Did the Luftwaffe ever experiment with JATO?

[RodM]

Hi Jap,

thanks for the comments, and the confirmation that Schiphol was not in use.

Are the very high numbers of reported sightings on 2-3 and 4-5 November linked to some kind of large scale event or series of events that were witnessed for the first time? I mean this in the sense that BC crews occasionally reported "jet and rocket" phenomena during the period, but then on these two nights the number of sightings reported "went through the roof." The questions become why was there a dramatic increase in sightings and was there any event or events that occurred to account for these sightings?

On 1-2 November, there were some eight reported sightings, resulting in claims of 1 'Me262', 1 'Me163' and 1 'jet a/c' destroyed. Besides the reported sighting at Schiphol, another sighting was reported in the area of Almere-Lelystad (said to be moving NW); two sightings (and claims for a 'jet a/c' and a 'Me163' destroyed) were reported slightly north and east of Weert, apparently on the Allied side of the front lines; two sightings at Koeln/just east of Koeln; one sighting near Simmern, and; an isolated sighting just south of Luebeck.

On 2-3 November, there were at least twenty reported sightings, resulting in claims of 5 'Me262s or Me163s' destroyed. The locations of these prescribed an arc that began over Allied-controlled territory between Antwerpen-Turnhout-Eindhoven-Helmond, continued into German-controlled territory between Venlo-Krefeld-Duesseldorf-Leverkusen-Dueren, and finally continued back into Allied-controlled territory between Aachen-S. of Verviers-Durbuy.

On 4-5 November, there were at least forty-eight reported sightings, resulting, according to a BCHQ minute of 5/11/44, in 34 'combats', and claims of 18 'jet a/c' & 3 'Me163s' destroyed, and 3 'jet a/c' damaged. The locations for the majority of these sightings prescribed an arc between Lelystad-Zwolle-NE. of Almelo-area between Hopsten and Achmer airfields (6 sightings)-area between Ladbergen and the canal (5 tightly grouped sightings)-Muenster. The sightings then branched off over the Ruhr according to the course of the particular bomber stream. One group was between Wesel-Dinslaken-Recklinghausen, and the other between Hagen-Wuppertal-Dueren and into Allied controlled territory between Aachen-S. of Verviers-Durbuy.

As can be seen, the sightings also occurred over Allied-controlled territory.

Thre were a further two reported sightings of jet/rocket phenomena on 5-6 November, twelve on 6-7 November, one on 8-9 November, three on 10-11 November (including two that involved phenomena that could change course in relation to the reporting aircraft), and six on 11-12 November. To the best of my knowledge, the number of sightings on one night never again reached the levels of 2-3 and 4-5 November.

Regards

Rod