Nachtjagdgeschwader 2
Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 was a German Luftwaffe night fighter and night intruder wing during World War II.
Background
operations did form part of Wehrmacht war games during 1935 and 1936. Luftwaffe Service Regulation No. 16 mentioned night fighting only in Section 253. The regulation stipulated in vague language, that night fighting zones should be established so that night fighters and anti-aircraft artillery did not interfere with each other's operations. The regulation foresaw the use of Search lights in cooperation with pilots. Any hindrance to offensive air forces caused by "restrictive measures" was to be avoided. The prevailing attitude to night fighting left commanders on the ground to carry out research on their own; the first occurred in Berlin, by Luftkreiskommando II from May to November 1936. The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe did order experiments with searchlights and aircraft from the summer, 1937. In 1939 several night fighter Staffeln had been established; but all of these had been converted back to day fighter units by 16 August 1939.The German invasion of Poland in September 1939 began World War II in Europe. The French Air Force and RAF Bomber Command began bombing raids on German ports and shipping. The Battle of the Heligoland Bight in December 1939 ended Royal Air Force daylight operations until 1944. Bomber Command persisted in night operations against Germany, which extended to German towns and cities from 10/11 May 1940. The capitulation of the French after the Battle of France did not end the threat posed by British air power. Wolfgang Falck commanded I./Zerstörergeschwader 1 during the German invasion of Denmark. Immediately after the occupation, Bomber Command appeared frequently to attack German positions, and Falck was able to fly interceptions during dusk. Falck was sure that a Messerschmitt Bf 110 unit could defend the airspace at night with assistance from radar operators. Falck was invited to the RLM to express his views to Albert Kesselring, Ernst Udet and Erhard Milch. Hermann Göring, commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, ordered Falck to create a Nachtjagdgeschwader at Düsseldorf on 22 June 1940.
Falck came to the conclusion, night fighting could not be organised and operated by one commanding officer of a single wing. In response, Josef Kammhuber formed the Night Fighter Division. Radar, search lights and anti-aircraft artillery were coordinated under this organisation at division-level on 17 July 1940. On 23 July the headquarters was established at Brussels, in occupied Belgium. On 1 August 1940 a command post was established at Zeist near Utrecht in the occupied Netherlands. The Zerstörer pilots and units were used for conversion to night fighters. No night fighter training schools existed in 1940, until blind-flying schools were established at Schleißheim from 1941. Kammhuber established the Night Fighter Division and Kammhuber Line, which eventually allowed radar to guide night fighters to RAF bombers.
Formation
I./NJG 2 was formed on 1 September 1940 from elements of 1./ZG 1 and the original II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. II. Gruppe was raised as a single Staffel from 1./Zerstörergeschwader 2. The Gruppe was formally activated as such on 1 November 1941. It used 4. and 6./NJG 1 to accomplish the formation. On 1 October 1942 it became IV./NJG 1, and the existing III./NJG 2 became the new II./NJG 2 from that date. III./NJG 2 was formed in March 1942 and on 1 October 1942 became II./NJG 2. The second formation took place in July 1943 from V./Nachtjagdgeschwader 6. On 30 October 1944, III./NJG 2 was again redesignated IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3. The existing IV./NJG 3 then became the new III./NJG 3 in that wing. IV./NJG 2 was formed on 30 October 1944 from I./NJG 7 and on 23 February 1945 became NSGr 30. V./NJG 2 was formed from the retraining of III./Kampfgeschwader 2 but this Gruppe did not reach operational status. Stab/NJG 2 was not formed until 1 November 1941. Thus the existing Gruppen acted independently or as attachments to other night fighter wings. In general the night fighter force was equipped with the Bf 110 C-2, C-4 and D-1; the latter had the "Dachshund" belly tank removed. I./NJG 2 was the exception to the rule. Junkers Ju 88A-5 bombers were modified—stripped of bomber equipment—and converted to Ju 88C-2 heavy fighter standard. Dornier Do 17Z-7s Krauz were modified from bomber to night fighter standard. The Do 17 and Ju 88 initialed had weaker armament to the Bf 110, but the latter types could carry bombs considered ideal for intruder operations.World War II
Over Europe, the German defences were limited against Bomber Command raids in 1940 and 1941. The Nazi propaganda machine dismissed RAF bombers as "tired old cows", but the limited range of the precise Würzburg radar, and the inability to distinguish friend from foe, left the Luftwaffe at a disadvantage. The Henaja belt, which provided three radars per searchlight battery, covered the area from the Danish border to Maubeuge, could detect bombers entering and exiting the zone with great accuracy, but RAF bomber pilots learned to dive upon departing the belt, accelerate past the search light batteries at low-altitudes and escape the most hazardous part of the defence zone. The system bore the burden of the defensive battles in 1941. In 1942, the introduction of the Handley-Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster would produce further problems. The bombers could outrun a Bf 110C or D in a shallow dive and at altitudes of over. German pilots would have to detect the bomber early in order to be able to dive from much greater heights. Kammhuber introduced tighter control-based tactics for night fighters, searchlight batteries and radar. The night fighters were guided to a radio beacon located behind an "illuminated belt" of searchlights. Once a bomber was detected the night fighter flew into the belt, turned behind the bomber and began the combat. Würzburg radars were required for the intercept; one to track the fighter, the other the bomber in order to coordinate the searchlight. It became known as the Helle Nachtjagd. The Himmelbett replaced this system in 1941. The system remained the same, but the accurate, long-range Freya was introduced to maintain overall surveillance and often could bring the radar-less night fighters into visual range of the bomber. The introduction of the Freya radar, eventually improved the range and identification problems prevalent in 1940 and 1941. Weaknesses of the system allowed for only one German night fighter to be controlled from the ground by a team of two Würzburgs. Experimentation with Lichtenstein radar in 1941, and its gradual introduction in 1942, provided night fighters with their own sets on-board and increased the independence and effectiveness of night fighters. The removal of searchlights and anti-aircraft guns to organised points near cities by 1942 freed night fighters from direct cooperation with searchlights meaning that all the fighting was conducted purely in the dark.Intruder operations
