Indulgent Retrospection: Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52

Bruno Lange, Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, Mainz, Germany, 1976, ISBN 3-87341-019-2. Illustrated, softcover, published in German & English.

Cover image © by Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, 1976.

Bruno Lange's Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52 [Aunt Ju - Everything On The Ju 52] was a compact little bilingual compendium of essential information on the iconic Junkers Ju 52 transport. In spite of its rather limited page-count and dimensions (111 pages, 19 x 14 cm), it was actually a fairly comprehensive summary of elemental facts on what was arguably Germany's most important civilian and military transport of the 1919 to 1945 era. Moreover, Lange's small book was a manifestation of a wider shift from a somewhat cursorily – at times even simply sensationalist – coverage of vintage German aircraft to a reliance on original documents and far more thorough research. Some of the other protagonists who spearheaded this shift at the time have often been mentioned in entries featured in this blog: Karl R. Pawlas, Heinz Redemann, Heinz Birkholz, Karl Kössler, and numerous others.

Much like Heinz Birkholz's publications at the time, Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52 features both German and English text, which makes it appealing to an audience far beyond German-speaking countries. Lange begins his documentation with an account of the Ju 52's development history, including a section on the early single-engine version of the aircraft. And even this short section on the single-engine Ju 52 is quite detailed; Lange lists eight subtypes with dedicated brief descriptions. The text then covers the subsequent Ju 52/3m (again with a surprisingly extensive list of subtypes), details on the export of the aircraft, special flights, and accidents.

Lange continues with details regarding the bomber and transport versions of the Ju 52 and then sheds light on the engines and airscrews utilized by the aircraft. Once again, both of these chapters feature lists and descriptions of the relevant aircraft and engine subtypes. The 67-page text section of the small book then concludes with a look at further developments of the Ju 52 and the (then) surviving examples of the aircraft.

The second part of Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52, comprising another 44 pages, contains a collection of often exceptional photos (with brief captions) and reproductions of period documents that serves to illustrate some of the points of the preceding text. These photos remain interesting even now, 44 years after the publication of Lange's book.

All in all, Bruno Lange created a competent, condensed, and handy primer on the Ju 52; it could be viewed as an initial gateway to a more serious study of the aircraft. If one used Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52 in concert with, for example, Karl Kössler's equally condensed and competent Transporter - wer kennt sie schon!, also published in 1976, it was indeed possible to quickly gain a proficient basic understanding of the development and operational use of the Ju 52.

Indulgent Retrospection: Die Giganten. Me 321-Me 323

[Full title: Die Giganten. Me 321-Me 323. Eine Dokumentation von Karl R. Pawlas] Karl R. Pawlas, Publizistisches Archiv Karl R. Pawlas, Nuremberg, Germany, 1975, Luftfahrt Monografie LS 3. Illustrated, softcover, published in German.

Cover image © by Publizistisches Archiv Karl R. Pawlas, 1975.

As previously mentioned in my review regarding Karl R. Pawlas' pioneering compendium about the Arado Ar 234, Pawlas established his Publizistisches Archiv publishing house in order to make use of a significant collection of original aviation documents, with a main focus on German aviation. The publications thus released were – and remain – an abundant treasure trove of detailed information and rare photos.

Pawlas' Die Giganten. Me 321-Me 323 is no exception, of course. The wealth of in-depth content provided by this physically somewhat small book is astounding; it served to both shed light on numerous little known aspects of Messerschmitt's giant Me 321/Me 323 transports, and, in some cases, correct previous misinformation. Other books on the Me 321/Me 323 have of course been published in the many years since Pawlas's Die Giganten first appeared, and yet it is testimony to its thorough and professional approach that it still remains a relevant and extremely precious reference.

The result of 15 years of document collection, Die Giganten contains 336 printed pages which provide 394 photos and 34 drawings, in a format of 21 by 15 cm. Pawlas methodology is obvious right from the start, as the book remarkably begins with a list of original period sources consulted in its gestation, something other authors would customarily place in the closing appendices of their books.

Pawlas then delves more conventionally into the design, development, and testing of the Me 321 transport glider, also listing details regarding the individual prototypes. This is complemented by a 1943 report on the production of the aircraft in Leipheim. In a following brief chapter, it becomes apparent that thoughts to motorize the Me 321 also included the serious proposal to fit the aircraft with 12 Argus pulsejets (!), in combination with Walter RATO units.

