Dugdales OoB Books

[Piet Duits]

Rich,

Mike Wood is a very nice guy. I have the pleasure to talk with him on the phone or have e-mail contact with so every once and a while.
As far as I know it, he made 2 books with Jeff Dugdale, and the first of those 2 do have citations of the sources. I have (almost) all of their sources in my own collection, and clearly it was written at the time when Selke was still using their prehistorian Xerox machines, judging by the dark OoB's (both authors cannot be blaimed for that!)
(Selke is the company that does ALL the copying for the german Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv).

The other books are written by Jeff Dugdale, and as both of us already wrote, "I want to believe". But wanting to believe is not enough. I want to be able to check the sources myself too. What is not important to you can be the missing piece I have been searching for for years.
Too bad he doesn't share his sources.

Piet

[Rich]

Rich,

Mike Wood is a very nice guy. I have the pleasure to talk with him on the phone or have e-mail contact with so every once and a while.

Piet

Hi Piet,

I believe you, but wish I could remember who was the "nice guy" who PM'ed me the last time? I want to believe that everything unreferenced is accurate as well, but.... Quite simply such detail requires that it meets a minimal academic standard to be acceptable, but then I guess I'm picky?

[Maurice the Archivist]

Maybe I can shed some light on Dugdale's sources.

I share the same publisher and from my conversations with him about Dugdale I can confirm he uses German archival sources.

He has spent many years compiling the data for his books. I understand he has found numerous errors in the documents in the archives. I too have found these kind of errors in my researches. You have to trust the clerk typing out reports is accurate in transcribing handwritten paperwork and mathematical errors are spotted. Often you find two documents giving conflicting data - you just have to decide which one is correct. Researching unit strengths and compiling OOBs can feel like a thankless task sometimes.

Maurice

[Piet Duits]

Maurice,

You are correct about errors in archived material. Especially when it comes to adding up subtotals as found on Meldungen and Zustandsberichten. Can or can't you trust those.
At one time, the W-SS formations started to include totals of fighting and supporting troops as well as including the totals of machineguns, pistols etc.
Wonderful. One would think.
I have found numerous mistakes. The problem is that seemingly no one took the time to check the numbers (using a lame excuse as "there's a war going on"), and so incorrect numbers became official and thus correct numbers.

Personally, I use the KStN's as a guide. Including relevant changes from the Allgemeine Heeresmitteilungen, special orders from the Org.Abt. etc.. By adding the totals from KStN together, one should be able to get the totals from a Meldung.
WRONG. Specific changes ordered from the theater of operations (such as reduction orders given by the Armee or even Heeresgruppe) should be added as well. But where to find those! And if you can find them, do they give specific instructions as this or that puppet should be removed and this puppet should be added. No, don't think so.
Boy, this does sound like a rant, or doesn't it

Piet

[Kelvin]

I also contact with Mr Jeff Dugdale last year by email and he also help me in my research in German army strength in Italy in June 1944 and also provide me 116th Panzer divison monthly report on 01st July 1944 and give me some advice on Ardennes offensive , so I sure that he possess some German archival doucment and as I mention before, but also some conflicting data in Ardennes offensive confused me. Also recently Mr Block Martin mention about Ostwind. Dugdale book give eight Ostwind in 1st SS Panzer divison on 16th Dec 1944 ( Ostwind possessed by 501st SS Panzer Abteilung and this abteilung act as stand in when 1st SS second battalion was missing ) but based on Mr Block Martin data, no Ostwind is present in Ardennes.