On the recieving end of a Sturmovik

[cydno]

Good story Gilgenbach

If this is a literary thread then I would like to write a couple of lines on the book I am reading for the 3rd time now. This book was actually bought by my grandma in 1949 and she gave it to me as she knows I am a big fan of WWII aircrafts.

Its title in french is "Le grand cirque" which can be translated in "the big show" in english.

This book has been written by Pierre Clostermann who was a french pilot in the R.A.F between 1942 and 1945. He flew all his missions on different versions of the spitfire.

So this book is all about his memories on some of the missions and big shows he took part in.
This is really fascinating to read how this Sgt. described every details of his dogfights against the german 190 and 109 in the skies of France and Great Britain. He also describes the advantages a spitfire could have over a FW190 or a BF109 and vice versa.

Anyway if you are lucky enough to read it then you will learn a lot on the life of the british WWII pilots, on the differents specs of the spitfire, on the different type of missions and their briefings,on their radio communication... etc..etc...

I can only incite you to read it... this is just fascinating.

See you,

[Gilgenbach]

Originally Posted by cydno

Good story Gilgenbach

If this is a literary thread then I would like to write a couple of lines on the book I am reading for the 3rd time now. This book was actually bought by my grandma in 1949 and she gave it to me as she knows I am a big fan of WWII aircrafts.

Its title in french is "Le grand cirque" which can be translated in "the big show" in english.

This book has been written by Pierre Clostermann who was a french pilot in the R.A.F between 1942 and 1945. He flew all his missions on different versions of the spitfire.

So this book is all about his memories on some of the missions and big shows he took part in.
This is really fascinating to read how this Sgt. described every details of his dogfights against the german 190 and 109 in the skies of France and Great Britain. He also describes the advantages a spitfire could have over a FW190 or a BF109 and vice versa.

Anyway if you are lucky enough to read it then you will learn a lot on the life of the british WWII pilots, on the differents specs of the spitfire, on the different type of missions and their briefings,on their radio communication... etc..etc...

I can only incite you to read it... this is just fascinating.

See you,

I read Clostermanns memoires and you are right. Its one of the better set of memoires around. Good writing style aswell. I have nearly 2000 titles here, dating from WW2 up to modern publications on the subject. All collected since I was a teenager in the mid 80s.

My favoured still is Adolf Gallands "Die Ersten und die Letzten" (The first and the last). The reason for that being mainly that this was the first WW2 book I read.

I was about 11 years old back then and so fascinated that i found out Adolf Gallands Telephone number (he lived in Bonn back then) and did something only a child would do. I called him.

I will never ever forget this talk. He took of the phone and said "Hello" only. I asked "Hello, i wanted to speak to Adolf Galland" and he said "I am Adolf Galland". Believe me or not this instance still makes my hair stand up and brings tears to my eyes, even today. I told him about my obsession with aircraft and that I am reading his book and he had loads of patience with me. We talked for over half an hour. The youngest general of the Luftwaffe, one of the most famous fighter aces ever, one of the fathers of the Jet fighter - answering the silly questions of an 11 year old. I will never ever forget this.

Anyway, just a story, may he rest in peace.