K. Buhlingen Abschuss List

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hi Leo, Tony Woods first files were done around 20 years ago, and he probably did not have much data available apart from the microfilms he was transcribing. At least that is my guess, as at the time I exchanged regularly with him to correct or identify pilot's names, using published unit histories and especially loss lists. Jim P was another contributor and thanks to data drawn from his loss database hundred of names were corrected/completed. Still it was just a partial work from my part (bacically, if I was working on a given day and found claims I can complete, I wrote to Tony), and probably the same from Jim.

On the other hand, the JFV team did a complete study, using far more available sources, and while nobody can claim to be 100% accurate in such a wide subject, I will trust JFV far more than Tony, who did his best with the available data at the time.

[Johannes]

Hi

I think the main Mikrofilms became available for purchase in 1999. Bernd Barbas and myself each acquired a set. Firstly it was just pure getting it onto a computer, then continuously sorting on EXCEL to iron-out faults, many name were unreadable/unidentified so we compiled huge files on each Geschwader to cross-reference against. Every little thing was important, like rank, anerk.nr. It took myself fifteen years of every weekend and evening cross-referencing.

I think the total of confirmed claims(including information from flugbücher not covered by the mikrofilms) was 66600, but there must be many others to be found, but it exact timelines for different units. With a pilots abschüßlist we would always compare the periods covered by the mikrofilms to judge it's accuracy, if it's a perfect match within the mikrofilms scope, then surely those before the scope of the mikrofilms can be accepted as fact !

But as time goes by more information is surfacing, but some is fake, or doctored.

So in short the final information, is far into the future.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[knusel]

Good morning Johannes,

your deeds for the sake of airwar history are heroic.
"fifteen years of every weekend and evening" ?
Does that mean you also had a non-airwar job to do ?

I wish you a good Friday,

Michael

[Johannes]

Hi Michael

Yes, now I come to think about it I spent every lunchtime for a couple of year running the mikrofilms through a viewer we had at work.

Yet I thought of it as a time consuming, exciting hobby....that I just couldn't wait to do more of. Mikrofilms like puzzles needed to be viewed under different light settings, i.e usually different times of the day, if an area is so damaged it is also impossible to read, go back to it later under different light, or no light, cover the screen with coloured translucent sheet, anything that might help !

Keep Well

Johannes

[knusel]

Good evening dear Johannes,

that sound fascinating, indeed. As a pathologist I stare through the microscope most of the day. It's a bit similar to your deed but my images are multicolored.

Cheers,

Michael

[Johannes]

Hi Micheal

Fesselballon were counted as "Kills", I guess they are a type of aircraft, but as unable to manoeuvre I did not include them in their lists. In 1945 tanks were counted as "kills", and obviously they don't even just float. I think Miethig and Beisswenger had Fesselballon claims.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[knusel]

...Oesau, too (15Aug1940).

Cheers,

Michael