Market research - 'Most Wanted' Luftwaffe books

[hucks216]

Originally Posted by egbert

Flak, Flak and again Flak.
Unit histories, photos, composition, deployments

Totally agree. A multi volume series of flak unit histories, not necessarily one unit per book but a history of their deployments etc.

[Chris Goss]

Trouble is that many unit members are no longer with us and the effort to produce a new unit history would be massive with the risk that sales would not recoup the effort and outlay. However, a complete history of KG 40 (Fw 200, He 111, Do 217, Ju 88, He 177) is a tempting proposition! BTW, JG 1 and KG 55 have been written and KG 6 done twice in German by two different authors and once in French by another author

[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by hucks216

Totally agree. A multi volume series of flak unit histories, not necessarily one unit per book but a history of their deployments etc.

Hucks - you mean like this?

le.Flak-Abt. 911 (v)
Formed c. 26 August 1939 in Wien (Vienna) as le.Reserve-Flak-Abt. 911 with a Stab and 3 batteries numbered 1.-3. Redesignated le.Flak-Abt. 911 (v) c. July 1942. A 4. Batterie was added c. October 1942.
Lineage and Subordination: see: Tessin or (www.ww2.dk).
History
1939-40: west-central Germany (Luftgau XII area). www.ww2.dk)
10 May 40: attack on France and the Low Countries followed by the occupation of France.
26 Nov 40: Garges-lès-Gonesse/3 km NW of Paris-le-Bourget airfield under Festungs-Flak-Rgt. 32 with 2 heavy and 2 medium/light batteries. (NARA T-1022/PG80318)
18 Feb 41: in the Luftgau Westfrankreich area. (NARA T-321)
Oct/Nov 43 – Jun 44: W France under Flak-Rgt. 59 (Paris)/13. Flak-Div., then 5. Flak-Brig., then 1. Flak-Brig. (Tessin)
Mar 44: W France under Flak-Rgt. 59 (Paris).
8 Jun 44: Stab, 1. and 3./911 ordered to move forward by road from Paris to protect bridges in the Elbeuf area/18 km SSW of Rouen on the Seine. (ULTRA KV7017)
22 Jun 44: Stab and 3./911 reported their arrival and operational readiness at Elbeuf. (CX/MSS/T223/98)
Jun/Jul – Sep 44: under Flak-Rgt. 100/13. Flak-Div., then 1. Flak-Brig. (Tessin)
15 Jul 44: Elbeuf under Flak-Rgt. 100/13. Flak-Div. (NARA T-971 roll 18/f.053)
21 Aug 44: Stab/911 trf to Freneuse/59 km NW of Paris. (CX/MSS/T283/126)
26 Aug 44: 1. and 3./911 and 2./344 being investigated for blowing up their guns prematurely without authorization. (BNA HW 5/574)
27 Sep 44: 4./911 was protecting Niedermendig airfield/25 km WNW of Koblenz. (Schnatz: p.211)
Oct 44 – 1945: Central Rhine area (west-central Germany), initially under Flak-Rgt. 15 (Trier area). (Tessin; NARA T-405 roll 17)
8-9 Mar 45: le.911 lost a significant number of men KIA, WIA or taken prisoner at Unkel am Rhein/17.5 km SE of Bonn and 3.25 km NW of Remagen. (Nicolaisen:I/271)
FpNs: Stab (L 38859), 1. Batterie (L 37971), 2. Batterie (L 37029), 3. Batterie (L 32921), 4. Batterie (L 54513).
Kommandeur:
Hptm. (Tr.O.) Georg Lyncker: (? - 5/41)
Obstlt. Dr. Carl Walbrach: (? - ?) 8/42
Hptm. (d.R.) Hasso von Bose: (? - ?) 7/44

This is about as detailed as the surviving records permit. As Nick B. noted, the opportunity to work with veterans has come and gone. Besides, how would a researcher/author ever have managed to correspond back and forth with multiple veterans from the approx. 1,200 Flak-Abteilungen of various types that were formed during the war?

L.

[hucks216]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

Hucks - you mean like this?

