N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Good Morning - Happy New Year

In Einzelmeldung Nr 2 vom 2.9.41 (RL7-103) there is a passing reference to the above unit.

In Einzelmeldung Nr 2 vom 3.9.41 it is mentioned again referring to an Me 110 having operated without encountering the enemy.

In Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 4.9.41 there is reference 2 aircraft operating without contact with enemy aircraft.

There are several subsequent references to this unit in other Einzelmeldungen for Sep 1941.

I would appreciate it if anyone can provide some additional information regarding this unit?

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

It also operated in july 1941. RL 7-3/829.
Junker

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Junker,

Many thanks - just worked my way through the Einzelmeldung for August 1941 so will have a look at July as well.

Will probably need to look at the Lageberichten for the same period in case there is anything extra in those reports.

Most of the entries are "No sorties/operations".

Appears they had at least 2 Bf 110s.

Have checked deZeng and Stankey's "Career Summaries" and found no reference to this unit. Also checked the relevant Airfield listing with no result.

Again, thanks for the pointer.

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

If anyone knows it would be Theo Boiten but perhaps this was a minor one off unit detached from a major unit for a specific purpose? Don't forget the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen were at Brest at this time

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Thanks Chris

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

While I’m not familiar with 1941 files at all, there are two TNA series that might have something, based on what I’ve seen from later years. The Air Ministry W/T Daily Intelligence Summaries run in sequence from AIR 22/476; the G.N.A. (= German Naval Air) reports start at HW 13/27 and end at HW 13/42. Those seem to begin with just Y-Service material but go on to add info from ULTRA, plus occasionally knowledge gained from prisoners and wreck investigations.

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Nick,

Many thanks for that. I'll bear that in mind.

I will also have a look at the DEFE3 files for that period in case there is anything of interest there.

Once I have finished with the Einzelmeldung and Lagebericht files I will put up a small page that can be updated as new information comes to light.

Stay safe

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Hi all,

Interesting thread Andy, alas I've nothing to offer as I have never before come across this (I believe ad-hoc & short-lived?) NJ unit, not in any official documents, Flugbücher, claims listings, NJ memoirs etc..

FYI though, I have recently re-written a narrative in one of the NCA volumes manuscripts based upon newly discovered documents:

7-8 February 1943
A force of 323 aircraft bombed Lorient between 20.15 and 22.07 hrs. Seven aircraft were lost, at least two of which were shot down by Flak in the target area. Fighter opposition was negligible, only two Main Force aircraft coming under attack by ‘Me109s’.

-44 Sqn Lancaster ED309: hit by 1. & 2./schw. Flak Abt. 671, 1./schw. Flak Abt. 677 and Flak of IV. Marine Flak Brigade, crashed in sea off Lorient at 20.24 hrs.
-44 Sqn Lancaster W4832: hit by several Flak batteries including 1./schw. Flak Abt. 677, crashed in sea near Lorient at 20.30 hrs.

After the first series of Bomber Command Main Force raids against the U-boat bases in Lorient in late January and early February 1943, the XII. Fliegerkorps decided to set up two mobile railway-mounted Dunkelnachtjagd zones to protect the Lorient and St. Nazaire areas, deploying the 3. Schwarm of 10./NJG5 from Dinard airfield. The Nachtjagd Räume were code-named Bussard 1 (based at Plaintel near Saint Brieux) and Bussard 2 (at Plounérin, 20 km east of Morlaix), both becoming operational on the night of 22-23 February 1943. Less than two weeks later, on 6 March, Bussard 1 was disbanded, whereas Bussard 2 was re-named Beate 1. Simultaneously, a new mobile Nachtjagd zone was set up at the railway station of Questembert, 23 km east of Vannes under the code-name of Beate 3, operating with the 2. Schwarm of 10./NJG5 based at Rennes airfield. On the night of 1-2 April 1943, Raum Beate 2 became operational at the railway station of Uzel, 20 km south of Saint Brieux, also operating with the elements of 10./NJG5 based at Rennes. On 1-2 May 1943, a fourth mobile Nachtjagd Raum became operational in Brittany under the code-name of Nanette 1, being based at Gavre railway station, 44 km NE of St. Nazaire and operating with the 1. Schwarm of 11./NJG5 at Nantes. Beate 2 was re-deployed to Plaintel on 24 May 1943, the 1. and 2. Schwärme of 10./NJG5 operating with Beate 1 and 2 from Lannion from that date onwards. Finally, on the night of 5-6 June 1943, Nanette 2 and Nanette 3 became operational, the former being based at Soullans railway station and the latter at the railway station of Mortagne-sur-Sèvre, operating with 11./NJG5 at Nantes airfield.
The Nachtjäger operating in the Nachtjagd zones over Brittany were guided by the mobile Dunkelnachtjagd trains of Sumatra I, II and II (Bussard and Beate) and Java I, II and III (Nanette). Over the sea, the Nachtjäger were only allowed to operated at heights of over 1,000 meters; below that height, Flak had a free reign. This made it virtually impossible for the Nachtjäger to counter the increasing menace of the low-flying British mine-layers. Between 25-26 February and 27-28 June 1943, a meagre total of nine Abschüsse were achieved in the Dunkelnachtjagd over Brittany. In late June, the mobile Nachtjagd over Brittany was halted, the radar trains of Sumatra and Java being re-deployed to the Eastern Front.

Cheers, Theo

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Theo,

Many thanks for picking this up.

