Chapter : Schweinfurt
Statistics on flak and fighter defenses: Milch speech to gauleiters in Posen, Oct. ,
(NA film T//ff).
Glider pilot: GL conference, Sept. , (MD., ff).
Park Hotel: Bodenschatz, SRGG..
The Korten era: USSBS interrogation of Koller, May –, . In general,
on Luftwaffe production problems in the second half of , see: the ver-
batim minutes of the GL conferences in MD.–; GL-Development
conferences in MD.; GL conferences with Speer (from Aug. onward)
in MD.–; GL-Night Fighting conferences in MD.; GL-Flak confer-
ences in MD.; and Central Planning conferences in MD. (all at the
BA-MA).
Bombing Brindisi: HG conference, Oct. , (MD., ); and cf. Oct.
(/ and /f).
“I would far prefer.. .”: Hitler at war conference of Oct. , .
Galland: HG in conference on Oct. , (MD., ).
“What on earth is Milch thinking of?”: HG in conference, Oct. , (MD.,
). The greatest battles: HG in conference, Oct. , (MD., ).
Schweinfurt: HG in conference on that day, Oct. , (MD., ff). O n
the Schweinfurt air battle, see Galland’s words in GL-Speer conference,
Oct. , , MD., ), and HG at Arnhem-Deelen, Oct. ,
(MD., f).
“You fat old lump!”: HG speech in canteen at Arnhem-Deelen airbase, Oct. ,
(MD., ff). Cpl. Schürgers, overheard in SRA., Feb. ,
(PRO file WO./).
Dornier observer: SRA. (ibid.). The British raid on Kassel is analyzed i n
the night operations report of the Operational Research Section, RAF
Bomber Command, Oct. –, (Air Ministry files).
Hitler’s top-level conference: Naval Staff war diary, Oct. , and transcript of
the same date on DJ film ; HG in conference, Oct. (MD., ) and
Nov. , (/ff); author’s interview of von Below, Nov. , .
Chapter : The Blind Leading the Blind
Gauleiter conference: HG speech of Nov. , (MD., ff, and BA-MA
RL.I/); quotation used is from a letter by Herbert Backe to his wife, Nov.
, .
Production program: See the GL conferences in MD. through MD.; GL’s
conferences with Speer, MD. and MD.; the GL-Development confer-
ences, MD., MD., and MD.; the GL-Flak conferences in MD.; and
Central Planning conferences in MD. (all at BA-MA).
Me : Messerschmitt’s file FD./, vol. , at IWM; HG at conference, Oct.
, (MD., f).
Regensburg: HG in conference, Nov. , (MD., ff); HG at Desau, Nov.
(/ff); at Brandenburg, Nov. (/ff).
Galland order of Nov. , : Decoded English text in SRH-; copy sent to
FDR on Nov. , (FDR Library, file A/Germany).
Air-raid damage of Nov. , : Milch, in SRGG.; Naval Staff war diary,
Nov. ; and Milch at GL conference, Nov. , .