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Home , Bomber Command, Braunschweig, Dietrich Schmidt (pilot), Helmut Lent, Hermann Greiner, Josef Kraft

On the homeward route of the raid, half a -432 Sqn Halifax MZ506: hit by 6./gem. Flak Abt. 596 and 2. & 4./lei. dozen combats took place, mainly in the Minden-Quakenbrück Flak Abt. 955, crashed 3 km S. of Le Mans airfield at 02.40. area and over the . Uffz. Rohlfing at the controls -425 Sqn Halifax LK810: hit by 5. & 6./gem. Flak Abt. 596, crashed 3 of Bf110 G-4 D5+HT of 9./NJG3 dispatched a 207 Squadron km N. of Le Mans airfield at 02.45 hrs. Lancaster, which reportedly crashed at Dörpel near Barnstorf at around 02.30 hrs on its return from Braunschweig. A few Within a minute of the arrival of the first wave minutes after Rohlfing’s Abschuss, Oblt. Seeler of 5./JG302 of over (at 00.40 hrs), a string of scored his second Abschuss of the night over a - combats took place. Returning crews reported coned 57 Squadron Lancaster. His quarry exploded over 76 sightings of fighters over Dortmund, 37 of which Ottersberg at 02.19 hrs; Seeler’s victories were both officially were Fw190s and Bf109s of all three Gruppen of anerkannt on 9 September 1944. During the bombers’ JG300 and 1./NJGr.10. Pilots of these units claimed return flight, Oblt. Dieter Schmidt, St.Kpt. of 8./NJG1, was four Viermots shot down over the city under attack, scrambled from Deelen for a second sortie, this time in only one of which was subsequently anerkannt. JG300 Himmelbett fashion. His Funker Fw. Schönfeld recorded claimed eight further Abschüsse, but, remarkably, none in his diary, ‘We get permission to take off again, at 02.34 of these were officially registered by the RLM/OKL. hrs. We’re supposed to fly to GCI box Salzhering. The fighter Many of these claims concern the eight Main Force controller is reporting on the last homeward-bound flights. aircraft of the Dortmund raid that returned with fighter He sets us on to one of them and for the first time in a long damage, four of these being severely shot up. Upon the while I get it all nicely served up without having to become completion of the bombing attack at 01.00 hrs, both too involved. I take over at 4 km range and bring my pilot in single and twin-engined Nachtjäger then pursued the closer. He’s already got a visual at 800 m and gives him a few stream, which split south of Mönchengladbach, on its bursts into the wings. The target reacts immediately and goes homeward flight. The fighter attention concentrated down steeply. Crash at 3.13 north of . on the first wave of bombers, which took a northerly The last of the ‘delivery men’ is on his way home.He’s route. The more southerly second wave reported passed from box to box and is now flying across Salzhering, only one combat, in the Flushing area. Engaging the and is almost into box Hering. We make a turn to starboard retreating bombers roughly until the Dutch-German onto him from the south. At 6 km range I see him wander onto border, single-engined fighters claimed three Viermots The remains of 77 Squadron Halifax LL138 lying in a field at Séris. It was Fw. Kurt Schönfeld, regular Funker to Oblt. Schmidt (St.Kpt. of 8./ shot down by Oblt. Schaus of 4./NJG4 during the 22-23 May 1944 raid on shot down, and crews of IV./NJG1 four. A novice crew NJG1) achieved three Abschussbeteiligungen on 22-23 May 1944 my scope from starboard and I take over, but after our turn Orléans (Coll. Philippe Canonne, 2 photos). (Coll. Kurt Schönfeld). he’s too far away for me to be able to hold him. I should have of 8./NJG2, Lt. Josef Förster and his BF Uffz. Heinz waited a bit. I ask for assistance from the box again. Now I’ve Wickardt in Ju88 G-1 4R+OS, was less fortunate, as suddenly got two boxes responding to my request with course corrections. It seems everyone wants a share of the kill. Hering absolutely Wickardt recorded in his Flugbuch: ‘5th operational sortie, Radio beacon Ludwig, Dortmund, 1 air combat, 2 attacks’. Three He219 wants to get its 100th. Finally I pick him up again. The SN2 is wonderfully free of interference. It’s not difficult work. Dieter sees him A-0 crews of I./NJG1, flying from Venlo aerodrome, claimed three Lancasters destroyed on the homeward route. These were the Hptm. ahead at 1,000 m range: it’s already quite light in the east. My pilot tries his luck again with the Schräge Musik, he scores hits, but to Modrow/Uffz. Schneider team in G9+EK, Hptm. Strüning and his BF Oblt. Apel in G9+EL, and the Oblt. Baake/Uffz. Bettaque team in no effect. So again from behind. Two bursts. We draw off a bit. There’s a light smoldering up front in the cockpit, otherwise nothing. G9+RK. Rolf Bettaque recorded in his Flugbuch about his 40th Feindflug: ‘Take off Venlo 00.30 hrs, 1 Abschuss in Truthahn. Lancaster. Wilhelm (Fw. Schlosser, BS, author’s note) wants to have a shot. The light grows larger and larger. Finally the bomber is burning Landed 03.55 after 205 mins sortie on last drops of fuel, distance travelled 1230 km. 5th Abschuss’. brightly in the cockpit and crashes in flames on the sea in Planquadrat EH, where the light soon goes out.’ The victorious crew returned In return, Bf110 G-4 G9+FY of 11./NJG1 was shot down in return fire from a ‘heavy’ to the west of Emmerich, its crew being killed, to their home base Leeuwarden at 04.08 hrs; their three Abschüsse were all anerkannt on 19 August 1944. and a 239 Squadron Mosquito crew claimed an Me110 (probably a Bf110 G-4 of 5./NJG5 that hit the ground near Kohlstädt) destroyed 13 Lancasters from the Brauschweig force failed to return, all being shot down by NJG3 (including two by Obstlt. Lent), 5./JG302 in the Dortmund area. In addition, JG300 lost three aircraft and two pilots in take-off and landing accidents. 10 Nachtjäger of the I. and III./NJG1, the latter Gruppe claiming five Abschüsse. A sixth Viermot Abschuss by III./NJG1, submitted by Oblt. Prues at 02.02 Jagdkorps were reported as total losses and two fighters as severely damaged during the night’s operations, whilst personnel losses were hrs, was subsequently denied to the claimant. Nine aircraft of the Braunschweig raid returned with fighter damage, seven of which were reported as four killed, two missing and five injured. badly shot up. The I. Jagdkorps reported 13 ‘certain’ claims and four ‘probables’ against the Braunschweig raid. In return, gunners of 257 heavy Flak batteries of the 4., 7., 8., 14. and 22. Flak divisions, plus the 2. and 8. Flak Brigades hurled a massive 32,181 Flak the Braunschweig force claimed a single-engined fighter destroyed, one Ju88 probably shot down and a ‘Bf109’ damaged. In addition, shells into the skies over Braunschweig and Dortmund, claiming 13 bombers destroyed. (16 Dortmund raiders and 27 aircraft of the a Bf110 G-4 of 3./NJG3 was shot down at Hoogeveen by a 169 Squadron Mosquito, two of the crew being injured. Braunschweig raid returned with varying degrees of Flak damage). Only three Abschüsse, all Dortmund raiders, were eventually Meanwhile, to counter the two Dortmund forces, elements of NJG1, 2 and 5 were ordered by the controller of 1. JD at 23.26 hrs to credited to the Flak: fly to beacon Hase (based at ), whilst this controller proceeded to report on the progress of these raiders, the spearhead of which was then said to be ‘half-way between England and the Frisian Islands’. At 23.36 hrs, the 1. JD controller ordered his fighters to -75 Sqn Lancaster ND768: hit by 3. & 4./schw. Flak Abt. 466, 1., 2., 5. & 6. schw. Flak Batt. 333 (o), z.b.V. Battr. 10.409, 2. & 4./schw. Flak Abt. 221 (o) and 2./schw. Flak Abt. remain over the IJsselmeer. III./NJG2 was sent up from Volkel between 23.37-46 hrs for ungeführte Zahme Sau with orders to fly toFF 416 (Eisb.), exploded over Dortmund at 00.48 hrs. Ludwig, north of Osnabrück. Four crews of II./NJG1 were scrambled from Deelen at around 23.45 hrs to take up waiting positions in -419 Sqn Lancaster KB717: coned by 2./Flakscheinw. Abt. 581 (o), hit by 4. & 6./schw. Flak Abt. 244 (o) and 1., 2., 4. & 5./schw. Flak Abt. 401, crashed at Genhülsen at 01.23 hrs. Himmelbett Räume in western and central Holland, whereas another six crews of this Gruppe became airborne shortly before midnight -12 Sqn Lancaster NE134: hit by 1. & 2./schw. Flak Abt. 447 and impacted at Appeldorn at 01.25 hrs. for ungeführte Zahme Sau sorties. At 00.12 hrs the controller of 3. JD instructed his fighters of NJG1 and 2 to ‘make immediately for a force of bombers coming in just south of ’, which was the second and southerly wave bound for Dortmund. This attempt The Flak barrage over Dortmund almost caused the demise of Ju88 4R+LP of 6./NJG2, in the hands of Hptm. Bruno Kamsties, a failed almost completely, only two bombers being shot down by I./NJG1 before the spearhead of the combined Dortmund raid crossed former experienced bomber pilot engaged in his very first NachtjagdEinsatz . Uffz. Kurt Sasse,Funker to Kamsties, recalls his baptism the Rhine, a few minutes before the opening of the attack. of fire, ‘The first operation was in the worst weather. Clouds between 300 and 6000 m, wind speed 80 km/h, flying altitude about 6000 Between 23.50 and 01.30 hrs, the controller of 4. JD scrambled at least 17 aircraft of NJG4, the first waves of these fighters being m and objective Dortmund. Once we were over the city, eager for an enemy machine, we saw little clouds to left and right and were directed to the Dortmund raid, but they were diverted to FF Venus in the Orléans area at 02.15 hrs against a diversionary raid by 128 informed by Kamsties that these were Flak bursts. As we later found out, the Flak was firing a barrage at an altitude of 8000 m. Those ‘heavies’ on this city. Two combats occurred over Orléans, one homeward-bound Halifax of this force being sent down in three bursts were fascinating moments with glimmering fires through the clouds below and added to that the suspense of the hunt, right up to the of gunfire by Oblt. Schaus of 4./NJG4 SW of the target. Oblt. Delakowitz of 7./NJG4 flew a fruitless sortie from Juvincourt in Bf110 instant when there was a shudder, the machine pitched and Kamsties shouted ‘bale out!’ Schuster (Uffz. Kurt Schuster, BM, author’s G-4 3C+KR between 01.34 and 04.20 hrs, his BS/BW Fw. Felke remarking in his Flugbuch: ‘ in direction of . 4 SN-2 note) jettisoned the gondola and jumped out. I thought about it for another 10 seconds, saw how Kamsties was turning himself round contacts’. Another French raid, 133 aircraft that raided the railway yards of Le Mans, attracted no Nachtjäger. This force lost two and jumped too. At first I tumbled madly, almost losing consciousness, then I dropped like a stone, pulled the ripcord and, after a Halifaxes, both falling to Flak over the target:

