Update NJWD 2nd ed & call for new Nachtjagd photos 1943-1945

[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

I would like to give you an update of the progress of the Nachtjagd War Diaries 2nd edition research and writing -and post a call for help re. new Nachtjagd photos.

I am very pleased to tell you that the big manuscript of the NJWD 2nd ed. is now rapidly nearing its completion after 7 years of hard work, it has grown to over three times the size of the 1st edition that was first published by Red Kite in the UK in 2008. A wealth of new material on Nachtjagd operations and individual Nachtjagd, Flak and Flak searchlight victory claims has been been edited into the overall manuscript, plus several hundreds of new Nachtjagd veterans first-person accounts and combat reports. We have succeeded in matching well over 90% of all German Nachtjagd and Flak claims to individual Allied losses between 1940 and 1945.

A completely new appendix covering all individual Nachtjagd pilots, Bordfunker and Bordschütze with one or more victories (1100 individual airmen) has been written, detailing all victory claims at night, in daylight, broken down to Reichsverteidigung and Eastern Front, and these Abschüsse have all in turn been broken down to confirmed and unconfirmed victories.

With regard to new photo material; we have now captioned an est. 600 new Nachtjagd related photos for the NJWD 2nd ed. -the majority of which have never been published before- into the 12 chapters of the overall manuscript. Especially the early war years are excellently covered with new photos, but we still have room for some 100 more Nachtjagd photos, especially photos that cover Nachtjagd aircraft and Nachtjagd crews of the mid and late-war years, 1943-1945.

Anyone who may have additional Nachtjagd photos, preferably previously unpublished ones, and is willing to share high res. scans of these for publication in the NJWD 2nd edition is warmly welcomed to get in touch with me on

theoboitenATgmail.com

AT is of course @

We aim to publish the NJWD 2nd edition as a series of (at least five) volumes which will all be released by Wing Leader/Red Kite in the UK in the course of 2016.

Cheers and thanks, Theo

[Stig Jarlevik]

Theo

Sounds very interesting indeed.
May I just ask if you intend to list the NJ losses as well?

B Rgds
Stig

[Theo Boiten]

Hi Stig,

Yes Nachtjäger losses will be listed in the individual narratives per night. (And per day during the Nachtjagd daylight operations in 43-44).

Cheers, Theo

[Stig Jarlevik]

Excellent Theo

You just got a customer on your hands...

Cheers
Stig

[Maxim1]

Originally Posted by Theo Boiten

We have succeeded in matching well over 90% of all German Nachtjagd and Flak claims to individual Allied losses between 1940 and 1945.

Hello, Theo.

Does it mean that 90% of Nachtjagd claims are confirmed by Allied losses and only 10% were actually an overclaims?

[Theo Boiten]

Hello Maxim,

No, that simply means that we have not been able to match an est. 10 per cent of all NJ claims to actual Allied a/c losses.

On most nights between 1940 and mid 1944, there was no, or hardly any, over-claiming on the part of the Nachtjäger.

Cheers, Theo

[Del Davis]

Theo
Can you please provide an update of your progress toward publication of the
2nd Edition

[DDT]

Fantastic Theo,

Can't wait to order a copy!
Kind regards

Dirk

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Dear Del Davis: that is what Theo just did, giving an update of his progress isn't he?

[Del Davis]

The last update that I am aware of is 4 1/2 months old. Is there something more recent than November 30th