Sütterlin writing

[Larry deZeng]

Peter K.: You know what would be great? An on-line directory of every one of the thousands of airfields used by the Luftwaffe during the 1935-45 years, preferably set up like this example:

Abbeville-Drucat (Le Plessiel) NE France (airfield 3.7 km N of the city) (50 08 39 N – 01 49 53 E).
Classification, Description and Remarks: Fliegerhorst (principally fighters). In existence since 1922 for civil use with runway extended in 1936 for military purposes. The Luftwaffe expanded Drucat and by 1942 there were 3 runways, the longest being 1600m x 50m, and numerous hangars, buildings and revetments. Bombed and strafed frequently between July 1942 to May 1944, with the raid of 19 August 1942 by 22 B-17s possibly being the most costly in casualties (4 men from the station command KIA).
Station Units: Fl.H.Kdtr. E 16/VI (1940-44); Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v) 227/XI (1944).
Air Units: II./ZG 76 (06.40 – 09.40); Stab, II., III./JG 26 (c.11.40 – 01.43); II./JG 2 (1941-42).

I actually got started on such a project about 12 years ago, but I soon realized that it would take a lifetime to complete. To do the project, one would need the 26,000 pages of the microfilmed British Air Ministry A.I.2.(b) airfields collection and be able to go through every book ever written about the Luftwaffe, plus review all the surviving Luftwaffe documentation at BA-MA or on microfilm. It would be a marvelous production and aid for the researcher, but would have to be installed on a web site because it would be far too lengthy to try and publish.

I certainly do not expect anyone to volunteer because of the huge time and cost requirements, but it would sure be a worthy project. Some might ask, "Why not finish off what you started?" Answer: I'm 71 and do not have enough time left. It would take a younger guy or perhaps a team of them many years to work their way through the mass of material.

Larry