Questions on 8th AF Swinemünde raid on 12 March 1945

[m.lang]

I have now read your review which is published elsewhere in Finnish (http://agricola.utu.fi/nyt/arvos/arv...?arvostelu=915). Unfortunately, I have to point out for you that your review is badly composed (you don't write proper Finnish sentences, you don't punctuate correctly and you repeatedly misspell) and I cannot accept your criticism: as you don't write proper Finnish, can you assess the work of a professional translator?

I discuss your review more closely in a Finnish rejoinder but I consider it necessary to defend my work briefly here as well.

You blame my translation of several errors in technical parts, but you don't care to point them out except for a couple of misreadings – so I cannot add them to the errata list: http://www.elisanet.fi/markus.lang/friedrich.html. I assume that you did not read the original text in order to see which problems stem from Dr. Friedrich and which from the translator.

In your review, it surprises me that you do not recognize the difference between USAF and USAAF.

[Juha]

Hello Marcus
yes, my Finnish seems to have suffered from my extensive readings of English language books, especially my ability to use enough commas.

On your translation, in fact I got a couple e-mails after my review was published in which I was said to have been too soft on your translation. The writers had bought the book but had stopped the reading after 25-30pages because the text was so difficult to understand properly. And I must admit that if I had not promised to review the book, I might have done the same, I cannot say for sure. I fought through the first 100 or so pages and I was rewarded with the rest of the book, in which the translation is OK. The book seems to have anti-Anglo-American tendency but has it's merits.

Please, ask someone with knowledge on aeronautical and military terms to read the first 100 or so pages of the book and ask his/her oppinion and add his/her corrections to Your errata list.

Juha

[billtakats@yahoo.com]

I recently (Oct 1, 2009) returned from Swinemunde and Peenemunde. I am in the process of writing a book and short film on the events surrounding March 12th 1945.

My Mother Veronika was stationed there for ~ 1-year. She survived.

I can tell you with little doubt that there was considerable strafing on that day.

Bela

[Juha]

Hello Bela
Yes, there was very probably at least some strafing, but by whom? From Field Order 1742A (order to Fighter Groups for 12.3.45 )by the 8th AF/FC "...Groups will not repeat not strafe...”

On the other hand during the night 12/13.3.45 Korpsgruppe von Tettau, consisting 10.700 soldiers and 12.000 - 17.000 civilians, had broken from East along the Baltic coast through Soviet lines into Dievenow/Dziwnów on the Wollin island and the civilians had then continued towards Schwinemünde and after daybreak were attacked by Soviet planes .

Now, according to USAAF info Schwinemünde was under 10/10 cloud and bombing was made using H2X radars. Some fighters had orders to take photos on bomb damage but at least according to 4th FG unit history the planes ordered to do this gave up this job after descending through clouds to 500ft and still being inside clouds. Now IMHO it is difficult to say anything as absolutely sure when we talk about fighters, some US fighters may have got under clouds and strafe contrary to orders but I doubt that if that had happened it was widespread. At least some Soviet planes seemed to have strafed but they came from East or from SE (USAAF game from North) and approached at low level, US fighters were escorting the bombers, which flow above the clouds and they had to try to get down through clouds.

Juha

[drgondog]

Juha - I do not think there was a 'strafing ban' placed on 8th AF FC until April 11 (for two days). No strafing meant that nobody was enthusiastic about trying to get to the deck when German light AA would have perfect altitude fuzing info!

The cloud cover was described as 10/10. The 355th escorted 2nd BD B-24s and notes that the target was bombed at 1205 - implying the lead bomb group/wing dropped at that time.

Regards,

Bill

[Juha]

Hello Drgondog
that was not a general ban but for that day ops, IIRC I figured that the reason was the nearness of Soviet frontline, some 20-25km East of Schwinemünde. Top brass wanted to avoid friedly fire incidences.

I recall that there is a photo in one of Freeman's 8th AF book, taken during that bombing and showing solid overcast below bombers.

Juha

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by Juha

Hello Drgondog
that was not a general ban but for that day ops, IIRC I figured that the reason was the nearness of Soviet frontline, some 20-25km East of Schwinemünde. Top brass wanted to avoid friedly fire incidences.

I recall that there is a photo in one of Freeman's 8th AF book, taken during that bombing and showing solid overcast below bombers.

Juha

Juha - that makes sense - I misread what you said to imply ETO wide ban on strafing, not local to just Swinemunde area - for the reasons you stated.

Regards,

Bill

[Juha]

Hello Drgondog
checked what material I used 4 years ago. I didn’t see the order itself but Helmut Schnatz referred it in his book on Schwinemünde bombing. From my sources I could only confirm that the order number and the date matched. And I didn’t had to figure the reason, Schnatz gives it in his book, and as you wrote it makes sense, especially because the front was active and the Soviet military had asked the attack in order to eliminate the powerful German naval formation which used Schwinemünde as its base and which gave powerful artillery support to German units trapped into some town along the coast, of which Kolberg was most famous. IIRC also Korpsgruppe von Tettau got some support while fighting its way along the coast towards Dievenow/Dziwnów.

Juha

[uckwash]

Hey chaps.

Might be a wee bit out of context, but take a look at the Missing Aircrew Report, re. CO 336th Major Mcfarlane, shot down in a P51 over Denmark that day:
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/1163/presentation5.jpg

Also his own words recorded afterwards found at:
http://www.fourthfightergroup.com/resource/tourist.html

Its a really good read & of interest to any Danish readers.

Dave