of 18.8.1944?

Regards,

John.

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

I didn't have that one but I just found you can view the individual messages in the DEFE3 series files on the National Archives website. The file is DEFE3/121.

After a failed attempt earlier (I think I was using the "skip forward" button instead of advance "advance one frame"), I've found it: see the attachment.

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

FYI, there's a documentary on Bletchley Park's Gordon Welchman on BBC 2 tonight at 9.00 pm" "Code-breaking's forgotten genius."

(Only "forgotten" by people who've never read a book about Ultra, but that's TV for you!)