14 15 DENMARK

LÜBECK SEGEBERG

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PINNEBERG

HAMBURG N

2° W 0° 2° E 4° E 6° E 8° E 10° E ° Lancaster 5

5 NE125 49 Sqn Lancaster ND878 µ 57 Sqn Lancaster NE127 Halifax 57 Sqn LV989 N

429 Sqn ° 3 5 Lancaster Lancaster LM540 BRADFORD LEEDS Braunschweig Lancaster ME790 207 Sqn LL776 106 Sqn Lancaster WAKEFIELD 01:16 to 01:43 hrs 207 Sqn JB546 630 Sqn HANNOVER Bf110 G-4 720050 SALFORD Salzhering MANCHESTER 3./NJG3 SHEFFIELD FF Ludwig LIVERPOOL Lancaster Lancaster Hering ND963 Lancaster ND655 Lancaster Lancaster 83 Sqn LM519 630 Sqn ND871 FF 12 LL857 9 Sqn Lancaster 207 Sqn 300 Sqn ND879 57 Sqn Lancaster LL744 Lancaster FF Philipp STOKE-ON-TRENT 50 Sqn Lancaster NOTTINGHAM Lancaster Hase ND629 ND415 LL946 DERBY 103 Sqn 97 Sqn AMSTERDAM 103 Sqn MÜNSTER NETHERLANDS Lancaster NORWICH ME687 Lancaster 576 Sqn LEICESTER UTRECHT LL723 Lancaster Lancaster 408 Sqn ND768 WALSALL Bf110 G-4 NE134 WOLVERHAMPTON 75 Sqn DEN HAAG 740143 12 Sqn DUDLEY BIRMINGHAM 11./NJG1 Dortmund N

COVENTRY SOLIHULL ROTTERDAM ° Lancaster 00:40 to 01:00 hrs 3 5 DS759 Lancaster 408 Sqn Lancaster ND768 75 Sqn Lancaster NE118 Lancaster ND762 626 Sqn LM395 35 Sqn Lancaster Lancaster 101 Sqn Lancaster ND745 EINDHOVEN LM487 ME670 115 Sqn 300 Sqn DÜSSELDORF 100 Sqn Bf110 G-4 LUTON 440058 Lancaster 5./NJG5 N NE114 Fw190 A-8 Truthahn ° 166 Sqn 170132 0 KÖLN 5 ANTWERPEN 5./JG300 Lancaster Lancaster ME690 KB717 75 Sqn Lancaster 419 Sqn LL954 166 Sqn CARDIFF GENT Lancaster FF Otto LM542 100 Sqn

FRANKFURT AM MAIN

Courtrai 23:31 to 23:51 hrs. Bf109 G-6 SOUTHAMPTON CHARLEROI Bf109 G-6 7./JG300 411484 7./JG300

Ludwigshafen 00:53 to 00:55 hrs. LUXEMBOURG N

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KARLSRUHE Bf110 G-4 SAARLAND 730090 4./NJG6 22nd/23rd MAY 1944 2° W

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° 8 STRASBOURG Targets Routes 8° E 4 Braunschweig Mission Routes Miles Braunschweig 0 10 20 40 60 80 100 Entry 6° E Type of Number of Aircraft which Aircraft Bombing Height (Feet) Average Return Target Group Dortmund Aircraft Aircraft attacked the target Lost High Low Average Load (Lbs.) Dortmund Mission Routes Mosquito 14 8 - 32,000 20,000 26,500 1,375 8 Entry Lancaster 67 60 1 20,000 14,000 18,000 12,642 Le Mans PARIS Dortmund 1 Lancaster 183 176 11 26,000 15,000 21,000 11,920 Return 3 Lancaster 84 58 FREIBURG IM 3 22,000 15,000 20,000 9,545 6 Lancaster 27 24 BREISGAU 3 22,000 20,000 21,000 9,000 Orleans Le Mans Mission Routes 1 Lancaster 5 5 - 20,000 20,000 20,000 10,000 Entry Braunschweig Lancaster 220 204 13 22,000 16,000 20,000 6,507 5 Secondary targets Mosquito 10 2 - 23,000 23,000 23,000 1,000 Return Mosquito 8 1 - 30,000 - 30,000 750 8 Orleans Mission Routes Lancaster 12 12 - 12,000 4,500 8,000 7,979 Losses Orleans Halifax 12 11 1 12,000 10,000 11,000 7,500 Entry 4 loss Halifax III 96 88 - 12,000 11,000 8,000 9,146

