Book on Nachtschlachtgruppen 1, 2 and 20 / Störkampf- & Nachtschlacht-units

[C.Moeller]

Hello,
recently someone has asked if my book on Nachtschlachtgruppen 1, 2 and 20 is already available. I didn´t find it here anymore, so I make a new post.

Yes, my dissertation is published now and available, the costs are 44,50 Euros (no additional costs for shipping within Germany, Europe and others on request).
The title is:
Die Einsätze der Nachtschlachtgruppen 1, 2 und 20 an der Westfront von September 1944 bis Mai 1945.
In English: The missions of NSGr. 1, 2 and 20 on the Western Front from September 1944 to May 1945.
The book has a subtitle:
Mit einem Überblick über Entstehung und Einsatz der Störkampf- und Nachtschlachtgruppen der deutschen Luftwaffe von 1942 bis 1944.
In English: With an overview on establishment and missions of the Störkampf- and Nachtschlachtgruppen of the German Air Force from 1942 to 1944.

Further information on the book and how to order it can be found on my new homepage:
www.nachtschlacht.de
However, the book and my homepage is in German only.

The book contains the following topics:
- an overview on the literature and sources
- the reasons for establishing so called Behelfskampfstaffeln on the East Front in August/September 1942 and a chapter on the Russian night harrassing units.
- the development of Störkampfstaffeln from October 1942 until March 1943
- the consolidation of the Störkampfstaffeln and their missions until October 1943
- re-equipment with Junkers Ju 87 and re-organisation to Nachtschlachtgruppen in autumn 1943
- a chapter on personnel, equipment and training of Störkampf- and Nachtschlacht crews
- a chapter on the flying personnel of these units including age, experience, commanders, officiers, the factor “human being”
- the so called suicide and criminal units
- a chapter on the planes and technical things, the use of bombs and guns
- the training of Störkampf- and Nachtschlacht crews including training on Ju 87, experiences during training etc.
- tactics during missions, influence of weather conditions, enemy defence, cooperation with other units of the Wehrmacht
- experiences, success, losses on the East Front 1943/1944
- experiences against the enemy in the West: Nachtschlacht in Italy (NSGr. 9) and France 1943/1944 (I./SKG 10) including missions against the Allied invasion in June 1944
- training of Nachtschlacht pilots on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
- Main part of the book: the Nachtschlacht missions on the Western Front from September 1944 to May 1945 during certain phases such as operation Market and Garden, Battle of the Bulge, Grenade etc.
- a chapter on the RADAR-like procedure EGON
- missions against Remagen bridge and the Allied bridgeheads on the Rhine
- last missions in April/May 1945
- losses (personnel and material), stock and supply of NSGr. 1, 2 and 20 (Sept. 1944 to May 1945)
- German and Allied judgement on the Nachtschlacht missions
- the book has 358 pages, over 196.000 words including over 1.600 footnotes, about 200 photos and documents

If there are any questions, please ask me.

Christian / Dr. Christian Möller
www.nachtschlacht.de
info@nachtschlacht.de

[Boris Ciglic]

Congratulations Christian!

But what about my beloved NSGr.7 and NSGr.10?

[Del Davis]

Christian
Do you plan to publish any books about Nachtschlacht and Storkampf operations on the Eastern Front ?

[C.Moeller]

Thank you very much!

@Boris: Sorry, these units are mentioned in the book only in a few sentences. However, I try to include all missing units in a future project (see below).

@Del: The development of the Störkampf-/Nachtschlacht-units on the Eastern Front is mentioned until summer 1944. Also, I have given some examples of their "work" & tactics, including missions of Störkampfgruppe Luftflotte 1 in early 1943 and Störkampfgruppe Luftflotte 6 in May/June 1943 and during operation "Zitadelle" in July/August 1943. So, the pages 27 to 134 of the book deal with Störkampf- and Nachtschlachtgruppen on the Eastern Front.

However, I have lots of other material on the groups which must be included in a new book, I think ;-)!

Greetings,
Christian

[Horst Kube]

This book will be also presented and sold in Speyer on the 19th of April during the Flugzeug-Teilebörse, exhibition hall direct next to the Technik Museum Speyer.

For autograph collectors: Meet there the veterans Hajo Herrmann, Hans-Ekkehard Bob, Karl-Fritz Schlossstein, Ernst Scheufele, Walter Schuck and the nightfighter Peter Spoden.

Hope to see you.
Cheers, Horst

[Del Davis]

Christian
Thank you very much for the information. A copy of the book is on its way to me at the moment so it is somewhere between Germany and Texas. I do hope that you consider writing a second book on the other units in the East although I suspect it is a very complex subject.

[C.Moeller]

Hello Del,

yes indeed such a project would be very complex.
Although the biggest problem would be having the time for writing. The sources and material are not that problem, as I do have lots of papers, which fill my office and are waiting for being cleared away one day!

Greetings,

Christian

www.nachtschlacht.de

[Griffon]

hello!

just to let all of you know-copies are available now in Austria as well, I received my copy directly from Helios today

great work Christian, congratulations on a job well done!!!!

cheers from Vienna
phil

[John Manrho]

Hello Christian,

I have your book now for a couple of days and indeed it looks great! I did not have time to read it, but one remark I have is that on page 219 you continue the legend that during Bodenplatte on 1.1.1945 200 Luftwaffe Fighter aircraft were shot down by own Flak. You simply repeat an old legend. It's total nonsense, you should have read our book...;-)))...it were not more than ~20 in total.

Cheers,

John

[C.Moeller]

Hello John,

oops, I must have missed something, ;-)
So, thank you very much for that hint.
One never stops to learn…

Where can I buy your book?
I gladly would like to correct the mistake.
For this reason, there is an Errata section on my homepage www.nachtschlacht.de
Also, there is a mixed German/English version available under www.nachtschlacht.com

Best regards,

Christian

info@nachtschlacht.de
www.nachtschlacht.de
www.nachtschlacht.com