helpful tips
 

its really helpful information.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Hi Nick,
Very interesting account of German jamming activity in The Med. It is the first time I have seen this information published, it must have taken a long time to research.
bregds
SES

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thanks for the kind words. The time it took? Some hours online, searching the National Archives catalogue for file references; more time online reading DEFE 3 files; six days at Kew between August last year and June this year to gather material from paper files; quite a while writing version 1 (January) and making it into web pages; much longer integrating additional material and turning it into version 2 (August).

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

So my premonition was right :-)
bregds
SES

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Just uploaded (a week ahead of the site's 14th anniversary):

• Ghost Bombers … NSG 9: OB SW's communiqué the morning after NSG 9's first operations over the Anzio beach head.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: orders of 30 August 1943 for a reprisal raid on Oxford; a situation report on the raids on Corsica on 12/3 May 1944; and two Fw 190 G-3 of III./KG 51 which crashed on 11 October 1944.
• Kittyhawk vs. Fw 190: A prisoner of war's assessment of the damage inflicted by Kittyhawks on SG 4's base at Rieti during April 1944.
• Markings and camouflage: a rebuke of September 1942 over non-regulation markings on ambulance aircraft.
• Kommando Koch: more about WIM-Bodenstellen; film stills showing a COL radar on Malta and an RAF attack on an Axis convoy; addition of Werk Nummern for three Ju 52; a personal account of service with the Führungskette X. Fliegerkorps; two new quotes from a pilot of 6./KG 100; a warning to No. 201 Group about the possibility of jamming; and two planned Western Mediterranean search radar sorties in November 1942.
• Kommando Kunkel: strength figures for 3 December 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: the 79th Fighter Group's impressions of its attack on Valence; additional illustrations of wrecked Re. 2002 aircraft at Valence and revisions to the captions.
• Sonderstaffel Kaatsch: correction of a pilot's name (thanks to Xerumbe).
• I./JG 4 returns home: addition of victories claimed on 12, 28 and 29 September 1944, and two losses on the 28th.
• Nachtjagdstaffel Norwegen: correction to Kurt Keilig's last victory (thanks to Rod McKenzie).
• Kommando Olga: a Dutch court's verdict on the captured agent, Willem Copier (thanks to René Voulon).
• Heinz Hauck and 6.(F)/123: more about the unit's predecessor, 3./KG 66 (thanks to a lead from Bruce Dennis); a proposed 6.(F)/123 operation in July 1944; and something more about where that Staffel ended up.
• The Ar 234 in Norway and Denmark: an additional sortie flown on 4 April 1945.
• Invasion Watch: addition of a reconnaissance of Chatham on 15 February 1944.
• Numerous corrections throughout.

No promises about what comes next (or when) but I am working, amongst other things, on incorporating some additional missions by Sonderstaffel Kaatsch and adding some ground war context for the sorties they flew.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Newly uploaded, taking the site to 656 pages:

• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: three new pages about the raid on Paris on 26/27 August 1944; additions about the abortive attack on Bristol on 14/15 May 1944; more about the Kettenhund jamming transmitter.
• Kommando Koch: extensive new material on the unit's operations; more about the loss of an He 111 of Führungskette Fl.Kps. X; anti-jamming operations by the RAF's Nos. 49 and 86 Squadrons; a new page on British development from 1941 of systems to home on jamming aircraft; characteristics of the German Kobold jamming set.
• Kommando Rastedter: a year-end assessment for 1943; more about development of the Roderich jammer and various smaller additions; a new page about radar-monitoring operations over the North Sea in Summer 1944.
• Heinz Hauck and 6.(F)/123: an additional paragraph about suspected radars on Mediterranean fishing boats.
• Sonderstaffel Kaatsch: numerous additions concerning the unit's operations during September 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: some information about the French Resistance's own airpower; an Re. 2002 abandoned at Reims.
• II./SG 10 in Yugoslavia: an addition about Ogefr. Franz Antes.

