Luftwaffe modelling - Franck Oudin Zoukei Moura Ta 152

I expect you are all familiar with the work of master Swiss modeller Franck Oudin, especially as Franck's work is regularly published in Tamiya Model Magazine and elsewhere. Here is his recently completed Zoukei Moura Ta 152 covered elsewhere on this blog.

" Hello Neil, here are some views of my Ta 152H-0. I hope that you like it, cheers Franck ."

Click on the images for a closer view. More on the Zoukei Moura Ta 152 elsewhere on this blog
http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/132-focke-wulf-ta-152-h-1-zoukei-mura.html

Uffz. Karl-Heinz Kabus, JG 11 Eastern Front, spring 1945

Here's something I prepared for one of the Kagero Fw 190 monographs  - an account by Uffz. Karl-Heinz Kabus who recorded his reminiscences of sorties on the Eastern Front, spring 1945, while based at Strausberg near Berlin. Only a brief paragraph or two was retained in the book.

Kabus was a young FW 190 pilot serving with 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 11. With the war long since lost, his report paints a vivid picture of the hopeless final months for the defenders of Berlin and details some of the senseless sorties ordered as the Russians drew ever closer. (Translation copyright Neil Page, 2007)


".. On 3 February 1945 we moved once again, this time from Finow to Strausberg. Here our accomodation was good and the purpose-built barracks were still largely undamaged. We were able able to settle in for what would be a comparatively lengthy stay. Our proximity to Berlin gave rise to expectations of being able to renew contact with my parents and possibly even see them again after a long period away from home. The only way of getting to Berlin officially was through the ‘Läusetrick’ - the lice ploy - an official movement order only available to those who were sent to Berlin for 'de-lousing'. The small village of Hermersdorf bei Müncheberg also lay en route and it was here that my grand-parents, uncles and aunts lived. I'd spent most of my childhood holidays here......

Back to the events of February 1945. We were in the air on most days. February 8 was no exception. This was the first occasion on which I had flown a Jabo sortie in my FW 190 although this was to become our principal mission over the coming weeks. We chiefly carried 250-kg bombs or occasionally 500-kg cannisters which were jettisoned over enemy troop and vehicle concentrations around Zellin, Mohrin, Soldin as well as Pyritz (to the east of the Oder) and eventually over the Russian bridgehead and pontoon bridges around Göritz south of Küstrin. We fighter pilots would henceforth be employed primarily as Jagdbombenflieger - fighter bombers...

Uffz. Karl-Heinz Kabus at readiness, spring 1945, Strausberg near Berlin


" ...The Russian bridgehead in the vicinity of Göritz was a real headache. Soviet combat engineers had thrown a pontoon bridge across the river. This structure was the only crossing in the area capable of bearing the weight of the Soviet 'Stalin' heavy tank. We were tasked with attacking the bridge with bombs and cannon fire and putting it out of commission. During the first weeks of March we flew time and again against this target - and registered very little in the way of success. We had been trained as fighter pilots after all. We weren't bomber pilots - we must have hit everything in proximity to the bridge except for the bridge itself. Dive bombers based in Fürstenwalde were eventually charged with taking care of it. The day following an attack - or the day after at the latest - any damage would have been made good. Further up the Oder, the Soviets had stationed so-called 'pontoon groups'. Destroyed sections of a crossing were simply repaired again by floating 'bridge' sections downstream on the current and lashing them onto the remaining pontoon elements. It was enough to make you despair....

Where possible I took advantage of the return flight home from these Oder sorties to overfly Hermersdorf and to check whether everything was okay with my family. Apart from streams of refugees moving through the locality I discovered nothing untoward. We also saw lengthy columns of refugees moving east of the Oder. In many instances Russian tanks and combat vehicles had infiltrated the trains of horse-drawn carts, making it impossible for us to attack them from the air......

Opposite the aerodrome at Strausberg there was a cluster of large farm buildings - barns, stables, cowsheds and other buildings for animals. Many refugees from the eastern areas of the Reich were living here. Where possible we had struck up conversations with these people - what we heard of their terrible experiences as they fled the headlong Soviet advance gave us more than enough reasons to climb back up into our 'crates' day after day despite the hopelessness of the situation. The only thought at that time was to hold up the Russians at the Oder for as long as possible - the longer we could do this the further westwards the refugees could go....

