eArticle available: 'The Life of Günter Schultze-Quentell - A Reluctant Airman'

[leonventer]

I purchased and very much liked this article, so I figured I'd provide a quick review:

Nearly all of the available Luftwaffe biographies focus, quite understandably, on the Experten. They tell the stories of pilots with exceptional reflexes and great situational awareness, who took to the skies with supreme confidence in the skills and experience they had acquired over many years. However, that certainly wasn't true for the bulk of the aircrew who served in the German air force. Most of them were ordinary men who didn't survive very long, due to inadequate training, overwhelming opposition, and increasing inferiority in aircraft performance.

Günter Schultze-Quentell is the subject of this new eArticle by Air War Pubs, and he wasn't an ace. He wasn't even someone who was "born to fly." Nevertheless, he served a distinguished and relatively long career in various roles in different branches of the Wehrmacht, eventually becoming a pilot and the Staffelkapitän of a short-range reconnaissance unit, flying the Bf 109 G-8. It's a sad story because (spoiler alert) he dies in a wholly mismatched confrontation, due to circumstances beyond his control.

I really appreciate accounts like this because they provide insights into the more typical aircrew experience, as well as the essential but more mundane and less-publicized aspects of service in the Luftwaffe, namely logistics, unit administration and relocation, and the roles played by observers and gunners.

The article is well researched and makes for enjoyable reading. It's complemented by a map and a fine selection of photos of people and aircraft, especially some high-quality images of "White 14+", a spectacularly-camouflaged Bf 109 G-8 of 1./NAGr. 12.

This work is up to the usual high standards of Air War Publications, and is highly recommended.

Leon Venter