Luftwaffe and Normandy 1944; request for help with sources

Discussions on all (non-biographical) aspects of the Luftwaffe air units and general discussions on the Luftwaffe.
Post Reply
Simon Trew 1
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 29 May 2017, 08:46
Location: UK

Luftwaffe and Normandy 1944; request for help with sources

#1

Post by Simon Trew 1 » 20 Oct 2019, 17:55

Hello, I wonder if anybody can help me with the following things related to sources about the Luftwaffe’s involvement in the Normandy campaign?

Context: I’m coming to the end of producing an annotated bibliography of sources relating to the German perspective on the Normandy campaign. It’s a big piece of work (400+ pages, well over 150,000 words) and I’m now re-organising stuff that was originally listed alphabetically into thematic sections. The Luftwaffe section runs to about 50 pages and several hundred separate sources. I’ve managed to buy (or, at least, see) almost all of these. But there are a few where the prices are exorbitant or the source is especially hard to track down. Possibly that’s just because I’m looking in the wrong place. Anyway, for one reason or another I have some gaps in my guide.

So, please can anybody cast any light on the following things?

1. The content of Karl Gundelach’s article “Drohende Gefahr West. Die Deutsche Luftwaffe vor und während der Invasion” (Wehrwissenschaftliche Rundschau, Number 9, 1959, pp.299-328). Fairly obviously, this article deals with the Luftwaffe’s reaction to the invasion. But I don’t know if it is a general account or if it focuses on the dispatch of fighter reinforcements to the West in the immediate aftermath of D-Day (or something else). A concise summary from somebody who has this article would be much appreciated. (I tried to get a copy through our library ILL service but for some reason it seems tricky to get.)
2. Does anybody know a source (ideally online, otherwise a library in the UK) where I can see the July 1944 KTB of the Seekriegsleitung? I saw and photographed large chunks of the English-language translations of the June and August 1944 war diaries at the Naval Historical Branch in Portsmouth some months ago. But they don’t have the July 1944 war diary. Nor, it seems, does the IWM at Duxford/London. I know the subject matter of the KTB SKL is mostly about naval operations. But there is always a section for each day’s air operations and many other things besides. A pointer to an accessible location where I can see a copy of the July 1944 war diary would help me fill a gap in my bibliography.
3. Can anybody confirm if John Vasco’s ‘The Sting of the Luftwaffe: Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 and Zerstorergeschwader 1 “Wespengeschwader” in World War II (Schiffer 2001) contains anything about ZG 1’s brief participation in the Normandy campaign? If so, what are the page references?
4. Does anybody have a copy of Jochen Prien and Gerhard Stemmer’s ‘Messerschmitt Bf 109 im Einsatz bei der III./Jagdgeschwader 3' (self-published, Eutin 1996)? Copies no longer seem to be available from the Rogge GmbH website and I’ve not tracked down a sensibly-priced copy online. I have all other Prien volumes relevant to Normandy 1944 so I guess this contains a section on III./JG 3 in the West. Can anybody give me the page references?
5. Does anybody have a copy of Eric/k Mombee(c)k’s ‘Eismeerjager – Zur Geschichte des JG 5 Band 4’ (self-published, 2011). Again, I can’t find a reasonably-priced copy online. I guess (from having several of his books) that it contains useful sections about I./JG 5 and II./JG 5 in France during summer 1944. Page references??
6. Can anybody give me the page references covering summer 1944 from Theo Boiten’s ‘The Nachtjagd War Diaries: An Operational History of the German Night Fighter Force in the West, Volume Two, April 1944 to May 1945’ (Red Kite, 2008)? I know the content is being superseded by the ‘Nachtjagd Combat Archive’ series. But the summer 1944 volumes of that series will not appear until next year and I suspect my bibliography will be finished by then. I will mention the new series in my book but would appreciate details of the earlier publication if anybody has it.
7. Does anybody have Jan Horn’s ‘Das Flurschaden-Geschwader: Die Chronik des Kampfgeschwaders 51 “Edelweiß” zwischen 1. Januar 1944 bis Kriegsende’ (self-published, 2010). If so, please can you tell me the page references for the period covering the unit’s relatively brief involvement in post-invasion operations in the West? I know the book is available at Amazon.de and elsewhere, but I can’t justify spending the money given how brief this unit’s involvement was in the Normandy campaign. But I do want to include it in my bibliography and give accurate page references if possible.
8. Can anybody cast any light on whether or not Jan Horn’s ‘Die Chronik des Kampfgeschwaders 76 im Zeitraum 01.01.1944 bis 08.05.1945’ is actually available? It is listed on German websites as being published in 2019 but I can’t actually locate a copy. I bought his book about Kampfgeschwader 6 so I can see his work is detailed and well-researched. I’d like to get hold of this book if it is actually available, or at least identify page references for the section covering summer 1944 operations in the West.
9. Does anybody know if anything specific has ever been published (in any language) about Kampfgeschwader 30, Kampfgeschwader 40 or Kampfgeschwader 77? Apart from entries in Henry de Zeng’s excellent two-volume series, I can’t locate any unit histories for these units. If anybody knows of one, please can you provide details.
10. Finally, I have Ken Wakefield’s book about Luftwaffe pathfinder operations over the UK, which covers KG 66’s role during Operation ‘Steinbock’. But the book stops at June 1944 and doesn’t cover the unit’s role during the invasion period. Does anybody know of a published source that does so?

