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German Air Forces Facing Britain, 18 August 1940
German Air Forces Facing Britain 18 August 1940 German High Command: Reichsmarschall H. Goering Luftflotte 2 (In Brussels) Generalfeldmarschall A. Kesselring Fliegerkorps I: (in Beauvais) Kampfgruppe 1 Staff (5/0 - He 111)(in Rosiéres-en-Santerre)1 I Gruppe (23/5 - He111)(in Montdidier) II Gruppe (25/5 - He111)(in Montdidier) III Gruppe (19/9 - He111)(in Rosiéres-en- Santerre) Kampfgruppe 76 Staff (3/2 - Do 17)(in Cormeilles-en-Vexin) I Gruppe (26/3 - Do 17)(in Beuvais) II Gruppe (29/8 - Do 17)(in Creil) III Gruppe (21/5 - Do 17)(in Cormeilles-en-Vexin) Fliegerkorps II (in Ghent) Kampfgruppe 2 Staff (4/1 - Do 17)(in Arras) I Gruppe (21/7 - Do 17)(in Epinoy) II Gruppe (31/3 - Do 17)(in Arras) III Gruppe (24/5 - Do 17)(in Cambrai) Kampfgruppe 3 Staff (5/1 - Do 17)(in Le Culot) I Gruppe (24/10 - Do 17)(in Le Culot) II Gruppe (27/7 - Do 17)(in Antwerp/Deurne) III Gruppe (29/5 - Do 17)(in St. Trond) Kampfgruppe 53 Staff (3/2 - He 111)(in Lille) I Gruppe (17/2 - He 111)(in Lille) II Gruppe (20/1 - He 111)(in Lille) III Gruppe (21/5 - He 111)(in Lille) II/Stukagruppe 1 (26/10 - Ju 87)(in Pas-de-Calais) IV/Stukagruppe 1 (16/10 - Ju 87)(in Tramecourt)2 Erprobungsgruppe 210 (Me 108 & Me 110) Fleigerdivision 9: (in Soesterberg) Kampfgruppe 4 Staff (5/1 - He 111)(in Soesterberg) I Gruppe (20/10 - He 111)(in Soesterberg) II Gruppe (23/7 - He 111)(in Eindhoven) III Gruppe (25/10 - Ju 88)(in Amsterdam/Schiphol) I/Kampfgruppe 40 (FW 200) Kampfgruppe 100 (He 111) Jagdfleigerfüher 2 (in Wissant) Jagdgruppe 3 Staff (2/0 - Me 109)(in Samer) 1 Numbers are serviceable and unservicable aircraft. -
Battle of Britain Blood Red Skies
Battle of Britain Blood Red Skies (BRS) Campaign The German “Blitzkrieg”, a new way of waging “lightning war” had raged through first Poland, then in the early summer of 1940 struck at Holland, Belgium and France. The Luftwaffe (German air force) crushed all opponents in the air, and then fast moving armour with ever present air support sliced through ground forces leaving their opponents scrabbling to hold defensive positions that were already untenable. The British Expeditionary Force fell back to Dunkirk and was evacuated against the odds. During this period the RAF (Royal Air Force) had desperately tried to defend the Dunkirk beaches and the constant stream of ships large and small ferrying the remains of the BEF back home. When the last ships left over 338000 men had been evacuated, British and French, but they were exhausted and had abandoned all their weapons and heavy equipment on French roads and beaches. As Churchill said “What General Weygand has called the Battle of France is over ... the Battle of Britain is about to begin” The Battle of Britain was fought in the skies above England in the summer of 1940. The Luftwaffe were seeking to destroy the RAF to clear the way for a cross Chanel assault by the German Army. If they could succeed, Britain would be threatened with defeat and the war would be over. If the RAF could survive, then there may be time to prepare the defences, and possibly take the fight back to the enemy in due course. This campaign is designed to allow players to recreate some of the desperate battles fought in the summer of 1940 using the Blood Red Skies (BRS) rules from Warlord Games. -
106 German and British Adaptations and the Context of German Strategic Decision Making in 1940-41 Williamson Murray Historians U