Before the introduction of improved radars and airborne radar, Kammhuber founded the Fernnachtjagd, or long-range night fighter intruder force 1940 to explore alternative night fighting methods and to forestall the intensified Bomber Command raids. The Luftwaffe quickly developed a series of basic tactics for intercepting enemy intruders. The lack of airborne radar at this stage in the war meant finding and destroying Allied bombers at night was a difficult prospect, thus it was decided to use the Fernnachtjagd in operations over Britain. Major Kuhlmann, head of the wireless telegraphy interception service played a significant part in assisting the Luftwaffe night fighter force as did Wolfgang Martini's Luftnachrichtentruppe. Intercepting British signal communications by monitoring the radio traffic of enemy ground stations and aircraft the Germans could determine where and at what airfields RAF night activity was occurring. With the British base identified Falck could then move against them over their own airfields. Three waves could then be deployed; one to attack the bombers as they took off, one to cover the known routes taken by the enemy over the North Sea, and the third to attack them on landing at a time when, after a long flight, enemy crews were tired and much less alert. For operational purposes, Eastern England was divided into four regions or Räume. Raum A was Yorkshire, bounded by Hull, Leeds, Lancaster and Newcastle. Raum B covered the Midlands and Lincolnshire whilst Raum C encompassed East Anglia bounded by London Peterborough, Luton and The Wash. Operations began in earnest in October 1940.Under the command of Karl-Heinrich Heyse, I./NJG 2 was designated an intruder unit, as the idea of a complete intruder wing gained traction. The Gruppe was assigned longer-range and modified Do 17Z and Ju 88C aircraft for intruder operations as they could carry heavy armament and bombs, unlike the shorter-range Bf 110. German airborne radar was still a year from operations, and German crews were reliant on visual contacts; navigation lights and Flare Paths. The Do 17 Z-10 Kauz II had an infra-red searchlight for the Spanner Anlage infrared detection system installed to aid detection-finding. During the late summer 1940, the staff of I./NJG 2 at Gilze-Rijen Air Base developed tactics for operations over the United Kingdom. The first claim was made in this role on 23/24 October 1940. Heyse, a Condor Legion veteran, was killed within the month and replaced. The practice of intruder operations proved difficult in 1940. By December NJG 2 had lost 32 aircrew killed in action and 12 aircraft lost in exchange for 18 RAF aircraft claimed shot down. Despite the claims made by German crews, evidence showed a considerable amount of over claiming, and the difficulty in substantiating claims at night and over enemy territory became evident. The operational level problems left an average of only 20 machines available for intruder missions between August 1940 and October 1941. Between 1 October 1940 and 31 March 1941 the crews of NJG 2 made some fifty individual attacks on Bomber Command aircraft. By November 15 serviceable aircraft in the Gruppe had fallen to seven by February 1941.
Intruder pilots began accumulating personnel successes. One such pilot was Paul Semrau. He claimed his 6th victory on the night of 18/19 June 1941 off Great Yarmouth. Semrau claimed 46 night victories until he was killed by Supermarine Spitfires in February 1945 conducting an unwise daylight test flight. There were successful intruder pilots who did not become high-claiming night fighters. Albert Schulz and Hermann Sommer of 2./NJG 2 claimed several victories over England; Sommer later fought in the Battle of the Mediterranean. Sommer proved intruders a threat to RAF training centres when he accounted for an Airspeed Oxford trainer on 29 April 1941, confirmed through British sources. Wilhelm Beier, another eventual Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipient, from 3./NJG 2 claimed two aircraft on two consecutive nights from 5 to 7 July 1941 to reach his 10th victory. Heinz-Horst Hißbach was another that began his career on intruder missions. Heinz Strüning ended the intruder missions with nine victories. Total claims improved from 1940. In 1941, until mid-October, 128 RAF aircraft were claimed against 28 losses. Other sources put German losses at 55 aircraft along with 74 personnel. RAF night fighters carrying aircraft interception radar were making flights to England hazardous. Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2 became the leading intruder "expert", but was killed in October 1941, shortly before Adolf Hitler ordered a stop to intruder operations. Bomber Command reports list only seven complete losses to intruders and 20 badly damaged aircraft from 1 October 1940 to 31 March 1941.
Despite the heavy price I./NJG 2 had to pay, their successes rose. On 26 June 1941, the Gruppe claimed its 100th victory. Expansion and intensification of intruder operations carried out by NJG 2 and NJG 1 was hampered by the low production of Ju 88 night fighter variants, to Kammhuber's frustration—he viewed the type as the standard intruder for the Luftwaffe. As it appeared night intruder sorties were showing promise Hitler ordered a cessation of operations. For propaganda purposes, he thought that the morale of the German people would be better served by seeing British bombers destroyed and wrecked over German territory. Hitler was also reticent owing the fact there had been no noticeable reduction in British air raids and the RAF had not adopted these methods during The Blitz. This order came into effect on 12 October 1941.