I. and III./JG11 were still flying the FWs for the defence of the Reich over bombed Berlin late in April.

One unfortunate pilot of the Gruppe was killed in an airbattle over Tempelhof on 24 April 1945. What was curiously enough in this fight was that the Luftwaffe pilot fought against Spitfires, P-51s and Yaks!

Source: Osprey - Focke-Wulf FW-190 Aces of the Western Front, John Weal.

The Ta-152 was the next and ultimate version of the Focke-Wulf’s FW series after the FW-190 Dora, designed by Kurt Tank. The Ta-152 (where the Ta- comes from the first two letters of the Kurt Tank’s surname) has a top speed of nearly 750 kph and service ceiling of 14 000m. This was achieved by its 12 cylinder inverted-vee Junkers Jumo 213E engine producing 2500hp. It also had new high-aspect wing with a 14 metres lenght and 25% increse in the area combaring to the FW-190A. The immense power of the engine and the long wings gave it an outstanding climb-rate of 15m/sec. and tight turning circle. The Ta-152 was developed to intercept the high-flying bombers so it also had pressurised cabin.

As one pilot has told his impressions of flying the Ta-152: ”In my opinion there was no better fighter in operational service at the time”.
It is claimed that the pilots achieved 9 victories flying the Ta-152H-1. Five of these goes to the Oberfeldwebel Josef Keil, so making him the sole Ta-152 ace. Three other victories fell to Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke. The Ta-152 could have become the real headache to the allied pilots but it was flatted to low flying missions. The Ta-152s acted as ‘top-cover’ for the Geshwader’s FW-190s and for the Me-262s. But to say, it was again too little too late.

Source: Combat Legends - Focke-Wulf FW-190, Peter Caygill

So how it happened.From the morning group had hard combat activity.

9th and 10th squadron already made one flight against P-51 Mustangs of 4FG (FightersGroup) and Thunderbolts of 353FG from 8th USAF air army when airfield was attacked by Mustangs. Exactly at that moment 12th squadron with commander Hans Dortenmann was taking off. It was low-level dogfight, so shot down pilots weren’t able to use parachutes. It was 3 Mustangs and 4 FW-190D on the ground. On the neighbour airfield 4 Mustangs were down, but 5 pilots from 8th squadron were dead.

Later it was interception of four-engined bombers flight by the 9th squadron under command of Wilhelm Heilmann. They took down several Mustangs but on the way back they’ve meet Spitfires and Tempests of 411st Canadian squadron. Heilmann personally took down one Tempest but when he landed on his airbase, it appeared from 22 total pilots in this flight 6 didn’t return home: Lt. Fritz Bartak, Fenrih Hans-Joachim Schnauzer; Uffz: Emil Reinhardt, Heintz Buch, Joachim Fernau, Heintz Tepler.

Immidiatelly when Heilmann has returned to base, Robert Weiss personally with 8 rookies has took off. Over the Rhine river they’ve meet big group of Spitfires. 6 pilots, besides Weiss has died: Oblt. Ernst Bellaire from Stab. III./JG54; Oblt. Eugene Schreiner, Feldwebel Karl Kreizel and Gerhard Neersen, Uffz. Werner Rupp from 11th squadron; Uffz. Adam Seibert from 12th squadron. 2 pilots survived: Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Philipp from 11th squadron and Uffz. Gunter Zessin from 12th squadron were heavily wounded but were able to jump out.

Several days later it was announced that JG54 “Grunherz” (Green Heart) was the most resultative Grouppe on the Western front. Robert Weiss was awarded with Knighthood Crest and Oak Leafs post-mortem.

Source: Willi Heilmann “Alert In the West: A Luftwaffe Pilot on the Western Front”

Flying Me-262 Nowotny claimed on 3 air victories, 2 of them on the 8th of November, when during the flight against bombers he crashed. Exact details of his death are still unknown. He reported about two shot down planes (probably B-24 and P-51), afterwards it was unreadable, something like “he is burning” or “I’m burning”. Ground control confirmed they see Me-262A-1 has dived out of the clouds vertically down with its engines burning. Later it was found that Nowotny tried to jump out on about 300-400 meters altitude, but his parachute was hooked by the plane tail.

During the Kommando Nowotny lifetime (26 September - 9 November) they took down 22 allied aircrafts, 4 victories weren’t confirmed officially. The own losses were: 26 Me-262 out of total 30, 6 pilots died, including Nowotny and two squadron commanders. Pure combat losses were about 30% of the number (most of them during take-off and landing process), everything else was the result of technical promblems (usually engines problems) or pilots mistakes.

After Nowotny death idea to use Me-262 as a fighter became very unpopular again till the moment Adolf Galland created his own group.