German and British Adaptations and the Context of German Strategic Decision Making in 1940-41 Williamson Murray Historians usually characterize the Battle of Britain as a great contest between the Luftwaffe and RAF Fighter Command that lasted from early July 1940 through to the massive daylight bombing of London during the first two weeks of September. The RAF is slightly more generous in placing the dates for the battle as occurring between 10 July and 15 October 1940.1 But the long and short of it is that the historical focus has emphasized the daylight, air-to-air struggle that took place over the course of three months: July, August, and September, 1940. This article, however aims at examining adaptation over a wider space of time – from early June 1940 through to the end of May 1941, when the Wehrmacht turned east with Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union and what the Luftwaffe’s chief of staff termed “a proper war.”2 It also aims at examining adaptation on both sides in the areas of technology, intelligence, operations, and tactics, rather than simply the contest between British fighters and German bombers and fighters – although the latter is obviously of considerable importance. Moreover, it will also examine the questions surrounding the larger strategic issues of German efforts to besiege the British Isles over the course of 1940 and the first half of 1941. The period of the Anglo-German war between the fall of France and the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 is of particular interest because it involved the integration of a whole set of new technologies and concepts into conflict as well as the adaptation to a complex set of problems that those new technologies raised, the answers to which were largely ambiguous. -
SECRET A. D. I. (K) Report No. 410/1945 the FOLLOWING
SECRET A. D. I. (K) Report No. 410/1945 THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM P/W AS THE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT AS YET BEEN VERIFIED, NO MENTION OF THEM SHOULD BE MADE IN INTELLIGENCE SUMMARIES OF COMMANDS OR LOWER FORMATIONS, NOR SHOULD THEY BE ACCEPTED UNTIL COMMENTED ON AIR MINISTRY INTELLIGENCE SUMMARIES OR SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS. G.A.F.SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE IN THE WAR — IX Norway and the Northern Convoy Routes. 1. In this series dealing with various aspects of the G.A.F. Signals Intelligence service in the war, it had been intended to conclude with the eighth report. Since the issue of the first report, however, another P/W has become available who had a comprehensive knowledge of signals activities in the Norwegian area throughout the war. It has therefore been found possible to add the present report, the ninth and final in the series. 2. The gradual expansion of signals intelligence based in Norway, and the Allied activities which it covered, are followed in this account from year to year from the time of the invasion of Norway onwards. In order that ready comparisons of the extent of that expansion may be made each year is dealt with separately, and maps showing the situation at various intervals during the war are appended. 1940. NUCLEUS OF THE ORGANISATION. 3. Soon after the invasion of Norway in May 1940, signals intelligence personnel from W-22 at Husum were formed into a new unit and sent to operate at Oslo. This new unit was named W—Leit 5 and, subordinated to the Höherer Nafü of Luftflotte 5, formed the nucleus of the projected signals intelligence service in Norway; its initial strength was that of a Trupp, but by the autumn was to be increased to a Zug (platoon). -
© Osprey Publishing • © Osprey Publishing • HITLER’S EAGLES
www.ospreypublishing.com © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com HITLER’S EAGLES THE LUFTWAFFE 1933–45 Chris McNab © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com CONTENTS Introduction 6 The Rise and Fall of the Luftwaffe 10 Luftwaffe – Organization and Manpower 56 Bombers – Strategic Reach 120 Fighters – Sky Warriors 174 Ground Attack – Strike from Above 238 Sea Eagles – Maritime Operations 292 Ground Forces – Eagles on the Land 340 Conclusion 382 Further Reading 387 Index 390 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com INTRODUCTION A force of Heinkel He 111s near their target over England during the summer of 1940. Once deprived of their Bf 109 escorts, the German bombers were acutely vulnerable to the predations of British Spitfires and