AFHRA Karlsruhe Collection

[Todd Martin]

Report on Research at AFHRA, Pre-War German Aviation Industry, Jan, 8, 2024 to Feb. 9, 2024

1) Almost the entire Air Force Historical Studies series on the German Air Force, nos. 151-195, is now on-line at:http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/n...s/studies4.asp

2) The AFHRA is located on Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama, and is part of the Air University. Maxwell is one of the most prestigious and historic establishments of the Air Force and the Air University, site of a wide variety of Air Force training and studies, is similar to a busy college campus set amidst oak trees and green lawns. Nearby is the Air Park featuring well-preserved examples of historic aircraft, such as the B-25, B-52, F-100, F-101 and F-104. AFHRA is open to the public, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. A gate pass to the base is required and may be obtained by contacting AFHRA at:
http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/contactusemail.asp
telephone: (334) 953-2395

3) The AFRHA is equipped with a mid-sized reading room with large tables and chairs, photo-copiers, microfilm reader-copiers and an extensive card catalog, arranged by both subject and call number. There is an on-line catalog that can be searched by call number or subject and which will often provide microfilm roll numbers for specific call numbers. Much of the captured German material is available both in paper collections and on microfilm and much of this microfilm is stored in metal cabinets in the reading room and is directly accessible by the researcher. For paper documents and other microfilm a request slip containing call numbers and a brief description is required and is turned into the front desk of the reading room. The reading room staff, Brandon and Sylvester, are helpful and diligent.

3) There is a brief finding aid for the German documents available at the reading room front desk but I required the help of the staff to find the material on the pre-war German industry that I was looking for. The Karlsruhe Collection numbers cited by Suchenwirth and others, i.e. D/I/2, Milch Interview, 9-29-54, are no longer used and are not cross-referenced to the current call numbers. Therefore a current call number is required to find the material.

4) For my topic of Charles Lindbergh's estimate of pre-war German airpower, the principle source at AFHRA is the Industry section of the Karlsruhe Collection. The call numbers for this material are K113.8074 through K113.8720. The "K" prefix refers to material received at AFHRA prior to the Korean War, not to Karlsruhe. The Karlsruhe Collection consists of typescripts and photocopies collected in old-fashioned binders with 2-4 binders in a box. The Industry section material consists of approximately 11 feet of shelf space comprising about two dozen boxes on three carts wheeled out into the reading room and left there until research was completed. Other material researched included the American intelligence and interrogation reports, the microfilm of the Hap Arnold Library of Congress Papers, the British ADIK and BIOS intelligence reports, the British translations of captured German documents, i.e., AFHRA K512.621(s),Translation VII/107, German Strength and Serviceability Tables , 1938-1945, the Columbia University Heritage of Flight interviews, attache reports and other documents. The specific call numbers in the Industry section researched were:

K113.8074 - K113.82 Lw Rustung, Allgemeine, Rohstoffe, Dringlichkeit
K113.82 - K113.821-1 Rohstoffe, Programm, Producktion, Beschaffung,
Reparateur
K113.821-2 - K113.821-2 Industrie
K113.821-3 - K113.8212 Industrie Personnel, Bauaufsicht, Firmen
K113.822 - K113.822 Beschaffungsmeldungen, 1936-37
K113.822 - K113.822 Beschaffungsmeldungen, 1938-39
K113.823 - K113.823 Produktion, Gross Zeitabschnitt
K113.823 - K113.823 Produktion, 1937, etc.
K113.8231 - K113.8231 Engine Produktion
K113.83 - K113.831 Takt-Tech Forderung
K113.832 - K113.833 Jagd Flugzeugen
K113.834 - K113.835 Aufklarer, 4-Motor
K113.836 - K113.85-1 Flugzeugmuster, Forschung
K113.85-2 - K113.8630 Leistung Tabellen, Flugzeugen, Entwicklung
K113.8671-1 - K113.8671-2 Technik, Bordwaffen, Abwurf
K113,8671-3 - K113.8672-2 Funk, Flak
K113.8720 Betriebstoff. Gerat

Other material researched at AFHRA included:
K113.107-150 German Aircraft, Spain
K113.3019-1 German Bombers
K113.107-150 Luftwaffe in Spain
K239.061-6 Simpson Notes on documents
K113.106-170 German Procurement, 1926-45
K146.34-36 Hanna Reitsch Interview
K146.34-68 Messerschmitt Interview
K512.621(S) Translation VII/107, German Strength and Serviceability
Tables, 1938-1945
K113.3013 Luftwaffe Strength, 1936-45
K239.71646-28(R) German Airpower, 1933-39, Truman Smith
K113.200 History of the German Air Force
K239.1461-11 Stuka Concept
K239.0512-729 Partridge Interview
K239.0512-729 Doolittle Interview
K146.34-10 Bixby Interview

512.621 German Translation, VII/92, German Aircraft;
Translation, VII/78, Goering Address; Numerical
Listing of German Translations
145.93-301 AC/AS Intelligence Report, Fi 156, 13 Oct. 1938
145.91-135RR AC/AS Plans, Notes, 1937-38
248.501-57 ACTS Intelligence Reports, Germany, 1918-1934
519.601B-4(C) USSTAF Intelligence, Germany
519.6511-6(NC) Germany, China, 1938
519.6314-6 German Aircraft Industry
512.6503A(R) Frydag Interrogation
512.6501-S-1 Fedden, Devereux Visits
248.211-26C ACTS, Bell Report, 1938
248.501-50 ACTS Intelligence, Czech
170.2278-4B MID, Germany, 1935-39'
170.2278-4A MID, Germany, 1937
145.91 135RR Kindleberger, 1937-38
145.91 135SS Germany, Italy, 1935-38
168.7012-5 Newspaper Clippings, Air Force
170.2281-12 Pre-War Development
MFilm 28,054, 43,799, 23,061, 23,010 Arnold Papers
MFilm 23321 Eaker Papers
MFilm 33,834a, 33,835 Martin Scanlon Personal Diary
MFilm 41,080 Thomas White Interview

5) Also, at the Fairchild Library which is immediatley adjacent to AFHRA, on the first floor of the library in the reference section is a microfilm collection with partial holdings of the following NARA series:

T-177 Reich Air Ministry
T-321 Oberkommando Luftwaffe
T-971 von Rohden Collection

Microfilm reader-copiers are available and at least one of these is capable of doing digital copies from the microfilm rolls.
A complete finding aid for the partial T-177 microfilm rolls and a partial finding aid for the partial T-321 microfilm rolls are available.
The T-971 finding aid is now on-line at:
http://www.archives.gov/research/captured-german- records/microfilm/t971.pdf

The T-321 microfilm contains some of the Milch Documents, i.e. T-321/157/734-770, Milch Document 56.87-.89, German-British Air Ministry conversations, 1937-38

6) Also at the Fairchild Library, on the 2nd floor, is an excellent collection of historical aviation periodicals. Those researched included:
Aeroplane
L'Air
L'Aerophile
L'Aeronautique
Aviation
Aero Digest
Flight
Journal of Strategic Studies
Flug und Technik
Wehrwissenschaftliche Rundschau

The Fairchild Library is open to the public and has extened hours Monday through Thursday and limited, daytime hours on the weekends. Again, a gate pass is required to enter the base.

7) I would be happy to discuss any of the above at toddemartin@gtmc.net

Best wishes.