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Originally Posted by Jim Oxley
Although not a book, I would recommend to anyone interested in the Battle Of Britain that they peruse the 'Battle Of Britain's Historical Society's ' website at
http://www.battleofbritain.net/contents-index.html
The amiount of information available is enormous. |
Treat what it says with great care. I looked up my favourite Luftwaffe aircraft details, and this is what it said: "...hand picked elite aircrew, the Bf110 was to prove no match for the Hurricane or Spitfire and soon started to succumb heavy losses. Soon, Bf110 formations were to be escorted themselves by Gruppes of Bf109s and even though the elite Erprobungsgruppe 210 had many major successes, the Bf110 which started out as a fighter escort was relegated to the role of just a fighter bomber after the Battle of Britain..."
Right. Hand-picked elite aircrew? Whoever wrote this has been looking in books written decades ago! Bf 110 crews were NOT 'hand-picked', not even Erprobungsgruppe 210 (always good for being a hand-picked elite bunch - NOT). Bf 110 formations were to be escorted themselves by Gruppes (sic) of Bf 109s. FFS, they weren't!!! There is not a single shread of evidence that shows Bf 110 pure fighter formations were escorted by Bf 109 units on flights to England. The only Bf 110 unit to receive fighter escort on occasions was Erprobungsgruppe 210, as they were undertaking fighter-bomber duties, and the paramount need was to get them to their target. Again, the person writing this is perpetuating a myth that has been believed for decades. When are people going to wake up and read modern, informed books that provide correct information, instead of regurgitating information that quite frankly is crap! Relegated to the role of just a fighter-bomber after the Battle of Britain. Go tell that to all the Aufklärungsgruppen aircrew that flew and died well beyond the Battle of Britain period, to the III./ZG 26 crews who flew fighter escort missions in the African Theatre, the JG 5 crews up on the northern Russian front, and ZG 1 flying Bf 110 G-2s in Reich Defence in 1943/44. Oh yes, and all the night fighter crews flying Bf 110s as well! What this person has written is totally misleading, but comes under the umbrella of what appears to be an official society. In fact, it is staggering in its incompetence. God help us if this is what people are reading and being educated in concerning the Battle of Britain and beyond.
I haven't gone over anything else on that site; what little I have read has switched me off already.
Tony, If you only ever get one more book on the Battle of Britain, it has to be Stephen Bungay's. Quite simply the best analytical book you will read on the period.
John Vasco