[Russell]

There are a lot of losses missing from the desert, but very few from July 42 onwards when the retreat stopped. There is even a very good source of all the 57th FG casualties to the end of Tunisia, most of which arent in ther HSores/Ring books because the source wasnt released until the 1990's. For example Fighters Over the Desert is missing 5 of 450's losses all on 30 and 31 May 42, and there is one day in June 42 when the French Hurricanes get slaughtered. As far as I am aware having read everything possible in the National Archives on this, we can establish, the experte schwarm was in contact with the RAF every time they made suspicious claims. They just didnt shoot anything down. One one occassion they did damage two. They are not the only ones, just compare III/JG 27 and IV/ JG 27 a year later, I have never found anything that ties in with Bartels and his schwarm, where as III/JG 27 are prety accurate.

Regards

Russell