Wilde Sau with KG 51 and SKG 10.

[SES]

Possibly due to lack of regular night fighters in France, it was decided in April 1944 to employ I, II/KG 51 (Me 410) and I/SKG 10 (Fw 190) on Wilde Sau missions over North Western France in full-moon periods. These units were under operational control of IX Flieger Korps, who was conducting a limited offensive against the UK. This had included some Fernnachtjagd missions by KG 51. Please see:

http://www.gyges.dk/Wilde%20Sau%20Frankrig.htm

In preparation of this article I searched in vain for photos/drawings of Me 410 in KG 51 servive, Fw 190 in SKG 10 service and the crest of SKG 10 - if indeed they had one. Can anybody help please?
bregds
SES

[Nick Beale]

I think that almost all of II./KG 51's missions at this time were intruder and harassment bombing missions over England and especially over Bomber Command operational and training airfields in East Anglia. All this was in support of the main bomber effort under "Unternehmen Steinbock."

SKG 10 was also flying missions against England, usually in diversionary attacks to support the main bomber force but also attacking London on nights when the big bombers did not operate.

Some idea of the targets can be gained from the locations of the victory claims made by II./KG 51 at this time (see Tony Wood's lists).

[SES]

Hi Nick,
Thanks for the heads-up, should have done that before I went public on this :? . I found a total of 25 claims, which can be attributed to these Wilde Sau operatons (from the claim location and correlation to an allied intrusion) in the period 440503 - 440706 and there are none thereafter. In the same period there are only a few claims, which can be attributed to Fernnachtjagd over the UK.
bregds
SES

[Chris Goss]

I have researched II/KG 51 and I/SKG 10 in this period and any claims made by them were generally by II/KG 51 over UK. However, I/SKG 10 did make claims during the Mailly-Le-Camp attack and also on the night of 5-6 Jun 44 after which they went back to bombing over Normandy(together with II/KG 51). I have photos of both units and apart from the Edelweiss badge, can find no other badge for either units

[SES]

Hi Chris,
Thank you for your responce. If you revisit
http://www.gyges.dk/Wilde%20Sau%20Frankrig.htm
you will at the botom find a link to a list of claims, which cannot possibly be related to anything other than Wilde Sau. Sometimes the claim position is identical to the BC target. How can you possibly get more Wilde Sau than that
If you have a Me 410, KG 51 photo you are willing to share for pub. on my site I would be most grateful. BTW I have the crests of I and II/KG 51 if you are interested.
bregds
SES

[FalkeEins]

With the invasion underway sorties against RAF night bombers were flown only sporadically eg 5 July at 0150 hours Ofw. Kahlhammer reported the downing of a four-engine bomber which crashed at La Longpré...SKG 10, operating G-3s and G-8s, had flown some 3000 sorties over Normandy by the middle of August 1944, for the loss of 20 machines before being withdrawn to München-Gladbach.. I./SKG 10 pilot Wolfgang Zebrowski covered this period in his memoir "Nachts über den Wolken"...
"..night after night, and less frequently by day, we were tasked with attacking enemy troop formations, vehicle convoys and artillery positions in the bridgehead between Saint-Lô and Caen. The dropping of parachute flares, two of which we carried under each wing, would reveal our targets. We then flew strafing passes, unleashing salvoes of cannon fire before jettisoning our bombs on any worthwhile target that we could make out. We were told that our sorties brought some reassurance and respite to our hard-pressed ground forces. It was however very difficult to locate our objectives since the front line was particularly fluid..."

[SES]

Hi Falke 1,
Have you looked at the list I made from Tony Wood's excellent work ?
bregds
SES

[Chris Goss]

In respect of unit badges, I am aware of what they were for I & II Gruppen but the photos I have and have seen do not show anythying apart from Kennzeichen. As to some of the kills by KG 51, could they have been daytime as they were used in this way some times? However, I do know for certain that II/KG 51 did try and intercept at night-one was probably shot down by 239 Sqn, the British crew being puzzled thast the aircraft was not emitting radar pulses. I have no objection to you using my photos on your site as long as they are credited

[SES]

The kills I've listed on my site are nighttime kills, that's why there is a double date (the night between xx and yy) on most kills. The ones on 6 June could be in the early morning. On Tony Woods site the positions are either geographic or in the Jadggradnetz.
bregds
SES
PS I have not received any photos yet.

[Chris Goss]

You have not received any photos as I have not sent any! I do not send scans by the way

Chris