Nachtjagdgeschwader 5

Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5) was a Luftwaffe night fighter-wing of World War II. NJG 5 was formed on 30 September 1942 in Döberitz.

Nachtjagdgeschwader 5
Active1942–1945
Country Nazi Germany
BranchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
TypeNight Fighter
RoleAir superiority
SizeAir Force Wing
EngagementsWorld War II
Insignia
Identification
symbol		Geschwaderkennung
of C9, 1B, 3C, 4R

Operational history

On 1 October 1942, 3./NJG 1 was redesignated 1./NJG 5. In March and April 1943, General Josef Kammhuber ordered IV./NJG 5 to Rennes, France to protect the German U-boat bases. The group was relocated to the Eastern Front again and redesignated as I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 100 (I./NJG 100).

Western Front

Oberleutnant Walter Borchers was made Gruppenkommandeur of III./NJG 5 on 22 April 1943, leading the Gruppe until March 1944. On the night of 27/28 April, Wilhelm Johnen in a Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 performed an emergency landing at the Swiss airfield at Zürich-Dubendorf. Johnen and his crew were interned, and the Luftwaffe employed extensive political manoeuvring to ensure the Bf 110, equipped with the still secret SN-2 radar, was kept from close Allied examination and returned intact.

At the end of July 1944 I./NJG 5 was withdrawn to Stendal for re-equipment with the new Ju 88G-6 night fighter. Then deployed to Jesau near Königsberg in East Prussia, present day Yushny, Bagrationovsky District, night operations against Soviet bombers followed for the remainder of 1944. Following the opening of the Soviet offensive on 12 January 1945, I./NJG 5 operated in the ground attack role on the eastern front. By 25 January 1945 I./NJG 5 was again operating from bases in Germany, relocating to Parchim and Erfurt.

Borchers was shot down and killed on the night of 5 March 1945 by W/C Walter Gibb and F/O Kendall in a Mosquito night fighter of No. 239 Squadron. Flying Junkers Ju 88 G-6 "C9+GA" (Werknummer 622 319—factory number) his air gunner parachuted to safety while his radio operator was also killed. he was replaced by Major Rudolf Schoenert. By the war's end the bulk of NJG 5 were based at Lübeck-Blankensee.

Eastern Front

By early 1943 the Soviet Air Forces were increasing difficulties for the invading German forces. At night harassment sorties were flown with elderly biplanes. The Polikarpov Po-2, known to the Germans as the Nähmaschine (sewing machine), did little damage in night raids but had an immense nuisance value. The aircraft with their slow cruising speed made interception extremely difficult.

To counter these attacks IV./NJG 5 under Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was moved to the Eastern Front in February 1943. The unit moved to Bryansk and Orel in June 1943 for Operation Citadel and later operated under Luftflotte 6 in the Smolensk-Bryansk area and under Luftflotte 4 in the Poltava-Stalino area.

Commanding officers

Kommodore

I. Gruppe/NJG 5
  • Hauptmann Siegfried Wandam, late September 1942 – 4 July 1943[1]
  • Major Werner Hoffmann, 4 July 1943 – late April 1945[1]
  • Hauptmann Lang, April 1945 – 8 May 1945[1]

II. Gruppe/NJG 5
  • Hauptmann Rudolf Schoenert, 1 December 1942 – 5 August 1943
  • Hauptmann Manfred Meurer, 5 August 1943 – 27 September 1943
  • Hauptmann Baer, 28 September 1943 – 27 January 1944
  • Hauptmann Leopold Fellerer, February 1944 – 10 May 1944
  • Major Hans Leickhardt, 3 May 1944 – 6 March 1945
  • Hauptmann Gustav Tham, 10 March 1945 – 4 April 1945
  • Oberstleutnant Werner Rapp, 5 April 1945 – 8 May 1945

III. Gruppe/NJG 5
  • Hauptmann Walter Borchers, April 1943 – 15 March 1944
  • Major Paul Zorner, 16 March 1944 – 21 October 1944
  • Hauptmann Ulrich von Meien, 22 October 1944 – 6 February 1945
  • Hauptmann Walter Engel, 6 February 1945 – April 1945
  • Hauptmann Piuk, April 1945 – 8 May 1945

References

Citations
  1. Aders 1978, p. 229.

