Ghostbombers updates

[Nick Beale]

Added to my site this morning, taking it to 788 pages:

• Flieger Geschwader z.bV. 7: activities, locations and aircraft of the unit's elements during 1944.
• Listening and Jamming: additions about a Luftwaffe/Kriegsmarine discussion and the loss of an electronic reconnaissance Mosquito, both in August 1943.
• The Bf 109 H with 5.(F)/123: an addition about Leichte Flak Abteilung 757.
• Air raid damage: Ju 88 G-6's of II./NJG 2 falling victim to an an attack in January 1945.
• Geschwader Bongart: actions at Morvan (7 August 1944) and Crux-la-Ville (12 August 1944), with thanks again to Philippe Cannone.
• Jagdgruppe 200: minor alteration about early victories by JGr. Süd and (thanks to John Manrho) the name of the witness to Fw. Guth's victory on 30 July 1944.
• Markings and camouflage: an addition about standardising Me 262 camouflage (27 March 1945).
• SG 4 in Normandy: addition regarding the Ritterkreuz awarded to the CO of the Distelfink radar station

[Nick Beale]

Added to my site this morning, bringing it up to 794 pages:

• Listening and jamming: more about German radar and sonar decoys and measures to camouflage U-boats against radar; Luftwaffe thinking on the deployment of active radio countermeasures at sea (October 1943); the Werneuchen test establishment's thoughts on maritime tactical signals reconnaissance (November 1943); more about fitting out Ju 188s and 388s for electronic reconnaissance (Summer 1944).
• Kommando Koch: more about the use of smoke buoys to defend the Portofino convoy against air attack on 3–4 November 1942.
• Geschwader Bongart: notification to Armeegruppe A on 19 June 1944 that air support was available from Bongart and procedures for calling it in; more about Kdo. Schaefer (air-landing troops of II./KG 200); a Resistance attack on the Toulouse factory of a Junkers sub-contractor.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: addition to convoy KMS-31 (11 November 1943) about KG 26's early experiences with the FuG 200 Hohentwiel search radar; new articles about convoys UGS-46 (11–12 July 1944) and UGS-48 (31 July–1 August 1944); more about the Kettenhund jammer; reported interference with Neptun-R radars during the Bristol raid of 14–15 May 1944.
• Markings and camouflage: a memo about removing yellow identification paint in the West (26 June 1944); revised ambulance aircraft markings (19 December 1944).
• Operation Dragoon: a brief report from ground troops on the Bf 109 of II./JG 77 lost on 19 August 1944.
• NSG 9: Oberbefehlshaber Südwest's remarks on the bombing of German airfields (18 November 1944); more about proposals to protect NSG 9 by jamming Allied radars; Ob. SW's remarks on two nights' operations in January 1945.
• Kommando Götz: Ob. West's diary entry for the first Ar 234 reconnaissance operation, on 2 August 1944; and an aborted operation on 17 September 1944.
• 1940 losses: more about signals Ju 52 NR+AK, damaaged on 27 October.
• Jagdgruppe 200: small additions to 5, 17, 25 July 1944 ; orders to ground troops in Southern France about assisting bailed-out German pilots.

[Siko54]

Thanks for the update - it's such a great resource and I am enjoying browsing through it again as I write this. Happy Christmas Nick and keep up the great work!

[Nick Beale]

I've updated my site this morning with the following new material:

• New article: The Dillingen bridge and »Wasserballon«, April 1945.
• Sonderstaffel Einhorn: information supplementing my two Axis Wings articles including: a proposed Bombentorpedo operation by I./SKG 10 in July 1944; a conference about using Schlachtflieger against ships on 9 July 1944; General Staff discussions in June 1944 about deploying 'self-sacrifice' pilots; 6th Airborne Division's account of a night attack by an Fw 190 on 20 April 1945; and more order of battle figures.
• Me 262 reconnaissance: information supplementing my Axis Wings article 'Panthers Taking Pictures'.
• NSGr. 8: some additions about the unit's early days, including congratulations on its 1,000th night sortie.
• He 111 torpedo operations, July–August 1940: information about the first conversions of He 111s to carry torpedoes.
• Kommando Rastedter: added a radar reconnaissance flight on 30 July 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: additions about early Luftdienstkommando arrivals in France; the search for two mines jettisoned over German-occupied territory on 18 June 1944; more about a Ju 88 which crashed on 17 August 1944 (with thanks to Laurent Battut) and authorisation to use guided weapons against land targets.
• Kommando Schäfer: additions for 9 June and 24 July 1944.
• Sonderstaffel Kaatsch: sighting of a Bf 109 by German army unit near Belfort, on 30 September 1944.
• Jagdgruppe 200: the 11. Flak Division's claims of two B-17s over Toulouse-Blagnac on 25 June and Nineteenth Army's report on fighter and Flak successes against the 5 July 1944 raid on Toulon.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4 (page 339): Army Group B diary entry about IX. Fliegerkorps' belated interventions against the U.S. Army's Operation COBRA.

