Kanalkrankheit
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Kanalkrankheit, or "channel sickness", was a form of
combat fatigue Combat stress reaction (CSR) is acute behavioral disorganization as a direct result of the trauma of war. Also known as "combat fatigue", "battle fatigue", or "battle neurosis", it has some overlap with the diagnosis of acute stress reaction used ...
which began to appear in the summer of 1940 among German pilots during the Battle of Britain. For crews of the Luftwaffe, operating at the edge of their combat range, bailing out over England meant certain capture, while parachuting out over the English Channel would often result in death by exposure or drowning.


Symptoms

Many pilots suffered stomach cramps, or found themselves unable to eat.Bungay, p.205
Retrieved November 2012
As combat wore on, the number of aircraft turning back to France owing to overheating engines, low oil pressure or instrument failure steadily increased. Pilots suffered mysterious bouts of appendicitis, or found other means to make their way to the sick bay.


Causes

In reality, these medical ailments and equipment failures were symptoms of chronic stress, caused by extreme fatigue. There was no policy of R&R for German fighter pilots. They were expected to keep flying missions until they were captured, killed, or promoted.
Ulrich Steinhilper Ulrich Steinhilper (14 September 1918 – 20 October 2009) was a World War II Luftwaffe fighter ace who made numerous attempts to escape after he was shot down and captured. As a post-war IBM typewriter salesman, he was an early proponent of word ...
, a Luftwaffe ace, recalled at the end of August: :"Although most of us were still not outwardly showing major signs of nerves, arguments were becoming more frequent, tempers frayed quicker…The strain of unrelenting front-line flying was beginning to show." Peter Stahl, a Junkers Ju 88 pilot, wrote in his diary on August 25: :"it is being said that the British are already on their last legs, but when you hear what the operation pilots - and particularly the bomber crews - have to report...the losses suffered by our bomber crews must be terrible." Unteroffizier Werner Karl of the elite squadron Jagdgeschwader 53 wrote: :"There was no talk about fear or being taken prisoner. At least, nobody admitted if he was scared. All around us, we saw heroes both in the newspaper and on the radio. I think that everybody thought that he was the only one who was afraid. For example, our briefings were always held outside in the open air. Immediately after it finished and before we went to our planes, we all ran to the latrines and sat on the toilet. At first we thought it was sabotage but in fact it was fear." Werner Karl was shot down and taken prisoner soon afterwards, on 2 September 1940. Lone German aircraft struggling to return to France were easy prey for British fighters. The Germans call these attackers ''leichenfledderer'' - one who attacks corpses. Morale steadily declined among the German crews as British resistance failed to evaporate. On September 11 the pilot of a bomber from
Kampfgeschwader 26 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 26 (KG 26) "Löwengeschwader" (in English ''Bomber Wing 26'' aka ''"Lions' Wing"'' by virtue of its insignia) was a German air force Luftwaffe bomber wing unit during World War II. Its units participated on all of the fronts ...
squadron bailed out after being attacked by fighters. His observer, Leutnant F. Zimmerman was forced to seize the controls of the crippled aircraft, successfully making a forced landing at Dieppe.Hooton, E. R., p.25
Retrieved November 2012
These problems were exacerbated by internal conflict over strategy and tactics. The
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
fighter aircraft was faster than the British
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
and Hawker Hurricane, especially in a dive, and had superior weapons. Yet pressure to defend the bombers in close escort caused this advantage to be thrown away. The fighter pilots were frustrated and morale began to drop. "By ordering us to fly as close escorts," recalled German fighter pilot Günther Rall, "our Gruppe was effectively offered up on a plate to the most efficient and determined aerial opponents the Luftwaffe has yet come against."Daily Telegraph 28 June 2010
Retrieved November 2012


See also

*
Combat stress reaction Combat stress reaction (CSR) is acute behavioral disorganization as a direct result of the trauma of war. Also known as "combat fatigue", "battle fatigue", or "battle neurosis", it has some overlap with the diagnosis of acute stress reaction used ...
*
Post traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...


References


Bungay, Stephen, ''The Most Dangerous Enemy: An Illustrated History of the Battle of Britain''
Retrieved November 2012
Gardiner, Juliet, ''D-Day: Those Who Were There''
Retrieved November 2012
Goss, Chris, ''Luftwaffe Fighters and Bombers: The Battle of Britain''
Retrieved 2012
Hooton, E. R., ''Eagle in Flames: The Fall of the Luftwaffe'', Brockhampton Press, Jan 1st 2000
Retrieved November 2012
''Encyclopedia of World War II Battles''
Retrieved November 2012
Kaplan, Philip, and Saunders, Andy, ''Little Friends: The Fighter Pilot Experience in World War II England''
Retrieved November 2012
Ryan, Dan, ''Dorneywood: The Caldwell Series''
Retrieved November 2012
Scutts, Jerry, ''JG 54: Jagdgeschwader 54 Grünherz : aces of the Eastern Front''
Retrieved 2012


Notes

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External links



Retrieved November 2012 Battle of Britain German words and phrases