Mosquito 8 - - - - ZÜRICH - - Return 8 RAF loss crashed in UK Le Mans Lancaster 13 13 - 12,000 5,000 10,000 8,000 Base cartography 6 Halifax 112 102 2 9,000 7,000 8,000 7,785 RAF loss by Flak 8 Mosquito 26 24 - 25,000 22,500 25,000 3,519

Rivers N Courtrai 8 Mosquito 9 8 - 26,000 26,000 26,000 2,000 ° FF Venus ! 8

Cities 4 3 Lancaster 28 26 - 13,000 800 3,000 5 Mines RAF loss by Nachtjager Le Mans Halifax Minelaying 4 Halifax III 24 21 - 12,000 10,000 10,500 4 Mines Halifax 02:23 to 02:49 hrs LL138 6 Halifax 2 2 - 8,000 8,000 8,000 2 Mines Controlled Zones 77 Sqn Orleans RENNES LK810 Whitley 6 3 1 14,000 9,500 12,000 Leaflets units and bases 425 Sqn 91 16 Allies 02:05 to 02:25 hrs Leaflets Wellington 5 5 - 18,000 18,000 18,000 17Leaflets ! Himmelbett Station 92 Wellington 14 14 - 18,000 15,500 17,000 Leaflets Axis Bomber Support 100 Mosquito 21 19 - - - - - ! Bomber Command Airfields Neutral Intruders 100 Mosquito 8 6 - - - - - Halifax Special Operations 100 Various 9 ------MZ5060° 2° E 4° E Meteorological Recce. 8 Mosquito 1 1 - - - - - 432 Sqn Uffz. Joachim Tank: 1 7./NJG1 Lancaster Wadden Sea 7 km SE Den Helder (EK 37): 6.000 00.16 Braunschweig raid, unidentified. m Note: victory confirmed on 19.8.1944

Uffz. Herbert Beyer: 1 8./NJG1 Lancaster 5-10 km NW Groningen: 5.000 m. 00.16 57 Sqn Lancaster NE127 Oblt. Heinz Ferger: 11 3./NJG3 4-mot (NW-SE) Groningen (DO-CN): 5.800 m. 00.17 207 Sqn Lancaster LM543 (Cat. B damaged). Note: attacked and severely damaged by ‘two Ju88s‘ 10 km SW of Groningen at 00.20 hrs flying at 18,000 ft., MUG killed, aircraft crashed on landing. Claim Oblt. Ferger confirmed by OKL as full victory on 18.8.1944

Obstlt. : 94 Stab NJG3 Lancaster Osnabrück 00.21 prob. 106 Sqn Lancaster ME790 Hptm. : 17 Stab I./NJG3 4-mot -Emmen (EO-EP-DO): 5.200 m. 00.25 83 Sqn Lancaster ND963 Lt. Achim Woeste: 8 Stab III./NJG3 4-mot 5-15 km SE Lathen (EP 9): 5.600 m. 00.28 207 Sqn Lancaster LL776 Uffz. Heinz Krause: 3 3./NJG3 4-mot N. Emmen (EO 6): 5.400 m. 00.29 83 Sqn Lancaster ND963. Note: same claim as Hptm. Husemann 00.25 hrs, both claims confirmed as full victories on 18.8.1944

Oblt. Heinz Ferger: 12 3./NJG3 4-mot nr. Holdorf, SE Quakenbrück (FR 4): 5.400 m. 00.30 prob. 630 Sqn Lancaster JB546 Fw. Hans Meissner: 13 2./NJG3 Lancaster Engter nr. Bramsche, i. Zus.Arb. (GR 4): 6.000 m. 00.36 57 Sqn Lancaster ND879 Note: coned by 4./Flakscheinw. Abt. 588 (o), Werfer 2410 (‘Lancaster Schleptruper Egge 00.43 hrs’), Flak searchlight and 2./NJG3 claims both confirmed by OKL on 18.8.1944

Oblt. Wilhelm Henseler: 9 1./NJG1 Lancaster S. Rheine: 5.500 m. 00.39 103 Sqn Lancaster ND629 Obstlt. Helmut Lent: 95 Stab NJG3 Lancaster Osnabrück area: 4.500 m. 00.40 prob. 207 Sqn Lancaster ND871 Oblt. : 24 8./NJG1 Lancaster 5 km N. LF Plantlünne: 6.000 m. 00.42 9 Sqn Lancaster LM519 Note: same claim as Oblt. Rapp 00.47 hrs, victory Oblt. Schmidt confirmed on 19.8.1944

Maj. Hans Karlewski: 3 2./NJG1 Lancaster NW Dortmund: 6.000 m. 00.44 408 Sqn Lancaster LL723. Note: also claimed by Flak of 1./schw. Flak Abt. 446 (Eisb.) and Schw. Flak Battr. z.b.V. 10.402 (‘Halifax Westrup 00.46 hrs’), victory Maj. Karlewski confirmed on 18.8.1944

Ofw. Heinz Lönnecker 1./JG300 Lancaster Dortmund: 5.800 m. 00.46-48 ASM, 75 Sqn Lancaster ND768 207 Squadron lost three Lancasters to Nachtjäger during the 22-23 May 1944 Braunschweig raid. A fourth Squadron aircraft, Note: also claimed by Flak of 3. & 4./schw. Flak Abt. 466, 1., 2., 5. & 6./schw. Flak Battr. 333, Flak Battr. z.b.V. 10.409, 2.-4./schw. Flak Abt. 221 (o) and 2./schw. Eisb. Flak Abt. Lancaster LM543 was badly shot up by the Staffelkapitän of 3./NJG3 Oblt. Ferger near Groningen, the 21-year old Mid Upper 416 (‘Lancaster Dortmund 00.48 hrs’). Claim Ofw. Lonnecker not listed in OKL/RLM 1./JG300 Confirmed Abschussübersicht, rejected and victory credited to Flak Gunner Sgt. Reg Johnstone being mortally wounded. The aircraft made a crash-landing at Spilsby, where it was photographed Oblt. Werner Rapp: 10 5./NJG5 Lancaster NE Lingen: 5.500 m. 00.47 9 Sqn Lancaster LM519. the next day. Remarkably, Oblt. Ferger was credited with a full victory on 18 August 1944 (Coll. Mark Webster). Note: same claim as Oblt. Schmidt 00.42 hrs, victory Oblt. Rapp confirmed on 18.8.1944