In military terms our sorties were of less and less value by the day. The skies were initially relatively empty of aircraft but gradually we encountered more and more aeroplanes bearing the Soviet red star and our losses mounted accordingly. Many pilots only made it back to Strausberg with difficulty and then ended up crashing on the approach. One such was my Staffel comrade Leutnant Kalich, who smashed into the ground at the controls of his machine on 4 February 1945.


On 27 March I flew one of the more noteworthy sorties of this period. By now Küstrin had been cut off and had to be supplied from the air. A large formation was tasked with crossing the Oder at 2,000 to 3,000 metres altitude before letting down over the Warthe and flying back up to Küstrin at very low altitude to jettison the supply cannisters that were being transported. It would be our job to escort this formation as far as the Oder. Once there we were to swing onto a heading that would take us as far as Küstrin. Arriving over the town we were instructed to fire off rockets and signal flares in a gigantic display of fireworks and deliberately attempt to draw the attention of the Russian flak batteries, allowing the low flying re-supply ships to come in unmolested. I don't recall that the mission was a great success. The transport planes flew too low which meant that the cannisters shattered when they hit the ground or else they flew too high and the containers came down outside of the area still held by our comrades and fell into Russian hands.

The sortie I flew on 27 March 1945 very nearly ended in disaster. As I threw my machine into a high speed dive one of my engine cowling panels flew off in the slipstream. I attempted to pull out of the dive - yanking hard on the stick- but to no avail. It was as if the control column had suddenly been encased in concrete and it resisted all attempts to budge it. It was only in the nick of time that I remembered that there was a small switch that would enable me to re-trim the tailplane - I quickly selected 'schwanzlastig' - tail heavy. Moments later - as the little electric motor whirred into action - the stick started to move back of its own accord. I don't recall what happened next as I had 'blacked-out'. When I came too the nose of my 190 was pointing skywards. That was enough for one day I thought and headed home - my crate was subsequently declared unserviceable.

Attacks on the bridges at Göritz continued without respite - we were no longer hauling bombs at this stage but flying escort cover for the Schlachtflieger. On 14 April 1945 we flew cover for so-called 'Mistel' combination aircraft - explosive-laden Ju88s 'flown' from a Me 109 or Fw 190, radio-guided into a ground target from the smaller 'piggy-back' fighter. After releasing the Ju 88, the Me 109 or Fw 190 returned home alone. Even the deployment of these contraptions was not enough to prevent the Soviets launching their next offensive on 16 April 1945. Early that morning we awoke to the sounds of rumbling coming from the east which were nothing like we had heard before. What in the past was mostly sporadic now increased in intensity and grew ever louder. Russian artillery was laying down a barrage of untold ferocity as a precursor to the final assault on Berlin.

We were soon ordered to go to cockpit readiness and it wasn't long before we were airborne. The first sorties were 'freie Jagd' - free hunt - missions. As the aircraft returned they were quickly replenished with fuel and munitions with their pilots remaining at cockpit readiness until ordered up again. Formation takeoffs differed considerably from our usual practise. The first Staffel - on the northern perimeter of the field close to the barracks - launched into their takeoff runs directly from the dispersal area, on a 170° heading across the field, while 2. Staffel - on the eastern side of the aerodrome - was ordered up on the firing of a signal flare. 1. Staffel were soon roaring over our dispersal on the southern side of the field, while 2. Staffel were kicking up more dust and dirt as they took off towards us. Then it was our turn. Our takeoff runs were made in a north-easterly direction across the field. Visibility was almost nil as a huge cloud of exhaust gases and dust hung over the airfield. The fact there were no incidents getting airborne in this fashion bordered on the miraculous. The Staffeln quickly formed up east of the field and that day I found myself alongside the machines of the Stab, among which was presumably the Gruppenkommandeur. It wasn't long before large enemy formations - twin-engine Boston bombers - loomed up out of the haze. The Stab flight headed towards them. The Bostons salvoed their pay loads and swung onto an easterly heading. We curved around onto their heading and closed in from astern. At a height of 2,500 metres and somewhere north of Letschin, targets were selected and we prepared to attack - there were no orders. I opened up from close range and quickly accounted for one of the enemy machines while more firing passes were flown against the other machines. With our magazines empty we had to break off and turn for home. That evening we were again airborne in Schwarm- and Rotte size formations heading east. Once again we came across Russian machines - IL-2 bombers - in the vicinity of Letschin.

