'Aussie Rick'’s Comments (group member since Jun 12, 2009)

'Aussie Rick'’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

"Defenders of the Reich: The Luftwaffe’s War against America’s Bombers" - The loss of another outstanding German pilot:

"On 2 March 1944, Hauptmann Egon Mayer, Kommodore of JG 2, the first pilot to accumulate 100 victories solely on the Channel Front and the tactical mastermind behind the Luftwaffe's classic frontal attack against the bombers in late 1942, led a Schwarm of Fw 190s of Stab./JG 2 against a formation of around 200 B-17s heading for Frankfurt am Main. The Stab flight had failed to link up with the Focke-Wulfs of II. and III./JG 2, and recent research suggests Mayer later lost contact with his own Schwarm.

As he made a lone diving pass through the bombers, Mayer fell prey to P-47s that he failed to spot above him. He came down near Montmedy in France. Mayer's loss was especially hard to bear, for at that time he was the highest scorer against the bombers with 24 Viermonts to his credit."

Attack from the front: The Luftwaffe WWII Fighter Ace who devised the most effective way to destroy a B-17 Flying Fortress:
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/attac...

Egon Mayer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egon_Mayer

Mike wrote: "A couple today:

$0.99:

[book:Swift Sword: The True Story of the Marines of MIKE 3/5 in Vie..."

Thanks for posting those book details, Mike, much appreciated!

"Defenders of the Reich: The Luftwaffe’s War against America’s Bombers" - The Luftwaffe is starting to suffer some significant casualties amongst its best pilots:

"The levels of attrition among experienced fighter pilots and formation leaders continued to bite during December. On the 4th, one month after replacing the loss of 180-victory Knight's Cross recipient Major Kurt Brandle as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 3, Hauptmann Wilhelm Lemke suffered a similar fate when he too fell to P-47s whilst on patrol northwest of Nijmegen, in the Netherlands. Lemke had flown more than 600 missions, during which he had been credited with 131 victories, including 25 IL-2s in the East and three four-engined bombers in the West."

Defenders of the Reich: The Luftwaffe’s War against America’s Bombers by Robert Forsyth

"Defenders of the Reich: The Luftwaffe’s War against America’s Bombers" - An account of one brave Luftwaffe pilot in action against an American bomber formation:

"Leading the four Messerschmitt's was instructor pilot Feldwebel Werner Doring, and his charges were three of his junior student pilots.

To his dismay, as Doring, a North Africa veteran who had flown previously with 1./JG 27 and had claimed his first B-17 shot down in August, led the fighters into engage, all of his aircraft's weapons suffered a technical failure, Undaunted by the risk of defensive fire, he flew what were described by Vollbracht as 'several dashing attacks against the enemy formation' in an effort to demonstrate to his trainees how to close in on the bombers 'correctly and effectively'. Apparently Doring's action resulted in 'three successful attacks' and the shooting down of one Flying Fortress. 'I would like to express my special appreciation for his dashing and responsible behaviour', noted Vollbracht in the Jafu's daily orders."

Defenders of the Reich: The Luftwaffe’s War against America’s Bombers by Robert Forsyth

Dipanjan wrote: "Today I have bought the following gem...

"

Nice purchase, Dipanjan.

Mike wrote: "Corsica had advantages...a one slightly major problem:

Corsica…would soon be known to the Americans stationed there as “USS Corsica.” But in their location in the central Mediterranean, the crew ..."

That has to be fairly close to being one of the most successful night-time raids against the allies during the war!

"Defenders of the Reich: The Luftwaffe’s War against America’s Bombers" - The Luftwaffe are looking at every type of weapon they could feasibly deploy against the Allied bomber formations:

"At a marginally less radical, though equally experimental level, the Luftwaffe continued to explore the feasibility of deploying very heavy Flak weapons fitted to aircraft against bombers - in essence to create 'airborne Flak'. To this end, in late August one of E.Kdo 25's Me 410s had been flown to Vechta, where the airfield workshop there set about installing a 3.7 cm Flak 43 light anti-aircraft gun in the Messerschmitt. This weapon promised a higher rate of fire (240 rounds per minute) than the same calibre Flak 18 (60 rounds per minute). By the end of November satisfactory experiments had still not been carried out, although there was hope that a Schwarm of Me 410s could be so fitted and used operationally on a trial basis."