The next 80 pages detail the manufacturing process of the Me 321. Almost the entire chapter consists of photos, some of which revealing incredibly enlightening minutiae. Further heavily illustrated chapters show Me 321 cargo loading, take-off, and towing procedures. The content then moves to the development, production, and utilization of the Me 323, the powered transport version of the Me 321. These chapters are again enhanced with photos and facsimile documents. Pawlas also provides detailed information regarding the individual subtypes of the Me 323, the armament carried by both the Me 321 and Me 323, the Me 323 Waffenträger [weapons carrier] version, and plans for further development of the Me 323. All of this is, again, opulently illustrated.

This truly excellent source of information on Messerschmitt's intriguing aircraft was the third installment of a small series by Publizistisches Archiv Karl R. Pawlas on German transport gilders. The first publication, Luftfahrt Monografie LS 1, focused on the DFS 230 and DFS 331, the second one, Luftfahrt Monografie LS 2, provided information on the Gotha Go 242, Go 244, Go 345, P 39, and Kalkert Ka 430. And all three of these books still are indispensable additions to any serious library on this topic.

Indulgent Retrospection: Arado Ar 234 - Der erste Strahlbomber der Welt (Eine Dokumentation)

Luftfahrt Dokumente LD 21, compiled by Karl R. Pawlas, Publizistisches Archiv Karl R. Pawlas, Nuremberg, Germany, 1976, ISBN 3-88088-211-8. Illustrated, softcover, published in German.

Cover image © by Publizistisches Archiv Karl R. Pawlas, 1976.

Establishing his Publizistisches Archiv in 1956, Karl R. Pawlas made a name for himself by publishing a series of magazines, books, and booklets containing almost exclusively original aviation documents. The 1970s, in particular, saw some of Pawlas' most important aviation releases. Albeit aircraft of every nation and from every period of aviation history were covered, the focus was clearly on the German Luftwaffe of the Second World War.

The idea of utilizing only original documents and information was quite unique at the time and transcended the approach largely common in the then fledgling Luftwaffe publications scene. Instead of petrifying myths or errors committed or copied by previous authors since the 1950s, the publications of Karl R. Pawlas provided a wealth of extremely detailed and factually accurate technical and historical information, illustrations, and photos, most often directly gathered from material compiled by the respective German aircraft manufacturers or former Luftwaffe test establishments.

It is fair to say that Pawlas provided those interested in aviation history with a quantum leap as far as the availability of quality information was concerned. Pawlas, along with a number of further Luftwaffe research pioneers such as Karl Ries, Heinz Birkholz, Hans Redemann, J. Richard Smith, Eddie J. Creek, or Thomas Hitchcock, to name but a few, inspired countless later equally serious historians and researchers and thus laid the base for the abundance of truly excellent Luftwaffe publications available today. Moreover, most of the publications by Publizistisches Archiv Karl R. Pawlas still retain their significance to this day. That alone is an enormous accomplishment, given the major advances in Luftwaffe research since the 1970s which often render even cutting edge publications obsolete only a few years after they are released.

Next to the Luftfahrt International magazines, this comprehensive book on the Arado Ar 234 is probably the most notable legacy of Karl R. Pawlas. It contains 480 pages (!) of reprinted original German-language flight test reports, notes, data sheets, graphs, records, along with an appendix of 68 b/w photos. The Ar 234s covered range from the first prototype Ar 234 V1 TG+KB to the Ar 234 C prototypes V19, V21, and V22. The information contained in these flight test reports is stunningly interesting and makes for riveting reading.

It goes without saying that noteworthy facts contained in these documents have in the meantime found their way into subsequent standard publications such as, for example, J. Richard Smith & Eddie J. Creek's Arado 234 Blitz (Monogram Monarch 1, 1992) or Arado Ar 234 A (Midland Publishing, Military Aircraft in Detail series, 2006). But the mere page count of Pawlas' book alone indicates the sheer quantity and bandwidth of original information contained therein; an amount of data and details which goes far beyond the scope or capacity of any commercially viable book released by any modern publishing house.