Ghostbombers updates

[Nick Beale]

I've posted some updates this afternoon:

• Unternehmen »Paula«: additional decrypt from 24 May 1940.
• Armistice to Eagle Day: additions about technical adjustments to six Ju 87 R-2 (27 July 1940)
• KGr. 100: a request for reports on operational experiences with Knickebein.
• 1940 losses: addition about the crash of a Do 17 on 14 September.
• KGr. 100, ULTRA and the Coventry Blitz: Seekriegsleitung diary entry about Operation Medium.
• Kommando Rastedter: a report on the use of the »Aphrodite« radar decoy
• I./JG 2 in Italy: more about the the death of Uffz. Walter Heiden on 14 March 1944, the combats on 19 March; revisions to the conclusions, the list of pilots and the map; various amendments throughout (with particular thanks to Neil Page, Erik Mombeeck and the work of Jochen Prien for helping to make sense of an ULTRA decrypt).
• Invasion Watch: a Seekriegsleitung assessment of 5 June and two additions to the Postscript.
• SG 4 Normandy: more about operations on 9 June 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: the reported crash of a bomber near Limoges and more about the abduction of two naval officers.
• Staffel Kaatsch: report of a reconnaissance of Briançon on 21 September 1944.
• Jagdgeschwader recognition markings: advice of 22 December 1944 to 9. SS-Panzer Division about new fuselage bands.

[Nick Beale]

My latest updates are now posted:

• 1940 losses: additions for 19 and 24 April.
  
• Markings and camouflage: additions for 20 April 1940 and 10 June 1944.
  
• Unternehmen Paula: loss of Fw. Werner Patrzich (III./KG 77); a request for photographs by I./ZG 2; and the Paris fire service casualty figures.
  
• Kommando Koch: signal to the cruiser Prinz Eugen on 25 May 1941 about future jamming of Royal Navy radars.
  
• I./JG 2 in Italy: addition regarding a B-26 missing in action on 14 March 1944.
  
• III./SG 4 in Normandy: more about the bombing of the Bénouville bridge, 8 June 1944.
  
• Jagdgruppe 200: minor corrections.
  
• Geschwader Bongart: addtions for 18 and 19 July (rescue of german naval personnel); and 13, 14, 17, 18 and 25 August 1944.
  
• Kommando Rastedter: a radar reconnaissance flight on 30 July 1944 and information about a captured German jamming transmitter.
  
• Kommando Götz: the docket for Götz's transfer flight from Oranienburg to Juvincourt on 2 August 1944 (courtesy of Dave Wadman).
  
• 6.(F)/123: addition of the unit's code and a flight 4/5 August 1944.

I had planned to add a new article but it's kept getting bigger — so maybe next time for that one.

[Nick Beale]

I've added quite a lot to the site this morning:

• ULTRA in 1940: New article of 10,000 words-plus on Eagle Day to Battle of Britain Day.
• Armistice to Eagle Day: addition to the introduction; new sections on victory claims and night fighters.
• KGr. 100 and the Coventry Blitz: a brief postscript with a war correspondent's report from 1944.
• Kommando Koch: reference to the cruiser Prinz Eugen moved to the section on Unternehmen »Cerberus«. expanded chapters for July and August 1942 (thanks to infromation provided by Peter Taghon) and a graphic showing the RAF systems affected by German jamming transmitters..
• Heinz Hauck and 6.(F)/123: rewritten to incorporate new information, with thanks to Hans-Heinrich Weber and Marcel van Heijkop.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: date for arrival of an advance party and several revisions to text of Einsatzkommando KG 51 in France; minor corrections to Operation Spielzeug.
• Geschwader Bongart: more KG 100 operations against the Maquis including some with guided weapons; additional detail of Bongart's activities in July additions 1944; more about I./ZG 1's missions against the Resistance from 12 June 1944; damage at Valence on 26 July; a warning on 7 August about renewed guerrilla activity; additions to the pages on Kdo. Schäfer. (All the foregoing thanks to infromation from Peter Taghon and Chris Goss).
• Operation Dragoon: date of order to convert II./KG 26 to conventional bombing; KG 26 activity on 19 ans 20 August 1944.
• Invasion Watch: 18 April 1944 report from the Japanese Naval Attaché in Berlin.
• JGr. 200: damage from bombing at Miramas on 12 July and Valence on 24 July 1944.
• Kommando Olga (4./KG 200): additions about casualties in December 1944.
• Nachtjagdstaffel Norwegen: added a loss on 19 June 1944.
• 1.(F)/100: addition for 17 April 1945.
• Camouflage and Markings: naval signal of 8 February 1942.
• NSG 9: addition about the Nachtschwarm Oblt. Haimböck
• Many minor corrections to typing and layouts.

