Ju-88 Day Fighter Units?

Recently while reading through the MACR of B-17F 42-30677 which was shot down on 16-Dec-1943 on a bombing mission to Bremen, I noticed that the surviving crew mentioned they were attacked by at least two Ju-88's, one of which they shot down.

My main question is were there any JU-88 units tasked for daylight air defense operations at that time? Or, were they night fighter units that were doing double duty?

Second question: Are there records of any Ju-88 losses on 16-Dec-1943?

[Chris Goss]

Dangerous place for a Ju 88 to be but such formations were shadowed by Ju 88s and from memory I seem to remember that ZG 1 got involved in daylight raids over Germany at the end of 1943

[John Manrho]

At the end of 1943 and early 1944 several NJG's were engaging USAAF formations over Holland and Germany. It is clear, at least in hindsight, that this is not a bright idea. Several Ju 88's were lost. One specific date which comes to mind is January 30th, 1944 when several a/c of III./NJG 2 were shot down near my hometown in the eastern part of the Netherlands.

Regards,

John

Thank you for your help! If any Ju-88s were lost that day, they probably would have come down someplace between Bremen and the Dutch border, or even the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is not known exactly where B-17F42-30677 crashed, but it may be in the IJsselmeer near Urk, since the four surviving crewmembers apparently bailed out somewhere between Assen and Meppel and no wreckage of the plane has been found.

[Harrie]

My main question is were there any JU-88 units tasked for daylight air defense operations at that time? Or, were they night fighter units that were doing double duty?

Second question: Are there records of any Ju-88 losses on 16-Dec-1943?

From the crashlog SGLO Netherlands this one 16 dec 1943 absturtz infolge luftkampf T3233 JU-88 C-6 750401 Hooghalen 6/NJG2 Lt H Degenhardt.
Also is clear that 3 P-47D pilots of 4th FG made a claim of Ju-88 on the border of Germany and Holland ,this is as far as i know the only claim for JU-88.
The pilots were - Don Gentile-Lois Vermont- Vermont Garrison .

In Deutsche Nachtjagd :Materialverluste in Ausbildung und Einsatz - Michael Balss the crash is NOT mentioned for 16-17 dec 1943, so was it a double duty einsatz ??. day and night . Maybe one of the experts knows,this is also my interessting.

The Ju-88 crashed nearby Hooghalen,not far from my hometown.

Regards harrie

[John Manrho]

The three pilots of the 336th FS/4th FG (Gentile, Garrison, Norley) claimed a Ju 88 at 13.10 hrs "East of Zuiderzee". This does match with the loss of the 6./NJG 2 Ju 88 at Hooghalen. The NVM lists the time as being before 14.00 hrs. The combat reports of Norley & Garrison tell us that the a/c was attacked at an height of 15,000 feet and the combat developed till 2,000 feet when the Ju 88 entered into cloud with both engines and port wing on fire. The gunner was silenced after the third pass. When the Mustangs saw the Ju 88 for the first time, the Junkers was diving.

Regards,

John

[Harrie]

John

I wil send a PM to you

Regards harrie