powerful jolt, was swinging helplessly in the air.’ At 01.15 hrs, Kurt Sasse came down at Langenberg, NE of Dortmund. Later that day, Hptm. Kurd Peters: 1 Stab II./JG300 4-mot Dortmund (i.Zus.Arb.): 5.800 m. 00.52 103 Sqn Lancaster LL946 he was informed that, ‘ Kamsties, faithful to his intention never to bale out, stayed with the aircraft, had got it under control or 576 Sqn Lancaster ME687 and flown back to Gladbach in a glide - a masterstroke of piloting. You can imagine the comments we had to listen to when we arrived Ofw. Hermann Wischnewski 1./JG300 4-mot Dortmund: 5.800 m. 00.52-53 ASM, 408 Sqn Lancaster DS848 to report back to the Staffel but in the end we’d only been obeying our experienced pilot’s orders.’ (Cat. AC damaged). Note: coned by for about three minutes on bomb run, evaded and bombed at 00.49 hrs, then attacked by a fighter at 22,000 ft over target at 00.50 hrs. MUG and When the bomber forces were on their way back to the United Kingdom, eight Me410 crews of II./KG51 were scrambled from Wop wounded, made emergency landing Woodbridge at 02.47 hrs. Claim Ofw. Wischnewski not listed in OKL/RLM 1./JG300 Confirmed Abschussübersicht Eindhoven, Soesterberg and Gilze-Rijen between 01.45 and 02.01 hrs with orders to intrude into the Raum Cambridge-Norwich- . The Fernnachtjäger were active over East Anglia for 161 minutes, four airfields being bombed and attacks being made on Fw. Kurt Landl: 1 2./JG300 4-mot Dortmund: 6.000-6.300 m. 00.53 103 Sqn Lancaster LL946 or 576 Sqn Lancaster ME687 aircraft near Mildenhall, Mepal, off Bradwell Bay, near Swaffham and over the North Sea, in which the intruders claimed fourViermots ‘effectively shot up’. In fact, two Lancasters of the Dortmund force were damaged in attacks. One of these ‘heavies’ was 582 Hptm. Friedrich Karl Müller 1./NJGr.10 Halifax 10-15 km WNW Dortmund: 5.800 m. 00.54 ASM, Dortmund raid, unidentified. Note: claim not listed in OKL/RLM 1./NJGr.10 Confirmed Abschussübersicht Squadron Lancaster JB417. It had been hit on the bombing run over Dortmund by incendiaries, one in the port rudder, whilst another lodged in the port outer engine setting fire to it. Lt. Edwin Swales (SAAF) finished the bombing run and ordered his crew to stand Oblt. Werner Kucharsowsky: 2 4./JG300 prob. Lanc Dortmund- (LP 3): 5.000-5.600 m. 00.55 101 Sqn Lancaster LM395 by to bale out as the flames were trailing back 50 yards. They were then picked up by searchlights and dove to 13,000 feet hoping to Note: coned by Flakscheinw. Abt. 497 (‘Lancaster Hengsteysee 00.58 hrs’), victory confirmed by OKL on 5.9.1944 extinguish the flames. It didn’t work, but the flames went out on their own after seven anxious minutes. They flew through the Oblt. Karl-Heinz Seeler: 2 5./JG302 4-mot E. Brake: 6.200 m. 01.00 49 Sqn Lancaster NE125 at 13,000 feet and were hit by predicted Flak between Köln and Mönchengladbach but finally made it to the English coast. On their Note: coned by 2./Flakscheinw. Abt. 269 (o), Werfer 24 (‘Lancaster Hagen E. Brake 01.00 hrs’), Flak searchlight and 5./JG302 claims both confirmed by OKL on 9.9.1944 landing run to Mepal, at 03.10 hrs, the Lancaster was attacked by an intruder of II./KG51 from the rear and below while the rear turret was unserviceable, which made the aircraft a ‘sitting duck’. Lt. Swales corkscrewed to starboard and evaded the Me410 but it was able Oblt. Werner Baake: 29 2./NJG1 Lancaster SW Neerpelt (Truthahn): 4.500 m. 01.14 75 Sqn Lancaster ME690 to rake them with gunfire. The hydraulics were shot away and Swales had to use the emergency undercarriage and flaps system. JB417 Note: same claim as Oblt. Schnaufer 01.23 hrs, both claims confirmed as full victories on 18.8.1944 was categorised ‘AC damaged as a result of enemy fighters, Flak and incendiary dropped by Main Force’; it was repaired and finally Hptm. Heinz Strüning: 43 3./NJG1 Lancaster nr. Rödgen (i.Zus.Arb.): 4.500 m 01.14 166 Sqn Lancaster LL954 lost in a crash on 23/24 July on return from . ‘Ted’ Swales was later awarded a posthumous VC for his actions on an operation to Note: coned by 2./Flakscheinw. Abt. 648 (0), also claimed by Flak of 1., 2. & 4./schw. Flak Abt. 177 (o), 1.-3./schw. Flak Abt. 151 (o) and 1. & 3./schw. Flak Abt. 404 (o) on the night of 23/24 February 1945. (‘Lancaster Rosenthal MN 43 01.15 hrs’), victory Hptm. Strüning confirmed on 18.8.1944 In all, 18 Lancasters from the Dortmund raid were lost, whereas the I. Jagdkorps initially reported 22 bombers shot down and three Oblt. Georg Seip 1./NJGr.10 4-mot NW Düsseldorf 01.16 VNE: ASM, 166 Sqn Lancaster probably destroyed from the Dortmund raid. After official evaluation by theAbschusskommission , 15 Nachtjagd claims were anerkannt NE114. as confirmed victories, the Flak being credited with three victories. Note: also claimed by Flak of 3./schw. Flak Abt. 305, 5./schw. Flak Abt. 447 and 6./schw. Flak Abt. 401 (‘Lancaster Schöller 01.21 hrs’), claim Oblt. Seip not listed in OKL/RLM The large-scale single-engined Wild Boar action against the Braunschweig and Dortmund raids was the last of its kind in WWII. 1./NJGr.10 Confirmed Abschussübersicht, rejected and victory credited to Flak. A surviving crew member of NE114 declared after the war that ‘the Lancaster was chased by two night fighters before being hit by an explosive shell’ The operational loss rate, which had risen alarmingly during the winter months of 1943-44, had finally outweighed the ever diminishing successes of the three Geschwader. Between July 1943 and the end of May 1944, the Wilde Säue of the N.J.V.K./JG Herrmann/JG300 Hptm. Friedrich Karl Müller: 12 1./NJGr.10 Lancaster N. Bonn, i.Zus.Arb.: 3.300 m. 01.16 100 Sqn Lancaster LM542 submitted around 430 nighttime Abschüsse with the RLM/OKL, and JG301 and 302 another estimated 160 claims by night. Less than Note: coned by 2./Flakscheinw. Abt. 438 (o) and Scheinw. z.b.V. 10.412 (‘Lancaster Wesseling 01.20 hrs’). Also claimed by Flak of 3./schw. Flak Abt. 135 (‘Lancaster Keldenich half of these Abschüsse were officially confirmed by theAbschusskommission . From the end of May 1944, all of the Gruppen of JG300, 01.20 hrs’) and Flak of 2. & 3./schw. Flak Abt. 331, 5./schw. Flak Abt. 331, 8./schw. Flak Abt. 660 (o) and 1./schw. Flak Abt. 245 (o) (‘Lancaster Wesseling 01.20 hrs’), victory Hptm. Müller confirmed on 18.8.1944 301 (apart from the I. Gruppe) and 302 were gradually withdrawn from Nachtjagd and retrained for all-weather day-fighting.

18 19 Hptm. Heinz-Horst Hissbach: 14 5./NJG2 Lancaster E. Uden (5243): 4.500 m. 01.18 408 Sqn Lancaster DS759 Oblt. Hans-Heinz Augenstein: 30 12./NJG1 Lancaster nr. Eindhoven (LM): 5.400 m. 01.21 35 Sqn Lancaster ND762 Oblt. H.-Wolfgang Schnaufer: 67 Stab IV./NJG1 Lancaster near Neerpelt: 6.000 m. 01.23 75 Sqn Lancaster ME690 Hptm. Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow: 14 2./NJG1 Lancaster 2½ km S. Asten: 5.200 m. 01.25 626 Sqn Lancaster NE118 Fw. Hans Kugler: 3 5./JG300 4-mot S. edge Krefeld (LO 7/2): 4.500 m. 01.32 300 Sqn Lancaster LM487 Note: coned by 5./Flakscheinw. Abt. 250 (o) and also claimed by Flak of 4./schw. Flak Abt. 404 (o), 3., 4., 8. & 9./schw. Flak Abt. 244 (o) and Grossbattr. 1./404-3./404 (o) (‘Lancaster Diessem (L.O. 7/6) 01.25 hrs’), victory Fw. Kugler confirmed on 5.9.1944