Re: Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe
 

Updates for 31 March 2019 are:

• Geschwader Bongart: additional material regarding Glières; a "special operation" by 9./SG 4 from Valence on 5 June 1944; the Battle of Guéret (thanks to the continuing efforts of Philippe Canonne); the later career of Bongart's Obltn. Higgelke, Kapitän of the 13. Staffel; a Kriegsmarine reference to Operation CADILLAC; sorties against Murat on 15 August.
• I./JG 2 in Italy: extracts from Ob. SW daily situation reports.
• Kommando Koch: various additions, mainly about No. 89 Squadron operations from Malta.
• Kommando Rastedter: more about Thetis decoys (January 1944) Naxos (February) and the vulnerability of Allied systems (March).
• Invasion Watch: several additions from Kriegsmarine sources including reconnaissance results from the early months of 1944.
• Staffel Kaatsch: various small additions including reconnaissance of the Franco-Italian border by Luftflotte 2 in August 1944.
• JGr. 200: a table of pilots' victory clams.
• III./SG 4 and the Battle for Normandy: expanded to include (amongst other things) more about live-fire exercises early in 1944 and operations in response to the Invasion.
• Kampfgruppe 100, the first weeks in France: various additiona including a German assessment of the first attack on Castle Bromwich.
• KGr. 100 and the Coventry Blitz: German reports on damage casued by Operation Medium; figures for bomb tonnages dropped on Coventry and Birmingham; some duplicated material removed.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: a German communiqué about a raid on Hull; the attack on Paris, 26 August 1944, additions about AA and civil defences.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thanks very much Nick for your constant update ! Great Man.


Regards,
Franck.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Super website....amazing how much is there and really appreciate your efforts to bring these long lost stories back to life.....

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Updates and additions for 1 July are:

• Kommando Koch: extensive additions including No. 89 Squadron's "special Beaufighters" and centimetric radar; a little more about Führungskette X. Fliegerkorps; the Northolt Defiant Flight and the RAF "Moonshine" jamming sorties; German airborne jamming during The Channel Dash; RAF homing-on-jamming trials; and an early offer to the RAF of a VHF jammer.
• Geschwader Bongart: additions throughout, including new pages on Kdo. Schäfer (3./KG 200).
• Operation Paula: addition about the involvement of signals relay aircraft.
• Ghost Bombers … NSG 9: a letter from September 1944 about Canadian troops' experience of attacks by NSG 9.
• Ultra and Adlertag: minor additions.
• Invasion Watch: addition of two reports by the Japanese Military Attaché on the results of sorties.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: more about the 1944 raids on Bristol and the August 1944 attack on Paris.

Not to mention the inevitable corrections to typos and layouts and evening out some page lengths.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Nick, You add another very interesting information. These fields of History are exciting ! Philippe

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

I've just uploaded a new set of updates (should have been yesterday but the server refused to connect):

• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: an expanded account of the raid on Bari (2 December 1943)
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: a report of aircrew opinions about the He 177 (19 February 1944)
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: an extensive account of the operation against convoy UGS-40, "ELEMENT" (9–11 May 1944)
• Operation Paula (3 June 1940): numerous additions.
• Adlertag (13 August 1940): additional details from OKW conferences.
• He 111 torpedo operations: extracts added from Kriegsmarine War Diaries.
• KGr. 100, the first weeks in France: two small additions (3 and 17 August 1940)
• Camouflage and markings: an instruction given on 29 August 1940.
• 1940 loss reports: more about the RAF's attack on Eindhoven (9–10 September 1940)
• Kommando Koch: an addition to the Operation Cerberus page from a Kriegsmarien chronology.
• Geschwader Bongart: an addition about Operation Maibaum.
• Operation Zeisig: more about two captured airmen.
• NSG 9: Bernd Schewen and SG 151 aircraft, corrections thanks to Nigel Moore.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

To mark 15 years of www.ghostbombers.com, I've posted the following updates today:

• Kommando Koch: additions throughout
• Kommando Rastedter: several additions, including more about Aphrodite, Thetis and Unternehmen Cerberus
• Sonderstaffel Kaatsch: one addition about reconnaissance from Italy in support of 157. Reseerve Division
• Nachtjagdstaffel Norwegen: one addition from a Kriegsmarine report
• SG 4 and the Battle for Normandy: a British account of the bombing of Horsa Bridge on 8 June 1944
• Invasion Watch, an addition for 5 May 1944
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: additions regarding the 26/27 August 1944 raid on Paris, including a bomb-damage photograph courtesy of Philippe Cannone.
• Geschwader Bongart: SOE Jedburgh Team reports on actions at Le Cheylard and Privas

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

I've posted the following updates this morning:

