La Kampfgeschwader 100. L'Escadre au Drakkar (1938-1944).

[edwest]

http://www.aircraft-navalship.com/produit/avions/2454 Usual disclaimer, Ed

[Nick Beale]

Jean-Louis Roba's French-language history of KG 100 is now available to order. A4 format: €39, 224 pages, 550 black & white photos and 25 colour profiles.

According to the ad: "A highly comprehensive book, richly illustrated with mostly unpublished documents and enhanced by numerous annexes such as a list of losses throughout the entire war."

[FalkeEins]

my copy arrived - courtesy of my wallet (pocketbook) to quote a very irrating phrase..

very nice indeed. All in French, no English, some German docs reproduced as photo 'copies', lots of nice clear pics. Five or six pages of wreck recoveries in colour. The 'known losses' and 'personnel' lists amount to 28 of the 224 A-4 pages. Personal accounts from Deumling and Cescotti - among others, and in a different font colour which is a novel touch. One slight disappointment -and its not immediately clear from the ads, at least not to me - it's a soft cover book, although the paper is thick and glossy. Same for Rémy's superlative 'Morane' title (history of GC III/7)

[Nick Beale]

I just received my copy and first impressions are very good. Neil has described the physical format and I concur. I can't remember enough of Ulf Balke's KG 100 book (which I briefly borrowed from a friend many years ago) to know how far this text goes beyond his. There are some decidedly odd renditions of British place names, perhaps derived from difficult German handwriting rather than a map.

The photographic content is far more extensive than Balke's, with masses of He 111 and He 177 shown, many of them after various mishaps. He also reproduces some documents such as certificates for sinking ships, maps and unit Christmas cards. What he hasn't overcome is the lack of photos of missile-carrying Do 217s (and especially the long-span version). The colour profiles reflect the photographic content, with four Do 217 (none later than 1943) but large numbers of Heinkels and a lone Ar 196.

There are appendices of losses and personnel (oddly enough Roderich Cescotti, although quoted in the book, is missing from the latter).

The list of sources is relatively brief and consists mostly of published works. Personal obsession: he doesn't seem on first reading to have used Ultra directly as a source, rather quoting R.V. Jones (whose account I've found generally very reliable) re intelligence on Knickebein and X-Gerät. Incidentally, Roba says Knickebein was named after a cocktail.

The cover says that this is the first of a series on bomber units.

[edwest]

Nick,


Perhaps you, or a French speaker on the board, should contact the publisher and the author. As time passes, I am still impressed, and surprised, at the amount of previously unseen, and in some cases, unknown bits of information I'm seeing.



Best,
Ed

[Chris Goss]

Cocktail? Possibly:

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.co.uk...nickebein.html

[ClinA-78]

Jean-Louis ROBA has a in-deep knowledge of the Luftwaffe but focusing in little known unit or topics (hydroplane in Aegean Sea, Romanian Stuka's, etc.) moreover he is a writerolic... Nearly every couple of months, he releases an article in Batailles Aériennes, Avions mag's (Lela presse edition), etc.
As I say, one day will come when young researchers will interview him as he met thousands former German airmen in the '70-'00
I owe my passion from him since a teen.

ClinA-78

[PhilippeDM]

You forgot to mention his huge bookseries covering all waterplanes used by the Luftwaffe: till now a three volume epos, which is announced to be extended to four.

[ClinA-78]

That was the purpose of the "etc.", his beloved plane is indeed the Do 24.

ClinA-78

[Rudi Penker]

Roba , 224 pages , 550 photos , 25 colour profiles

http://www.sound-bm.com/