Spitfire vs 109
 

A hefty page count on this one. Scheduled for August.


http://penguinbooks.co.za/book/spitf.../9781408703052






Usual disclaimer,
Ed

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

Still available from Amazon for ten quid and change:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spitfire-Vs-...5533318&sr=1-1

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

My latest book, THE DECISIVE DUEL: SPITFIRE VS. 109, published by Little, Brown, is now available in hardcover and paperback editions at bookstores throughout the UK, as well as from on-line sources including Amazon.Com.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spitfire-Vs-...5533318&sr=1-1

A "dual biography" of the British Supermarine Spitfire and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aircraft of the Second World War, the book traces their story from their origins with their brilliant designers, R.J. Mitchell and Willy Messerschmitt, through the race to design and deploy them before they met in combat over Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain. Even after the decisive battles of 1940s, advanced versions of both fighters clashed repeatedly throughout the war, until their final battles over the Middle East in 1948-49.

I am grateful for the opportunity of having been able to use this forum to check facts for this book. I think you'll like it.

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

first impressions are very good..a 450 page hardback for less than an Osprey - what's not to like. Very nicely written, a good mix of the technology and the people, have only spent 60 minutes browsing my copy thus far but I'm impressed.....

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

FYI - Falke Eins expanded his comments above on his Luftwaffe history blog.

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

From Neil's blog:"the two stage supercharged Spit IX was - all else being equal - superior to the two speed supercharged German Gustav variant of the Bf 109..."

Since when did the 109G get a two-speed supercharger? It did have an infinitely variable drive (between limits) for its blower...

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

"While the DB 605A retained the single-stage supercharger of the DB 601, its barometrically controlled hydraulic clutch constantly adjusted the supercharger's compressor speed to different altitudes (rather than having gears for just two speeds); this made it more efficient". (p. 280)

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

So the book has it right, but Neil's blog wrong?

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

think of it as 'shorthand' ; see here

http://www.spitfirevsbf109.com/files...CISIVEDUEL.pdf

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

The linked text quotes twice the claim of two speed superchargers on the Bf 109G. And in general that linked text very much discourages me from buying this book. And not due to the aforementioned thing.

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

On THE DECISIVE DUEL: SPITFIRE Vs 109 website, I have added a Soundtrack page linking text in the book to videos on You Tube. So on p. 436, reading about the Seafire 47, clicking on the link will bring up a video of its Griffon engine starting up and that amazing six-bladed contra-rotating propeller turning.
http://spitfirevsbf109.com/soundtrack/

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

Hello David
Many thanks for the very intresting video links.

Juha

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

I've posted some 30 pdf documents on Second World War aircraft and air combat used as source material for THE DECISIVE DUEL on my web site:

http://spitfirevsbf109.com/source-material/

Hope to add more in the future as paper and jpg format documents are converted to pdf.

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

THE DECISIVE DUEL Spitfire vs 109 reviewed in the October issue of THE GOOD BOOKS GUIDE:

http://spitfirevsbf109.com/2012/10/r...itfire-vs-109/

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

I had many more photos for THE DECISIVE DUEL than I could use, so, as an experiment, I have posted three boards with about 150, mainly black and white photos from the US National Archives, on PINTEREST.

Putting them on PINTEREST makes them available in a large jpg format for downloading for use in other publications or Photoshopping.

PINTEREST also has a comments function, and any corrections of additions to the captions would be gratefully received.

If this works out, I will move move more National Archives photos on-line at PINTEREST.

http://pinterest.com/spitfirevsbf109/

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

Excellent idea David !

For example, this one

http://pinterest.com/pin/107382772336788358/

is Spitfire IFIXe PT454 used later with n°GC 2/7 (n°328 sqdn). Crashed on take off on 29 december 1944 with capitaine Jeandet. Repaired then French Air Force.

Bertrand

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

The folks at Little, Brown tell me they are going to do a mass market paperback edition in 2013, and have offered to let me make corrections if I get them in quickly (and promise not to do large-scale re-writing).

So, if anyone has read the book and has corrections (or even comments) PLEASE let me know as soon as you can. Post them here, PM me, visit my website or even THE DECISIVE DUEL Facebook page.

best,
david isby

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

Wartime footage of Douglas Bader, the RAF's tactician of 1940-41 (a 20-victory ace with two artificial legs):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...s-display.html

I was fortunate in having my manuscript read over by Dr. Diana Hume George, a distinguished American writer and scholar, who was also the editor (and biographer) of the American poet Elizabeth Sexton. But not big on aviation history. She said "Douglas Bader is a fascinating character. Has anyone else written about him?"

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

A wartime Spitfire pilot gets one more flight in his logbook -- some fine video!

http://www.3news.co.nz/92yo-back-in-...1/Default.aspx

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

http://spitfirevsbf109.com

I have made available for download an additional 50 or so source documents on Second World War aircraft and air operations added to the end of the list of documents already available on the Source Material page of THE DECISIVE DUEL website. These sources, in pdf format, include a selection of wartime USAAF intelligence material about the Luftwaffe, postwar statements by senior Luftwaffe leadership, US Strategic Bombing Survey documents, wartime US Army manuals, wartime German conference transcripts and wartime and postwar USAAF/USAF reports.