Once again I was able to shoot down another Russian and return home safely. It was the same story on 18 April. On the return flight I took a quick detour via Hermersdorf. From afar I could see the church and some of the farmsteads burning. Russian tanks were positioned on the roads that led into the village from the east - there were large numbers of them on the road that led to Wulkow. I was forced to turn back by heavy ground fire.. On the evening of 18 April we moved from Strausberg to Berlin-Gatow..."

Luftwaffe modelling - new Airfix Bf109 E-4 Emil 1:72 is here ! - edit 06 June

 As good as last year's 48th scale Emil from Airfix was, this new tool in 1:72nd scale is probably even better - the details are rendered with a certain finesse, the landing gear is not so stalky for a start and the 'engine' and the separate flaps deployed are very well done.  Likely to become the 'reference' in 1:72 scale.  Only one Battle of Britain decal option  (Franz von Werra - ' The one who got away' ) and no Trop/Jabo parts in this boxing. Aside from that, the molding is every bit as good as the Tamiya Emil in this scale -the only real issues I had with mine were the fit of the wing halves, a niggle easily solved if you remove the locating pins. There are no issues with dihedral at all, or any other of the supposed 'problems' you might have read about, as posted by supposed competition winners on certain forums - of course like any new kit, there are a few minor niggles, easily solved. Who cares if the instrument panel decal is too large for the panel part - just cut out some of the individual dials and apply - no need to whine about it! The option to pose the flaps deployed and the canopy open is very well done. A shame though that there are not more options in this box - no doubt the E-3, E-1 sub-types will appear in subsequent boxings. More comment and a bit of a build log over on my modelling blog pages..

http://falkeeinsmodel.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/new-airfix-bf-109-emil-in-172-scale-is.html

A quick look at a couple of my finished models built from this kit if arriving from google directly onto this page - Aeromaster decals..

A page of Emil photos

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/06/ebay-emils.html

Heinkel He 111 of Kampfgeschwader 26 RK crew

Michael Meyer's Ebay sales - new link
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/109ling/m.html?hash=item4162455a39&item=280821586489&pt=Militaria&_trksid=p4340.l2562

He 111 H of 4./KG 26 photographed  during August 1940 in Stavanger-Sola. From the left Schops, Mathias Holler BF, - , Observer Fw Lange, pilot Lt. Herbert Kuntz. Flugzeugführer Kuntz was awarded the RK on 14.3.1943

(Above, below) He 111 H 1H + KN of 5./KG 26 photographed on 26 December 1940 at Amiens in night Blitz finish (Nachttarnung)

Below, Herbert Kuntz's Beobachter (observer) Gerhard Lange takes the control column during a long over sea flight between north Africa and Sicily during early 1941. Herbert Kuntz sitting on the cockpit hatch and, bottom, loading an SC 1800.

A history of Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik As' part 2 Batailles Aériennes 59

Part two of Jean-Louis Roba's planned four-part series on JG 53 is just published by Lela Presse in their Batailles aériennes series of quarterly monographs. This is a very nice 108-page A-4 format softback with over 200 nicely reproduced photos (including 10-15 colour images) and twenty of Thierry Dekker's superlative artworks - all for less than the price of an Osprey. Recommended, even if you don't read French.

Covering the period March 1941 to December 1942 Roba describes and analyses the performance of a Jagdgeschwader that some saw as an ace 'nursery'. Roba in his usual trenchant, even provocative, style begs to differ. During early 1941 the entire Geschwader converted onto the latest variant of the Bf 109, the Friedrich, and returned to northern France to counter the RAF's attempts to 'lean into Europe'. Early April saw Fw. Josef Wurmheller (5./JG 53) claim a Spitfire and a Blenheim in his first combat sorties since coming down in the Channel during November 1940. On 26 April Lt. Wolfgang Tonne (3./JG 53) became an ace, downing a Spitfire south of Boulogne-sur-Mer (the RAF reported this as a 242 Sq. Hurricane). The combats over the Channel up to June 1941 were very much an interlude for JG 53 prior to the invasion of the Soviet Union which nonetheless resulted in the loss of six pilots killed in action. With the launch of Barbarossa I./JG 53 began its run of colossal victory scores - through June, July and August 1941, over 200 for the Stab and I./JG 53, " a figure which is patently inflated ".  The Kommodore von Maltzahn picked up his Oakleaves in July taking his score from 16 to 49 in a six week period although he was nonetheless forced to make three crash landings during the same period. Oblt Hans-Joachim Heinecke went from 0 to 16 and was appointed Staffelkapitän of I./JG 53. It was a similar story for II./JG 53 (minus its 6. Staffel)  Despite the early loss of Kommandeur Bretnuetz, over fourteen weeks and for the loss of six pilots the Gruppe returned some 194 victories " a largely exaggerated figure for just two Staffeln ". The exploits of III./JG 53 over this fourteen week period to the end of September are also detailed. Operating over Heeresgruppe Mitte, this latter organisation seems to have largely abdicated its authority to 'adjudicate' in the claims confirmation process. By the end of the first summer in the East, III./JG 53 had submitted claims for some 373 victories! While its defenders claim Wilcke's Gruppe - established by Mölders - was a nursery for Draufgänger, as evidenced by the three Ritterkreuze awarded in this short space of time, " it is nonetheless a fact that many of these pilots' victory claims were no more than flights of fancy and that they were encouraged to file these claims by a benevolent hierarchy and propaganda media looking for new heroes ".  These 373 claims were made for the loss 31 Friedrich either seriously damaged or destroyed and just three pilots killed, including Ritterkreuz holder Lt. Erich Schmidt, ( RK awarded 23 July for 31 victories) who was downed by Soviet anti-aircraft fire near Dubno.