I am most grateful to anybody who can help fill one or more of these gaps. The bibliography will appear whether or not I can solve these problems. But it seems like a good thing to be as specific as possible about where in a published source to find the stuff about summer 1944. So even if I can’t afford or manage to see the books listed above myself, perhaps users of this forum can help me identify the relevant page references and address the other issues identified above.

Simon

Andrew Arthy
Member
Posts: 214
Joined: 08 Oct 2010, 05:04
Location: Tasmania
Contact:

Re: Luftwaffe and Normandy 1944; request for help with sources

#2

Post by Andrew Arthy » 22 Oct 2019, 04:02

Hi Simon,

For the SKL KTB for July 1944, see https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-zmsbw/front ... 0/docId/73 and https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-zmsbw/front ... 0/docId/74

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com


Simon Trew 1
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 29 May 2017, 08:46
Location: UK

Re: Luftwaffe and Normandy 1944; request for help with sources

#3

Post by Simon Trew 1 » 24 Oct 2019, 07:43

Thanks Andrew, much appreciated. That's ticked the most importnant box!

sveahk
Member
Posts: 656
Joined: 14 Feb 2005, 22:28
Location: switzerland

Re: Luftwaffe and Normandy 1944; request for help with sources

#4

Post by sveahk » 24 Oct 2019, 09:45

Hi Simon

5. Eismeerjäger-book by Eric Mombeek, Band 4, features your area from page 3 to 43, Chapter 17 called "Invasionsfront".

6. Theo Boiten’s ‘The Nachtjagd War Diaries, Volume Two - Chapter 7, "Overlord and Oil. The Battle for France, 5/6 June 1944 - 11/12 August 1944". Stretches from page 66 to 134.

Cheers Hans K

Simon Trew 1
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 29 May 2017, 08:46
Location: UK

Re: Luftwaffe and Normandy 1944; request for help with sources

#5

Post by Simon Trew 1 » 26 Oct 2019, 09:34

Hans, thanks very much. I've made the additions to my bibliography and very much appreciate your help. Mombeek's book seems unobtainable on the second-hand market and Boiten's book is very highly priced (and there is not much point buying it now that the more up-to-date series has almost reached 1944). So I'm really grateful to you for filling these gaps.

Simon

Post Reply

Return to “Luftwaffe air units and Luftwaffe in general”