DEFE3 Files

[Andy Mitchell]

Guys,

I don't know if any of you will find these of use.

I have reviewed and summarised the following DEFE3 files from a Luftwaffe perspective and produced pdf files of those summaries.

My original aim had been to find Aufklgr 122 items within these files - which I have been fortunate enough to do so. However, this grew into producing - for myself - a record of all Luftwaffe orientated messages within the files that I have reviewed and summarised.

The files concerned are

DEFE 3/14 covers the decryption period between 20th December 1943 and 23rd December 1943
DEFE 3/15 covers the period between 23rd December 1943 and 27th December 1943
DEFE 3/16 covers the period between 27th December 1943 and 1st January 1943–
DEFE 3/17 covers the decryption period between 1st January 1944 and 5th January 1944
DEFE 3/18 covers the decryption period between 5th January 1944 and 8th January 1944
DEFE 3/19 covers the decryption period between between 8 January 1944 and 12 January 1944
DEFE 3/129 covers the decryption period between 12th January 1944 and 15th January 1944
DEFE 3/130 covers the decryption period between 15th January 1944 and 19th January 1944
DEFE 3/131 covers the decryption period between 19th January 1944 and 22nd January 1944
DEFE 3/132 covers the decryption period between 22nd January 1944 and 25th January 1944
DEFE 3/133 covers the decryption period between 25th January 1944 and 28th January 1944

Currently being worked on DEFE3/134 (covering the decryption period between 28th January 1944 and 31st January 1944). It will be a while until this is completed as I work on these files in between other things.e.g. the Tsamo 12452 index.

The files can be downloaded from the Luftwaffedata Wiki here.

Each page in the link also provides a connection to download the original DEFE3 pdf file from The National Archives.

Please note that some of the earlier summaries are less detailed than the later ones, at some point I will go back and revise these early files.

Hope that someone finds them of interest/use.

[Steve Coates]

Andy

Thanks. This is very helpful. One day I hope some kind soul will download these and produce edited PDFs of just the Luftwaffe material as it's a massive undertaking and my current research activities keep me more than busy enough.

Steve

[RudiS]

Thanks Andy. Very helpful.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Steve Coates

Andy

Thanks. This is very helpful.

Yes it is, and your dedication is hugely impressive.

One day I hope some kind soul will download these and produce edited PDFs of just the Luftwaffe material as it's a massive undertaking …

Steve

With about 150 files (= 37,500 reports) for 1944 alone, I think you'd have start a crowdfunding scheme to raise a big enough bribe — either that or sell off the second-best Ferrari.

[Steve Coates]

Undoubtedly Nick but one can always hope !

Amongst other things, I'm currently working backwards through the 1944 HW5, so I appreciate just how much time and effort this represents.

Steve

[Andy Mitchell]

Nick, Rudi, Steve,

Many thanks for your kind words.

You will find that from 129 onwards I have changed tack slightly and copied the text from the DEFE file rather than just summarise it. This coupled with an increase in Luftwaffe information in the latter files has meant more time spent on each one.

While the pdfs are fairly "open" for copying etc this all does start with a text file - if anyone's interested in having these then PM me and I will distribute via a file sharing site.

The process would have been a lot easier if the files could be read with OCR software. Unfortunately the quality of the originals varies so much that I have found this impossible to achieve.

If anyone fancies picking a file and processing it in the same way as I have then let me know and I will sent them the template for the document.


All the best

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Steve Coates

I'm currently working backwards through the 1944 HW5, so I appreciate just how much time and effort this represents.

Steve

Been there, done that — in search of particular things at first, then filled in the gaps. Then I read them, noted the cross-references and keep finding that there are loads of messages I missed.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Andy Mitchell

The process would have been a lot easier if the files could be read with OCR software.

In some cases it would be nice if they could be read by any means, human or software!

[Franek Grabowski]

There is one thing, that could be relatively easy done. I have tried to download those huge files, my PC got stuck with the size, and my browser snailed over the pages, only to find that this was a wrong file.
The thing that would make life easier is to break down those pdfs into individual images, and put them on some server. If in order, then by picking a random image would allow to narrow down to the set of images of interest.
Of course, such images could be then tagged by users, adding date or basic contents info, but I have little faith in people.
As to OCR, I worked on such half readable documents with OCR, and it is always of help, even if it narrows down to a file of few hundred pages. Otherwise OCR tools improve, so within few years they could be capable of faithfuly reading all the files.

[Andy Mitchell]

Guys,

Surprised myself and knocked out the DEFE3/134 file over the last week.

The LuftwaffeDataWiki DEFE3 page has been updated with a link to the page holding the new file.

DEFE3/134 covers the decription period 28 Jan 1944 to 31 Jan 1944.

Hope this is of assistance.