Colin’s Comments (group member since Dec 16, 2012)

Colin’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

What I find distressing are the people who blanket label all Germans, and even Soviets, believing that all believed in their political leadership. It is the same as believing that all US troops were Democrats who believed in racial segregation and FDR's policies.

Cassino was such a waste. I interviewed US, German and Commonwealth vets of that battle. They all agreed.

I have a few Luftwaffe pilot buddies still alive, all in their 90s, two living in California. Jorg is my last Me-262 pilot still alive, great guy indeed. See his foreword in my book "The Me-262 Stormbird"

Pershing, Kitchener and Hindenburg all the same problem; coming to terms with trench warfare, whereas all previous large scale operations had been fire, maneuver and encirclement operations. "Static warfare serves only one purpose; demoralizing both sides."

Eric and I are old friends, we help each other out, he loves the fact that I have over 100 Luftwaffe interviews, which are where my books come from. Eric's work is solid.

Try Battle of Mukden Losses: Russian, some 89,000 casualties of 333,000; Japanese, some 71,000 casualties of 270,000.

I met Frost many years ago, quite a guy.

I do not suppose the author mentions de Gaulle turning a blind eye to the French Moroccan and African mercenaries fighting in Italy who raped women and murdered their male protectors in lieu of paying them, which he knew he could not do? To this day women who survived that and are still alive receive a government stipend from the Italian government, why I do not know, but France was never held liable. US Gen. Mark Clark wanted legal action taken against the French troops, commanded by white officers, but he was shot down by Eisenhower after a think tank session with George C. Marshall. Churchill never really thought much of de Gaulle, but he saw his usefulness and this episode only created more tension, but the Allied leaders held firm and supported de Gaulle for the war effort.

I was at jump school in Benning but in 1983, but back then? Man I would be probably bought them all.

I agree with you, Klaus Bretschneider was up on court martial charges when Walther Dahl saw him do it, Galland approved the court martial, but Bretschneider was KIA before he could be tried. I know about Otto Schulz very well, he was shot down by James Edwards, witnessed by three of the men I interviewed. On the Eastern Front it was very common on both sides, despite Galland's orders to the contrary and these were kept quiet.

But when you are in combat (I know), you do not violate the laws of war, especially when shooting a declared noncombatant, whether civilian, POW or a baled out airmen. As Eduard Neumann said, "it was what separated us from the animals."

Jonny wrote: "Well we'll see Colin, although it was your constant vilification of Caldwell that had me buy the book in the first place. Anyway, yesterday's purchase was
[bookcover:Britain's War: I: Into Battle, ..."

My only vilification of him came from his own Allied pilots, Morely-Mower and a few others stated that his conduct in and out of the cockpit were an embarrassment, and they almost in unison did not agree with his shooting Germans who baled out.

Not just because it was illegal, but because they worried that they might soon suffer the same fate if the Germans widely adopted that practice. Goering wanted to make it a standing order, Galland and 12 other senior kommodores rebelled, much Goering's discredit. He should have known better, as his superiors Boelcke and von Richthofen both made it a standing order in WW I that such activities would be punished harshly.

Tim wrote: "Finished Occupation and Insurgency: A Selective Examination of the Hague and Geneva Conventions on the Eastern Front, 1939-1945, an educational read. Now to finish [book:The Red Arm..."

Hope you enjoyed Occupation and Insurgency, it was my dissertation.

Caldwell's claim was never verified by another pilot, that was the problem. It may have been intentional, an accident, or it may have never happened at all. I know that such things happened on both sides, even US fighter pilots were given quiet permission to strafe jet pilots in violation of Geneva 1929.

Jonny wrote: "Just the one today,
Clive Caldwell, Air Ace"

Read my book The Star of Africa about how JG-27 and Rommel felt about Caldwell. What a character. It was Cladwell who made Goering ask Galland what he thought about making the strafing of parachuting Allied airmen an standard order. Galland threatened to court martial any of his fighter pilots who did so and he was going to court martial Klaus Brestchneider, but he was KIA before that could happen

Rommel apparently felt that Goebbels was more concerned with personal glory and propaganda as opposed to helping the German war effort. I do not believe that it was anything personal.

My great uncle survived Bataan and three years captivity. He remained pissed off his entire life, never forgiving the Japanese after what he saw and endured.

According to General von Ferytag von Loringhoven, who knew Rommel and served on Hitler's staff at one point, Rommel and Goebbels were not friendly at all. In fact, in his statement to me supported by SS General Mohnke, Rommel was described by Hitler as " ...a great marshall and leader, he brought us victories, but I would not think of him as being gifted in the world of politics."

Of the many men I interviewed, who could have thrown Rommel under the bus, they never did. Even those who admitted to knowing of and even contributing to atrocities under orders, they always said that Rommel was "disturbed by many of Hitler's decisions, and instructed his officers that they will never be allowed to follow the dark directives."

I spoke with Rommel's son, former Stuttgart mayor Manfred, who recalled his father being overjoyed that the military was brought back into prominence under Hitler, but the quite dismayed that the military was later used as a political arm to push the Nazi agenda abroad. "Armies fight wars, not cultures."

Adam is good, he seeks my advice on occasion. His book Devotion is also well worth reading, as well as Voices from the Pacific.

Glad you like it, I have it on good authority that Gen Mattis keeps a copy as well.

4triplezed wrote: "I can hardly talk for the US print and publishing industry Colin but I am in the industry here and know that cost of coated to non coated stock is just about on par nowadays so false economy on the..."

I completely agree with you. Most books in the USA are printed in China anyway.