Info on Luftwaffe impressions of RN AA
 

Hi. I am looking for books and articles that give luftwaffe aircrew accounts of attacking Royal Navy ships, especially their impressions of RN AA effectiveness. I would also be interested in Luftwaffe staff reports of the same. For example, Goering is reported to have stated:

"...after the war, discovered amongst directives from Goering to his Airforce in 1940 was one warning them that, when attacking southern England, they should make detours to avoid passing close to British warships 'because of the effectiveness of their gunfire'..."


Weapon Control in the Royal Navy 1935-45, Pout, from The Application of Radar and other Electronic Systems in the Royal Navy in WW2, p95. (Kingsley-editor)

any assistance and recommendations would be much appreciated.



Duncan

Re: Info on Luftwaffe impressions of RN AA
 

DuncanM:

After about 25 years of tracking down and studying the series, I strongly recommend that you explore A.D.I.(K) prisoner of war interrogation reports for German experiences with, and reactions to, British ship Flak. The reports for 1939-first half of 1940 are relatively rich in German experiences related to ship AA, which was, as you already suspect, ferociously effective. I am confident, therefore, that you will find a fairly voluminous body of loss cases and some interesting and useful information in these "K" reports. The PRO, Kew, Richmond, England, holds copies; you need not inquire of the NARA or of the AFHRA, as these U.S. archives do not hold the A.D.I.(K)s for 1939-1940. One caveat: be eternally aware that the "K" reports are based on interrogations of enemy—and thus cautious or even hostile—individuals indoctrined in Nazi principles and military security measures.

RA

Re: Info on Luftwaffe impressions of RN AA
 

It would certainly make a very different impression from what you get from RN histories, which have much to say on the lamentable inadequacies of their AA armament. Opinions which were clearly reflected in the refit and rearm programmes.

Re: Info on Luftwaffe impressions of RN AA
 

Rabe, thanks, I hadn't considered looking at PoW interrogations, but it certainly sounds promising.

Duncan

Re: Info on Luftwaffe impressions of RN AA
 

It seems from what I've read so far, based upon their tactical response to shipborne AA, that the Luftwaffe had a very healthy respect for RN AA. It also seems that much of the critical comment regarding RN AA was actually generated post-war, although no doubt every sailor wished for more and better AA. Wartime accounts and post-war memoires appear to indicate that RN also thought their AA was, or could be, effective, and they were making lots of AA kill claims. I'd really like to take another look at the RN's experience of air attack, place it into historical perspective, and retell it without the post-war bias.

Re: Info on Luftwaffe impressions of RN AA
 

I picked up the attached from Ultra for August 1940 (National Archives file HW5/4).

Re: Info on Luftwaffe impressions of RN AA
 

Thanks, that provides a citation for Pout's statement.