Market research - 'Most Wanted' Luftwaffe books

[Peter Kassak]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

Yes, as long as the style is not just a combat chronicle ("On date xxxx y number of fighters engaged z number of enemies claiming n victories").

aaand what else should be included? marriage status of pilots, their kids grades at school? or the mechanics obvious undiscipline habbit giving 0,5 bar higher pressure in the tyres (LOL)?

Are you aware that 99.9%of men involved in the WWII combats are not with us anymore? Also for those units that histories were NOT published yet, there is most probably a reason of it in a lacking archival materials and primary sources. So it is extremely hard to find some bits and pieces to put together even combat history, not speaking of something (not specified yet) what interests you to spice up the text... can you be more specific and help us "authors" to correct the "lines of the pen"?

[Jukka Juutinen]

Originally Posted by Peter Kassak

aaand what else should be included? marriage status of pilots, their kids grades at school? or the mechanics obvious undiscipline habbit giving 0,5 bar higher pressure in the tyres (LOL)?

Are you aware that 99.9%of men involved in the WWII combats are not with us anymore? Also for those units that histories were NOT published yet, there is most probably a reason of it in a lacking archival materials and primary sources. So it is extremely hard to find some bits and pieces to put together even combat history, not speaking of something (not specified yet) what interests you to spice up the text... can you be more specific and help us "authors" to correct the "lines of the pen"?

Well, you have probably read Axel Urbanke's "Green Hearts"? That's an example of a superb unit history.

Second, as "Rabe Anton" wrote here ages ago, there is s difference between a chronicler and a historian. Chronicler catalogues events, historian analyzes them. For example, in naval combat history it is very common to analyze and comment on the actions of the participants from a tactical, or an art of war, point of view. For example, the actions of Bismarck's captain are analyzed in depth. How about applying the same idea to air combat?

[Peter Kassak]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

Well, you have probably read Axel Urbanke's "Green Hearts"? That's an example of a superb unit history.

Unfortunatelly NOT. It is a combat area and unit that is in my field of interest...

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

For example, in naval combat history it is very common to analyze and comment on the actions of the participants from a tactical, or an art of war, point of view. For example, the actions of Bismarck's captain are analyzed in depth. How about applying the same idea to air combat?

Are you aware that Naval actions takes days, and air actions takes seconds? also to analize movement of few ships is something different than analyze movements of hundreds of bombers and their cover fighters and opposition. Unless we are speaking about dogfight, but there you do not know who made what move its not recorded.

[James S.]

Detailed Unit Histories in English on JG 5 & JG 77.

James

[Jukka Juutinen]

Originally Posted by Peter Kassak

Unfortunatelly NOT. It is a combat area and unit that is in my field of interest...



Are you aware that Naval actions takes days, and air actions takes seconds? also to analize movement of few ships is something different than analyze movements of hundreds of bombers and their cover fighters and opposition. Unless we are speaking about dogfight, but there you do not know who made what move its not recorded.

Well, look what John Lundstrom did with his two "First Team" books. Or Larry Hickey's work. As to who made what move, original combat reports provide such information.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

As to who made what move, original combat reports provide such information.

And how many original Luftwaffe combat reports have you seen?

[Jukka Juutinen]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

And how many original Luftwaffe combat reports have you seen?

Since I don't speak German it would be a bit useless exercise. Since Finnish, British and American combat reports do usually contain such information, why would not German...

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

Since I don't speak German it would be a bit useless exercise. Since Finnish, British and American combat reports do usually contain such information, why would not German...

The German ones probably did but since hardly any survive authors can’t use them as a source.