Hurricanes. © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com he story of the German Luftwaffe (Air Force) has been an abiding focus of military Thistorians since the end of World War II in 1945. It is not difficult to see why. Like many aspects of the German war machine, the Luftwaffe was a crowning achievement of the German rearmament programme. During the 1920s and early 1930s, the air force was a shadowy organization, operating furtively under the tight restrictions on military development imposed by the Versailles Treaty. Yet through foreign-based aircraft design agencies, civilian air transport and nationalistic gliding clubs, the seeds of a future air force were nevertheless kept alive and growing in Hitler’s new Germany, and would eventually emerge in the formation of the Luftwaffe itself in 1935. The nascent Luftwaffe thereafter grew rapidly, its ranks of both men and aircraft swelling under the ambition of its commander-in-chief, Hermann Göring. -
Royal Air Force Historical Society Journal 51
ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL 51 2 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributors concerned and are not necessarily those held by the Royal Air Force Historical Society. First published in the UK in 2011 by the Royal Air Force Historical Society All ri hts reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical includin photocopyin , recordin or by any information stora e and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writin . ISSN 1361 4231 Printed by ,indrush -roup ,indrush House Avenue Two Station .ane ,itney O021 40, 3 ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY President 2arshal of the Royal Air Force Sir 2ichael 3eetham -C3 C3E DFC AFC 7ice8President Air 2arshal Sir Frederick Sowrey KC3 C3E AFC Committee Chairman Air 7ice82arshal N 3 3aldwin C3 C3E 7ice8Chairman -roup Captain 9 D Heron O3E Secretary -roup Captain K 9 Dearman FRAeS 2embership Secretary Dr 9ack Dunham PhD CPsychol A2RAeS Treasurer 9 3oyes TD CA 2embers Air Commodore - R Pitchfork 23E 3A FRAes ,in Commander C Cummin s :9 S Cox Esq 3A 2A :A72 P Dye O3E 3Sc(En ) CEn AC-I 2RAeS :-roup Captain 2 I Hart 2A 2A 2Phil RAF :,in Commander C Hunter 22DS RAF Editor & Publications ,in Commander C - 9efford 23E 3A 2ana er :Ex Officio 4 CONTENTS AIRFIE.D CONSTRUCTION 3Y THE ROYA. AIR FORCE, 1 1939 TO 1966 by A72 9ohn 3rowne A3A7 FIE.D FORCE ,IN- by 9ohn 2arsh 17 SHIE.D FORCEC A3A1 ,IN- AND THE .I3ERATION OF 32 HON- KON- by 3rian Corbett (presented by , Cdr Dick Turpin. -
German Aces of the Russian Front
GERMAN ACES OF THE RUSSIAN FRONT GERMAN ACES OF THE RUSSIAN FRONT John Weal First published in Great Britain in 2002 by Osprey Publishing, Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9LP, United Kingdom. Email: [email protected] © 2002 Osprey Publishing All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. ISBN 1 84176 620 8 Editor: Sally Rawlings Series editor: Tony Holmes Aircraft profiles by John Weal Figure Artwork by Mike Chappell Scale drawings by Mark Styling Index by Alan Thatcher Design by Tony Truscott Origination by Grasmere Digital Imaging, Leeds, UK Printed in China through Bookbuilders 02 03 04 05 06 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For a catalogue of all Osprey Publishing titles please contact us at: Osprey Direct UK, PO Box 140, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 2FA, UK E-mail: [email protected] Osprey Direct USA, c/o MBI Publishing, 729 Prospect Ave, PO Box 1, Osceola, WI 54020, USA E-mail: [email protected] Or visit our website: wvsrw.ospreypublishing.com CONTENTS PART 1 PART 2 CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND AND 'EXEUNT OMNES' 92 INTRODUCTION 6 CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER TWO FAMILIARISATION 94 BARBAROSSA - THE EARLY ADVANCES 15 CHAPTER THREE JG 51 IN COMBAT 98 COLOUR PLATES 33 SCALE DRAWINGS 43 CHAPTER FOUR COLOUR PLATES COMMENTARY 45 JG 54 - ENTER THE 'GREEN HEARTS' l O2 CHAPTER THREE THE ROAD TO DISASTER 51 CHAPTER FIVE .. -
The War in the Air 1914–1994