[Rolfeb]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

I've updated my site this morning with the following new material:

• New article: The Dillingen bridge and »Wasserballon«, April 1945.
• Sonderstaffel Einhorn: information supplementing my two Axis Wings articles including: a proposed Bombentorpedo operation by I./SKG 10 in July 1944; a conference about using Schlachtflieger against ships on 9 July 1944; General Staff discussions in June 1944 about deploying 'self-sacrifice' pilots; 6th Airborne Division's account of a night attack by an Fw 190 on 20 April 1945; and more order of battle figures.
• Me 262 reconnaissance: information supplementing my Axis Wings article 'Panthers Taking Pictures'.
• NSGr. 8: some additions about the unit's early days, including congratulations on its 1,000th night sortie.
• He 111 torpedo operations, July–August 1940: information about the first conversions of He 111s to carry torpedoes.
• Kommando Rastedter: added a radar reconnaissance flight on 30 July 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: additions about early Luftdienstkommando arrivals in France; the search for two mines jettisoned over German-occupied territory on 18 June 1944; more about a Ju 88 which crashed on 17 August 1944 (with thanks to Laurent Battut) and authorisation to use guided weapons against land targets.
• Kommando Schäfer: additions for 9 June and 24 July 1944.
• Sonderstaffel Kaatsch: sighting of a Bf 109 by German army unit near Belfort, on 30 September 1944.
• Jagdgruppe 200: the 11. Flak Division's claims of two B-17s over Toulouse-Blagnac on 25 June and Nineteenth Army's report on fighter and Flak successes against the 5 July 1944 raid on Toulon.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4 (page 339): Army Group B diary entry about IX. Fliegerkorps' belated interventions against the U.S. Army's Operation COBRA.

Nick, thanks for the update.
from 1995 until 2013 I lived just 5 miles apart of the bridge and did a lot of reaserch. In that time Fritz Wegner, Ballewski, Christian Alt and other pilots were still alive and I took the chance to interview them.
Therefore special thanks to you. Your report brings up a lot of memories.
Rolf

[Nick Beale]

I've updated my site again this morning with the following:

• Axis Wings articles, new material:

Sonderstaffel Einhorn: an addition about I./SG 5 in August 1944 (page 126 of the article); a correction about 11./KG 200's target on 19 March 45 (page 128); correction regarding bridging operations on the Elbe (page 133).

Panthers Taking Pictures: more about allocations of Me 262s to the reconnaissance role (page 68); Obltn. Braunegg's report on his unit's first six days of operations (page 70); extracts from a January 1945 newsletter for the reconnaissance arm (page 70).

• Kommando. Koch: more about the Moonshine jammer and the Northolt Defiant Flight.Kommando Rastedter: small correction to 29 November 1943.
• Invasion Watch, April–June 1944: a small amendment to the Postscript.
• JGr. 200: an Ob. West diary entry about air activity over Southern France on 25 June 1944.
• Heinz Hauck and 6.(F)/123: an additional detail about Ju 88 S-1, W.Nr. 140604.
• Kampfflieger, Cobra to Lüttich, July–August 1944: changes to the account of events on 2/3 August 1944.
• Kommando Schäfer: an addition about 18 September 1944.
• Staffel Kaatsch: credits awarded for Austers shot down on 28 and 29 September 1944.
• Cottbus/Neuhausen, 16 January 1945: allocation of a Ta 152 H-0 to III./JG 301.
• The Last Days of 3./NAG 13: a situation report on the American capture of Cham.
• The Dillingen Bridgehead, April 1945: another proposed »Wasserballon« operation.
• NSGr. 8 on the Oder Front: January–April 1945: additions about the unit's origins.
• Using ULTRA to research the Luftwaffe: additions to the introduction about early uses of individual decrypts by historians.

[Steve Coates]

Nick

Thanks for the update.

Steve

[Nick Beale]

This morning's updates to my site are:

• Complete Works: new entries and thumbnail images for things that I've had published.
• Axis Wings Volume 1, Sonderstaffel Einhorn: images of the ETC 503 bomb rack; more about I./SG 5 in August–December 1944.
• Axis Wings Volume 2, Panthers Taking Pictures: November 1944 proposals for development of the reconnaissance arm; additional Me 262 strength figures for 1./Versuchsverband OKL and Kdo. Braunegg; plans to establish four Me 262 reconnaissance Staffeln.
• Kampfflieger Volume 4: details of the bombs dropped during the Bristol Raid of 14/15 May 1944.
• 6.(F)/123: additional data on aircraft strengths and losses.
• He 111 Torpedo Operations, 1940: additions regarding the first He 111 conversions and to the entry for 11 August.
• Invasion Watch: additions to the introduction and to the sections about 21 and 26 April, and 15 May and 1 June; detailed unit strengths for 30 April and 31 May 1944.
• Sonderstaffel Kaatsch: additions to the entries for 28 and 31 August and for 3 and 30 September; more information about the unit's reported strengths and losses.
• The Bf 109 H with 5.(F)/123: two brief progress reports from the Rechlin Experimental Establishment.
• SG 4 in Normandy: an additional note on exercises at Cazaux.
• Kommando Koch: more about German jamming over Malta on 4/5 July 1942; trials of the Neptun radar in the Mediterranean theatre by 1./Obd.L.

[Nick Beale]

Today's Ghost Bombers updates are:

• NSG 9: the results of attacks on Loreto on 5/6 July and Rimini on 30 September 1944 (with thanks to Enzo Lanconelli and Daniele Celli for the latter).
• Additions to the Raid damage reports article, including an attack on Stade on 31 December 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: anti-partisan operations by 2./FAG 5 on 13 June and 4 July and by 4./KG 26 on 5 August 1944 (thanks to Georg Schlaug). Ex-FZG 2 Reggiane 2002 aircraft designated for scrapping in October 1944.
• An addition to the Kdo. Götz article on Kommando Falke delivering two Ar 234 to 1.(F)/123.
• The Ar 234 in Denmark & Norway, a number of small additions.
• 1./NAG 1 and the Me 262: more about Oblt. Wilhelm Knoll; a new page dealing with training Me 262 reconnaissance pilots at Lechfeld (with thanks to David E. Brown, Tomáš Poruba and Dave Wadman for their input to the latter).
• NAG 6 and the Me 262: loss of a Bf 110 on 1 February 1945.