AAFIntell1944 file
Radio and Radar Tracking, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 54, 19 November 1944
GAR Sea Reconnaissance, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 32, 18 June 1944
Flak in the Pas De Calais, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary n. 23, 16 April 1944
German Photo Units, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary n. 29, 28 May 1944
A GAF Fighter Pilot Sounds Off, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary n.43, 3 September 1944
Air Attack & Morale II, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary n.43, 3 September 1944
Flak vs. Daylight Bombers, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 38, 30 July 1944
Fighter Encounter Reports, n. 12, 23 January 1944
Fighters over Wilhelmshaven, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n, 2, 14 November 1943

AAFIntell1945 file
Me262 Recovered Intact, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 75, 15 April 1945,
The JG300s, Converted Night-Fighter units, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 68, 25 February 1945
German Anti-Jamming Practice, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n.68, 25 February 1945
Captured Documents Illustrate GAF Fuel Shortage, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 69, 4 March 1945
Notes of Enemy Aircraft and Units, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n, 69, 4 March 1945
GAF Fighter Operations, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 72, 25 March 1945
New Compensating Gunsight Found on FW-190 D-9, n. 79, 20 May, 1945
German Flak reports, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 80, 27 May 1945
GAF Fighter Formations, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n.66, 11 February 1945
Company Front Tactics, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 61, 7 January 1945
Ar 234 Training Units, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n.76, 22 April 1945
GAF Officer Reviews German Air Strategy and Tactics 1939 to 1945 Headquarters AAF Intelligence Summary, n.45-8, 30 April 1945
Me 163 vs. Spitfire and Notes on Enemy Flak, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n.32, 18 June 1944
The 162, New Jet Fighter, Encountered in Combat, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary n. 76, 22 April 1945
More Notes on the Me-262, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n, 71, 18 March 1945 AND Details of the Jagdscholss, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 76, 22 April 1945
The Development of Me-262 Interception Tactics, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 71, 18 March 1945
GAF Pilots Compare Their Own and Allied Equipment, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 71, 18 March 1945
GAF Fighter Operations, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n.71, 18 March 1945
GAF Trainer Units, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n.75, 15 April 1945

USAAFETOFiles
The Impact of Allied Air interdiction on German Strategy for Normandy
The Uncertainty of Predicting Results of an Interdiction Campaign
The Control of Tactical Aircraft in the European Theater of Operations
The Tactical Air Force in the European Theater of Operations
Survey of Fighter Pilots in the Eighth Air Force

PostWarLuftwaffe Statements file
General Kessler statement
Edgar Petersen statement
Statement by Oberst Kogler, kommodore of JG 6
Fuehrer Naval Conferences Vol 1
Fuehrer Naval Conferences Vol 2
Fuehrer Naval Conferences 1939
FuehrerNavalConferences1944
Luftwaffe low level attacks
Statement by Field Marshal Erhard Milch
Statement by Field Marshal Erhard Milch
Statement by Field Marshal Erhard Milch
Statement by Field Marshal Erhard Milch
Statement by Field Marshal Erhard Milch
Memoir of General Koller, Luftwaffe CoS, April-May 1945
Interview with Willy Messerschmitt
The Goering Interrogation Part II, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 82, 25 June, 1945.
Defeat through Air Power – Willy Messerschmitt, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n.82, 25 June 1945
Goering Interrogated, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n.81, 9 June 1945

USSBS
The Effects of Strategic Bombing on German Morale volume 1
The Effects of Strategic Bombing on German Morale volume 2
The United States Strategic Bombing Surveys (European War)(pacific War)
The Effects of Strategic Bombing on Japanese Morale
Friedrich Seiler of Messerschmitt Interview
Kesselring Interview
p.43 of the defeat of the German Air Force
Werner Junck Interview
p. 44 of Defeat of the German Air Force
The Defeat of the German Air Force (missing p;. 43 and 44 in separate files)
Air Campaigns of the Pacific War

PacificandCBIfile
Reports on the Japanese Air Forces, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 80, 27 May 1945
Japo4enese Air Forces, USAFE Air Intelligence Summary, n. 79, 20 May 1945
Combat Evaluation of Zeke 52, with the F4U-1D, F6F-5, and FM-2. Technical Air intelligence Center report n. 17, November 1944.
Japanese Aircraft Combat Performance, Excerpts from Aircraft Action Reports and Battle narratives, February-May 1944
Navy Liberator vs. Japanese Planes, Battle Notes from the South Pacific, n. 26, 29 October 1943

US Manuals
AAC FM 1-40 – Intelligence Procedures in Aviation Units – 09 Sep 1940
FM 30-35 Military Intel ID of German Aircraft 1942
FM 30-30 ID of US Government Aircraft - 21 Feb 42
FM 30-39 Military Intel ID of Italian Aircraft 24 Oct 1941
FM 30-38 Military Intel ID of Japanese Aircraft – 16 Mar 1942
FM 30-38 Military Intel ID of Japanese Aircraft – 10 Mar 1941
FM 30-34 Military Intel ID of Soviet-Russian Aircraft 19

http://spitfirevsbf109.com

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

David,

Thanks for making those resources available -- many of them new to me. Very interesting stuff!

Much appreciated,
Leon Venter

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

David,

Thank you very much for making all these files available! As I am currently conducting research myself, I can appreciate the scale of effort required to collect and analyse all that information.

As David E. Brown and I have noted in the equivalent thread on LEMB, some of the links are broken, particularly those for the "Defeat of the German Air Force". I've had a look at that on microfilm, but I would appreciate the more user-friendly pdf format of your uploads!

Regards,

Paul Thompson

Re: Spitfire vs 109
 

http://spitfirevsbf109.com/

So, the guy in the White House is not the only one in Washington to have been having trouble with his website.

My apologies to those visitors to my site that were unable to download material from the SOURCE MATERIAL page. It has since been repaired.

thanks.
David Isby