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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
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