Oblt. Hans-Heinz Augenstein: 31 12./NJG1 Lancaster nr. Hoogstraten (LK): 5.700 m 01.34 115 Sqn Lancaster ND745 Oblt. H.-Wolfgang Schnaufer: 68 Stab IV./NJG1 Lancaster Brecht, 22 km NE Antwerpen: 5.500 m. 01.36 100 Sqn Lancaster ME670 Uffz. Walter Rohlfing: 9 9./NJG3 Lancaster Wester/Westrem, ESE : 5.000 m. 02.12 207 Sqn Lancaster LM540 Oblt. Karl-Heinz Seeler: 3 5./JG302 4-mot N. Bremen, i.Zus.Arb.: 5.800 m. 02.19 57 Sqn Lancaster ND878. Note: coned by 3./Flakscheinw. Abt. 498 (o), Werfer 313 (‘Lancaster nr. Ottersberg 02.19 hrs’), Flak searchlight and 5./JG302 claims both confirmed by OKL on 9.9.1944

Oblt. Jakob Schaus: 9 4./NJG4 4-mot 5-30 km SW Orléans (ED 4/EC 9): 3.000 m. 02.35 77 Sqn Halifax LL138 Oblt. Dietrich Schmidt: 25 8./NJG1 Lancaster sea 10 km W. Kamperduin (EJ 9.9, Salzhering): 03.13 50 Sqn Lancaster LL744 5.500 m. Oblt. Dietrich Schmidt: 26 8./NJG1 Lancaster sea 70 km W. Callantsoog (EH 6.9, Salzhering): 03.48 630 Sqn Lancaster ND655 5.400 m.

A page from the Flugbuch of Oblt. Apel, Bordfunker to the Staffelkapitän of 3./NJG1 Hptm. Strüning, covering the crew’s operational flying between 19 May and 11 June 1944. During this period, Apel flewth his48 - 56th Nachtjagd Einsätze, all in the He219, 24-25 May 1944 achieving his 6th to 11th Abschussbeteiligungen (Coll. Marc Verhaart).

In the last Bomber Command raid on a Ida. Finally, an estimated 24 crews of NJG4 were sent by their controller of 4. JD to FF Ida at 00.19 hrs, and NJGr.10 was scrambled German target before the invasion in Normandy, 452 from Bonn-Hangelar. The Gruppenkommandeur Maj. Schoenert and his Funker Ofw. Richter were off at 00.35 hrs in a Naxos and ‘heavies’ were detailed to attack the railway stations of Schräge Musik-equipped Ju88 coded 1L+AA. In all probability none of the fighters of NJG4 made contact with the Aachen raiders; the Rothe Erde (first wave) and the Westbahnhof (second 4. JD R/T Laufende Reportage closed at 01.30 hrs. In all, 245 twin-engined Nachtjäger were employed against the Aachen raid. Single- wave) at Aachen. The two forces were dispatched to engined fighter action was almost completely ineffective, just one out of 76 Bf109 and Fw190 sorties (predominantly drawn from I. Aachen by different routes and separated in time by and III./JG300 and I./JG301) returning with an Abschuss. This claim, for a Viermot destroyed by Oblt. Pilz of 1./JG300 at 01.13 hrs, about 90 minutes. The first entered south west Holland was not officially filed with the OKL/RLM. at OverFlakkee and approached the target from the west. At 00.10 hrs, when it had become clear to the German controllers that the would penetrate over southern Holland, 2. The second crossed the Belgian coast at Oostende, passed JD sent its fighters of NJG3 in the north toFF Kurfürst to join their collegues of NJG1, 2 and 5 there and, seven minutes later, when the south of Charleroi and made a wide detour to approach bombers began to cross into Holland, a Laufende Reportage controller operating at Bourges (in Central France) on a frequency of 182 the target from the south east. Both return routes were kcs announced that ‘the possibility of an attack on the Ruhr must be borne in mind’. From then onwards, frequent plots of the bomber generally similar, passing north of Eindhoven to re-cross stream were passed to the Tame Boars via various running commentaries throughout the whole overland route. the Dutch coast near OverFlakkee. 21 heavy bombers of There were several victory claims when the first, 20 km long, bomber stream crossed the coast to the south of Rotterdam and flew the first wave were lost and eight from the second wave, in over Belgium. Oblt. Lau, the St.Kpt. of 4./NJG1’s, claim at 00.37 and Fw. Killmann’s Abschuss at 00.41 both concern combats with plus one Bomber Support Halifax of 192 Squadron. Halifaxes that flew in over Belgium alone behind the bomber stream. The first, LV922 of 427 Squadron, was very severely damaged in From 1¼ hours to ¾ hours before the spearhead a fighter attack at 00.31 hrs over the area of Antwerpen. Its starboard elevator and flap were shot away, the rudder bar was severed and of the first Aachen force flew in over the Scheldt, the the fuel system damaged, the starboard side of the fuselage from nose to stern was severely damaged, and the mid-upper gunner was controller of 3. JD set up an early concentration of night injured. The aircraft aborted and landed successfully at the emergency landing field at Woodbridge. The second concerns a Halifax of fighters at beaconKurfürst near in anticipation of 640 Squadron, LW434, in the hands of P/O Ian Hamilton RCAF. The Halifax crew fought off six attacks, the rear gunner an approach route through this area and in order to carry claiming a Ju88 shot down to the north of Liège at 00.40 hrs. The bomber escaped lightly on this occasion; Hamilton and most of his out early route interception. This force consisted of crew died in action less than two weeks later, on 7-8 June. It is remarkable that these two Abschüsse were later officially confirmed as fighters of NJG1, 2 and 5, all being scrambled between full victories by the Abschuss Kommission. Lt. Rolland (in a Bf110 G-4 of 12./NJG1) and Oblt. Adolf Kaiser (who had been appointed 23.15 and 23.40 hrs, including a handful of He219s of Staffelkapitän of 1./NJG2 on 12 May 1944, and his crew of Fw’s Willi Zorn (BF) and Franz Jasiniecki (BM) in Ju88 R-2 4R+BH) I./NJG1 (Venlo), 11 crews of II./NJG1 (sent up from both engaged 76 Squadron Halifax MZ623. Jasiniecki recorded in his Leistungsbuch, ‘Attack from behind and below from 60 m range. Deelen on unguided Zahme Sau duties), III./NJG1 Strikes in the port inner engine and the port wing. Port inner caught fire. Went down vertically over the starboard wing. Crash observed (Leeuwarden), an estimated seven crews of IV./NJG1 in LK 9 (east of Turnhout, Belgium)’. MZ623 fell at Arendonk, 9 km east of Turnhout; again, remarkably, both claims were officially (St. Trond), a number of Ju88s of III./NJG2 (Volkel) anerkannt as full victories by the OKL/RLM in September 1944. Lt. Rolland’s second claim of the night, for a Lancaster destroyed in and, finally, at least one crew of 5./NJG5, that was sent Fighter Grid Square LJ (NW of Antwerpen) at 01.18, is questionable, as no bombers were anywhere near this area at that time. Possibly, up from Twente at 23.20 hrs. Between 23.00 and 23.15 the time of his entry is wrong and should perhaps read 00.18, which was the time when the head of the bomber stream was crossing Oblt. Helmuth Schulte (depicted here as T.O. of Stab II./NJG5, probably hrs, the 2. JD controller scrambled a further estimated the coast, or the location of the claim entry is incorrect. One encounter (between Oblt. Lau and a Viermot over the sea to the west of in late 1943), had a narrow escape on 24-25 May 1944 (Coll. Peter Rotterdam at 00.35 hrs) did not lead to an Abschuss; Lau scored hits on his adversary but failed to observe the aircraft going down and Spoden). 36 crews of NJG3. These were drawn from I./NJG3 (Vechta), six crews of II./NJG3 (Plantlünne), III./NJG3 therefore refused to file an Abschuss. (), and IV./NJG3 (Schleswig). All crews of NJG3 Oblt. Hermann Leube, St.Kpt. of 4./NJG3 flying Ju88 D5+KM, was another claimant against the first wave on its outward journey, were ordered to ‘fly to Leeuwarden immediately’ between 23.19 hrs and 23.31 hrs. Meanwhile, the bombers had been plotted over destroying a 214 (SD) Squadron Fortress over the Oosterschelde, near St. Maartensdijk on Tholen Island. His Staffel subsequently took England, between Cromer and Lowestoft and were said to be flying due east at a height that had not yet been ascertained. 7. JD sprang on the special role of combating the 100 Group flying jamming stations, though without much success: Leube’s Fortress claim was his into action shortly after midnight when 37 Bf110 G-4s of I., II. and III./NJG6 were sent up from Hailfingen, Echterdingen and Hagenau unit’s only combat victory over a 100 Group B-17s or B-24s. Modern analysis has identified at least eight 214 Squadron Fortresses as with orders to assemble over FF Ida near Bonn. One Ju88 Luftbeobachter lifted off from Echterdingen at 00.03 hrs, also heading for being lost to Nachtjäger during WWII. Oblt. Leube’s Bordfunker recalls, ‘Take-off at 23.03 from airfield Plantlünne (between Rheine