The War in the Air 1914–1994 American Edition Edited by Alan Stephens RAAF Aerospace Centre In cooperation with the RAAF Aerospace Centre Air University Press Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama January 2001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The war in the air, 1914-1994 / edited by Alan Stephens ; in cooperation with the RAAF Air Power Studies Centre––American ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-58566-087-6 1. Air power––History––Congresses. 2. Air warfare––History––Congresses. 3. Military history, Modern––20th century––Congresses. I. Stephens, Alan, 1944-II. RAAF Air Power Studies Centre. UG625.W367 2001 358.4′00904––dc21 00-068257 Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Air University, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. Cleared for public release: distribution unlimited. Copyright © 1994 by the RAAF Air Power Studies Centre. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Inquiries should be made to the copyright holder. ii Contents Page DISCLAIMER . ii FOREWORD . v ABOUT THE AUTHORS . vii PREFACE . xv ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS . xvii Essays Airpower in World War I, 1914–1918 . 1 Robin Higham The True Believers: Airpower between the Wars . 29 Alan Stephens Did the Bomber Always Get Through?: The Control of Strategic Airspace, 1939–1945 . 69 John McCarthy World War II: Air Support for Surface Forces . -
Doctor Werner Schwerdtfeger a Short Biography
Doctor Werner Schwerdtfeger A Short Biography The Wetterflieger Project The Wetterflieger Project – Werner Schwerdtfeger Table of Contents Preface .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Early Years ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 Beginnings ................................................................................................................................................. 2 Researcher, Aeronaut, Teacher ................................................................................................................ 4 Warrior Years ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Weather Reconnaissance Meteorologist .................................................................................................. 9 Zentral Wetterdienst Gruppe ................................................................................................................. 13 Chef, Zentral Wetterdienst Gruppe .................................................................................................... 14 Normandy and the D-Day Forecast ..................................................................................................... 16 Ardennes Counteroffensive Forecast ................................................................................................ -
The Order of Battle and Actual Strength of All Luftwaffe Air Combat Units in a Deployed (D) State on 21St June 1941
The Luftwaffe in 1941 (pagination correction, for table alignment in sample pdf file) Extract from Volume IIB 5. 2) Copyright 2014, Nigel Askey 1 Volume IIB 2) The Order of Battle and Actual Strength of all Luftwaffe Air Combat Units in a Deployed (D) State on 21st June 1941 a. Luftwaffe Higher Level Organisation and Deployment on 21st June 1941 The Luftwaffe higher-level organisation and chain of command, on the eve of Operation Barbarossa, was as shown in diagram Luft CofC (pages 204-205). There were five Luftflotte in existence at this time, of which three and a half were deployed in the East. These were Luftflotte 1, 2, 4 and around half of Luftflotte 5, which represented 67% of the Luftwaffe’s total combat-aircraft strength.1 This means that the Luftwaffe was only able to field around two thirds of its total front-line air strength against the principal enemy in 1941: the USSR. For Operation Barbarossa the Luftwaffe’s initial deployment area extended behind an approximately 1 600km broad front, encompassing the front-lines of the German, Hungarian and Rumanian Armies. It