Bibliography
  • Addison, Paul; Crang, Jeremy (2006). Firestorm: The Bombing of Dresden 1945. London: Pimlico. ISBN 978-1844139286.
  • Aders, Gebhard (1978). History of the German Night Fighter Force, 1917–1945. London: Janes. ISBN 0-354-01247-9.
  • Balss, Michael (1997). Deutsche Nachtjagd. Materialverluste in Ausbildung und Einsatz Erganzungen zu Personalverlusten in Ausbildung und Einsatz (in German). VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-36-2.
  • Boiten, Theo (1997). Nachtjagd: the night fighter versus bomber war over the Third Reich, 1939–45. London: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-86126-086-4.
  • Boiten, Theo (1999). Night Airwar: Personal Recollections of the Conflict Over Europe, 1939-45. London: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1861262981.
  • Boog, Horst; Krebs, Gerhard; Vogel, Detlef (2006). Germany and the Second World War: Volume VII: The Strategic Air War in Europe and the War in the West and East Asia, 1943-1944/5. Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19-822889-9.
  • Bowman, Martin (2011). 100 Group (Bomber Support): RAF Bomber Command in World War II. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-84415-418-0.
  • Bowman, Martin (2016a). Nuremberg: The Blackest Night in RAF History: 30/31 March 1944. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473852112.
  • Bowman, Martin (2016b). Nachtjagd: Defenders of the Reich 1940-1943. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473852112.
  • Bowman, Martin; Davey, Chris (2013). Mosquito Bomber/Fighter-Bomber Units 1942–45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-0049-7.
  • Bowyer, Chaz (2003). Air War Over Europe, 1939–1945. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Leo Cooper. ISBN 0-850529379.
  • Caldwell, Donald L.; Muller, Richard R. (2007). The Luftwaffe over Germany: Defense of the Reich. London, UK: Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1-85367-712-0.
  • Hall, R. Cargill (1998). Case Studies in Strategic Bombardment. University of the Pacific. ISBN 978-1410224804.
  • Chorley, W. R. (1994). Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War: Aircraft and Crew Losses, 1942. London: Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 978-0-904597-91-2.
  • Cooper, Alan (1992). Air Battle of the Ruhr. London: Airlife Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781853102011.
  • Cooper, Alan (2013). Bombers Over Berlin: The RAF Offensive November 1943 - March 1944. London: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1781590652.
  • Everitt, Chris (1985). The Bomber Command War Diaries: An Operational Reference Book. London: Pen & Sword Aviation. ISBN 978-1783463602.
  • Foreman, John; Parry, Simon; Mathews, Johannes (2004). Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939–1945. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-0-9538061-4-0.
  • Foreman, John (1993). Air War 1941: The Turning Point: Part One: The Day by Day Account of Air Operations Over Northwest Europe: From the Battle of Britain to the Blitz. Air Research Publications. ISBN 978-1-871187-22-9.
  • Franks, Norman (1994). The Battle of the Airfields: 1 January 1945. London: Grub St. ISBN 1-898697-15-9.
  • Forsyth, Robert (2019). Ju 88 Aces of World War 2. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 9781472829238.
  • Hall, R. Cargill (1998). Case Studies in Strategic Bombardment. University of the Pacific. ISBN 978-1410224804.
  • Heaton, Colin; Lewis, Anne-Marie (2008). Night fighters: Luftwaffe and RAF air combat over Europe, 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-360-4.
  • Hinchliffe, Peter (1998). Luftkrieg bei Nacht 1939–1945 [Air War at Night 1939–1945] (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-613-01861-7.
  • Hinchliffe, Peter (1999). Schnaufer: Ace of Diamonds. Brimscombe Port, UK: Tempus. ISBN 978-0-7524-1690-8.
  • Hooton, E.R. (1999). Eagle in Flames: Defeat of the Luftwaffe. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-1-85409-343-1.
  • Mackay, Ron (2000). Messerschmitt Bf 110. Wiltshire: he Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-313-9.
  • Manrho, John; Pütz, Ron (2004). Bodenplatte: The Luftwaffe's Last Hope-The Attack on Allied Airfields, New Year's Day 1945. Ottringham, UK: Hikoki Publications. ISBN 978-1-902109-40-4.
  • Mason, Francis (1969). Battle Over Britain. London, UK: McWhirter Twins. ISBN 978-0-901928-00-9.
  • Middlebrook, Martin (2006). The Peenemunde Raid. Barnsley: Pen 7 Sword. ISBN 1-84415-336-3.
  • Murray, Williamson (1983). Strategy for defeat : the Luftwaffe, 1933-1945. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Air University Press (US Air Force). ISBN 978-1-58566-010-0.
  • National Archives (2001). The Rise and Fall of the German Air Force: 1933-1945. London: Public Record Office. ISBN 978-1-903365304.
  • Parker, Danny S (1998). To Win The Winter Sky: Air War over the Ardennes, 1944-1945. Pennsylvania: Combined. ISBN 0-938289-35-7.
  • Parry, Simon (2003). Intruders over Britain: The Luftwaffe Night Fighter Offensive 1940 to 1945. London: Air Research Publications. ISBN 1-871187-16-8.
  • Price, Alfred (1973). Battle Over The Reich. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-0481-8.
  • Price, Alfred (1991). Last year of the Luftwaffe, May 1944 - May 1945. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-440-0.
  • Scutts, Jerry (1998). German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-696-5.
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Ring, Hans; Hess, William N. (1975). Fighters Over Tunisia. London, UK: Neville Spearman. ISBN 978-0-85435-210-4.
  • Shores, Christopher; Ring, Hans (1969). Fighters over the Desert. London: Neville Spearman Limited. ISBN 978-0-668-02070-1.
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell (2012a). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: North Africa: Volume One, June 1940 – February 1942. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-9081-17076.
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell (2012b). A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940–1945 Volume 2: North African Desert, February 1942 – March 1943. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-909166-12-7.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
  • Spick, Mike (2011) [1996]. Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York, NY: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
  • Tooze, Adam (2006). The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy. London, UK: Allen Lane. ISBN 978-0-14-100348-1.
  • Weal, John (2012) [1999]. Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer Aces of World War 2. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-753-5.
  • Webster, C K; Frankland, Noble (1961). Butler, J R M (ed.). The Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany: 1939–1945. History of the Second World War. Vol. II. London: HMSO.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.