• Kommando Koch: additions throughout.
• Kommando Rastedter: additions thoughout.
• Sonderstaffel Kaatsch: one addition about reconnaissance from Italy in support of 157. Reserve Division
• Kommando Kunkel: addition about an operation on 27 May 1944.
• Jagdgruppe 200: addition about an operation on 4 June 1944.
• Invasion Watch: additional material throughout, mainly from German naval sources.
• The Bf 109 H with 5.(F)/123: some small additions.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: a pilot's account of the 2/3 December 1943 raid on Bari (thanks to Bernd Barbas).
• Geschwader Bongart: a German descrpition of the devastation after the bombing of Guéret and a photo of bomb damage in Cluny (thanks once again to Philippe Cannone).
• II./SG 10 in Yugoslavia: an addition regarding 30 October 1944 (thanks to Russell Guest)
• Heinz Hauck and 6.(F)/123: more about 3./KG 66 radar investigation flights.
• Operation Dragoon: images of a 2./SAGr. 128 Ar 196, abandoned near Chalons-sur-Saône (thanks to Henofred and RT of the 12 o'clock high forum).
• Markings and camouflage: underwing camouflage on a Ju 88 of 8./KG 54 in Sicily, summer 1943.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

I've posted the following updates this afternoon:

• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: more information about LG 1's mining of the River Scheldt; more about a Wekusta 26 loss on reconnaissance over the Adriatic.
• NSG 9: much more about the Mosquito claimed by Wener Hensel (thanks to Enzo Lanconelli).
• Geschwader Bongart: ZG 1and FAGr. 5's part in Exercise Arabella (December 1943).
• Kommando Koch: German naval advice about the use of radar-warning systems and an account of the attack on the Portofino convoy (4 November 1943).
• Kommando Rastedter: a new page about U-boat radar decoys, information on two Ju 188 of 3.(F)/123 and updates to the list of sources.
• Geschwader recognition bands: an extract from the 1./Seekriegsleitung diary about the concentration of fighters for an attempt to halt the Allies' daylight bombing offensive.
• Nachtjagdstaffel Finnland/Norwegen: a flight from Nautsi by the unit's He 219.
• Operation Dragoon: brief reconnaissance reports from 14 and 15 August 1944.
• I./JG 4 heads home: information on a Bf 109 G-14 lost on 2 October 1944.
• Sonderstaffel Kaatsch: addition about 19th Army reaching Chalons-sur-Saône.
• Guide to ULTRA: reference to a 1985 magazine article making early use of a decrypt.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thank you Nick!

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thank you ! Always interesting !!

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Highly appreciated, Nick. A special thanks for I./JG 4's retreat enhanced coverage.

Cheers
Marc

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thanks for the interesting reads.
One very minor comment. In:
http://www.ghostbombers.com/recon/Rastedter/lj11.html
The Ju388 is referred to as both
3000006
300006
Andy

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thanks, I'll fix that.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Cheers Nick! Brilliant job :)

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

I've just posted another batch of updates and additions:

• New page: some II./JG 53 loss reports from Autumn 1944.
• ULTRA and »Adlertag«: addition about raids on Bomber Command airfields on 24/25 May 1940.
• JGr. 200: addition of a Bf 109 loss in May 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: additions about 10./ZG 1 activity in March 1944; memorial card for Kurt Dommasch (courtesy of Christian Berring); addition about Kdo. Schäfer
• Bf 109 H: addition about Obltn. Kaiser’s promotion to Staffelkapitän.
• Operation Dragoon: addition about the fate of Obltn. Kramprich of 6../KG 77.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: a possible photo-reconnaissance of Paris on 27 August 1944.
• Kdo. Koch: additions about the sinking of Unione; wavelengths covered by German jamming transmitters; aircraft at Fosinone, Italy in 1943.
• Kdo. Rastedter: additions about Aphrodite decoys; the unit's Ju 188s and liaison with the Kriegsmarine; the establishment of Horch- .und Störstaffel 2 plus its activity in February 1944.
• Kdo. Kunkel: the loss of an aircraft on 21 February 1944 (thanks to Chris Goss and Matti Salonen)
• I./JG 4 heads home: additions about losses and newly allocated aircraft.
• Markings and camouflage: instruction of September 1943 to discontinue the use of certain colours on Luftwaffe rescue boats.
• Minor corrections etc

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thanks so much Nick,

for your highly appreciated updates and information sharing.

