Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 - 1943

1943

In early 1943 the heavy fighters of the Nachtgeschwadern, NJG 1 among them, were also being used against the increasingly heavy raids by the daylight bombers of the US 8th Air Force, where it was thought their heavier armament and longer endurance would complement the day fighters. However, most night fighter crews had little experience of day combat techniques, and the missions inevitably saw a steady attrition of these specialist, highly trained crews. For instance, Hptm. Ludwig Becker, a 44 victory ace of 12./NJG 1, was lost against B-24's over the North Sea in February 1943. Just two days earlier Oblt. Paul Gildner, a 48 victory ace, died in a landing crash following an engine fire in his Bf 110.

By the start of 1943, almost all NJG 1's fighters were equipped with radar and the Nachtgeschwadern were inflicting ever higher losses on Bomber Command (Lent had claimed his 50th kill in January). The battle in the night skies became an ever more accelerated technological race between the RAF's need for accurate navigation and bombing aids and the Luftwaffe's requirement for tracking and location of the bomber streams.

Gradually, the old Himmelbett system was now becoming increasing saturated and with the RAF introducing 'Window' counter-measures in July 1943, new tactics were needed.

Zahme Sau was a new tactic introduced in 1943. At the indication of a forthcoming raid, the fighters were scrambled and collected together to orbit one of several radio beacons throughout Germany, ready to be directed en masse into the bomber stream by R/T running commentaries from the Jagd division. Once fed into the stream, fighters made radar contact with a succession of individual bombers and maintained contact (and combat) as far as their ammunition and fuel held out.

This resulted in a far more economic use of crews and the commencement of 'multiple' kills by the more able and experienced of the NJG 1 night fighter crews; Werner Streib claimed 5 on 11 June, Hptm. Hans-Dieter Frank 6 on 21 June, and Leutnant Musset 5 over Peenemünde on 17 August.

Initial deliveries of the brand new Heinkel He 219 night fighter went to I./NJG 1 in mid 1943 for combat evalaution. Based at Venlo The first combat mission was flown by Werner Streib with bordfunker Pischer on the night of 11/12 June 1943. Streib shot down five heavy bombers, but on returning Streib totally misjudged the approach due to a misted windscreen. Seeing the runway lights at the last moment he selected full flap at too high a speed, and the aircraft hit the ground so hard it broke up, although both men were unhurt.

I./NJG 1 was ultimately the only gruppe to be equipped with the He 219, although a small number of aircraft were attached to other units, including NJG 3. Hpt. Frank, Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG 1, was killed when his Heinkel He 219A-0 collided with a Bf 110 on 27 September 1943.

Bomber Command commenced its concentrated offensive against Berlin in November 1943, in what became known as The Battle of Berlin. NJG 1 were heavily involved in the increasingly effective night fighter riposte to the massed deep penetration raids, and scored heavily up until late March 1944, when the RAF switched its attentions to short range, tactical targets ready for the forthcoming invasion. Hpt. Von Bonin of II./NJG 1 claimed 5 kills on the night of 25/26 November 1943, and Obfw. Vinke of IV. Gruppe scored 5 on 19/20 February 1944.

The raids comprising the battle often took place in extremely poor weather conditions, and these conditions contributed to many of NJG 1's losses. For example, Hpt. Walter Ehle (39 kills) died in an accident in 17 November 1943.