20 21 -158 Sqn Halifax LV918: coned by Flakscheinw. Rgt. 113, hit by 3.-6./schw. Flak Abt. 514, 2./schw. Flak Abt. 525 (Eisb.) and Schw. Flak Battr. z.b.V. 5780, exploded over Aachen at 00.59 hrs. -51 Sqn Halifax LV784: hit by 3., 4. & 6./schw. Flak Abt. 514, crashed at Weissweiler at at 01.06 hrs. -7 Sqn Lancaster JB313: hit by 3., 4. & 5./schw. Flak Abt. 514, crashed at Schophoven at 01.10 hrs. -640 Sqn Halifax LW673: coned by Flakscheinw. Rgt 113, hit by 2./schw. Flak Abt. 514 (o), 2./schw. Flak Abt. 525 (Eisb.) and Schw. Flak Battr. z.b.V. 5780, impacted at Weissweiler at 01.30 hrs.

On the bombers’ return route, there were many more engagements with Nachtjäger. Elements of I./JG301 were belatedly scrambled from Holzkirchen at 00.50 hrs and therefore failed to achieve Feindberührung. Fw. Emanuel of 1./JG301 noted in his Flugbuch: ‘Major attack on Aachen. (Special orders from Div.)’. A few Fw190As of 1./NJGr.10 were sent up from Bonn-Hangelar at around 00.35 hrs, the Staffelkapitän Hptm. Müller being the only single-engined night fighter to score an Abschuss. Shortly after the force had turned for home, he hit a 51 Squadron Halifax in the port wing and central petrol tank, which went down burning fiercely near . Another seasoned ace who made contact with the returning first wave on Aachen was Oblt. Schnaufer. Having become airborne in his usual mount, Bf110 G-4 G9+DF, from St. Trond at 23.57 hrs, the ‘Night Ghost of St. Trond’ dispatched fiveViermots within 14 minutes in the Eindhoven-Tilburg area. He identified all five as ‘Lancasters’, whereas, in fact, at least four of his victims were Halifaxes. Schnaufer’s fifth claim for the night has not been identified; this may concern one of the seven Aachen raiders that returned with fighter damage, all but one of these being severely shot up. Ofw. Scherfling destroyed two heavy bombers in the area. Oblt.’s Köster and Ehrhardt shot down the last two bombers from the first wave as the stream was nearing the Scheldt at around 01.30 hrs, bringing the total Nachtjagd tally of confirmed bomber victories over the first Aachen force to 23; a th24 Abschuss (by a crew of 6./NJG6) was later officially rejected. In turn, a B110 G-4 flown by Oblt. Lahl of 5./NJG5 fell to 605 Squadron Mosquito NS942 during a low-level chase at around 01.40 hrs. The Nachtjäger crashed into a barn at Straelen near Krefeld, its ‘hunter’ flying into high-tension cables and exploding a few hundred metres further on. There were two survivors from the Nachtjagd crew, though the Bordfunker succumbed to his injuries a month later. Another Nachtjäger, Bf110 G-4 D5+CX of 12./NJG3 and its pilot Hptm. Bormann were lost in a crash 2 km NE of Varel airfield, the cause of loss being stated in an ULTRA decrypt as ‘pilot error’. However, a 605 Squadron Mosquito claimed a Bf110 as damaged during its landing approach to Vechta at 01.37 hrs, which probably concerns Hptm. Bormann’s aircraft. The second force attacking Aachen entered Belgium when the earlier one was already making for Holland on its homeward route. This second wave penetrated unmolested 250 km as far as the Liège area before, at about 02.00 hrs, any fighters were seen. At 01.56 hrs, an order for NJG2 to return to their bases was immediately countermanded and they were told to ‘remain on account of further hostile planes’. Nine minutes later all short-range Bf110s of the I. Jagdkorps, by now low on fuel, were ordered back to their bases. The Ju88s and He219s that had been in action against the first Aachen force, plus the Bf110 crews of NJG6, were ordered to wait, as ‘more bombers’ were already being reported flying between Namur and Malmedy. At 02.13 hrs the I. Jagdkorps fighter controllers first began passing plots of the second force for the benefit of the Tame Boars and The IV./NJG1 victory score board, depicting Abschüsse nrs 451 - 592, achieved between 29 September 1943 and 25 May 1944 seven minutes later, as the Pathfinders opened up the attack, ordered ‘all fighters to Ida’. At around he same time the controller of 7. JD (Coll. Wim Govaerts). led his three Gruppen of NJG6 into the bomber stream via beacon Ida. Another five minutes passed when, finally, the Nachtjäger were sent on to Aachen itself. The city was announced as the target for the second wave at 02.27 hrs, two minutes after the actual bombing of the second Main Force had begun. Despite strong intruder activity and jamming of the SN-2 , the crews of NJG6 claimed five heavy bombers destroyed in the greater target area. Four bombers were shot down by the Nachtjäger just before and one immediately and Lingen/), for a Tame Boar night fighting sortie over Holland, Belgium and France. Until this day the SN-2 Radar had only after the bombing, which took place between 02.25 and 02.30 hrs. The Aachen Flak defences accounted for another ‘heavy’ and nine been affected by simulated targets produced by Window. But now the Radar was interfered with by flying transmitters which caused aircraft from both Main Force waves returned with Flak scars: indications over the entire screen, making normal indications impossible. I tried something by switching off my transmitter, reducing the gain of my receiver and got a variable broad flicker on either side of the centreline. I gave the pilot a change of course and found that the flickering band changed accordingly. I concluded that I would be able to use this interfering transmitter as a radio beacon. As -582 Sqn Lancaster ND816: hit by 2.-6./schw. Flak Abt. 514 and Schw. Flak Battr. z.b.V. 5780, impacted in the Schützenstraße in Aachen at 02.26 hrs. this transmitting station presumably was part of a bomber stream in order to protect it, we decided to look into this. It took a long time before we were able to see the bomber and it took six attacks to shoot it down. The interference on the SN-2 ceased In return, NJG6 lost three Bf110 G-4s, two of which were shot down by prowling Mosquitoes of 232 and 239 Squadrons, at Bonn abruptly with the explosion of the bomber. The time of the disappearance of the interference was confirmed by our Staffel comrades, and to the south of Aachen respectively. The third NJG6 loss was Bf110 G-4 2Z+AR, in the hands of Oblt. Helmuth Schulte, Kapitän who until then had flown around aimlessly for some hours, with that of the Abschuss. We subsequently reported our observations, but of the 7. Staffel. Immediately after attacking a 576 Squadron Lancaster at 02.30 hrs to the south east of Aachen, Schulte’s aircraft was were told that there were no interfering transmitters for our SN-2 and that the cause must have been from other sources.’ hit by which were jettisoned by his quarry. Schulte and his air gunner baled out uninjured, but their Bordfunker, Uffz. Sandvoss, IV./NJG1 was the top-scoring Gruppe of the night, claiming ten Viermot victories from the first Aachen force, all of which were died in the crash at Mulartshütte. (Helmuth Schulte survived the war as Kommandeur of II./NJG6 with the rank of Hauptmann and was officially confirmed by the OKL/RLM on 6 September 1944. He219 ‘Owl’ crews of I./NJG1 destroyed five of the Aachen raiders, decorated with the Ritterkreuz in April 1945 after achieving 22 night Abschüsse). two from the first and three from the second wave. In a timespan of less than 30 minutes, Hptm. Heinz Strüning, St.Kpt. of 3./NJG1 The Nachtjäger remained with the stream for 60 km along the homeward route being fed with continuous plots on the progress accounted for an outward-bound 429 Squadron Halifax in the Leopoldsburg area, and a second, homeward-bound, Viermot near Light of the bombers. As early as 02.35 hrs, one Laufende Reportage reported the spearhead of the force ‘West of Dortmund flying North’. Beacon Truthahn (at Hunsel). His second claim has been identified as 15 Squadron Lancaster ND955, which fell at Someren at 01.15 By this time, fresh contact was made with the second wave in the Gilze-Rijen area by a few He219 crews from 1./NJG1, two crews hrs. Strüning’s Bordfunker Oblt. Apel noted in his Flugbuch: ‘He219 G9 EL, Nachtjagd, t/o Venlo 23.20, landing Venlo 02.50, flight claiming three ‘heavies’ shot down, which lifted the Nachtjagd tally against the second Aachen raid to eight Abschüsse. Fw. Habicht, duration 210 mins, 52nd Nachtjagd sortie, 8th and 9th victory claims, 2 Halifaxes, both confirmed’. BF to Oblt. Nabrich, St. Kpt. of 3./NJG1 who scored two victories, recalls, ‘Because our usual mount, a He219 with full armament, was At 00.44 hrs, only 11 minutes before the leading bombers of the first wave were due over the target, one Laufende Reportage not available, we took off in a special 219. This aircraft was fitted with only two cannon carrying 150 shells each and without armour controller identified Aachen as the likely target. Eight minutes later, fighters were told to ‘look out for Köln’ and, at 00.56 hrs, bombs plating for Mosquito-hunting at extreme heights. In the area of Aachen we shot down a Halifax, which crashed in a sheet of flames. Our were reported falling on Aachen. A break in the combats occurred in the Aachen area during the bombing, which lasted only six minutes 7th Abschuss as a crew followed shortly later when we dispatched a Lancaster to the west of Aachen after the bombers had turned for between 00.55 and 01.00 hrs. At this point, the Aachen Flak defences took over the battle, shooting down four ‘heavies’: home. A third interception of a Viermot did not lead to an Abschuss, as we had expended all our ammunition.’

