Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - Luftwaffe Claims List- Meaning of "Anerk: Nr"

Hi Bob,

Anerk: = Anerkennung [Acknowledgement] certificate and number. It had nothing to do with the aircraft werknummer. Basically, my understanding is it means the claim was officially confirmed.

According to Luftwaffe records, here is what they show for Clemen's claim:

25.02.44 Uffz. Curt Clemens: 3 8./JG 3 B-17 £ 15 km. S.E. Reutlingen: 5.000-2.000 m. 14.45 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.201

Here is some additonal info explaining the Luftwaffe claims records:

These Luftwaffe Fighter Claims are extracted from BA-MA 35-mm. micro-films, and are supplemented by Claims from other published List and MSS, to provide what is a daily log of some of the air battles of the Second World War of 1939-45. The List in the Films were, in ninety-nine per cent of cases, hand-written by members of the Personnel Department under the Chief of Training and Discipline within the realms of the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe. Some of the Films are of poor quality, being under-exposed and difficult the read. So, with these factors in mind, the Editor craves forbearance, and asks for assistance and support in the building of this task. The "working" List are not definitive, are open to constant debate, amendment and correction, and are the responsibility of the Editor for the edification of students, air-historians and friends. Some notes:1. The BA-MA films cover Claims of crews of Day-Fighters, Night-Fighters, miscellaneous units, and Flak Batteries on all Fronts from September 1939 to the end of December 1944. The Films roughly form three parts: 1. Handwritten Daily Logs [severely limited and often duplicated until about the beginning of 1943]. 2. Typed List of the 'Ubersicht über bisher anerkannte Abschuße' or, roughly, 'List of confirmed kills known hitherto'. These omit the important crash-locations, and usually cover claims to about mid-1942 only. And, 3., hand-written Daily Logs of Claims which cover, solely, the unit, the date and time, and the RLM Confirmation Number. 2. Terms. Date, Name, Unit and Type normal. Locations in various forms: a. geographical position. b. map reference. c. Luftwaffe Gradnetz [Fighter-Grid]: e.g. 05 Ost S/GU-5 is Hannover City Centre. Time in German Time: either CET or CET+1. Film Reference marks the BA-MA film identification. Anerk: = Anerkennung [Acknowledgement] certificate and number. VNE=Vernichtung nicht erwiesen=Destruction not yet proven. ASM=Anerkennung später moglich=Confirmation to be later decided. Abgelehnt=Denied. i.Zus.Arb.=im Zusammenarbeit=in collaboration with. im Zus.=im Zusammenwirken=in cooperation with. Other names. HSS=Herausabschuß=Shoot-out i.e. enemy aircraft separated from the protection of its formation. e.V.=endgültige Vernichtung=Final Destruction i.e. shooting-down of a straggler previously separated and damaged from its formation as a Herausabschüß [HSS]. w.b.=wirklich beschossen=well shot-up or damaged. o.Z.=ohne Zeuge=without witness. 3. Co-relation of OKL Films to Published List and Manuscripts to avoid duplication is indicated thus. Insertion of a colon and Arabic Numeral to the Pilot's Rank and Name indicates, firstly, the pilot's Victory Score-number and, secondly, that the data on the Film tallies with date provided by the Published List and third-Party Manuscripts. There is evidence to suggest that the new data provided by the OKL Films can alter the Score-tallies provided by the List for individual pilots.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Gary Koch