le.Flak-Abt. 911 (v)
Formed c. 26 August 1939 in Wien (Vienna) as le.Reserve-Flak-Abt. 911 with a Stab and 3 batteries numbered 1.-3. Redesignated le.Flak-Abt. 911 (v) c. July 1942. A 4. Batterie was added c. October 1942.
Lineage and Subordination: see: Tessin or (www.ww2.dk).
History
1939-40: west-central Germany (Luftgau XII area). www.ww2.dk)
10 May 40: attack on France and the Low Countries followed by the occupation of France.
26 Nov 40: Garges-lès-Gonesse/3 km NW of Paris-le-Bourget airfield under Festungs-Flak-Rgt. 32 with 2 heavy and 2 medium/light batteries. (NARA T-1022/PG80318)
18 Feb 41: in the Luftgau Westfrankreich area. (NARA T-321)
Oct/Nov 43 – Jun 44: W France under Flak-Rgt. 59 (Paris)/13. Flak-Div., then 5. Flak-Brig., then 1. Flak-Brig. (Tessin)
Mar 44: W France under Flak-Rgt. 59 (Paris).
8 Jun 44: Stab, 1. and 3./911 ordered to move forward by road from Paris to protect bridges in the Elbeuf area/18 km SSW of Rouen on the Seine. (ULTRA KV7017)
22 Jun 44: Stab and 3./911 reported their arrival and operational readiness at Elbeuf. (CX/MSS/T223/98)
Jun/Jul – Sep 44: under Flak-Rgt. 100/13. Flak-Div., then 1. Flak-Brig. (Tessin)
15 Jul 44: Elbeuf under Flak-Rgt. 100/13. Flak-Div. (NARA T-971 roll 18/f.053)
21 Aug 44: Stab/911 trf to Freneuse/59 km NW of Paris. (CX/MSS/T283/126)
26 Aug 44: 1. and 3./911 and 2./344 being investigated for blowing up their guns prematurely without authorization. (BNA HW 5/574)
27 Sep 44: 4./911 was protecting Niedermendig airfield/25 km WNW of Koblenz. (Schnatz: p.211)
Oct 44 – 1945: Central Rhine area (west-central Germany), initially under Flak-Rgt. 15 (Trier area). (Tessin; NARA T-405 roll 17)
8-9 Mar 45: le.911 lost a significant number of men KIA, WIA or taken prisoner at Unkel am Rhein/17.5 km SE of Bonn and 3.25 km NW of Remagen. (Nicolaisen:I/271)
FpNs: Stab (L 38859), 1. Batterie (L 37971), 2. Batterie (L 37029), 3. Batterie (L 32921), 4. Batterie (L 54513).
Kommandeur:
Hptm. (Tr.O.) Georg Lyncker: (? - 5/41)
Obstlt. Dr. Carl Walbrach: (? - ?) 8/42
Hptm. (d.R.) Hasso von Bose: (? - ?) 7/44

This is about as detailed as the surviving records permit. As Nick B. noted, the opportunity to work with veterans has come and gone. Besides, how would a researcher/author ever have managed to correspond back and forth with multiple veterans from the approx. 1,200 Flak-Abteilungen of various types that were formed during the war?

L.

Exactly. I might be the odd one out on this but I prefer the nitty gritty details such as above rather than first person accounts. Not saying it wouldn't be a monumental effort as obviously it would be but the flak service is barely covered in any detail other than in the few unit specific books such as 'Die Flakabteilung I./12' by Günter Soltau and the Luftwaffe 1933-45 and Lexikon der Wehrmacht websites.

[Larry deZeng]

Roger that, Hucks.
Another source that would have to be addressed is the Flak Abschuss claims. These would add significant information to each of the mini-histories, but the microfilmed daily log entries for these were handwritten by Luftwaffenhelferinen assigned to the Luftwaffenpersonalamt using colored pencil, and in many cases Sütterlin scroll, and at least 50% of these entries have faded over time to such a degree that they are illegible.

The most valuable publications on the Lw.-Flakartillerie are:

Great Britain: MI15/War Office, May 1946, Handbook of German Anti Aircraft Artillery (Flak), 14 volumes of mimeographed manuscript.
Koch, Horst-Adalbert, Flak: Die Geschichte der deutschen Flakartillerie und der Einsatz der Luftwaffenhelfer. (Podzun Verlag: Bad Nauheim, 1965). 682p.
Nicolaisen, Hans-Dietrich. Gruppenfeuer und Salventakt: Schüler und Lehrlinge bei der Flak 1943-1945. Büsum, 1993. 2 Bde.

Only Koch has mini-histories, but these are no more than one or two short sentences for each one. The Michael Holm website aqnd Lexikon der Wehrmacht are much better.

L.

[hucks216]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

Roger that, Hucks.
Another source that would have to be addressed is the Flak Abschuss claims. These would add significant information to each of the mini-histories, but the microfilmed daily log entries for these were handwritten by Luftwaffenhelferinen assigned to the Luftwaffenpersonalamt using colored pencil, and in many cases Sütterlin scroll, and at least 50% of these entries have faded over time to such a degree that they are illegible.

The most valuable publications on the Lw.-Flakartillerie are:

Great Britain: MI15/War Office, May 1946, Handbook of German Anti Aircraft Artillery (Flak), 14 volumes of mimeographed manuscript.
Koch, Horst-Adalbert, Flak: Die Geschichte der deutschen Flakartillerie und der Einsatz der Luftwaffenhelfer. (Podzun Verlag: Bad Nauheim, 1965). 682p.
Nicolaisen, Hans-Dietrich. Gruppenfeuer und Salventakt: Schüler und Lehrlinge bei der Flak 1943-1945. Büsum, 1993. 2 Bde.

Only Koch has mini-histories, but these are no more than one or two short sentences for each one. The Michael Holm website aqnd Lexikon der Wehrmacht are much better.

L.

Thank you for the pointers and also to Simon for the comprehensive list of sources.