II./NJG4 - drastic reduction in crew strength April 1945

[RodM]

I am wondering if anyone has any insight into the happenings with II./NJG4 in early April 1945, when it suffered a drastic and unexplained reduction in crew strength.

On 13 and 30 March 1945, the OKL ordered the disbandment of 5. and 6. Staffel and the Gruppenstab of II./NJG4 (this disbandment occurred with other Nachtjagdgeschwaders at the same time).

Thus, II./NJG4 reduced to 4./NJG4 by 2 April 1945, with a new established aircraft and crew strength of 16. The disbandment occurred at the same time as the Gruppe abandoned its airfields at Gütersloh, Lippspringe, and Wunstorf and retreated to Flensburg via Fassberg. The retreat occurred between 30 March and 10 April 1945.

On 29 March 1945, II./NJG4 reported a personnel strength of 27 crews. The Gruppe - soon to be 4./NJG4 - did not make another daily strength report until 11 April - the one Nachtjagdstaffel not able to make a daily report since the end of March. On 11 April, 4./NJG4 reported a personnel strength of only 8 crews, half the established strength of 16. None of the other reduced Nachtjagdstaffeln reported such a drastic reduction in crew strength.

As far as I am aware, 4./NJG4 flew no major Nachtjagd or Nachtschlacht missions between 1 and 10 April 1945 and thus could not have lost a bunch of crews during operations.

My question is: does anyone have any insight as to what befell 4./NJG4 in early April 1945 to cause such a drastic reduction in crew strength?

Many of the 27 crews on strength on 29 March 1945 would have transferred to the Army, but the Staffel should still have had around 16 crews and not the 8 as reported on 11 April.

Cheers

Rod