Me 410:
https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post...

Gary wrote: "I have just ordered this one from an Amazon market seller:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

It's for my son's 37th birthday but I am sure he'll let me bor..."

I hope your son enjoys the book and lets you borrow it :)

André wrote: " [book:Bodenplatte: The Luftwaffe's Last Hope--the Attack On Allied Airfields, New Year..."

Should be a very engaging account!

Mike wrote: "French Corsica was not on the list of places to be liberated until a partisan uprising began. The fascist Italian army had occupied the island when Germany took over all the Vichy French areas afte..."

That was a very interesting post Mike! Very confusing at times about who was fighting who by the sounds of it! Corsica doesn't get all that much of a mention in many books on WW2, so it was fascinating to read that little bit of history!

"Defenders of the Reich: The Luftwaffe’s War against America’s Bombers" - The Luftwaffe are getting serious about the daylight bombing incursions by the USAAF with the formation of a Sturmstaffel:

"By this time, the Sturmstaffel had received its first complement of Fw 190A-6s that featured the introduction of a lighter wing capable of accommodating increased armament in the form of four MG 151.20 cannon located in the wing roots and the outer panels, thus phasing out the old, slow-firing MG FF cannon. Two fuselage-mounted 7.9mm machine guns were also retained, and the aircraft featured additional protective armour around the cockpit.

These Focke-Wulfs constituted what was probably the first batch of aircraft to be armour-adapted specifically as Sturm (assault) fighters for close-range anti-bomber work. This also involved the fitting of 3 mm armoured glass panels - Panzerscheiben - around the standard glass cockpit side panels and a 50 mm plate of strengthened glass that would protect the pilot from the fire from dead ahead. According to Focke-Wulf reports, some problems were experienced fitting the glass panels to the cockpit due to the angle of curvature of the cockpit's sliding hood, but these were eventually solved. The installation of external 5 mm steel plates to the fuselage panelling around the cockpit area and the nose-cockpit join offered further protection from defensive fire. Additionally, the pilot's seat was fortified by five-millimetre steel plates and a 12 mm head protection panel. All these additions, however, increased the aircraft's weight."

https://www.key.aero/article/luftwaff...

Great posts Mike, pretty amazing turnaround time for replacement aircraft!

Michael wrote: "I am going to be working on this one: "

Keep us posted Michael, it sounds like a pretty interesting book.

Tony wrote: "Yesterday I finished The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World about Rudolf Vrba, who escaped from Auschwitz along with a fellow Jewish prisoner. The p..."

Thanks for posting those details, Tony, much appreciated.

I have no idea when I may get around to reading it Mike, but I will try to squeeze it in as soon as I can :)

I spent a week in Caen and drove around the area visiting various areas and sites and really enjoyed it. I need to go back and do it again!

Purchased a copy of this Australian new release; "Australian Heroes of World War II: Remarkable Stories of Battlefield Courage" by Mark Johnston.

Australian Heroes of World War II: Remarkable Stories of Battlefield Courage by Mark Johnston

Excellent trip Marc! Did you visit the German gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longues...

Jerome wrote: "An August 2026 release:

by James M. Scott
Description:
Over three days in August 1945, a nat..."

I'm a big fan of this author so this will be a future purchase!

Richard wrote: "I just finished "Wings of War" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... and it was a fascinating story about the development of the P-51 mustang. I had no idea it was designed in 1..."

Sounds like an interesting book. I am sure you will enjoy "Defenders of the Reich: The Luftwaffe’s War against America’s Bombers", it's been a very engaging read so far.