"Luftwaffe Over American - The Secret Plans to Bomb the US in WW2" by Manfred Griehl

[vikingBerserker]

"Luftwaffe Over American - The Secret Plans to Bomb the US in WW2"
by Manfred Griehl
Greenhill Books - 2004
ISBN: 1-85367-608-X

This is a book that deals primarily with the Luftwaffe's attempt to develope an extremely long range bomber for possible raids against North American (primarily the US).

The book totals 256 pages divided into 13 Chapters, Sections for Acknowledgements Bibliography with 79 photos and 38 diagrams.

The chapters are as follows:

1 - The Path to Strategic Air War
2 - From the Outbreak of War to December 1940
3 - The Year 1941
4 - The Year 1942 - First Half
5 - The Year 1942 - Second Half
6 - The Year 1943 - First Half
7 - The Year 1943 - Second Half
8 - Techniques to Increase Range
9 - The Year 1944 - First Half
10 - The Year 1944 - Second Half
11 - The Year 1945
12 - Rocket Attack
13 - The Ordnance

The author does an excellent job with adhering to facts he was able to verify and never mentions the alleged flight of the Me-264 that some claim took place to within a few miles of NYC. The issues with politics as well as technological issues are addressed and discussed. It was interesting the various aircraft the Luftwaffe considered or requested for this operation:

Fw 200, Fw 300, Bv 250, Ta 400, He 177, Ju 290 390, Ju 488, Me 264, Bv 222, Bv 238, Do 214, Me P 1107, Me P 1108, Horton XVIII, Junkers flying wing as well as the multi stage version of the V-2 (A-10).

Also discussed is a version of the V-2 that was to be launched from a U-Boat towed in a canister with chemical and radioactive material considered for the warhead.

The methods addressed were aircraft that could fly non-stop round trip, ones that would land in the ocean to be refueled from a U-Boat and ones that would be refueled air-to-air. I was surprised that they had came up with a pretty good areal refueling system that's not that much different than the ones done today.

Excellent read.

 

[Njaco]

I posted a thread a few days ago where I earned that 'Hajo' Herrmann had a plan to bomb the US using flying boats and subs. Anything about that in the book?

 

[Capt. Vick]

"Luftwaffe Over American - The Secret Plans to Bomb the US in WW2"
by Manfred Griehl
Greenhill Books - 2004
ISBN: 1-85367-608-X

This is a book that deals primarily with the Luftwaffe's attempt to develope an extremely long range bomber for possible raids against North American (primarily the US).

The book totals 256 pages divided into 13 Chapters, Sections for Acknowledgements Bibliography with 79 photos and 38 diagrams.

The chapters are as follows:

1 - The Path to Strategic Air War
2 - From the Outbreak of War to December 1940
3 - The Year 1941
4 - The Year 1942 - First Half
5 - The Year 1942 - Second Half
6 - The Year 1943 - First Half
7 - The Year 1943 - Second Half
8 - Techniques to Increase Range
9 - The Year 1944 - First Half
10 - The Year 1944 - Second Half
11 - The Year 1945
12 - Rocket Attack
13 - The Ordnance

The author does an excellent job with adhering to facts he was able to verify and never mentions the alleged flight of the Me-264 that some claim took place to within a few miles of NYC. The issues with politics as well as technological issues are addressed and discussed. It was interesting the various aircraft the Luftwaffe considered or requested for this operation:

Fw 200, Fw 300, Bv 250, Ta 400, He 177, Ju 290 390, Ju 488, Me 264, Bv 222, Bv 238, Do 214, Me P 1107, Me P 1108, Horton XVIII, Junkers flying wing as well as the multi stage version of the V-2 (A-10).

Also discussed is a version of the V-2 that was to be launched from a U-Boat towed in a canister with chemical and radioactive material considered for the warhead.

The methods addressed were aircraft that could fly non-stop round trip, ones that would land in the ocean to be refueled from a U-Boat and ones that would be refueled air-to-air. I was surprised that they had came up with a pretty good areal refueling system that's not that much different than the ones done today.

Excellent read.

I read this very same book, but came away with an altogether different opinion that almost prompts me to ask if you read it in the original German? It was so awkwardly worded and somewhat random that I assumed it must have been written in German first and (poorly) translated into English. I had high hopes for this book, but was let down.

Oh and one other thing, I believe there was a reference to the alleged flight of the JU 390 (not Me 264) to within 12 miles of NYC by the Luftwaffe pilot who flew all or most of the flights in it. He said it never happened.

Please read this a just a difference of opinion my friend and nothing more.

Respectfully, Jim

 

[vikingBerserker]

I posted a thread a few days ago where I earned that 'Hajo' Herrmann had a plan to bomb the US using flying boats and subs. Anything about that in the book?

I do not see his name listed or remember seeing it, but it does talk about using flying boats to be refueled from U-Boats. A big concern about it however was it would be difficult enough in calm seas, let alone the kind they would actually encounter.

I read this very same book, but came away with an altogether different opinion that almost prompts me to ask if you read it in the original German? It was so awkwardly worded and somewhat random that I assumed it must have been written in German first and (poorly) translated into English. I had high hopes for this book, but was let down.

Oh and one other thing, I believe there was a reference to the alleged flight of the JU 390 (not Me 264) to within 12 miles of NYC by the Luftwaffe pilot who flew all or most of the flights in it. He said it never happened.

lol No I've forgotten how to read most German so it was the English version. Yup, you are correct about it being the Ju 390 and not the Me 264. I looked back through the book and I cannot find any place that mentions the Flight to NYC. In fact Hans Pancherz is only mentioned once (page 140) and that was the test flight of the Ju 390 v1.

 

[Erich]

the Ju 390 flight has already been proven to be wild myth in fact one version mentions a female pilot, too bad neither the 390 or 264 had the distance range; several noted doctoral LW authors have researched this in depth.

at the time the Ju was undergoing see-recon testing with the stealth unit FAGr 5

 

[Capt. Vick]

lol No I've forgotten how to read most German so it was the English version. Yup, you are correct about it being the Ju 390 and not the Me 264. I looked back through the book and I cannot find any place that mentions the Flight to NYC. In fact Hans Pancherz is only mentioned once (page 140) and that was the test flight of the Ju 390 v1.

I'll have to look in my copy. I thought that's where I read it, but I could be wrong...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I own the book as well, but I enjoyed it. Some truth, and some things I am not sure about. Still enjoyed it though.

 

[Erich]

the Ju 290 mention was by supposed 2 interviews with non coms of FAGr 5 post war-surrender and author William Green was sucked right into it and reported it in his very first volumes of 3rd Reich aircraft which during the 1960's was thought completely accredited, since then countless volumes have been reproduced which in my opion should not of been so but a complete re-write 100 percent. as I said neither the 264 or 390 had the distance range