[Huib Ottens]

Dear Mr. Bollinger,

I read your book with great interest and must congratulate you on a well researched and highly detailed book.

It was a great read, and seeing that you used "41 Sekunden bis zum Einschlag" written by Klaus Deumling as one of the sources for your book, I decided to read that book as well. I found it to be a very interesting personal account that presents detailed information from the German side.

After reading this book I have a question:
Klaus Deumling states that the Fritz X bomb that was dropped and guided by Unteroffizier Penz from his aircraft was the first one to hit Battleship Roma. In his book he presents a copy of the document that acknowledges his crew as the one that damaged battleship Roma. This document is signed by Geschwaderkommodore Major Jope.

In your book you state that the first Fritz X bomb was dropped and guided by Unteroffizier Klapproth from the aircraft of Geschwaderkommodore Major Jope.

Did your research yield conclusive information that the crew of Major Jope was responsible for the first hit?

By the way:
Klaus Deumling is the subject of an article in the last (January) issue of the German magazine Flugzeug Classic. Mr. Deumling is still active and acts as a guide in the German Aviation Museum Laatzen near Hannover.

Nurflügel Forever!

Huib Ottens