Using Y-Intercepts to research the Luftwaffe

[Adam]

Some of these files are reproduced int he HW 13 series (around part 96 for bomber and recon). These have similar details and are set out in a similar fashion with the columns: unit, take-off, attack, landing, no., type, area references and other remarks.

Some of the information is quite detailed and contains specific times, number of aircraft and actual callsigns, for others it is rather meagre. The following units are mentioned to varying degrees (at least in HW13 96):

Recon:
1./120
3., 4./121
1., 3./122
1., 3./123
Recce Kette Africa

Maritime:
2., 3./125
2., 3./126
1., 5./196
1./406
1., 2., 3./506
1./706
1., 2./906

Bomber:
II., IV./KG 2
I./KG 4
I., II./KG 26
I., II./KG 27
KG 28 (?)
Stab., II., III./KG 30
I., III./KG 40
I., III./KG 51
I./KG 53
II./KG 54
II./KG 55
Stab., II., III./KG 76
SKG 210
KGr 606
I., II., III./LG 1
I./StG 1
II./StG 2
Stab./StG 3

Fighter:
7., III./ZG 76
II./ZG 76
NJG 2
1./NJG 3

The sort of information that can be gained can be as much as the following entry for 5.10.41 for 3./123: "4U+PL TO before 1100 for WR of East Coast between Yarmouth and Sunderland. This aircraft may have been the one unsuccessfully engaged by two Hurricanes 30m NE of Happisburgh between 1125 and 1230. A/C landed by 1500." Likewise it could be as little as "unknown unit. 3+?. no line."

Be warned, a) large files that will take a long time to sort through, and b) just because a unit is listed in the above, doesn't mean there may be any more than a single reference of inconsequential value in the files.

[RodM]

Thanks Nick, Steve, Ed and Adam for the information.

Ed, the sample Air Activity Report is for the 24-hour period ending 0700 B.D.S.T. on 8 April 1945, so the daylight sorties were on the 7th. Times are also in B.D.S.T. which during this period was the same as M.E.S.Z. then in use by Germany.

Adam, thanks for the additional info.

It is a real shame that more of the raw intercepts have not survived (outside of the microfilmed AIR 51 files), as with knowledge of the callsigns and codes in use at the time, many very useful fragments of information could be gained. The various periodical internal reports used by the Y-organisation to update the monitoring stations on changes of LW signals procedure and the introduction of new codes and callsigns often contain snippets of raw intercepts, but they mainly serve to illustrate the richness of the information that has been lost. Many of the reports, however, do provide useful insight into the operational workings of the Luftwaffe.

Cheers

Rod

I've attached a page from a log found in AIR 51/292, concerning intercepts of Luftwaffe activity on 24 January 1945 in relation to the Allied landings at Anzio. It also has callsigns written in. I guess it serves to illustrate the sort of operational info that has been 'lost' with the destruction of the majority of the intercept logs...