Hauptmann Fritz E. Krause, NJG 11?

[Jean-Yves Lorant]

Hi guys

After having read what precedes, I believe some more infos will perhaps be useful. By order of IX.(J) Fliegerkorps of March 30th 1945, the strength of III./NJG 11 was reduced to that of a reinforced Staffel as previously stated. So III./NJG 11 + 5./NJG 11 became the new 7./NJG 11. From April 5th 1945, this last Staffel operated under command of 2. Jagddivision in Stade. Oberleutnant Fritz E. Krause acted as "Kommandeur der 7./NJG 11" and flew regularly with a double chevron marked Bf 109 G-14/AS and G-10 from February 14th, 1945. Here an extract of the Kriegstagebuch for that night:

- Einsatz 19.52 Uhr - 21.21 Uhr. Startbefehl für 11 Bf 109 6000 m über Platz. Angriffobjekt Chemnitz, Einflugweg über Koblenz-Kassel. Keine Feindsichtung, schwache Böenberührung zwischen Leuchtfeuer Ida und Hermes. Landebefehl durch 3. Jagddivision.

Krause himself was airborne from Bonn-Hangelar between 20.02 and 21.01 with a double chevron 109.

I was lucky enough to meet this very nice man during a visit to my old friend Gerd Stamp at the beginning of the 80' in Nassau an der Lahn. Fritz Krause's logbooks reveals that he flew double chevron marked 109s on each combat mission until the war's end - excepted in the night of 21/22 February 1945 (white 9). No mention of coloured chevrons in his logbook, so possibly black (why did Axel said blue ? - I will ask him).

Oblt. Fritz E. Krause claims:

1) Nachtjagdgruppe 10 = 07/08.07.1944 Mosquito 01.48 Uhr
2) 3./NJG 11 = 11/12.09.1944 Lancaster 00.20 Uhr
3) 3./NJG 11 = 04/05.11.1944 Lancaster 19.45 Uhr
4) 3./NJG 11 = 31.12.1944 Lancaster 18.50 Uhr

Hals und Beinbruch an alle !

Jean-Yves Lorant

[atckyrre]

Jean-Yves,

Many, many thanks for a very thorough answer. One can't ask for much more!
One clarifying question: Did he keep both the G-14/AS and G-10 at his disposal at the same time? I am not sure in Luftwaffe how higher ranks were equipped and for all I know he could very well have two aircraft available to him at the same time.
My assumption would be he got the G-10 after the G-14/AS.

A little more about the nature of the NJG's flying towards the end of the war: Can one assume that the aircraft available to these fliers were all MW-50 equpped? Considering their task, intercepting high flying bombers and Mosquitos I would think it was a minimum but perhaps they flew different planes for different sorties?

My own summary for Krause's plane on May 5 1945, most of the information would be considered conjectural:

- Fact: Doppelwinkel. Urbanke claims it was blue
- Likely paintjob: Standard. Possibly all RLM76.
- Likely plane: Bf 109G-10. Possibly with gondolas under wings
- Being in the 150-series I assume early type with smaller tires and small wing bulges.

She who must be obeyed, the little one at 17 months, calls,

Kyrre

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by atckyrre

A little more about the nature of the NJG's flying towards the end of the war: Can one assume that the aircraft available to these fliers were all MW-50 equpped? Considering their task, intercepting high flying bombers and Mosquitos I would think it was a minimum but perhaps they flew different planes for different sorties?

Actually they seem to have spent the April-May 1945 period flying night ground attack sorties against Allied road traffic (source: decoded German signals) not in high altitude night fighting.

Also, when you bear in mind that the unit had been consolidated into a single Staffel (I agree that 10./NJG 11 was probably operating independently of the rest) this is not a sign that they had lots of spare aircraft available - I suspect that each man flew whatever machines they could keep airworthy and filled up with petrol.

[atckyrre]

Cheers Nick. I've certainly learned a lot about the final movements of the Luftwaffe these last days. I get the distinct impression that when facing the inevitable Luftwaffes main effort was stalling the Russians in order for the Allies to cover the most ground...

One more question regarding nightfighters of NJG 11. No RVT? I've got one picture of an NJG 11 Bf 109G-14 and it seems to carry a broad yellow band but I have not found any references on this. I understand it was quite common with yellow splashed out several places. I was just wondering if Nightfighters in general were to carry either a yellow quick ID band or some other sort of RVT? Perhaps not much point considering their original task but with increasing daylight ops they were perhaps more needed. On the underside at least?

Kyrre

[Nick Beale]

In my opinion, after about mid-1944 there was no such thing as a Reichsverteidigung band, at least not as a "badge" of "belonging" to the Reich Defence. That was a deduction made by Karl Ries about 40 years ago from the limited photographic evidence available at the time (and when RAF wartime intelligence documents were still classified).

I think that the bands were a functional device originally developed by units to aid reassembly after a pass through an American combat box. In the same way, white tail surfaces denoted unit leaders at one stage (see http://www.ghostbombers.com/various/markings1.html). This was found to be useful for fighter units in general and it spread: the order of December 1945 which formalised the banding system doesn't speak of Reich Defence but of "better differentiation in the air."

I wouldn't think that a coloured tail band would be much help to a night fighter unit - they didn't enter combat in formation and didn't need to reassemble. Anything's possible of course...

[ChrisS]

Hello Nick and atckyrre

I have a few pictures in my collection made by a scale modeller of
Bf 109G-10/R-6 Green 3 of l/.NJG11 flown by Hauptmann Friedrich Karl Muller which has a distinctive half white-black underside not disimilar to RAF fighters in the early war period. Perhaps this was done to help flak units distinguish friend from foe during daylight operations?

Regards
ChrisS
Oxfordshire England

[atckyrre]

Chris,

Many thanks for posting those. I have seen half black undersides on 110's before so it's certainly plausible that there should be 109's dressed up like that as well. It looks very striking too!
One of the G-10's at Kjevik was an R-6 I believe, at least it carried the gondolas.
I guess you would have written if you had any other references but it would be nice if this was a verified paint scheme.

I'll probably go for something like this on my Messerschmitt.

Kyrre