Luftwaffe Aircraft Loss Reports?

[Rabe Anton]

The following notes relate to RodM's and others comments, above. During my tenure as an Air Force reference archivist at the AFHRA, I had access to, and sometimes consulted, the 17-fiche long list of crashed Allied aircraft in the West that RodM refers to. In my opinion, these 17 microfiche are worth purchasing if one is specializing in research on Allied losses in the West. As stated above, however, the "loss list" is (a) incomplete, and (b) often marred by spelling errors. But overall, it's a valuable resource for those seeking enlightenment about losses of the Western Allies, not least because of its convenient chronological arrangment.


NARA RG 92 - MISSING AIR CREW REPORTS

AIR CRASHES BY DATE

At the end of the National Archives RG 92 series of Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) on microfiche there are seventeen (17) additional fiche which may be highly useful to research in RAF and USAAF aircraft losses during World War II. These fiche list RAF and USAAF aircraft lost arranged chronologically by date of loss. Reading across the page, information given in columns is:

1) Day, month, year of loss
2) Time of day
3) Type of aircraft
4) Aircraft identification and/or markings
5) Exact place of loss, e.g., "3 km. east of Platon [Belgium]"
6) Reference to files (KU series and others), at least some of which are
now in the U.S. National Archives.

The lists are apparently incomplete, but by using them, one can identify at least some crashed RAF and USAAF aircraft by day date and exact location of the crash, then obtain the captured German loss records from the National Archives. From there, to the MACR, or such British records as may be available!

Fiche No. 5970 - 4 Sep. 1939-31 Dec. 1942
5971/01 - 3 Jan. 1943-31 Dec. 1943
5971/02 - 3 Jan. 1943-31 Dec. 1943 (seven images only)
5972 - 1 Jan. 1944-29 Feb. 1944
5973 - March 1944
5974 - April 1944
5975 - May 1944
5976 - June 1944
5977 - July 1944
5978 - August 1944
5979 - September 1944
5980 - October 1944
5981 - November 1944
5982 - December 1944
5983 - Jan. 1945-Mar. 1945
5984 - Additional German records on aircraft from 30 Dec. 1943-June 1944
5985 - RAF Bomber Command battle casualty report listed alphabetically by organization for January 1945 (17 pages or images only). Gives names of RAF BC casualties by unit. Jan. 45 only.

As of 1 October 2002: Each fiche $4.25 US. Minimum mail order $6.00 US. Pay to: National Archives Trust Fund. Order from:
National Archives and Records Administration
Archives II - College Park
Attn: Modern Military Records (NWCTM)
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001

I hope the above information proves helpful to someone.

Rabe Anton