Erich Schmidt III./JG 53, RK 23 July 1941. Note, above forty seven Abschussbalken, his final tally.

Profile courtesy of artist Thierry Dekker for this blog. Click on the image for a larger view.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (WNr. 6702) assigned to Ofw. Hermann Neuhoff, 7./JG 53, Lepel, early July 1941. Neuhoff was shot down over Malta on 10 April 1942 by a "Hurricane" and taken captive.  He was awarded the RK on the same day for his 40 victories. Neuhoff was most probably shot down by a JG 53 Bf 109.

There followed a period of rest in Holland and conversion onto the F-4 variant, that nonetheless saw the loss of the Kommandeur I./JG 53 Franz von Werra. He was replaced by Zerstörer ace Hptm Herbert Kaminski who was awarded the RK on 6 August 1941. Late 1941 and early 1942 saw JG 53 active in a new theatre of operations - deployed to Sicily. The Mediterranean meant the time of 'easy' victories was over  - the hazards of the Med - long over-sea flights, RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes and the British exploitation of Ultra all saw to that. Some 45 victory claims were filed for combats over Malta during the first two months in the Med - for some 25 actual RAF losses. During the spring of 1942 operations over Malta continued relentlessly. A Jabo Staffel was established under Oblt. Werner Langemann. JG 53 filed over 100 victory claims for this period for 25 pilots lost - the successful pilots, Oblt. Helmut Belser (8./JG 53), Zellot, von Maltzahn, Rollwage had all run up scores in the Soviet Union - few if any 'new' aces appeared.  A claim of note was 6./JG 53 Ofw. Rudolf Ehrenberger's 20th on 31 March - for a Hampden over Luqa. In some listings this has even been registered as a Mosquito ! Roba suggests that it was a Hudson flying in from Gibraltar. On 14 April von Maltzahn was credited with a P-40, another extremely rare type over Malta.

I./JG 53 returned to Russia for the offensives of 1942 and received its first Bf 109 G-2 fighters later that summer. " From the outset the huge victory list accumulated by I./JG 53 simply staggers - 913 victory claims in a 19-week period for only 15 pilots lost at an average of 7 victories/day. "  One of these losses was Kommandeur Kaminski, shot down and wounded on 24 July 1942. (On his return from convalescence during late 1943 Kaminski was appointed CO of Zerstörer Gruppe II./ZG 76) Oblt. Tonne opened this second campaign in the East with 19 victories and finished it with 101 ! A youthful Uffz. Wilhelm Crinius had yet to open his score on his arrival in the unit in February 1942 - on 22 September he had 'achieved' his 100th! By now 'Stalin's Falcons' had learnt the lessons of 1941. Moreover, new, more modern types had made their appearance in addition to Allied equipment supplied under Lend-Lease. " The pilots exaggerated claims were probably not the result of deliberate falsification, but it was self-evident that there was no rigour in the claims validation process whatsoever ". One is tempted to add  - as is so often claimed for the Jagdwaffe !  The author argues that these huge victory totals should be divided by two, three, four or even five to arrive at claims approaching the reality of Soviet losses. I./JG 53 went back to Sicily prior to Stalingrad, while of those JG 53 aces who had run up such huge scores in just a short three-month period, very few would see the end of the war - Uffz. Franz Hagedorn (25 or 37 vics), Uffz. Helmut Peissert (38) and Ritterkreuz holder Walter Zellot (86) would all perish soon afterwards in Russia.