was aimed at an enemy front line roughly 2 400 km long between Odessa and Leningrad. Added to this was the Finnish-German front line of about 1 000kms. The Luftwaffe’s deployment was adapted to meet the operational and strategic objectives of the German Army, with three primary tasks. These were: the initial elimination of the Soviet Air Force (the VVS) in the Western Military Districts (by destroying them on the ground), protecting German ground forces by destroying VVS bomber units in the air and maintaining air-superiority over the front lines, and direct support of the army on the battlefield. -
The Falkland Islands
Bravery Sacrifice Freedom th ANNIVERSARY The Falkland Islands In 1940 the Falkland Islands seized their chance to contribute in a material 70 years later the Government and people of the Falkland Islands continue way to the war effort, by donating over £70,000 to the British Government. to cherish our close ties with the United Kingdom, and to support the work of The money was used for the purchase of ten Spitfire aircraft, which bore the the British Armed Forces. We will always be grateful for the sacrifices made name ‘Falkland Islands’ on each side of the fuselage beneath the cockpit. in 1982, and cherish ‘the sound of freedom’ as Royal Air Force jets traverse our skies. The Falkland Islands contribute to A message of thanks and a formal citation their defence by building quarters for married was received by the Falkland Islands personnel and constructing a large swimming Government from Lord Beaverbrook, Minister pool for the garrison. of Aircraft Production: ‘In the hour of peril the Legislative Council for the Falkland Islands Today the Falklands economy is prospering: earned the gratitude of the British Nations, it is based on fishing, tourism and agriculture, sustaining the valour of the Royal Air Force but diversification is strongly encouraged, for and fortifying the cause of freedom by the gift example into aquaculture and web-based of ten fighter aircraft.’ business. Potential off-shore oil reserves may provide an additional source of income and Islanders also played their part by welcoming employment in the future. and working with the naval squadrons and army garrisons based in the Falkland Islands during both world wars, and by enlisting (then and since) Falkland Islanders are united in our desire to continue to exercise our right to fight alongside their British peers. -
Luftnachrichten-Regiment 1
Luftnachrichten-Regiment 1 Kommandeure: • Obstlt Dr. Gotthard Seidel, 1.7.38 - 1.4.39 • Oberst Otto Kühne, 1.4.39 - 1939 • Obstlt Alfred Dürr, 1939 - 30.9.39 • Oberst Friedrich-Wilhelm Jakoby, 26.10.39 - 10.3.40 • Obstlt Hans Beyer, 1.6.40 - 6.40 • Obstlt Franz Köhler, 6.40 - 22.6.40 • Maj Rudolf Wichmann, 22.6.40 - 4.41 • Obstlt Kurt Schlabach, 1.4.41 - 1.43 • Oberst Willy Lenke, 14.1.43 - 3.44 • Oberst Paul-Bernhard Schneider, 20.3.44 - 5.45 Formed 1.7.38 in Berlin with: • Stab I./1 in Bernau (from Stab I./Luftnachrichten-Regiment 12) with: o 1./1 (Fernsprech) o 2./1 (Funk- und Funkhorch) o 3./1 (Funkpeil- und Leuchtfeuer) • Stab II./1 in Dresden-Klotzsche (from Stab I./Luftnachrichten-Regiment 13) with: o 5./1 (Fernsprech) o 6./1 (Funk- und Funkhorch) o 7./1 (Funkpeil- und Leuchtfeuer) Reorganized in 1.4.39, now with (planned, not all were formed before the mobilization): • Stab I./1 in Bernau (Luftnachrichten-Betriebs-Abteilung) with: o 1./1 (Betriebs) o 2./1 (Betriebs) o 3./1 (Fernsprech - Stabsnachrichten) o 4./1 (Funk) o Geräte-Kolonne I. • Stab II./1 in Dresden-Klotzsche (Luftnachrichten-Bau-Abteilung) with: o 5./1 (Fernsprech-Bau) o 6./1 (Fernsprech-Bau) o 7./1 (Telegraphen-Bau) o 8./1 (Telegraphen-Bau) o Geräte-Kolonne II. • Stab III./1 in (Luftnachrichten-Funkhorch-Abteilung) with: o 9./1 (Funkhorch) o 10./1 (Funkhorch) o Geräte-Kolonne III. (not formed) • Stab IV./1 in (Luftnachrichten-Flugsicherungs-Abteilung) with: o 11./1 (Flugsicherung) (not formed?) o 12./1 (Flugsicherung) (not formed?) o 13./1 (Flugsicherung) o 14./1