An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

Forgive my ignorance, but has a recent book been published that incorporates the years of work that the historians herein (the ones on this forum) have dedicated to clarifying the actual (cross-checked) claims of the Luftwaffe Experten?

Hartmann: 352, Barkhorn: 301, etc. etc. Enough is enough.

When is the REAL record going to be published? That is, when is the truth going to be published?

It's been 81-years already.

Isn't it time for the world to know who was really No. 1, 2, 3, etc.? As in: Rall, Lipfert, Bär? (Or who ever...)

Why is this secret being kept? Will those who are not members of this forum ever be told the truth?

Bronc

Re: An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

It's a HUGE subject and not all the records are available--BUT they are coming, in pieces here and there. The Horvaths talked about II/JG 52's experten in Hungary and of course, the works of Christopher Shores may cover the exploits of other aces in other fronts during other periods in history. I guess it will take time to tie it all together...I think there is a book series of "ALL" German aces (5 vics or more) that has been put together but I am not sure how far their vic claims are broken down.
A lot of stuff has been declassified, so it's only a matter of time.


NM

Re: An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

There is my Luftwaffe aces of 1940 book................

Re: An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

When wondering why no one has written a book about [insert subject here], I've found it useful to consider why I wouldn't write it. If you ask yourself that question and come up with answers like not enough time/knowledge/money/sources/contacts, the chances are that other people have thought the same thing. (Obviously none of that stopped Dan and Gabor Horvath, though!)

Speaking purely for myself, I'm not much interested in aces, scores and league tables except to establish accurately what happened in a combat or campaign. The late Stephen Bungay argued in his Battle of Britain and Alamein books that the Luftwaffe's infatuation with score-chasing lone heroes did not win campaigns (or, ultimately, the war) and we shouldn't forget that.

Re: An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

'The truth? You can't handle the truth!' Oh boy, what a potential rabbit-hole conversation could be started here.

Re: An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

Do take a deep breath. First, everything is not online. As far as books, it's a bits and pieces affair. A number of records concerning the U.S. military are still classified since the war. Today, NARA in the United States releases new batches of formerly classified records every quarter. The problem for researchers is that subject headings are overly broad, or vague.

Speaking about the Luftwaffe, time and dedication are the primary factors. Would it be nice if someone dug through those records? Spent 5, 10 or more years to get that book about some particular subject done? Thank God for those here who have taken on that task.

Re: An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

When is the REAL record going to be published? That is, when is the truth going to be published?


You have an interest in the subject and probably a task ahead of you. I wish you good luck with the work and will probably by you book when it is finished (if I live at that time)


Carsten

Re: An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

Page 1 from an article by Dan Horvath in the upcoming AXIS WINGS VOLUME 5..

https://i.ibb.co/VpjZfJ7B/Screenshot...t-18-35-16.png

Re: An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

Indeed, I have pointed out on some vlogs and blogs that, 'regardless of how good a shot Marseilles was or how many P40s he shot down 'in one day', neither he nor his comrades could prevent the Desert Airforce from bombing the Afrika Korp and it's supply lines into scrap.

Re: An Historically Accurate Luftwaffe Aces Book?
 

I'm not sure that the Luftwaffe was so concentrated on the high score of his fighter pilots, my opinion is that book writers and readers are.

The Luftwaffe flew far more ground attack missions than fighters ones. The activities by fighter bombers units (SG) has few covering, except for Chris Goss books, compared to the fighters ones. But even the fighters units were often ordered to attack ground targets rather than chasing enemy planes.

As for establishing the real score of German aces, some published works exist, but the task is just huge, no need of conspiracy to explain why it has not been done.