22 23 Oblt. H.-Wolfgang Schnaufer: 70 Stab IV./NJG1 Lancaster 2 km NNW Tilburg: 2.500 m. 01.18 429 Sqn Halifax LW124. Note: also claimed by Flak of 6./gem. Flak Abt. 665 (‘Halifax Tilburg 01.16-19 hrs’), victory Oblt. Schnaufer confirmed on 6.9.1944

Lt. Heinz Rolland: 6 12./NJG1 Lancaster 5-50 km NW Antwerpen (LJ): 3.000 m. 01.18 Aachen raid, unidentified. Note: victory confirmed on 6.9.1944

Hptm. Friedrich Karl Müller: 13 1./NJGr.10 4-mot Roermond: 4.500 m. 01.20 51 Sqn Halifax LW498 Oblt. H.-Wolfgang Schnaufer: 71 Stab IV./NJG1 Lancaster 1,5 km W. Goirle, near Tilburg: 2.500 m. 01.22 76 Sqn Halifax MZ622 Ofw. Karl-Heinz Scherfling: 28 12./NJG1 4-mot 20 km NNE Breda: 3.000 m. 01.23 78 Sqn Halifax LV905 Oblt. H.-Wolfgang Schnaufer: 72 Stab IV./NJG1 Lancaster between Dongen and Tilburg: 2.500 m. 01.25 158 Sqn Halifax LW653 Oblt. H.-Wolfgang Schnaufer: 73 Stab IV./NJG1 Lancaster 7 km SSW Tilburg: 2.500 m. 01.29 Aachen raid, unidentified, victory confirmed on 6.9.1944. Note: also claimed by Flak of 3. & 5./gem. Flak Abt. 591, 6./gem. Flak Abt. 665 and 4./gem. Flak Abt. 155 (‘Halifax Riel 01.27 hrs’)

Ofw. Karl-Heinz Scherfling: 29 12./NJG1 Lancaster 15 km N. Breda: 4.200 m. 01.30 429 Sqn Halifax LW137 Lt. Karl-Heinz Grunert 6./NJG6 Lancaster SW Aachen: 4.800 m. 01.32 VNE: ASM. Aachen raid, unidentified. Note: claimed as probable victory, claim not listed in OKL/RLM 6./NJG6 Confirmed Abschussübersicht, only listed in KTB Stab NJG6, rejected

Oblt. Alfons Köster: 18 Stab III./NJG2 4-mot Tholen-OverFlakkee (KJ): 4.200 m. 01.36 158 Sqn Halifax LW118 Note: also claimed by Flak of 3./lei. Flak Abt. 831 (‘Halifax Stavenisse 01.29 hrs’), victory Oblt. Köster confirmed on 8.9.1944