Sincerely
Marc

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Hi,
This caught my eye.
9 SEP 1944:
5) Captured a/c in all Luftflotten:

A) Operating in the fighting, same as German a/c of the relevant Luftflotte.

B) Not operating in the fighting, outermost third of the underside of the wing yellow. Sea rescue a/c are to be marked as a/c operating in the fighting.

The first dokumented info that I have seen of captured a/c were used in combat. Does anyone have further info?
bregds
SES

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Captured Italian types, perhaps? The Fiat CR 42 and Reggiane Re 2002 were used in combat by the Luftwaffe. Or those words might have been included to cover the possibility of captured types being used (some guy in a Berlin office trying to think of every eventuality, maybe).

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Nick,

A quick complement for II./JG 53 losses reported 4 November 1944: according to Prien, JG 53 (1998), III, p.1003; Prien, JG 53, III, p.1472, both Bf 109 G-14's in the 4 November 1944 intercept were actually lost 3 November 1944.

Bf 109 G-14 W.Nr. 462796 "Weisse 9", flown by Fw. Erhard Tahlheim, 7./JG 53, went missing in Raum St. Die/Rambervillers (PlQu. CO-6)

Bf 109 G-14 W.Nr. 462896 "Gelbe 8", flown by Uffz. Konrad Gallhofer, was shot down at Sobernheim, DOW 9 November 1944.

Cheers
Marc

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Keep up the good work Nick!

Edward L. Hsiao

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

More new material posted to gohstbombers.com today:

• New article: 6,000 words about what ULTRA was telling the British in 1940 between the Franco-German Armistice and Eagle Day.
• He 111 torpedo operations in 1940: various small corrections, additions about Hptm. Hechler and the sinking of the Remuera.
• 1940 losses: additions for the late June–early August period.
• Markings and Camouflage: additions for 23 June, and 11 and 25 July 1940.
• Unternehmen »Paula«: new ULTRA material about preparations for the attack.
• Geschwader Bongart: background on Maj. Bongart's role in France in July 1940.
• Kommando Koch: more about Ju 52 NQ+AN and a correction regarding the Sportivo convoy.
• III./SG 4 in Normandy: information from the Allied side about the »Distelfink« radar station at Douvres-la-Délivrande.
• NSG 9: information and images from Larry Haitz about his relative, 2nd Lt. Lael M. Cheely, pilot of the 414th NFS P-61 lost on the night of 11/12 April 1945.
• Updated list of "complete works" to include "Arado Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units", published four days ago.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Hi Nick,
Interesting read as always.
Concerning the battle at Distelfink, it is my understanding that the commander Oberleutenant Kurt Egle recieved the RK for his leadership. One of only three RK awarded to JLos.
bregds
SES

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Hi Nick great updates as usual, your work is always commended.
Just one point on the additions, is it possible to either highlight the new information added to previous reports, or to add a " new " where the update is?
It is quite difficult to find the additions without going through all the reports and finding where its been included.

Best regs,
Steve.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thank you.

With my level of knowledge about making web pages, I fear it would be an absolute pig! I do try at least to link from the updates list to a particular page but if the changes are small and scattered throughout the article, I just link to page one. Some of the longer pieces (I./JG 2 in Italy; JGr. 200; Geschwader Bongart; Kommando Koch; Staffel Kaatsch; Listening and Jammng) have been rewritten several times and are now more than twice the length of the original versions. Highlighting all the cumulative changes (and changes to changes) would make them unreadable, I think.

Was there anything in the latest batch where you particularly needed to know what's changed?

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

I've updated my site today:

