About Air Fronts - Impressum

About to the Air Fronts Document Repository Web Site!

This Web Site is about the development and application of air power in general and more specific, about the evolvement of air power prior to and during World War II. This site is not telling a story, nor does it try to present an analysis of developments and events. It will offer a growing archive of original documents related to air power, the air war in general, specific theaters, campaigns and air battles - plus the technology behind all this. These documents will be presented as is - for the time being.

The aim of the project is first of all authenticity - not historical accuracy. The reader is invited to see the past trough the eyes of the contemporaries, not the historians view. This site is not trying to establish some kind of historic truth (professional or not), blessed by the benefit of hind sight. Of course. This approach has its issues - and each of the sources certainly needs to be put into perspective to avoid falling for misconceptions or plain propaganda. But even plain propaganda has its own authenticity.

This site is about war - air war. The technicalities, the strategies and the personalities involved in air war. Not the moral issues of war - or rather the changes of morals with regard to war and the application of force and the evolution of concepts regarding the legitimacy of using force. Not to speak of the varied ideologies - very often and very vocally claiming exclusivity of "truth" - concerned with the application of force.

Some readers may be appalled by this stance. But it is the stance of the most powerful Air Service in existence today: The USAF, a service entirely controlled and chartered by democraticly legitimated institutions - without a shade of doubt.

However, if it comes to "propaganda", please consider the actual situation of the time. Have a look at the following two images:

The war effort engulfed all aspects of life at the time. On all sides.

If the site is taking a perspective, it is the one of those who fought, those who suffered, those who lost their lives in the conflicts and specifically those who survived and became friends with their former adversaries. Regardless on which side they started. These are the men and women, who took the lessons to be learned by "history" by heart. These are the shoulders we stand on. Success in reviving - not explaining - their experiences in an authentic manner, at least to some degree, is a goal of this site - with very small hopes to achieve it.

A web site has in general no legitimate pretend to preserve or present a past long gone. This is the concern of professionals: archives, librarians and historians. However a good many amateurs and enthusiasts have equally legitimate reasons for easy access to those archives and their content. This web site endeavours to cater for those interests in a modest way.

What can be found on this site ? What is the plan ? What the method ?

The method is certainly eclectic: Find stuff, evaluate it, scan it publish it - so if you do not find what you look for, well, a little patience - or getting involved - may be called for.

The main sources will certainly originate from the allied air forces - US AAC-AAF/NAVY/USMC and RAF/Commonwealth to be more specific - for the simple reason of availability of resources and of course there is no need for translation. Where possible, German, French and Italian sources will be used. It is not likely, you will find Russian or Japanese material on this site. Unless contributors, familiar with those languages will step forward and offer their services.

The kind of sources used is in most cases printed material issued by the air services or related agencies. Most of it is of limited - if not restricted - circulation at the time. It will be amended with material published for a general public in support of the war effort. Archival sources may be used in the long run.

The aim of all this, is to illustrate the "pilot perspective" of events. The generic, day to day experience in an air force at war. Including the flight training, the technicalities of flying and surviving the missions, the aircraft and their handling and the required maintenance, the missions in the theaters and the broad strategies permeating the missions and individual experiences.

Again - this site has no pretensions with regard to science. It is about supporting the effort to revive and helping to understand a very important part of our common history. The history of air power and the history of applying air power.

Adminstrative issues:

Web Linking Practices

The Air Fronts web site may provide hyperlinks or pointers to other web sites maintained by third parties. The links to any such third party web sites are provided for your convenience and information only. The content in any linked web site is not under our control and if you decide to access any such web site, you do so entirely at your own risk. The fact that we provide a link to a third party web site does not mean that we endorse, authorize or sponsor any such site or that we are affiliated with such third party. Under no circumstances shall the Air Fronts Web Site be liable to any person for any direct, special, incidental, punitive, indirect or consequential damages, loss of profits or revenues or costs of replacement goods resulting from use of or reliance on the information presented in or through this Web Site, even if informed in advance of the possibility of such damages.

Information published on this Web Site is subject to change without notice.

The Air Fronts web site makes no representation that the information contained in this Web Site or that access to this Web Site is appropriate or available for use throughout the world. You are responsible for compliance with all applicable local laws in the geography from which you access this Web Site, including but not limited to, all applicable laws and regulations. Any claims relating to our Web Site shall be governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany exclusive of its conflict of law provisions. The Air Fronts web site may unilaterally revise these terms and conditions without notice and any such changes shall be effective upon posting.

Links to this site not permitted

These include sites:

Which breach others' right to privacy and confidentiality
That promote or incite illegal, fraudulent or other unlawful activities
Which are slanderous, libellous and/or defamatory
Which are offensive, obscene and pornographic
Which promote or incite violence, hatred and harassment based on sex, race and disability
Which promote or incite breaches of "Netiquette", and are designed to annoy, abuse or torment users of the Internet

Request for linking to Air Fronts Site

To get a link placed on the Air Fronts Site, please contact the Web Master

In your contact message please explain how the proposed link relates to this policy, and ensure that a return contact name and address is included.

If, on the face of it, a proposed link meets the criteria enunciated in this policy it may still be declined at the discretion of the Air Fronts Team. The Web Master of this site is the final arbiter of links. If a link is approved, the administrators of the target site will be informed and the link established.

Linking to the Airfronts website

The Air Fronts team welcomes links to its website, and also permits most "web-crawlers" to index its website.

Generally, the Airfronts Site team asks that you consider the following when establishing links to its website:

Links should usually be made to the homepage:
http://ww2airfronts.org

Links to other pages on the site are permitted, but it is suggested that you run an automated link-checker periodically to test the integrity of such links. Information, or page structures, may change over time.

The following "Banner" should be used, where and as required:

Resizing of this banner is permitted. It can be downloaded form here: Airfronts Banner

Disclaimer: The Air Fronts Web Site is an online publication featuring WWII contemporary content in the form of text, pictures and sound. The Air Fronts site does not support any belief or ideology representative of any of the the former military or political political antagonists, nor any related ideology. All site content and site imagery represent an attempt to create an online experience for the sole purpose of enjoyment and fun. The Air Fronts site and its contributors honor the past and pay respect to all lost in confrontation, regardless of nationality.

The Air Fronts web site is entirely non-commercial.

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