Profile courtesy of artist Thierry Dekker for this blog. Click on the image for a larger view
Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 of 10.(Jabo)/JG 53, Gela, Sicily April 1942. The men of the Jabo Staffel referred to themselves as the "Bomben-Export Langemann u Co. GmbH"




JG 53 Friedrichs at Comiso, Sicily during 1942,  courtesy of Michael Meyer and a recent Ebay auction  - these are not images taken from this installment of Roba's JG 53 history.
Michael Meyer's Ebay auctions can be found here
For more on JG 53 on Sicily on this blog, again courtesy of Michael Meyer, go here

demise of the Luftwaffe blog ?, Lt. Karl-Heinz Kempf, JG 26 at Villacoublay June 1944

Thank you for all the kind comments received during the blog’s recent hiatus. I pulled the plug a bit too rapidly perhaps. The ‘end’ of the blog resulted in a bit of fevered speculation on at least one forum - funny how people immediately jump to the worst possible conclusions. As you can see I decided in the end to ‘restore’ this blog, partly to demonstrate to some that Google have not shut this site down for any particular issues, especially of copyright, far from it. Anyway, I'll live with it for a few days and see how I feel. I’m afraid the ‘Luftwaffe blog’ had/has become too much like hard work to be honest. I recognise that there is no way I can really continue to keep doing up-dates of reasonable 'quality' with my 'schedule'; having finished translations of Erik Mombeeck’s JG 4 Vol II and JG 2 Vol II (not yet published) I need a break but I’m still mid-way through a number of other planned publications for various German, Belgian and French authors and with invitations to contribute to two new series on the table currently! One friend recently asserted that I am “the victim of my own expertise”. You are too kind David!

There are obvious problems with regularly up-dating a blog like this. You create something half-decent and it begins to consume all your time and people expect more. Visitor numbers were/are quite impressive, I think, for a private blog, with upwards of 1,200 page views per day. The other (paper) projects demand increasing amounts of attention too. It is always nice to be asked to contribute and difficult to say no, even when it’s Kagero and the half-baked Polish/English text is all but incomprehensible. (Luckily they have upped the quality in leaps and bounds and in Thomasz Szlagor they have a very competent English/Polish writer and researcher). My feeling right now is that this blog will not be updated quite so frequently. Then when time permits I hope to be in a better position to consider again providing more regular updates. Creativity - and energy - ebbs and flows, and right now I'm in an ebb phase with the blog. And besides there are other Luftwaffe blogs and sites out there - see my links and support my friends!

 I am fortunate to have a number of expert friends and fellow enthusiasts to provide material. Chief among these is French researcher/author Jean-Yves Lorant, author of the two volume history of JG 300 (Eagle Editions) and of a ground-breaking study of the Focke Wulf 190 back in 1981 published by Docavia in France (co-author Jean-Bernard Frappé). This was Jean-Yves’ first work, written in the late 1970’s when he was still a teenager. Nowadays he manages the French armed forces photo archive at the Service Historique de la Défense (over 6 million items) from a huge office (big enough to display a genuine Fw 190 propeller) in the opulent surroundings of the château de Vincennes, Paris. A visit there was the highlight of a trip to Paris a few years ago. Jean-Yves was in touch following my recent posting of III./JG 26 Gustavs taxying out and lining up for take-off in front of the ‘Guynemeyer’ hangar at Villacoublay during June 1944. This image was just one of a much longer sequence which featured 9. and 2. Staffel ace Lt. Karl-Heinz Kempf, which Jean-Yves very kindly offered for publication here.

As there is very little information about Kempf on the Net or in books and even fewer images, I am not going to reproduce Jean-Yves' high-res TIFF files here for the usual reasons, but have decided to post some low-res photocopies. Kempf was a former Green Heart Geschwader pilot with some 60 victories over the course of approx 400 sorties by the time of the Normandy Invasion. The pictures show Kempf clambering over a Gustav at Villacoublay during June 1944, possibly ‘white 9’.

He was a rare holder of the Ritterkreuz in JG 26, awarded in Russia during 1942. Kempf survived the hard air combats over the Normandy Invasionsraum and filed a number of additional claims. He was shot down and killed on 3 September 1944 at the controls of a Fw 190 A-8 ‘Black 9’, caught by 55th FG P-51s while taking off with 2. Staffel from Grimbergen, Belgium. (details in Mr Caldwell's "JG 26 War Diary") This flight had been planned as a relatively straight forward ferry flight back to Germany. Kempf’s death was over-shadowed that same day by that of another leading former JG 54 ace and the 170+ victory ace and Kommandeur of II./JG 26, Hptm. Emil Lang.