[Nick Beale]

Many additions to the site today, quite a lot of them made possible by the material now available online from the Bundesarchiv:

• Kommando. Koch: additions to Unternehmen »Cerberus«; 24 August 1942.
• Listening and Jamming: additions to January 1944 and to 4/FAGr. 5's formation & disbandment.
• Kommando. Kunkel: additions to May and June 1944 and sources.
• Kommando Schenck: additions to June 1944.
• KG 200 organisation: amended source note.
• Kommando Götz: corrected date on page 14.
• 1.(F)/100: corrected date on page 4.
• 10./ZG 1: addition about the Staffel's disbandment.
• Nachtjagstaffel Norwegen: dates of formal establishment and renaming.
• 1./NAG 1 and the Me 262: disbandment of 1./NAGr. 13 before completing its conversion..
• NAG 6 and the Me 262: additions about Kommando Braunegg and the allocation of aircraft for conversion.
• Heinz Hauck and 6.(F)/123: additions about 3./KG 66's origins and 6.(F)/123's formation. and disbandment.
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: Order of 22 January 1945 about LG 1 operations against supply traffic to Antwerp.
• Jagdgruppe 200: additions to 6 and 23 July and to the After Provence section.
• III./SG 4 in Normandy: additions to 12 June and 17 June 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: additions to Beginnings; 20, 22, 28, 29 and 30 June; 14–15 July; St. Pierre 17 July (thanks again to Philippe Cannone); Kommando Schäfer 11 July and a graphic for 22 July 1944.
• Invasion watch: more details of German reconnaissance flights on 6 June 1944.
• Markings and camouflage: additions about 25 June 1941 Mediterranean theatre markings; proposed deceptive markings for the V1; the Me 262 ’S’ marking.
• 1940 losses: identification of a 25 April loss as a Ju 52.
• Convoy UGS-40: identification of a missing shadowing aircraft.
• The Bf 109 H and 5.(F)/123: cancellation of the programme.
• Various minor corrections and changes to pagination.

[Dan O'Connell]

Nick, your work on ME 262's remains extremely helpful. Thank you.

[FalkeEins]

...just caught up with the lengthy 'Ultra in 1940' piece. Fascinating, extremely well written, and must have taken a while to compile. Thank you.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Thanks Nick,

For your continued efforts and updates; they are highly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Marc

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Nick,

One small tidbit of an information: Fw 190 F-8/R1 E8+EH of 1./NSGr. 9 found by war's end at Vicenza and noted as such by Nr.1 F.I.U. (Party B) team 4 May 1945 without W.Nr. recorded is actually W.Nr. 584562, as ascertained by a close-up photo of its tail, posted over on LRG Forum here:
https://www.luftwaffe-research-group...2/#post-108059

Cheers
Marc

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Marc-André Haldimann

Nick,

One small tidbit of an information: Fw 190 F-8/R1 E8+EH of 1./NSGr. 9 found by war's end at Vicenza and noted as such by Nr.1 F.I.U. (Party B) team 4 May 1945 without W.Nr. recorded is actually W.Nr. 584562, as ascertained by a close-up photo of its tail, posted over on LRG Forum here:
https://www.luftwaffe-research-group...2/#post-108059

Cheers
Marc

Thanks, the mid-shot showing the "Scuola di Politaggio" hangar emerged a few years after the book came out and there are three more in Hideki Noro's "LO+ST" (2009), including that one of the tail. There's also one there of E8+MH.

[Nick Beale]

Added this morning:

• Geschwader Bongart: addtions to the sections on orirgins; March 1944; 8, 9,10, 12 and 20 June; 8, 18 and 26 July; 12, 13, 17 and 18 August; translated excerpts from a Wehrmacht handbook on anti-partisan warfare, covering the role of the Luftwaffe (quotations from this also added as monthly chapter headings); changes to pagination and navigation.
• LLG 1 and Kommando Schäfer: additions for July and September 1944.
• Jagdgruppe 200 in Provence: more about the unit's origins.
• Kommando Kunkel: additions to the sections on organisation, June and July 1944.
• Einsatzommando KG 51 in France: more about February, 22 July and 9 August 1944.
• SG 4 in Italy: addition to June 1944.
• SG 4 in Normandy: addition to 12 June 1944.
• Operation Dragoon: more about 2./SAGr. 128 on 20 August 1944; finally corrected the spelling of Biscarrosse, 27 years after starting on this project.