Halifax BM-C HX352 shot down on this night (Coll. ww2images.com). Oblt. Peter Ehrhardt: 15 9./NJG5 Halifax sea off Ouddorp (JG-JH): 3.000 m 01.45 424 Sqn Halifax LW157 At 02.54 hrs, three minutes after Oblt. Nabrich sent down his second victim for the night, the ‘heavies’ were said to be in the Oblt. : 22 7./NJG6 4-mot 10-15 km NE Prüm (PO 7): 5.200 m. 02.18 101 Sqn Lancaster DV389 Rotterdam area and another seven minutes passed before the fighter controllers began passing landing instructions. The last running Oblt. Helmuth Schulte: 14 7./NJG6 Lancaster 20 km E. Aachen: 6.000 m. 02.19 582 Sqn Lancaster ND816 commentary, of 3. JD, closed at 03.31 hrs. Oblt. Helmut Gaul: 2 Stab I./NJG6 4-mot Dreiborn-Hellenthal (ON 9-PN 3): 4.200 m 02.20 576 Sqn Lancaster LM120 By that time, nine Me410 intruders of II./KG51 were active over East Anglia. They had been sent up between 01.45 and 02.01 hrs Oblt. Josef Kraft: 23 7./NJG6 Halifax Sistig, 10 km S. Gemünd (PN 3): 5.500 m. 02.24 103 Sqn Lancaster ND624 to hunt for the returning Aachen raiders and to disrupt the landing patterns of the ‘heavies’ in the Cambridge-Norwich-Ipswich-Lincoln areas. Two crews reported attacks on, and shooting up, three Viermots (at 02.58, 03.20 and 03.23 hrs); Lt. Kneis, at the controls of Oblt. Helmuth Schulte: 15 7./NJG6 Lancaster 20 km SE Aachen: 6.300 m. 02.30 576 Sqn Lancaster NE171 Me410 9K+MM of 4./KG51, attacked a Viermot near Grantham, apparently without scoring decisive hits. Three other Me410 crews Oblt. Josef Nabrich: 8 3./NJG1 Halifax 40 km W. Truthahn (Hunsel): 5.600 m. 02.41 192 Sqn Halifax MZ501 achieved Feindsichtung (visual contact with enemy aircraft) but were unable to attack owing to bad visibility, and four intruders Oblt. Wilhelm Henseler: 10 1./NJG1 Halifax 30 km NW Eindhoven: 3.500 m. 02.48 405 Sqn Lancaster ND526 bombed illuminated airfields between 02.50 and 03.22 hrs. An ULTRA report gives an assessment of the operation: ‘Fliegerkorps IX Oblt. Josef Nabrich: 9 3./NJG1 Lancaster N. Tilburg (i.Zus.Arb.m.Schw.): 5.500 m. 02.51 419 Sqn Lancaster KB706. appreciated op as correct for time and place while formations returning from Germany were landing. Success limited by visibility. Note: coned by searchlights Harassing effect achieved. No losses’. During the night’s operation, the I. Jagdkorps suffered the loss of five Bf110 G-4s, four of which fell foul of Mosquitoes. In addition, 26-27 May 1944 a Ju88 R-2 in the hands of Oblt. Kaiser, St.Kpt. of 1./NJG2, bellied in at Bonn-Hangelar after suffering failure of the port engine. A seventh Nachtjäger, Ju88 A-4 D9+LH Beleuchter of 1./NJG7, was crippled by ‘friendly’ Flak fire, which killed two of the four-man No major attacks were mounted by Bomber Command. Apart from three small-scale efforts against Aachen, Lison and in mine- crew. With one engine on fire, the was wrecked on landing at Störmede. laying (all of which were completed without loss), 30 Mosquitoes were dispatched to bomb Ludwigshafen between 00.46 and 01.09 hrs. On the approach of the Mosquito force over the North Sea, which crossed the coast over the mouth of the River Scheldt at 23.50 Oblt. : 27 11./NJG1 Lancaster 10 km S. Aachen: 4.200 m. 00.29 Aachen raid, unidentified, no bomber hrs, an estimated 55-60 fighters of NJG1, 2, 3 and 5 took to the air. III./NJG1 left Leeuwarden at 23.25-31 hrs on Wilde Sau duties, losses in Aachen area at this time. three Gruppen of NJG3 were ordered to assemble over Leeuwarden at 23.31 hrs and then moved to the Deelen area, from where ten Note: victory confirmed on 6.9.1944 crews of II./NJG1 had, meanwhile, been scrambled between 23.34 and 23.47 hrs. Two of the latter crews took up waiting positions in the Himmelbett boxes Gorilla (Leerdam) and Bisam (at Hulst), the remainder of II./NJG1 flying ungeführte Zahme Sau. Apart from Oblt. Fritz Lau: 7 4./NJG1 4-mot SE Rotterdam: 5.000 m. 00.35 427 Sqn Halifax LV922 (Cat. AC damaged). one controlled pursuit by Fw. Püchner of the 6. Staffel in box Bisam, these sorties went completely without result. Finally, elements Note: claim confirmed as full victory on 6.9.1944 of III./NJG2 were scrambled from Volkel and Langendiebach at around 23.15-30 hrs and at least one crew of 5./NJG5 left Twente at 23.30 hrs. Some 13 crews of NJG4 were also active over northern France, probably mainly in the Himmelbett role, but none of these Fw. Erich Killmann: 3 7./NJG2 4-mot E. Antwerpen (LK-MK): 4-4.500 m. 00.41 640 Sqn Halifax LW434 (damaged). reported Feindberührung. Note: claim confirmed as full victory on 8.9.1944 One group of Tame Boar crews of NJG1, 2 and 5 that were scrambled from the area of 3. JD were told to fly toFF Ludwig and wait Oblt. Johannes Werth: 5 Stab NJG2 4-mot Eindhoven-St. Trond area (LL-LM/ML-MM): 00.43 prob. 158 Sqn Halifax HX320 there, after which they received no clear instructions apart from being told to ‘wait’. Meanwhile a second group of fighters of NJG1, 4.400 m. probably including the I. Gruppe which had become airborne from Venlo shortly before midnight, and NJG2 was ordered to proceed Maj. Hans Karlewski: 4 2./NJG1 Halifax 30 km N. Aachen: 5.000 m. 00.45 158 Sqn Halifax LW720 to the area. Some of these took up waiting positions over FF Ida near Bonn after being told that ‘bombers are approaching Hptm. Heinz Strüning: 44 3./NJG1 Halifax Leopoldsburg area (ML): 5.900 m. 00.47 429 Sqn Halifax HX352 at a height of 7,500 metres’. Throughout this time the usual plots were passed on the bombers as they approached the two main targets Lt. Heinz Rolland: 5 12./NJG1 Lancaster 10 km E. Turnhout: 4.800 m. 00.51 76 Sqn Halifax MZ623. (Ludwigshaven and Aachen) and, at 23.49 hrs a remarkable announcement on one Laufende Reportage was given that ‘a heavy Note: same claim as Oblt. Kaiser 00.52, claim Rolland confirmed as full victory by OKL/RLM on 6.9.1944, Kaiser’s claim on 7.9.1944 concentration of bombers is gathering south west of London’. At 00.15 hrs NJG3 was split up, some being sent to FF Ida (while 11 Mosquitoes were attacking nearby Aachen between 00.07 Oblt. Adolf Kaiser: 9 1./NJG2 Halifax E. Turnhout (LK 9): 4.500 m. 00.52 76 Sqn Halifax MZ623. and 00.45 hrs) another group being successively ordered to beacons Philipp, Ludwig, again Philipp, and then to Marie. The relatively Note: also claimed by Flak of 1. FFAS (West) BO (‘Halifax Arendonk 01.03 hrs’), victory Oblt. Kaiser confirmed on 7.9.1944 slow Bf110 G-4s, Ju88 C-6s and G-1s of NJG3 were unable to catch any of the speeding Mosquitoes and by 00.40 hrs, the Geschwader Lt. Hans Schäfer: 5 7./NJG2 Lancaster nr. Brunssum, NW Aachen (NM 3): 5.600 m. 00.53 640 Sqn Halifax MZ579 was withdrawn to FF Quelle in ; at 01.17 hrs, they were finally ordered to land. Elements of III./NJG1 returned to Maj. : 20 Stab NJG5 4-mot 15 km W. Aachen: 4.800 m. 00.54 prob. 10 Sqn Halifax LV906 Leeuwarden by 00.20 hrs, all ten crews of II./NJG1 returned to Deelen between 01.06 and 02.15 hrs, the lone Bf110 crew of 5./NJG5 Oblt. Hermann Leube: 15 4./NJG3 Halifax Oosterschelde/Tholen (KJ 7): 3.000 m. 00.57 214 Sqn Fortress SR384 touched down at Twente at 01.38 hrs and the last of the Ju88 G-1 crews of III./NJG2 returned to Volkel at 02.30 hrs. Whilst most of the Nachtjäger of NJG1, 2, 3 and 5 were landing, a few He219s of I./NJG1 pursued the ‘Wooden Wonders’ on their Hptm. Heinz Strüning: 45 3./NJG1 4-mot LF Truthahn (Hunsel): 2.600 m. 01.15 15 Sqn Lancaster ND955 return route, two crews operating under Himmelbett control each shooting down a Mosquito. Fw. Rauer and his BF Fw. Weber were Oblt. H.-Wolfgang Schnaufer: 69 Stab IV./NJG1 Lancaster near Acht, 3 km NW Eindhoven: 2.500 m 01.15 51 Sqn Halifax LK885

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