[Russell]

One reason why Chris ,me Giovanni Frank Olynk and others are doing a re write of Fighters Over the Desert, is because a lot of data has become available since 1968. Back then no op sums intel sums, readily available combat reports, MRES data, casulaty reports and of course Ultra wasnt public knowledge. Nor was much info from the Italian side

In summary, we know pretty well who the 4 staffel schwarm was in combat with on all ocassions in August 42. The 5 SAAF combat on 16th August we are aware of. I do note claiming 4 P-40's and 8 Hurricanes in 15 minutes for the actual result of 1 P40 shot down and 3 damaged is overclaiming at a reasonable level...for Bryans information Hans Ring communicated with a extensive number of JG 27's pilots over the course of preparing the book. Indeed Gustave Rodel attended the launch in London, At the time he was still in the Air Force and flew over for the launch in a Starfighter, and after the launch flew back in it.

The other comments about Chris and Hans Ring are quite silly, and not worth commenting on. The losses of the SAAF are clearly mentioned for example in FOTD. What was not available then, was enough evidence to tie 5 SAAF in the 4 Staffel. For the 69 claims made by the experte schwarm in August my current evidence is they shot down or damged ten to 12 aircraft. Bryan could do a comparison, on the evidence available for Stahlschmidts claims, rather than just the 16th, and I am sure he will find that there are other double or over claims, but a lot of confirmed victims, based on the evidence at a far more substantive degree then by the expert schwarm. The experte schwarm are an enigma as all of the main players could and had shoot down aeroplanes. GRM summed them up "numbers" pretty well.

A small element of JG 27 did it again a year later, making highly dubious claims over Albania, Greece and the Greek Islands. There were in conbat on most occassions, but the claims made were simple so far over and above losses.

No one from Chris's team has made any comment on the subject of the recent book, as its outside of what we have studied and I cant because it has yet to get to Australia. By the way Bryan, as Chris told you he had acess to what he was allowed to see at the time. Forty years later things have changed

I am still willing to learn, I mean forty years of researching the Desert Air War on and off isnt enough.

Regards

Russell