Ju-88, Volume One

[Lennart Andersson]

Originally Posted by FalkeEins

you're implying that Medcalf hasn't done any of these things.

I do not know anything about that but if so many errors can be found on just one page of the first chapter of the book, one must be excused for wondering.

Originally Posted by FalkeEins

I have now read Achs "review", although he didn't have the courtesy (or the ability..) to publish it in English, but I needn't have worried.

I sense an unfriendly tone here. Peter Achs posted his message on a German language forum, so why should it be in English?

Anglo-American versus German authors
In my opinion there is little difference when it comes to accuracy (by the way I am Swedish). A fresh example: William Green, I think it was, once invented aircraft versions and designations that are complete fantasy and many authors have reiterated these, again and again. In the latest issue of the German magazine Jet & Prop there is a photo of a Heinkel He 45 and in the accompanying caption the German author (the editor?) tells us that the first flight was in 1932 (it was not), and that the "He 45b" built by Gotha was designated "He 45C" (the He 45b was a modification of the He 45a and both that, the He 45B and He 45C were built only by Heinkel). In addition it is likely that the photo shows a He 45D and not the He 45C.

Originally Posted by FalkeEins

Aside from a relatively small selection of mistakes that frankly could have eluded anyone , most of his 'criticism' of Medcalf's work focuses on a number of German language typos.

I do not agree.

Originally Posted by FalkeEins

no, I don't think an aeronautical engineer who has spent the best part of a life-time researching a foreign aircraft type warrants the level of criticism he gets from Achs because he can't write German like a native...

We are talking about history here and Peter's main criticism was not about the author's language skills. An author has a responsibility towards the reader and if even facts that can easily be checked and verified are wrong, then criticism is justified. For example, on page 22 Udet is said to have imported three Curtiss Hawks. There were only two and I have never seen a source maintaining that there were three, so where did that come from.

I know very little about the Ju 88 - that is why I bought the book. I was interested to see the colour profile of D-AXVM on page 71. When checking the caption I see that the c/n quoted is 088050. As far as I know D-AXVM was c/n 0885025.

Lennart A