[Johannes]

Hi Franek

You are correct about the mikrofilms. Basically earlier claims are typed-out per Staffel or occasionally Gruppe, then abruptly in late July 1942 this become daily claims in two groups East and West for all units, however some units are late in joining the daily claims.

With the earlier type lots of units sheets are missing, in fact sometimes just a single page is missing for a Staffel, but I'll know exactly how many claims are on a sheet, and the time period as they run in almost exact datum order, but the sheet do not they might appear on the mikrofilms in an order such as 2,1,3,4,6,5 e.t.c, but are usually actually numbered themselves.

The mikrofilm daily sheets(all hand written) are only really complete between October 1943 when JG1 starts daily mikrofilm entries and the end of September 1944 when JG5 stops making daily mikrofilm entriies, and October 1944 would seem to be a huge month for them, but sadly all missing. Also for January 1944 in the West only the A.S.M entries have survived. But generally daily mikrofilm entries are good until the end of 1944, but become incomplete for some units during December 1944..


There are also the daily A/S.M mikrofilms from the beginning of the war until they just get added to the daily mikrofilms

There is also surviving for partial K-L only actual listings for individual pilots like Emil Lang and Walter Krupinski, but only up to summer 1944.
So for the missing periods we rely on flugbücher, abschusselist, KBT papers, Leistungbücher and Staffel/Gruppe Tafel.

Also there are mikrofilms that list claims by Staffel by amerk number, but these give time and date only, no type/pilot e.t.c, but most are missing the Staffel whose earlier typed-out mikrofilms are missing anyway, but in some cases like 8./JG5 they are there, so I know the dates and the times of this staffel claims, but not the claimant, but can them compare with Leistungsbücher and flugbücher to fill in. You may remember Jochen Prien's earlier publications like JG3, he previously had this form of mikrofilms and added in those he knew from other documents, but also guested some of the others.

I have details of 67,000 confirmed claims, and a few thousand unconfirmed claims, but would say that the true total of confirmed claims would be 70,000- 75,000, probably closer to the smaller number.

With flak claims, there are the unit claims that survive, but when the daily mikrofilm entries started they became added for all flak units on a separate sheet with each day. Looking at them it would appear that flak claims were shared by many units all given the same time/type.

The most complete units for claims on all forms of mikrofilms are JG2, JG52 and JG53, the worst JG1 and JG5. The mikrofilms are extremely accurate, but have gaps, and the gap period are exactly know.

Keep well

Johannes