Best information sources for mapping German and Allied airbases during 1939-40

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

For the EoE Project maps, our next overlay that we need to build shows the locations of every Luftwaffe and Allied airbase in use for operational units or from which combat missions were flown during the 1939-40 period. Then we need to indicate all units that were based there and the dates of movement by these units in and out of these bases. This will be indicated on each map on a day-by-day basis.

We know of many sources for parts of this info, but I'm hoping that, like the problem of delineating the front lines each day for the ground campaigns during 39-40, there may be some previously published maps that already show this data in a comprehensive and reliable way. We already have this data for Luftwaffe day fighters via the Prien JFV book series, but now we need to expand this to the rest of the Luftwaffe and all Allied units. I'm hoping that we won't have to painstakingly extract this info unit by unit over the whole of the 39-40 airwar.

Who has suggestions that could help with this effort?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[edwest]

Hello Larry,


Perhaps this title will be of some use. It lists over 1200 German airfields.


http://www.amazon.de/Fliegerhorste-E.../dp/3613014866




Ed

[edwest]

I don't know what you know, so perhaps one of these will help.



http://fishponds.org.uk/luftbri11.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Military-Air.../dp/B003Y9OHVC




Ed

[edwest]

Another idea from another forum:

"A perfectionist would be best advised to fly to Freiburg and obtain copies of all the originals, which are large wall-size maps of Europe and occupied Russia prepared by Luftwaffen-Führungsstab Ia op 1 and entitled Aufmarsch der fliegende Verbände and classified Geheime Kommandosache! All Frontverbände of the Luftwaffe are shown in ink beside the base they were stationed at on that date along with two numbers: one for aircraft on hand and the other for serviceable aircraft. These map charts were prepared every couple of days, I believe. Only a few (c. 10?) survived the war, plus another 8-10 of just Luftflotte 5 in Norway and Finland. These are all in BA-MA Signatur 40/Kart. The smaller more territorial ones that I mentioned are scattered hither, thither and yon among the German records, both Luftwaffe and Heer. I've never looked in the Kriegsmarine records so there may be some there, but probably just for the maritime units (Kü.Fl.Gr., Seenot, SeeAufkl.)."




Ed

[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by edwest

Another idea from another forum:

"A perfectionist would be best advised to fly to Freiburg and obtain copies of all the originals, which are large wall-size maps of Europe and occupied Russia prepared by Luftwaffen-Führungsstab Ia op 1 and entitled Aufmarsch der fliegende Verbände and classified Geheime Kommandosache! All Frontverbände of the Luftwaffe are shown in ink beside the base they were stationed at on that date along with two numbers: one for aircraft on hand and the other for serviceable aircraft. These map charts were prepared every couple of days, I believe. Only a few (c. 10?) survived the war, plus another 8-10 of just Luftflotte 5 in Norway and Finland. These are all in BA-MA Signatur 40/Kart. The smaller more territorial ones that I mentioned are scattered hither, thither and yon among the German records, both Luftwaffe and Heer. I've never looked in the Kriegsmarine records so there may be some there, but probably just for the maritime units (Kü.Fl.Gr., Seenot, SeeAufkl.)."

Ed

This is my post, at least it's identical to one I made some time ago, most likely over on AHF. I stand behind it. Another source covering the hour-by-hour movement of Luftwaffe aircraft from 10 May 1940 along the Western Front would be the A.I.4/Air Ministry "Y" Service air activity summaries at the BNA Kew. These would be the very early predecessors of the Pearl/ZIP compilations that began appearing a year or two later.

L.

[edwest]

So that was you, Larry. Pearl/ZIP, now that I've never heard of.




Best,
Ed