N.J.G. loss on night of 28/02/1942

[kolya1]

Could anybody help me on the possible loss of a night-fighting Me-110 on this night (28/02/1942) in the region of Orsha-Balbasovo ?

Besides, if anyone can advise me on a book (German and/or Soviet) about night-fighting on the Eastern Front, that would be nice.

Thanks,

Kolya.

[retje]

Michael Balls book has on the 28.2.1942:
3./N.J.G.3 bei Kostowitschi , south of Orscha (Osten) Feindflug Bf110 D-0 werknr:3325. Flzg.Fhr Oblt.Gerhard Bömel-gefallen. Bordfunker Fw Rudolf Seifert-unverletzt, abgesprungen. Absturz infolge Jägerbeschus.

If this is correct I don't no, I can't verified the Gen.Qu.6.Abt, couse this page is blurred.

regards,

Reetje

[Peter D Evans]

Here is an excerpt of the loss from my copy of the Gen.Qu.6.Abt, RL 2 III-1180 [03.02.42 to 02.05.42]

http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/njg-loss.jpg

Hope this helps...

cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[Chris Goss]

Pilot was formerly with I/ZG 76

[kalender1973]

Hi,

could somebody clarify the operation of NJG in the east in jan-april 1942? From Balss book I have 20 losses from I./NJG4 in that time, but Holms page indicate, the I./NJG4 was established only on 09.42. It this another I./NJG4?

Best regards,

[kolya1]

Many thanks to everybody.

I think I have a Soviet claim to match that loss. I'll look for the details and post them but, basically, the Me-110 could have been shot down by an Il-4's gunner rather than a Soviet fighter.

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello

Officially the I.NJG 4 and II./NJG 4 were established/founded in 1941 but never came to nightfighter operations. Operation Barbarossa demanded more Bf 110's for Zerstörer missions when the process to convert many Zerstörer units into the nightfighter force was at full speed. When I am right, Gebhard Aders 'History of German Nightfighting 1917-1945' has some more details about this confusing start of NJG 4.

The first real nightfighter Gruppe of the NJG 4 therefore was the III./NJG 4, founded in May 1942 from 1./NJG 1, 4./NJG 1 and 8./NJG 1. But soon after, the two 'missing' NJG 4 Gruppen were established again. By the end of 1942, NJG 4 had the I./NJG 4, II./NJG 4 and III./NJG 4.

Best wishes, Marcel Hogenhuis
www.fliegerhorst-venlo.net

[kolya1]

OK, here is the Soviet claim I thought could check with that loss : 751st IAP's Vasiliy Reshetnikov's Il-4 bomber was attacked that night by a night fighter while it was returning from a bombing mission against Balbasovo airfield near Orsha. The bomber was damaged, but the night-fighter was reportedly shot down by one of the gunners (Nikolay Chernov).

Chernov reported the enemy aircraft was down and Reshetnikov, looking outside, saw something burning on the ground. The bomber being damaged, Reshtnikov ordered the gunners (Chernov and Alexey Nezhentsev) to bail out to safety, while he made a forced landing with his heavily wounded navigator, St. Lt. Vasiliy Zemskov, who died a few days later.

In his memoirs, Reshetnikov remembered having been surprised that a big plane such as a Me-110 could have been shot down by only one burst (even a long one) from a 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun and speculated that the pilot must have been killed by the bullets.

I am sorry but I could not find the rank of the aircrews except Zemskov's as they are not mentioned in Reshstnikov's memoirs and I could not find them elsewhere. In July 1943, Reshtnikov was named Hero of the Soviet Union while being a guards captain and commanding a squadron of 19 Gv. AP DD. At the time, he had completed 204 combat sorties , ans finished the war with 307. His memoirs are often imprecise, because he precisely remembered mostly marking events or missions such as this one, but I found them a good reading to have an idea of the kind of war waged by the ADD.