[La Kampfgeschwader 54. L'escadre à la tête de mort - Tome II] Nouveau La Kampfgeschwader 54. L'escadre à la tête de mort - Tome II

[edwest2]

Scheduled for 31 January.

https://www.avions-bateaux.com/produ...RE+UNITES/5675

Volume One - available now

https://www.avions-bateaux.com/produ...RE+UNITES/5643

Usual disclaimer,
Ed

[FalkeEins]

Published this week.
A small presentation here

https://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2025/...-by-peter.html

[leonventer]

Originally Posted by FalkeEins

A small presentation here

https://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2025/...-by-peter.html

Hi Neil,

Thanks very much for that "small" presentation -- excellent stuff!!

Compliments on your fine interview with Peter Taghon. You asked good questions, and Peter's thoughtful responses made for very interesting reading. I also appreciated the translated Steinbock extract while I await the arrival of my two KG 54 volumes.

Together with the new Steinbock book by Chris Goss, we'll now have a much clearer understanding of the failure of those operations.

Regards,
Leon Venter

[Chris Goss]

My book is a 30,000-word Osprey special but I have been asked to expand this in the future.


Neil: One thing, your Blog about Bellstedt was condensed from Avions (which I have not yet seen)? BTW Leslie Howard was not American but British!

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

Neil: One thing, your Blog about Bellstedt was condensed from Avions (which I have not yet seen)? BTW Leslie Howard was not American but British!

Chris, no, I haven't seen the latest issue yet either, although I did catch the short pdf extract on the Lela Presse website. As surprised as you! And thanks for pointing out that Howard was British - I was sure I meant 'Hollywood' ....

thanks too Leon. I stumbled across the photos of Hellwig in Peter's book - another surprise. I regularly walk the dog around Hawkinge cemetery (past Hellwig's grave) but have never been curious about him....

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by leonventer

Together with the new Steinbock book by Chris Goss, we'll now have a much clearer understanding of the failure of those operations.

Regards,
Leon Venter

At this point I feel obliged to plug my own work about the 14/15 May 1944 raid on Bristol which completely failed to find the city: http://www.ghostbombers.com/kf4/West/bristol1.html

[leonventer]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

At this point I feel obliged to plug my own work about the 14/15 May 1944 raid on Bristol which completely failed to find the city: http://www.ghostbombers.com/kf4/West/bristol1.html

I realize that my "much clearer understanding" remark inadvertently dissed the authors of all the existing works on Operation Steinbock, including:

• Nick Beale on his "Ghost Bombers" site
• Ron MacKay "The Last Blitz"
• After the Battle "The Blitz Then and Now, Vol. 3"
• Ken Wakefield "Pfadfinder"
• Edmund Blandford "Target England"
• Alfred Price "Blitz on Britain"

amongst others. My apologies to all concerned!

Here's hoping Chris Goss will be able to put out that expanded version of his Osprey title at some point in the near future. It's likely to be the definitive account.

Leon Venter

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by leonventer

I realize that my "much clearer understanding" remark inadvertently dissed the authors of all the existing works on Operation Steinbock, including:

.. there are indeed a number of good books on Steinbock. A personal favourite is Jean-Louis Roba's title for Lela Presse in the BA series. As this is the KG 54 book thread I should perhaps point out that M. Roba plays a key role here as M. Taghon does not write his books in French AFAIK and definitely not in English (AFAIK)

[Siko54]

Have just received my copy and wow! This is a mighty and very weighty publication indeed - nearly 400 pages, hundreds of photos, Flugbuch/wehrpass scans and various annexes. I can’t really do it justice here but this is an absolutely incredible unit history and without a doubt the final word on KG54. It’s a shame it’s in French but google translate works well and very grateful that Mr Taghon and Lela Presse have published it in any language! Congrats

[DDT]

Lucky you, I’ve (pre)-ordered vol I september last year, the book appeared in october, in november I sent an e-mail because still no book on my doorstep, filed a contact page on the Lela website in January, no answer yet…So I Am a bit reluctant to order Vol.II. Oh I miss Christian book Verlag…

Dirk