Bley, Wulf - Das Buch der Spanienflieger (1939) (original printed edition)

Das Buch der Spanienflieger (1939)

Wulf Bley

Köhler Verlag Gmbh & Co KG, München

 

Wulf Bley, pseudonym W.H. Hartwig, (born December 14, 1890 in Berlin; died April 20, 1961 in Darmstadt) was a German writer, playwright and radio man. He joined the National Socialist Party from 1931 and was head of the SA section.

The son of the writer Fritz Bley, he attended a Prussian cadet school in his youth. From 1914 onwards, he participated in the First World War, during which he was seriously wounded.

From 1921 to 1923, Bley was editor of the journal Völkisch Der Skalde (Berlin). In 1923 and 1924 he was editor of the Großdeutsche Zeitung, the replacement organ of the banned Völkischer Beobachter. From 1926 onwards, Bley worked as a freelance writer. Later he also worked as a radio announcer and commentator. Bley worked for the Funkstunde Berlin and the Deutschlandsender.

In 1931 Bley joined the NSDAP and the SA, where he held the rank of Sturmführer in Sturmabteilung 9. On 30 January 1933, Bley was a radio reporter for the SA's nightly torchlight retreat in Wilhelmstraße on the occasion of the Nazi party's takeover.

In 1933 he became chief dramaturge at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin and headed a department at the Reichsrundfunkkammer. Later, he provided radio coverage of the competitions during the Olympic Games.

Bley, whom Erich Kästner called a "totalitarian poet", wrote a series of historical novels and political education books in the spirit of National Socialist ideology.

During the Spanish Civil War, Bley was an OKW liaison officer with the Condor Legion. During the Second World War, he was the head of foreign propaganda for the Luftwaffe.

Many of the writings he wrote and published were placed on the list of literature to be eliminated in the Soviet occupation zone.

"Das Buch der Spanien Flieger" is a collection of about twenty episodes told by those who lived through them.

 

Table of contents

•     Karlheinz Mager! Condor Legion!
•     Major General Frhr. v. Richthofen: Volunteers first!
•     Retired Captain Wulf Bley: The Legion
•     Captain Frhr. v.Houwald: First hopes and disappointments
•     Captain v. Moreau (t) : 12000 men crossed the sea
•     Lieutenant Graf Hoyos: "Bubb" leads the first squadron against the Reds
•     An anonymous comrade: on Rudolf v.Moreau
•     Captain Knüppel: fighter 1936
•     Captain Kraftt v.Dellmensingen: Night attack of the K/88 on Cartagena
•     Captain Asmus: Bombing flight over Albacete
•     Lieutenant Siegfried Gottanka (t) : Bombing flight
•     Lieutenant v. Poser (t) : My sixth flight
•     Lieutenant Bengsch: Air combat over Gijon
•     Lieutenant Hans-Detlef v. Kessel (t): Exploring the Utiel-Cuenca railway line in pictures
•     Captain Harder : The Brunete offensive
•     Lieutenant Keller: Combat Aircraft
•     Lieutenant Küchle: Birthday over the enemy
•     Sergeant Franz: With an engine
•     Major Handrick: Fighter Pilot
•     Sergeant Maar: "We took one" ...
•     NCO Wolf: In the hands of the enemy
•     Lieutenant Trute: 19-21 January 1939. Three hot days with our scouts
•     Radio Master G.Schultzen : Maritime Aviators 1938/39
•     Lieutenant Brey: Franco's German maritime aviation
•     Chief Warrant Officer E. Fürll: As a seaplane pilot in Spain
•     Lieutenant Balthasar: Scout
•     Generalmajor Frhr.v.Richthofen: Farewell speech to Leon 

(The war in Poland did not allow for all the planned contributions, as the airmen concerned are again in the field).