Storming the bombers Volume II - first review. JG 4 Sturmgruppe Defending the Reich

During March 1945, high-ranking Wehrmacht officers undertook a number of tours of Luftwaffe aerodromes with the aim of relaying the following exhortations emanating from the Reichsmarchall Göring and Genraloberst Stumpf:

" The battle for the Reich, for our people and our homeland is entering its decisive phase. In blind hatred the nations of the world have come together to destroy us. We must draw on our last remaining forces to resist this evil tide. Never in our history has our German homeland been threatened with such total destruction from which there will be no rebirth. We can resist this danger only by manifesting the highest qualities of German combativeness. This is why I am turning to you in our most decisive hour of need: save the nation through the sacrifice in battle of your own life! I call upon you now to one last taking up of arms from which there is only a small probability of return. Those who respond to this appeal will immediately enrol for a flying training programme. Comrades - a place of honour awaits you in the roll call of the Luftwaffe's most revered fighting men. By your sacrifice you will give the German people renewed hope of victory and become an example for future generations in this hour of their greatest danger." (s) Göring

Several dozen pilots responded to this appeal - among them senior and experienced pilots from diverse backgrounds. It was explained that they would be called upon to dive their aircraft onto those of the enemy, as well as troop concentrations, pontoon bridges and other kinds of strategic objectives. Many of the contingent of volunteers were to train for the 'suicide' mission mounted by the Sonderkommando Elbe mentioned previously, while other volunteers were kept in reserve for other types of Selbstopfer – or 'self-sacrifice' - operations. For many of them life itself had already lost all meaning following the death of loved ones and the destruction and loss of all their possessions. Having lived since a young age in the Third Reich, they had in all likelihood been convinced by the Nazi Party propaganda machine of the superiority of their nation and their race. Many doubtless considered that their own fate was indivisible from that of the nation. If this value system was to collapse then everything they held dear would be destroyed for ever. For most the only possible outcome was to die in action - to go down with the Third Reich in its death throes.

Those remaining members of JG 4 who had some contact with the activities and operations of these suicide pilots - usually as a result of being assigned to escort them into action - would remain deeply affected by the experience. Lt. Ewald Kraas, of the Stab III./JG 4 recalled;

" In early April 45 - as the Soviet advance along the Oder front was showing signs of stalling - there were a number of discussions on the subject of suicide missions at the level of the Geschwaderstab in JG 4 - we had become aware that a group of volunteer pilots were being called upon to fly their aircraft - packed with explosives - into the pontoon bridges that had been thrown across the Oder. During this period of inflammatory calls to the German fighting spirit it came as no surprise that some of our pilots were coming forward to undertake these kinds of 'self-sacrifice' missions - after all there had never been any shortage of volunteers for the Sturmstaffeln in our Geschwader. However a Rammjäger always had the option of bailing out at the last minute after ramming an enemy bomber - but these Selbstopfer pilots were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, diving their fully fuelled fighters onto enemy targets..

During the middle of April our Kommodore, Obstlt. Michalski, accompanied by several staff officers paid a visit to Jüterbog/Altes Lager - the aerodrome where the suicide volunteers were assembling. On his return he described the situation there to Hptm. Gerhard Strasen- I was present during this conversation. Michalski had seen eighty volunteers - pilots of all ages, ranks, backgrounds and experience. There was even an Oberfeldwebel among their number who had been decorated with the Ritterkreuz. The discussion turned to the motivations of these men and what drove them to want to sacrifice themselves in this way. Michalski turned to me and said : "well, Lt. Kraas, would you ever consider putting yourself forward to fly this kind of mission?"

Without hesitation I replied: "Herr Oberstleutnant, frankly - not at all!" _" No, neither would I" he admitted..

A link to Adam Norenberg's review of "Storming the Bombers - Vol. 2".

" ...The rare oral testimonies found here are backed up by excellent photographs from pilots and crew’s private collections. Credit must go as well to Neil Page who has produced the translation of the text and has made sure the book is never just a dry account of history as many books are when translated into the English language..."



http://www.themodellingnews.com/2012/01/review-storming-bombers-chronicle-of.html