WfrGr 21 Rocket Mortars in use

[Jon]

Were the WfrGr 21 Rocket Mortars used by the Luftwaffe against massed US bomber formations fired whilst attacking the formation or were they fired backwards after the attacking fighter had passed through the formation ?

Also did they score many kills, and did a Luftwaffe pilot ever use them against a fighter escort with success?

Regards
Jon

[Denniss]

They had been fired first to break some planes out of formation or to kill some of them.
It was nearly impossible to use them against fighters unless they were still flying in formation and got a lucky hit inside .

[Peter Kassak]

HI,


As far as I know, WGr 21s were used from Me 410s and Bf 110s to break tight formations of US bombers. Fired from few hundred meters almost kilometers, these should explode inbetween the box of bombers and cause damage, to separate planes apart. I used word should, because aiming with these lets say first air-to-air rockets was very tricky...and required a lot of skills. But If it was fired correctly, one hit in bomber caused definite explosion and loss almnost usually all the bomber and its crew. And when WGr 21 exploded inbetween bombers, significant damage was suffered, and most of bombers then failed to be a victim of fighters. This happened on 16.6.1944, 26.6.1944, 7.7.1944 against 15.USAAF as far as I remebers...and know.

After the attack heavy and slow twinengine bombers, disadvantaged more also by carying the rocket launchers under wings, had to clear area of combat and try to survive chase with US fighters. To finish the job was on single engined 109s and 190s...

Airmen on board of US bombers said, that more horryfying than the explosion of these was the fear, that they brought by their quite loudly approach with white smoke trail...

hope it gives U some idea...

[Nick Beale]

Don't forget that these weapons were also used against surface targets from the Salerno landings of September 1943, through the Normandy campaign and on into the late summer/autumn of 1944 in actions on the French/German border. IIRC they were also used in the Ardennes (or at least some units were told to be ready use them if ordered).

I've seen numerous references in Ultra decrypts to "mortar operations" by fighter Gruppen (I don't have details to hand) against ground targets. Some accounts from the receiving end would be interesting, if anyone knows of any.

[Kutscha]

Peter,

109s and 190s also carried them. The tubes were also jettisonable.

[Peter Kassak]

Thats right....but usually when t/e a/c were involved, I did not see single engined fighters have them mounted. Just after twin engined a/c were decided not to use in combat against USAAF, fighters took WGr under wings...(correct me if I am wrong) although tests started sooner...

[squirrel]

May I add one question?

When the Wgr 21 were introduced, were only single aircraft in a Staffel equipped with mortars, or were there entire Staffeln with mortar carrying aircraft, maybe one Staffel in each Gruppe? Which units did have mortars?

For how long did they remein in service? I presume at the end of the war all mortar carrying aircraft had been destroyed or replaced.

Claus Nattermann