Thank you for your comments.

All I have so far is that numerous Luftflotte 3 Einzelmeldung for July, Aug, Sep and Oct 1941 refer to this "unit".

Here is an extract from Einzelmeldung Nr. 2 vom 2.10.1941.

Zu.2a u. 2b) Erfolgsmeldung zum Nachteinsatz vom 1/2.10.1941
------

Ferner waren eingesetzt:
XII.Fl.-Kps.(N.J.K.):9 Flugzeuge (s.Einz.Meld.Nr.3 v.2.10.41)
N.J.Komm.Bretagne: 1 Me 110 von 21.35 - 23.26 ohne Feindberührung.

I have checked a few Lageberichten for the same period but not found any reference to this "unit".

It has been suggested that it might be a temporary unit (an der Kommandoweg aufgestellt) under the authority of a senior field or territorial command - limited to being active for not more than 180 days Or a Teilkommando from one of the Nachtjagd units operating at that time.

I will continue compiling the entries from the Einzelmeldung and load a page up on the LuftwaffeData Wiki and see if anything else comes to light.

Once again many thanks for your input.

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Hi,

Following on from my last post I have now created a page on the Luftwaffedata Wiki covering this "unit". See N.J.Kdo. Bretagne. This contains reference to all of the entries that I have found so far.

Thanks to all for their thoughts and suggestions.

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

According to RL 7-3/829:

Vom Nachtjagdkommado Bretagne kamen 7 Flugzeuge ohne Feindberührung zum Einsatz. Juni 1941.

Junker

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

The list of known sorties is interesting

There does not seem to be any correlation between the sorties you list and the nights when RAF raids and Gardening took place. Particularly in May and early June 1941 there are some quite large (for the time) operations on Brest and St Nazaire, with up to 100 aircraft, but no sorties.

Two thoughts, are they there to protect U-boats entering and leaving harbour or to try to bag Coastal Command aircraft over the Bay?

Martin

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Martin and Junker ,

Many thanks for your thoughts and input.

Junker - with regards to RL 7-3/829 and the Einzelmeldung that I have quoted from - the file in my possession is not complete. For example I have Einzelmeldung Nr 3 and 4 for 7.6.41 and then nothing until 12.6.41 so with gaps like this I could easily be missing the items accounted for in RL 7-3/829.

Tomorrow I will add an entry for June quoting the comment from RL 7-3/829.

Martin - thanks for your suggestions. I had not got as far as looking at what operations the RAF had carried out during that period. Nor have I looked at the Lageberichten to see if there is anything recorded in there regarding perceived RAF attacks or incursions in that area.


Once again many thanks guys.

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Same source:

"Vom Nachtjagdkommando Bretagne kamen 14 Flugzeuge zum Einsatz ohne Feindberührung. Mai 1941."

The unit only had Bf 110 on strenght.
I does not seem to be in connection with Geleitschutz for ships or uboats.
Junker

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Junker,

Many thanks for this extra information - I have just found my way to the file on Invenio - Tätigkeitsbericht der Luftflotte 3 Mai 1941.(and I have now found how I can download this as well - excellent)

I will incorporate this and your previous post within the NJKdo Bretagne page.

Again many thanks

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Came across this paragraph in the AHB publication The Air Defence of Great Britain Vol III

"Enemy preoccupation with the Russian Front had from mid-May
brought about the virtual cessation of large-scale air bombardment of this country. A great many units had moved eastwards and rearrangement in theWest had thus become necessary.

On 15th June, when a raid on Birmingham was carried out, several Flieger Korps were still operating, but by the middle of the month most of the bomber squadrons had been brought under the Command of IX Flieger Korps.

Other commands in Western Europe included Flieger-fuhrer Atlantik which had been assigned on anti-shipping role, a Nachtjagd division whose function resembles that of our own 'Intruders', and Nachtjagdkommando Bretagne which devoted itself to sea reconnaissances.

Mention must also be made of Stuka aircraft which under the auspices of Jafu 2 had commenced operations against vessels passing through the Straits of Dover, a task they continued to perform until the end of 1941. The enemy bomber force in the West was, however, soon depleted to an even greater degree by the calls of the war against Russia, and the Germans realised that any clear-cut distinctions between the duties to be undertaken by the few remaining units was impossible. By July, therefore, aircraft of Fliegerfuhrer Atlantik were attacking land targets, aircraft of IX Flieger Korps were bombing ships and the Nachtjagddivision which had been engaged on 'Intruder' work had taken up reconnaissance and nuisance raiding. Even aircraft of purely reconnaissance units like 3/(F)122 had to be called in to make up the numbers when land targets were attacked.

By October, elements of KG2, KG30, KG40, KuF Gr406, KGr106, KGr606 and F.123 formed the bulk of the long range bombers in theWest. The Nachtjagddivision had first become a Nachtjagd Kommando and then Flieger Korps XII. Nachjagd Kommando Bretagne with some ME.110s continued to do shipping reconnaissance."

Two definite references to use of NJKdo Bretagne for shipping recce

Martin

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Martin,

Many thanks for this - much appreciated.

Have been using the AHB publication The Air Defence of Great Britain Vol I for other purposes and it did not cross my mind to look at AHB publication The Air Defence of Great Britain Vol III for N.J.Kdo. Bretagne.

It adds a little more to answer the puzzle.

Re: N.J.Kdo. Bretagne
 

Martin,

I have updated the page with a reference to your findings.

Many thanks.