In General, What is Everyone Doing?

[veltro]

As already underlined, it is a fair question, and the fact that several of us felt the need to reply, means that we are aware that the bulk of us "hardcore" enthusiasts are by now an older generation and that the newer ones are often completely unaware of what we are speaking of, let alone understand and share our passion.

Like many of those writing and/or debating here, I started as a boy of the mid-'50s' growing up in the post-WW2 culture, more and more passionate on aviation and of those men who fought in the air like old knights, then followed the passion for modelism and (as happened probably to many of us old modelers) started to look for more reference and data to realize personal choices as individual aircraft of some ace and so on...

Some of us began to realize that what had been written since and fed us was more than faulty and imprecise, so the research for data and info brought some of us to primary sources, wheter those being archives or veterans or both. For some, that was the turning point that lead to the choice of researching and - with some luck - being able to publish the results of the researches, in articles or/and books.

What is important, though, is to remain subtly but persistently unsatisfied and looking for more, which in research is the fuel to most achievements, if these could be considered as such...

Oh, one last thing: why the Germans and the Luftwaffe? Well, this delves somehow in psicology, but I was eased by the fact that my home country was a German ally in WW2 (much to German's dismay, I should add!), so researching about that was almost unavoidable. I however think that the allure of the "dark side" has a lot to it and the Germans certainly were masters of "bad ass design", which had a lot of fascination for the young boys in the '60s and '70s.

Sorry to have been maybe a bit too lenghty, but the topic I guess deserved that.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Ah Ferdinando,

So true what you say about the knight like idealized vision of air war and the German "dark side"...

Marc

[Oberst]

Originally Posted by Broncazonk

I'm trying to understand why such ultra-specific, super-detailed questions about Luftwaffe pilots, crash events and individual aircraft details are nearly all that is asked on this forum....

....Are people writing super detailed unit/pilot/aircraft histories? What's going on here?

Bronc

SOme like historically correct.. not just books/movies, but even in flight sims.

[WIP]

[drgondog]

For me - It has been a lifelong tie to aviation with particular focus on wartime airpower and its influence on world events. The specific focus on LW in ETO has been important in my latest project where I decided it was important to put units and real people in the fabric of historical air battles - on both sides -

My first book was far less comprehensive than my latest. The one I just shipped to Schiffer is Volume I of a two volume set taking the 355th FG from WWII to Vietnam, then from Vietnam through Afghanistan.

[edwest]

Like others here, the war was all I heard about growing up. Very little from my parents who spent the war in Germany in forced labor camps. In a nutshell, they wanted to be in a country where no one was shooting at them and no bombs were falling nearby. My father, who was a vet, prior to capture, and my mother, only wanted to raise a family, and we had a fine time growing up even though the Russians and Americans deployed ICBMs in 1959, quickly followed by warnings that nuclear destruction would rain down on the US at any time.

My interest began with seeing a book about German aircraft back in the 1960s, and I was stunned when I saw photos of the Me-262 and Me-163. The V-1 and V-2 were also quite impressive. Then I learned that German aircraft were painted in a variety of schemes and color combinations and carried unintelligible markings and emblems.

As the years passed, my primary focus became the technology the Germans developed during the years 1933-1945, and the exploitation of said technology by the Americans, British and Russians. After the Cold War ended in the early 1990s, more documents came to light. And then the internet. Thanks to this site, LWAG and the LEMB, I was made aware of many, many books and publications that I would have missed otherwise. For me, posting eBay photos helps everyone, along with flight log books and some documents. I regularly look for new and upcoming books as well.

So, for me, it is a treasure hunt. My primary interest is late-war Luftwaffe technology, and other German wartime technology. I'm finding more and more credible information and reports, and other information that ended up being published but little discussed until the past decade or so. I must admit, I'm the one looking for the fringe material - the sort of thing that people find uninteresting or too incredible or just unbelievable. And I'll just end there.


Perhaps a poll would be useful.

I am doing:

1) Research about about a particular squadron.
2) Research about a particular campaign or operation.
3) Research about a particular time period (like Larry Hickey).
4) Research about a particular bomber group.
5) Research that focuses on one or more pilots.
6) Research that focuses on the fate of a particular aircraft, or number of aircraft.
7) Aviation archaeology and searching crash sites.
8) Collecting new and interesting photos.
9) I specialize in emblems, including personal emblems and unusual markings and codes.
10) Camouflage. I'm on the hunt for that never before seen camouflage pattern and the identity of the aircraft/squadron that wore it.
11) I am working on a book or a few books. Please tell us more.
12) Other.


Feel free to add to or amend the above list.




Best,
Ed

[Andy F-P]

I am a very periferal figure on this discussion forum but the main protaganists have a wealth of knowledge and information on anything to do with the Luftwaffe. Most importantly, it is THE place to research the subject and to be honest, the dignity and manners of the people who frequent this board are the best around.
Regards,
Andy

[edwest]

Andy,


I could not have said it better. The dignity and politeness of the people here truly warms my heart. As I'm sure everyone knows, too many internet forums are filled with unruly and rude people. That is why, today, I only have a handful of forums I visit, and a few where I rarely post due to the aggressive nature of the moderators and other posters.


Regards,
Ed

[SES]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

Then there are the 1%ers, the fringe element, those of us who swim against the tide, the outcasts, the non-Europeans. We are the tiny, tiny fraction of the whole who are not interested in the aircraft, their registration numbers (Werknummern) or their colors and markings. We might have been at one time back in the days of Royal Air Force Flying Review in the 50's and 60's, but after being awed by the pretty color profiles and the developmental history of the aircraft for a few years we moved on.

We, the outsiders, the outcasts, are interested in the organization and history of the Luftwaffe - not just the flying branches, but also the Flakwaffe, Luftnachrichtentruppe, Nachschubdienste and other components that comprised 95% of the Luftwaffe's manpower and 85% of its assets. We are also interested in the operations, the units, the officers, the airfields, the command and control, the strategic thinking and planning, and the air war over Europe in general.

So there are a few of us who don't fit the mold and share the mainline interests here, Bronc, but only a few.

Larry

bregds
SES

[JohnnyB]

No, I'm not an expert - and what I do ? My interest in the Luftwaffe starts in my youth with the words of my father and what he told me about the Luftwaffe, a handfull of his pictures, a Josef Priller-book and a letter of his comrade. To find out the lost things about his military carrer was the cause to seek in forums like this for some help. So it became more and more information with the help of many great and adorable people, experts. With their, your help I found out nearly his complete military carrer and that´s not all - Ive found a lot of Luftwaffe knowledge, I've found a lot of int. friends here, the most important thing.
I would say that the history of Luftwaffe is sometimes like a giant puzzle and it's a great fun to share with others this puzzle. That's why I'm here - I can learn and it is a great pleasure to be here, even that I'm not an expert.

Best regards - Rainer

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi, guys...

I guess I have to admit to being a secretive 1% er also, as I was studying a coded plan of the radar and other Luftnachrichten installations in Denmark this evening.

It popped out of a file in which it should not really be - and as several people have mentioned - the search for small 'treasure' in the fragmented spoils of the German war machine - adding a small piece to the puzzle is a major driving force for several members here.

I would also like to underline that the fact that the members of this board try not only to be helpful to an extent beyond what can be expected in most cases, but also seem to be able to keep discussions contained on a polite level even when in total disagreement politically or otherwise is nothing short of impressive.

Keep up the good work all - the only thing I really regret is that I have limited time to contribute these days.

Regards,
Andreas B