German night fighters in North Africa, 1942

[sergey]

Colleagues.
In the Admiralty War Diaries for July–October 1942, I read about continuous night bombing of Tobruk by Royal Air Force aircraft. If losses are mentioned, the reasons for them are not specified. Question: Did the Luftwaffe have night fighters in Libya, and how effective were they against British bombers?

sergey

[Nick Beale]

I./NJG 2 was there, flying the Ju 88 C (without radar) and the Italians used Fiat CR.42s as night fighters.

A small number of Do 217s with Lichtenstein radar was deployed to Crete in September 1942: http://www.ghostbombers.com/recon/Koch/Do217NJ1.html

[Chris Goss]

Again covered in my/Martin Streetly’s book on the Ju 88 day and night fighter

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

Again covered in my book on the Ju 88 day fighter

And in Theo Boiten's "Nachtjagd Combat Archive: Eastern Front and Mediterranean"


As Tobruk was such an important target, there was also a lot of Flak of course. I believe the Germans reinforced it with British AA guns that they captured when they took the port.

[sergey]

Thank you. How effective were they against British bombers? Are there any statistics – number of sorties, claims for aircraft shot down?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by sergey

Thank you. How effective were they against British bombers? Are there any statistics – number of sorties, claims for aircraft shot down?

Theo Boiten's book will give you their claims day-by-day.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

There weren't many air to air kills by German night fighters in North Africa.

Edward L. Hsiao

[Chris Goss]

I have around 42 kills for NJG 2 December 1941 to July 1942 and then 18 January to Jun 43 so more than you think

[sergey]

Considering that the Ju 88s from I./NJG 2 were without radar, the aircraft they shot down were most likely Wellington, Halifax and B-24 bombers carrying out night raids.

[Chris Goss]

Mainly Wellington, Beaufighter and Blenheim in initial period. No Halifaxes and two Liberators. Don’t forget they also operated in daylight in bad weather and on convoy escort