Luftwaffe anti-shipping training

[FMAlanbrooke]

I have often read that the Luftwaffe did not undertake any anti-shipping training prior to 1941 and anyway they could not bomb a target moving at 60-80 km/h prior to 1941, but I have not seen any sources for this idea, is this true?

[Nick Beale]

The existence of the Küstenfliegergruppen at the beginning of the war certainly suggests that the Luftwaffe planned on attacking ships: their role wasn't "pure" overwater reconnaissance, they carried torpedoes or bombs as well. Some of these units were equipped with bomber aircraft, e.g. the Do 17 and He 111, others with floatplanes.

Of course, it's another matter whether the difficulties were understood at first or whether the weapons available were adequate. (Similarly the RAF had built a supposedly "strategic" bomber force that for almost three years came nowhere near achieving what it was supposed to).

[Larry deZeng]

There is an extensive postwar manuscript by Gen.d.Fl. Coeler on the subject of anti-shipping warfare by the Luftwaffe that very likely contains details on the training regimen for it. He certainly was the leading expert on the subject.


COELER, Joachim. (DOB: 01.06.91 in Posen.) (i.G.). (R). WWI served in the navy. 01.10.33 trf to the Luftwaffe from the Marine with a rank of Korvettenkapitän. Kdr. Seebeobachter-Schule, Warnemünde. 29.03.34 concurrently provisional Kdr. Fliegerschule See. 01.08.34 promo to Obstlt. and appt Leiter DVS (See) Warnemünde (to 30.09.34). 01.10.34 Leiter der Verbindungstelle Wilhelmshaven of Luftkreis-Kdo. VI (See). 01.04.35 in Stab/Inspekteur der Seeflieger attached to Stab/Luftkreis-Kdo. VI (See). 01.04.36 promo to Oberst; Inspekteur der Seeflieger beim Luftkreis-Kdo. VI (See). 16.09.36 received the Lw. advanced flying certificate. 04.02.38 Inspekteur der Seeflieger beim Lw.-Kdo. See, Kiel. 01.01.39 promo to Gen.Maj. 01.02.39 Offizier z.b.V. des RLM u. Ob.d.L. (pending assignment). 01.04.39 Führer der Marineluftstreitkräfte (FdLuft). 30.06.39 appt Führer der Marineluftstreitkräfte West (FdLuft West). 19.07.40 promo to Gen.Lt. 01.02.40 appt Kdr. 9.Fl.-Div. 12.07.40 awarded Ritterkreuz. 16.10.40 appt KommandierenderGen. d. IX. Fl.Korps. 01.01.42 promo to Gen.d.Fl. 14.12.42 assigned to Führerreserve OKL. 30.04.43 appt Kommandierender Gen. des XIV. Fl.Korps. 29.08.43 (or 29.08.44?) appt Gen.d.Transportflieger (to 04.02.45). 05.02.45 at the disposition of Lfl.Reich/Führerreserve OKL. 1945 released from captivity. †14.05.55 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

The field marshall may be able to find it at the BNA.

L.

[Graham Boak]

80kph is rather fast for a ship. Indeeed, 60kph is rather fast.

I suspect this "no training" story may be a distortion based on definitions of the Kustenfleigergruppe as being in some way outside the "core" Luftwaffe, which indeed may have done no dedicated anti-shipping training because that was the job of the KfG.

[Chris Goss]

You might wish to look at my Sea Eagles Vol 1?

[John Vasco]

You may wish to look at my Bombsights Over England also...

[FMAlanbrooke]

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

80kph is rather fast for a ship. Indeeed, 60kph is rather fast.

I suspect this "no training" story may be a distortion based on definitions of the Kustenfleigergruppe as being in some way outside the "core" Luftwaffe, which indeed may have done no dedicated anti-shipping training because that was the job of the KfG.

Well that's the maxium speed of a destroyer and of a torpedo boat. It's also the speed of a fast moving car, truck or train. I guess the difference is that the reflection from the water and the lack of other reference points makes it difficult to judge height and distance to target. So how many aircraft were in the Kustenfleigergruppe and were they equipped with Ju 88s or He III in 1940? Were they concentrated in certain areas or based all along the coast ot the North Sea and Atlantic? Looks like I will have to buy those books.

I had not heard of the Seilbomben, it sounds like a rather primitive device that would have been more dangerous to the bombers than to the British. I expected to read about some bomb specifically to take out electricity networks but instead I find a cable that can take out one cable at a time - rather a slow process given redundancy of the network. Surely bombing the power stations would have a much more damaging and longer lasting effect. Looks like I will have to buy that book since it may or may not put to rest another BoB myth that the Germans didn't use fighter-bombers in the BoB