Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Has any account of the operations of these 4 staffel been published? I have the potted histories (which are thin) but from what I can see, 51 aircrew were awarded the DKiG and one, Hptm Franz Kustaz, the RK which is quite impressive. Matti has been helpful with the losses (they flew Do 17, Do 217 and He 111 but in very small numbers) but am I missing something?

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

All I can offer is these four Do 217s of 1.(F)/Nacht that were found at Zeltweg, Austria: http://www.ghostbombers.com/miscella.../zeltweg3.html

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Post 2# for Nick Beale K7+DH has the same WNr. as K7+HH an typo ?

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

There's a note on the page, in red letters on a white background: "[Duplicated Werk Nummer, as in original report]".

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Also Ju 188.
Junker

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

...and Ju 88 but Dorniers and Heinkels seemed to be the aircraft of choice

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Matti has kindly send me a list of their aircraft-just one Ju 88 A-4, one Ju 88 D-1 and a single Ju 188 are listed. Rest are Do 17 M, P, Z; He 111 P-2, H-5, H-6, H-11, H-16; Do 217 E-4, K-1, M-1, N-1; Do 215 B-4, B-5

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

According to another site and GQM page 10 dated 30.4.43 Ju 88 D-1 F6+EM 430449 of 4.Nachtaufklärungsstaffel was lost on 10.4.43 with FF Ltn Horst Dietrich , B Ltn Kurt Faust , Bf Uffz Johann Kutner and Bm Ofw Wilhelm Klingenberg all missing . Comments from the other site added that they fell to two P-39s of 298 IAP making a belly landing 45 km. NW of Tihoreck with crew taken prisoner .

Horst Dietrich b. 23-3-22 shown in Luftwaffe Officers Career Summaries as being in 4.Nachtaufklärungsstaffel

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Ju 188 D-2: K7+BK and K7+CK april 1945.
Junker

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Guess you mean two P-39s of 298 IAP.

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Einsatzbereitschaft 6. april 1945:

2/(F) Nacht: Do 217 M, 9-5, Ju 188 D-2, 3-1 and Ju 88 A-4, 3-2.
4/(F) Nacht: Do 217 M, 8-2 and Ju 188 D, 1-0.

Junker

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Operation of 2/(F) Nacht night 6-7 april 1945.
3 Do 217
12 SD 70 on motor vehicles south of Deutsch-Krone, shooting at a vehicle on road Naugard-Stargard. It was claimed destroyed. 8 SD 70 on vehicles at railway station Landsberg. Damage not observed. Dropping 122000 leaflets.

Junker

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Chris -

Some 30 years ago, I was in frequent touch with Werner Horst, a retired Oberst from the Luftwaffe and Bundesluftwaffe. He was the president of the Association of Aufklärungsflieger Veterans. The association had a comprehensive archive covering all of the wartime Aufklärungs units, and I know for a fact that this included all 4 of the Nachtaufklärungsstaffeln. The members were encouraged to write these and they are based on personal papers, Flugbücher and memories. Werner Horst, who lived in Bonn at the time, passed away years ago, but if you could find out what happened to the Association's archive, which at the time was in his possession, it would be a rich lode for the researcher.

L.

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

They did operate untill the very end. LFK Nordost.
BAMA
Junker

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Junker, Larry
Thanks for this-fascinating. My interest understandably is Do 217. Would not know where to track down this archive-maybe someone else has a lead?

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Chris
Harald Rabeder is a member of this board and maybe he could respond. He runs a website called Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Association and has published 2 books on (F)123. He may be able to assist. Also I had a Nachtaufklärungsstaffel photo album that I sold several years ago but I still have scans of all the photos including several Do-217s, if you are interested. I have been hoping that someone would write a history of this unit for a long time.

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Del-thanks for this. I am already making contact with Harald and would be most interested in seeing scans of said photos

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Hi Chris/chaps, I don't know if this is any help but I have a Flugbuch/Leistungsbuch set to Flieger Gunther Kauschke, who flew (this may not be 100% correct as I have 2 differing sources) with the following units as Ju88/188 recon pilot: 4.(F)/AufklGr14, ErgSt (F) Nacht, ErgGr (F) Rahmel, 4. (F) 14, 2.(F) Nacht and FAGr.2.

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Thanks Si-just one Do 217 trip and even that was not an operational one!

Re: Nachtaufklärungsstaffel Operations
 

Yes I know! Quite an interesting career though and lots of long-range night recon missions in his Ju188 over the Eastern front, last mission was 1 May 1945. I'm trying to fathom out his career and it's horrifically confusing - appears that he gets sent back for further training at one stage but guess we'll never know.