• Adlertag: an addition about the deployment of air/sea rescue boats on 12 August 1940.
• He 111 Torpedo Operations: additions about 15 and 18 August 1940.
• KGr. 100: minor additions to 14, 15 and 16 August 1940.
• 1940 losses: addition for 27 May.
• NSG 9: correction to Chapter 3, page 26.
• SG 4 in Normandy: instructions for supply dropping on 9 June 1944.
• JGr. 200: corrected forename for Ogefr. Klauka; added forename for Obltn. Krößmann; a note on the death of Ogefr. Kumpf; the sortie report of 232 Squadron's W/O McCann; and a note on lost film footage of the Vercors camp for German prisoners.
• Geschwader Bongart: correction to events of 28 June: more about II./KG 26's operations on 13 and 14 July 1944.
• Invasion Watch: forename added for Obltn. Grosser of 3./NAG 13.
• JG 2 in Italy: corrections to map; locations for the losses of Uffz. Kilchling and Fw. Merkl and Uffz. Dollenmaier.
• Kdo. Koch: information about the manufacturer of the Metox search receiver; added maps of Crete and Heraklion; more on the loss Ltn. Rische's crew; amended spelling for Ofw. Heinz Gleißberg.
• Kdo. Rastedter: additions about the first trial deployment of Metox in the Bay of Biscay and damage to the U-boat attacked by Sgt. Chatten's Whitley

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thank you so much Nick ! Always a real pleasure to read your last and informative studies ! Philippe

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thanks Nick - love the website! PS sent you an email :)

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Some more material added this evening:

• Kittyhawk vs. Fw 190: added Staffel affiliation for Uffz. Kurt Fischer.
• SG 4 in Italy: added extracts from Ob. Südwest situation reports for 13, 14 and 15 May 1944 plus a note about Uffz. Karl-Albrecht Roensche.
• SG 4 in Normandy: more information about casualties on 6 and 8 June 1944, including photos of Fw. Willi George and Uffz. Franz Plewka.
• Geschwader Bongart: additional detail on Re 2002 W.Nr. 1230 at Étampes-Mondesir; added paragraph about participation by 3. leichte Flakabt. 741 (mot.) in anti-partisan operations; acknowledgment of assistance from Steve Coates.
• Bf 109 H: added forename for Uffz. Luginger of 4.(F)/123.
• Convoy UGS-40: addition about the loss of Ju 88, 1H+KS.
• Kommando Koch: additional note about Hohentwiel radar.
• Kommando Rastedter: new page on the Metox radar warning receiver.
• KGr. 100 and the Coventry Blitz: more about the effects of RAF raids on 14/15 November 1940 and attacks on beam station SPREE.
• SG 10 in Yugoslavia: forenames of two casualties and a place of death for one of them.

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Nick,

Further to the thread discussion in the "eBay: captured german planes thread" posts #4259 and #4261 here one discrepancy between the ULTRA intercepts of the Nancy 25 May 1944 bombing damage and data published in Prien, Rodeike and Stemmer's Messerschmitt im Einsatz bei der II./JG 27, 1997, p. 539:

Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 440179 "Gelbe 4", Fw Otto Zörner, 6./JG 27, is given as a 100% loss 18 March 1944, pilot KIA during air combat at Dietershofen at Illertissen.

Otherwise, one typo is easily solved:
Bf 109 G-6 740423 "Weisse 1", 9./JG 26 is actually Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 440423 "Weisse 1" which was the mount of Ofhr. Heinz KEMETHMÜLLER, 9./JG 26, documented at Fl.Pl. Vandeville 10 April 1944.

Will keep on checking ASAP.

Cheers
Marc

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thanks Marc,

Here are the original ULTRA documents that I used (I haven't re-checked to see if I transcribed everything correctly).

I don't know where Jochen got his data from — NVMs possibly?

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Thanks for providing the originals, Nick, highly appreciated. A quick question: the Nancy raid mentioned in the originals is dated 24 June 1944, not 24 May 1944 ?

Correction: if not mistaken, the three pages originals you kindly provide are ULTRA CX/MSS/T226/66 devoted to the attack of A/F Soucelles, 24 June 1944 - then base for 6./JG 53 ?

Thanks again
Marc

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

Nick,

Regarding ULTRA CX/MSS/T226/66, page 1 you kindly shared in post #277,

I have this following discrepancy with :

Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 163955 "Gelbe 3", Uffz. Franz Kussius, 9./JG 27, WIA in air combat, Raum Orléans, 27 June 1944. Source: Prien/Rodeike/Stemmer, Messerschmitt 109 im Einsatz mit III. & IV./JG 27, 1997, p.332.

W.Nr. 163955 "Gelbe 3" is repeated "burnt out" at A/F Soucelles, 24 June 1944, in CX/MSS/R.227 (c) - your attachment P1250406.

Cheers
Marc

Re: Ghostbombers updates
 

If I haven't a mistake during the transcription from his fligtlog it was W.Nr.440723...