Wolfram von Richthofen: Master of the German Air War (Modern War Studies) | 
 enlarge | Author: James S. Corum
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 285321
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 421
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0700615989
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.544943092
EAN: 9780700615988
ASIN: 0700615989
Publication Date: September 24, 2008
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Product Description
Luftwaffe commander Wolfram von Richthofen was a brilliant master of the tactical and operational air war and one of the key catalysts in the resurrection of Germany's air force. Long overshadowed in history by his cousin, World War I's famous "Red Baron," von Richthofen served in seven major air campaigns from 1936 to 1944, and as senior air commander he was always at the center of the action.For this first full-length biography of von Richthofen, James Corum has mined the field marshal's extensive diaries, which provide a detailed record of military campaigns, tactical and operational problems, interactions with other commanders, and his assessment of methods and weaponry. He has also drawn on interviews with former Luftwaffe members and on his unparalleled access to von Richthofen family papers and photos.Corum reveals how, before World War II, von Richthofen played a central role in developing and building the Luftwaffe and such famous aircraft as the Me 109 fighter and He 111 bomber. He then delivered tactical and operational successes in the Spanish Civil War, where he established the close air support tactics that became an essential trademark of the German blitzkrieg. As commander of the Special Air Division in the invasion of Poland, he demonstrated the effectiveness of massed airpower and in 1940 helped produce a dramatic German victory in France by providing close air support for Von Kleist's panzer divisions as they raced to the English Channel. Later he also led the Luftwaffe's Second Air Fleet against the Allied landings in Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio.Providing a fully rounded portrait, Corum also cites von Richthofen's signal defeats in the Battle of Britain and around Stalingrad; depicts his arrogant and ruthless tendencies; and reveals his loyal but naive belief in Hitler.Cutting through the myths that have grown around von Richthofen's life, Corum's study fills a major gap in the literature and offers new insight into German military culture, Hitler's strategic thinking, and their impact on the German way of war.
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The Unknown Richthofen October 31, 2008
Luftwaffe fans have been long overdue this book, and it's our good fortune that the task of writing it has gone to James S. Corum. He had not only the necessary credentials to write it, he had the Richthofen family cooperation, and the Richthofen War Diary. Wolfram von Richthofen's life and Luftwaffe career is covered in great detail as are all the operations he was involved in. Quite a career, First World War Cavalry officer to fighter pilot, post war aero engeering degree and then one of the driving forces in the Pre Nazi Luftwaffe. Also, many details I was not aware of, such as the SD2 Butterfly cluster bomb being copied and used by the U.S. Air Force into the sixties. If you've an interest in the Luftwaffe, or air war in general, don't miss putting this one on your shelf. I wish Mr. Corum would write more books than he does, but the quality of the research and attention to accuracy and detail in his books preclude that.
An excellent account of Luftwaffe operations October 1, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
According to Corum, Richtofen succeded in the opening stages of the Second World War because he was able to develop effective air-land communications, and use captured enemy air fields close to the frontlines. In the invasion of of Poland, Corum states that the Luftwaffe was used for mainly interdiction against enemy units and there was bomb line that the Luftwaffe could not cross. In the invasion of France the German armies were able to advance without protecting their flanks, because Richtofen was able to use captured French airfields thereby bringing air support closer to the front, and Luftwaffe officers serving with ground units were able to direct air strikes against French and British units. Air support operations improved during the opening stages of the Russian campaign because instead of the bombline, the German army used flares to state their position thereby giving pilots more flexibility in attacking Soviet positions. However the air campaign in Russia faltered due to that the fact the Luftwaffe only planned for a short series of battles and not a long campaign and as a result planes stayed on the ground due to a shortage of spare parts. After the battle of Stalingrad, Richtofen was soon transfered to Italy where he took charge of a futile attempt to stop the Allied invasion and advance into Italy. Richtofen was relieved of command and later died of a brain tumor right after the end of the war in Europe. The only weakness of this book is that I wish that Corum would make more of a reference to Joel Hayward's contention that Richtofen failed to develop more of a strategic use of air power by not attacking the Russian ferries at Stalingrad more vigourously and ignoring the oilfields in the southern Soivet Union. Otherwise this book gives a detailed account of why the Luftwaffe was successful at providing the German army support during their invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union.
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