English Language Sources on Ju 52 Crews and Operation Flax

[Edward]

I have been reading Chris Shores et al's account of the heavy losses of Ju 52's during Operation Flax in April 1943 (A History of the Mediterranean Air War Volume Three).

Are there any English language books or articles which include accounts of the German transport flight crews who survived these missions?

Perhaps in one of the US Air Force Historical Studies?

Edward

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Flax

[Edward]

This is about the only dedicated reference that I have located to date. Guess I will have to brush up on my German.

Stille Adler: Die Ritterkreuzträger der Transportflieger 1940-1945
"Silent Eagles: Knights Cross Holders of the German Air Transport Units"
(2019)
by Ingo Möbius and Jürgen Huß
326 pages w/ 401 (mostly unpublished) photos
large format A4 - hardcover

"Of the Luftwaffe's high decorated soldiers the Knights Cross holders of the Fighter Units are well known, also Stuka and Bomber flyers. The transport units are not so popular, but their missions were of enormous importance for the Army and Luftwaffe units. Mostly unknown is the fact that more than 40 Transport flyers were decorated with the "KC". More than 10 of them received the KC after the Stalingrad airlift, others for airlift operations in Africa or the Crimea. This book describes each of these men in detailed Biographies, a long overdue appreciation of the German transport flyers."

[auto translate from German to English]]
"During the Second World War, the German Air Force had a number of airborne units with the transport aircraft that were neither on the Soviet nor on the Western Allied side. Originally set up to bring the parachute and airborne troops to their target areas, the course of the war would not have been possible without the transport aircraft as we know it today. Without them, the successful air landings in May 1940 at the beginning of the western campaign and in May 1941 in the battle for Crete would not have taken place, without them the eastern front might have collapsed in the winter of 1941/42, without them the Demyansk boiler supplies would have been in 1942 and 1943 and Stalingrad not given. Without the transport aircraft, the two-year battle in North Africa would not have been possible. In 1943 they supplied the Kuban bridgehead for a long time and in 1943/44 the cut-off Crimean peninsula from the air, created the conditions for successful breakthrough battles in the southern section of the Eastern Front in 1944 and, until the end, flew self-sacrificing support and supply missions for their comrades in the army. Although they were in the shadow of the successful fighter pilots, dive and attack pilots and fighter pilots, the transport pilots were also rewarded with high and highest awards for their achievements. 43 of them were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest German honor for bravery during the Second World War. This book is the first to address this group of people. In addition to the résumés, the respective backgrounds to the awards are listed in detail. The most successful pilots from the ranks of the transport pilots, who mainly flew the Ju 52, had exceeded the very high mark of 600 front flights by the end of the war. A total of 49 people will be presented, including the cargo sailors awarded the Knight's Cross and an oak leaf award ceremony with a large air supply company. From a legal point of view, the use of the transport aircraft during the war is dealt with according to the award date. This book closes one of the few remaining gaps in the history of the bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross."

[Larry deZeng]

A number of transport aircrew survivors were fished out of the drink by Allied ships off the coast between Tunisia and Sicily. After they were allowed to towel off and have a cup of tea, they were undoubtedly interrogated by CSDIC (Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Center) teams and reports issued. BNA London, NARA WashDC and AFHRA Maxwell (Montgomery/Alabama) all have these reports. There are several series of these interrogation reports and you would have to look at the ones issued in April and May 1943.

L.

[Edward]

Thank you very much Larry.

It appears that Maxwell has this series on microfilm.

A number of the reports are cataloged under "Mediterranean Allied Air Forces" which will be a good place to begin a search.

Edward

[James A Pratt III]

at afhra.af.mil you can find the USAF historical studies online