Need information about memoris.

[gomwolf]

I'm trying to buy memoirs of WW2 German aces. I already bought memoirs of Adolf Galland, Walter Schuck and Helmut Lipfert, and ordered Hans-Ekkehard bob.(These books already translated to English.) And also I bought "The German Aces Speak I, II", "The Me262 Strombird" and some other books few years ago. I think I have to buy some none-translated German books(Maybe someone who have interest about this will translate for me. hehe.). So I made some list.

Falkenjahre - Wolfgang Falck
Feindberührungen - Julius Meimberg
Unbekannte Pflicht - Walter Wolfrum
Walter Krupinski - Walter Krupinski
Gefechtsbericht - Günther Josten
Die Fährte des Jägers - Adolf Dickfeld
Kriegstagebuch von Hannes Trautloft - Hannes Trautloft
Rammjäger - Walther Dahl
Nächte im Bomberstrom - Paul Zorner
Sand und Feuer - Martin Drewes
Am Himmel Europas - Günther Scholz
Der Jagdflieger Viktor Petermann - Viktor Petermann
Wir kämpften in einsamen Höhen - Peter Düttmann
Wo wir sind ist immer oben - Heinz Ewald

If somebody who know any memoirs or interview books not in the list, please notice me. Especially, I cannot find any books about Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert. He was great fighter pilot in both front and rejoined to Bundeswehr luftwaffe after war. I cannot understand why I couldn't find any book about him.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Erich Hartmann's "The Blond Knight of Germany" I believe was published both English and German.

 

[gomwolf]

Erich Hartmann's "The Blond Knight of Germany" I believe was published both English and German.

Yeap. It published in both language. It is quite interesting book, but it is not memoirs. It is biography.

 

[Crimea_River]

I Flew for the Fuhrer by Heinz Knoke
Stuka Pilot by Hans Ulrich Rudel

 

[Capt. Vick]

Luftwaffe Test Pilot by Hans-Werner Lerche

I don't remember if he was a fighter pilot, but it is definitely an interesting memoir.

 

[gomwolf]

Thanks for information. I already got those books, but these are quite interesting books.

 

[stona]

In English:

'The Last Battle' , Peter Henn gives a German view of the MTO. Henn was Alfons Schertl.

'Spitfire on my Tail', Ulrich Steinhilper

You didn't mention 'Jagdgeschwader 301/302' by the recently deceased Willi Reschke.

I'll try to think of some more.

I notice you have some of the worst memoirs/biogs ever written in your list. The Hartmann and Rudel books go without saying, but Dahl's 'Rammjager' must be up there along with some of the others

Cheers

Steve

 

[BiffF15]

Gomwolf,

A personal favorite of mine is, "My Logbook: Reminiscences 1938-2006", by Gunther Rall. Expensive so try the library, but I thought it was a very good read. Incredible man.

Cheers,
Biff

 

[Crimea_River]

Another is Messerschmitts over Sicily by Johannes Steinhoff but it covers just a short period of time in his career.

 

[stona]

'The Blond Knight of Germany' is simply not history, though this does not diminish Hartmann in any way.

The same can be said about 'Stuka Pilot', though the nasty whiff of Rudels's publicly expressed Nazi apologist views sometimes inform his account. Rudel remained a controversial character, and here is not the place to discuss it..

I only included Dahl's book as an example of some of the others which are bad histories, which do not always bear up well to close factual scrutiny, but not necessarily bad books. In the end these men were all recording their memoirs with an eye to selling books and easing their retirements, an objective not always compatible with telling an accurate story. I certainly don't blame any of them for this (and it applies to ex-combatants of all nations). The reader be aware.

Cheers

Steve

 

[gomwolf]

Thanks for information. I added some books on my list.

The Last Battle
Spitfire on my Tail
Jagdgeschwader 310/302

I already read other suggested books but those also quite nice and interesting books.

 

[stona]

I've corrected my original typo. The Reschke book is JG 301/302.

Cheers

Steve

 

[swampyankee]

Ah, memoirs. At best, subjective records of events from a very narrow viewpoint, at worst, self-serving lies, and usually a mix of both.