Correct translation of German Nachtjagd terms

[Horst Weber]

Originally Posted by SES

»Straßenjagd« may I humbly suggest Armed Recce.
bregds
SES

Good evening !

As a German language native, I wouldn't agree with this.

A "Nachtjäger" pursuits an enemy aircraft at night. A "Tagjäger" pursuits and fights against enemy aircraft at daytime.

The "Straßenjagd" is in my opinion a term, which came up during the French campaign and later, when those fighter-units shot up enemy columnes on the roads. This happened during the Ardennes 1944/45 by German Nightfighter units several times in Luxembourg, Belgium and North-East France.

Armed recce is an allied term. It meant to fly into enemy space until someone shoots to you. Then shoot back or disappear. This was a kind of reconnaissance. When the German military forces joined NATO, this term was then called in German "bewaffnete Aufklärung".

But this term doesn't agree (in my opinion) with Straßenjagd.

All the best !

Horst Weber

[SES]

Originally Posted by Horst Weber

Good evening !

The "Straßenjagd" is in my opinion a term, which came up during the French campaign and later, when those fighter-units shot up enemy columnes on the roads. This happened during the Ardennes 1944/45 by German Nightfighter units several times in Luxembourg, Belgium and North-East France.

. . . and that is precisely what was and is called Armed Recce by the allies during WW II and by NATO to-day.
"An air mission flown with the primary purpose of locating and attacking targets of opportunity, i.e. enemy materiel, personnel, and facilities, in assigned general areas or along assigned ground communication routes, and not for the purpose of attacking specific briefed targets". Please see AAP-6 and JP 1-02
bregds
SES

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by SES

. . . and that is precisely what was and is called Armed Recce by the allies during WW II and by NATO to-day.
SES

Or what civilians call "looking for trouble."

[SES]

;-)
bregds
SES

[JohnnyB]

Hmm....I would say that "Straßenjagd" means strafing roads and everything that moves on it.

[Horst Weber]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Hmm....I would say that "Straßenjagd" means strafing roads and everything that moves on it.

That's what I would say, too.

The term is in the German language very specific.

On my opinion, the term "Straßenjagd (road pursuit)" is not comparable to "armed recce", since an "armed recce" has an open end, whilst a "Straßenjagd" is targeting (mostly well known) roads and its traffic.

On the other hand, I'd never heard a term like "bewaffnete Aufklärung" by the Luftwaffe in WW 2.

Best wishes !

Horst Weber

[Andrew Arthy]

Originally Posted by Horst Weber

That's what I would say, too.

The term is in the German language very specific.

On my opinion, the term "Straßenjagd (road pursuit)" is not comparable to "armed recce", since an "armed recce" has an open end, whilst a "Straßenjagd" is targeting (mostly well known) roads and its traffic.

On the other hand, I'd never heard a term like "bewaffnete Aufklärung" by the Luftwaffe in WW 2.

Best wishes !

Horst Weber

Hi Horst,

See the attached document from January 1943 for "bewaffnete Aufklärung". "Straßenjagd" is also mentioned regularly as a mission type in the same document.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

[Horst Weber]

Originally Posted by Andrew Arthy

Hi Horst,

See the attached document from January 1943 for "bewaffnete Aufklärung". "Straßenjagd" is also mentioned regularly as a mission type in the same document.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

Good morning Andrew !

Thank you very much for the clarification !. Personnally, I'd never seen this term. I thought it was adapted in the military standard terminology, when West-Germany joined the NATO. Well, you'll never too old to learn !.

Thanks

Horst Weber