Photo of 88mm Flak Battery or Cannon for upcoming book

[Bob Korkuc]

I am under contract with the University of Oklahoma Press to publish a non-fiction work on the loss of my uncle's B-17 on 25 Feb 1944.

On 25 Feb, "schwere Flakabeteilung 436", Heavy Flak battery 436, Units 1, 2, 4 and 6 scored hits on the B-17 at 1440.

I would like to include a photo of a typical Flak battery in my book.

I am seeking permission from Greenhill Books, to reuse a Flak Cannon from Dr. Alfred Price's "The Luftwaffe Data Book" but to date I have gotten no response. Attached is the image I am seeking permission to use.

Thus can anyone point me to another resource where I can obtain a suitable photo from?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Regards,

Bob Korkuc

[k-pp]

Hi,

You could try buying an old WWII or pre-war postcard from e-bay. I don't think there are any copyright restrictions to publishing images like that.

Might I suggest you find an image where the men are dressed warmer - something more appropriate for February weather! Also Flak-Abteilung 436 was an ortsfest unit - i.e. immobile - and the 88mm guns were mounted in concrete.

(By the way, I wouldn't translate 'Abteilung' - but if you had to, then 'battalion' would come closest, not 'battery' (= Batterie) which is what the Abteilung was composed of).

Good luck with your book.
Best wishes,
Karl

[Bob Korkuc]

Karl,

Thanks for your recommendations.

I too would have preferred to use a picture of a cannon in the winter months but I could not find one. Hence my use of the shirtless soldiers from the photo depicted.

Also, the researcher from the Bundesarchiv that I worked with translated
Abteilung for me and called it a battery versus a batallion.

Thanks,

Bob

[Delmenhorst]

Hi Bob

'Also, the researcher from the Bundesarchiv that I worked with translated
Abteilung for me and called it a battery versus a batallion'

Then I guess that your helper in the Bundesarchiv made a mistake. An 'Abteilung' consisted of several 'Batterien' (depending on what type of Flak and year of the war).

Scan 0229, which is on its way to you, is taken during the winter of 1944.

Carsten