Night Fighter Losses 23/24 Aug 43

[78 Sqn History]

I wonder if anyone can help me identify two night-fighters that a 78 Squadron crew claim to have shot down on the night of 23/24 Aug 43. The crew were attacking Berlin and claim a FW190 over the target area at 0025 hrs and then ten minutes later have a battle with a Me109 north-east of Berlin. The crew then have numerous battles with fighters all the way back until their Halifax finally goes into a spin and crashes in the North Sea.

Is there a published list of Luftwaffe Night Fighter losses along the lines of Chorley's Bomber Command Losses?

thanks in advance

Daz

[Chris Goss]

23 Aug 9/JG 300 had a Bf 109 G-6 shot down in combat whilst 24 Aug 4/JG 300 had a Bf 109 force-landing in Sweden and another from III/JG 300 shot down, pilot baling out unwounded. There is such a book-Deutsche Nachtjagd by Michael Balss (2 volumes)

[78 Sqn History]

Chris

thank you, do you know if the books are in German or English and are they easily obtainable.

thanks

Daz

[Chris Goss]

Both were published in German some years ago

[leonventer]

The two books Chris referred to are:

• "Deutsche Nachtjagd - Personalverluste in Ausbildung und Einsatz (Fliegendes Personal)" by Michael Balss, self-published, 1997, no ISBN, softcover, 531 pages
• "Deutsche Nachtjagd - Materialverluste in Ausbildung und Einsatz" by Michael Balss, VDM Heinz Nickel, 1999, ISBN 3-925480-36-6, hardcover, 464 pages

As their titles suggest, these books focus on personnel and aircraft losses, respectively. The first one is hard to find, but the second is still available from Amazon.de. The second book includes corrections to the first one, and it also contains 40 pages of photos (5 in color.)

Leon Venter

[78 Sqn History]

Chris, Leon

thank you

Daz