It was done beacuse of extreme Me-262 vulnerability during take-off and landing processes. On the 7th of October USAF’s P-51s has shot down two Me-262 immediately after take-off from Achmer airfield and one Me-262 was destroyed during its take-off rolling.

Source: Willi Heilmann “Alert In the West: A Luftwaffe Pilot on the Western Front”

Commander of III/JG6 was Walter Nowotny, by the 26th of September he had 255 confirmed air victories. 10th of October III/JG6 was renamed into “Kommando Nowotny”.

Walter Nowotny has died 8 November 1944.

Related:
07.10.44. FW-190D-9 to protect Me-262
08.11.44. Walter Nowotny death

It was the start of the “Big week” - USAF heavy bombing operation against German aviation industry. The main point - to stop at all or at least to lower down dramatically new German fighters production, so by the D-day allied forces could gain air superiority. Without it any landing operation would be impossible.

20th of February morning 700 RAF four-engined bombers has returned from the night raid on the Leipzig. They’ve lost 78 bombers. Still, at the morning 1000 bombers were warming up: 16 wings of “flying fortresses” and “liberators”. In addition it were 17 groups of USAF fighters: “lightnings”, “thunderbolts” and “mustangs”. Plus 16 squadrons of “spitfires” and “mustangs” of RAF. Totally it were 941 heavy bombers and more then 700 fighters to cross the Channel, which were the largest bombing operation in history.

Objects under strike that day were: “ATG” and “Erla” (Leipzig), “Haiterblik&Mekau” and “Lutter-Miag” (Brunswick), “Junkers” (Bernburg, Halberstadt and Aschersleben) and many others. One special division had separate mission to reach Tutow, Mecklenburg and even Poznan.

This time (unlike 11th of January case) fighters cover has worked out well and “big week” has started very good. Fighters has covered bombers and losses were only 21 aircraft, though USAF expected much more.

Next night RAF were bombing Stuttgart, another center of aviation industry. Were used 600 bombers. From the morning 21st USAF again was bombing two “Lutter-Miag” plants, plus stocks and Luftwaffe airfields.

22nd bombings became even much harder - it was able to involve 15th air army of general Twining. While his bombers were attacking “Messerschmitt” in Regensburg from the south, 8s air army of the general Dolittle were bombing central Germany as well as Gotha and Schweinfurt. But that day fog over England was so hard 2nd and 3rd division had to cancel operation and return home. So only 1st division came to Germany and they were attacked very hardly by the JG 1 and JG 11 from Westphalia, guided from the ground (command bunker in Deelen, Netherlands) by the 4rd figthers division commander colonel Grabman.

According the plan bombers division supposed to meet main fighters escort over the target, as usually, beacuse exactly over target German fighters were attacking before. But this time German fighters has met bombers far to the West from the target, where bombers were dispatched because of bad weather. As a result USAF has lost 41 bombers. From the initial 430 the most were returned to base, so only 99 has reached the targets. Seriously damaged were only Ju-88 night fighters plants in Berlin and Aschersleben. Others has stayed in safety. As for Gotha and Schweinfurt - bombers divisions to attack these targets were returned home, so fighters of 7th air division under the command of general-major Gut were free to attack USAF 15th air army strike. Though “Messerschmitt” plants in Regensburg still were attacked, 14 more bombers didn’t return home.

So success of “big week” and “Argument” operation was still unclear.

23rd of February weather conditions were very bad, so USAF pilots had a day-off to rest.

On the 24th over 600 bombers from England and Italy has headed to the Germany. From the south 18 “flying fortresses” attacked “Daimler-Benz” aviation engines plants at Styria, eatern Austria. General-major Gut has sent against both Geschwaders - JG3 from Franken and JG27 from Austria. Me-110 has shot down 10 fortresses out of 17 total bombers (which was 20% of everything they had) lost by 15th air army that day.

At the same time 477 bombers of 8th air army were heading to the Gotha and Schweinfurt. Though they’ve lost 44 bombers, they striked hardly Gothaer waggonfabrik (Me-110 production) and ball bearings plant.

That night 700 RAF bombers has hitted hardly the same targets - Schweinfurt was on fire so it was hard to miss it.

24 hours later more then 800 of RAF and USAF has striked Messerschmitt plants in Regensburg and Augsburg. “Mustangs” were fighting with fighters from Central and North Germany, while bombers were following their mission. USAF has lost 31 of 738 bombers from total quite big number of 64 lost fortresses and liberators.

Due to excellent visibility the strike was very successful, were bombed plants in Regensburg-Prufening and Obertraubling, in Augsburg, Stuttgart and Furt. All the Messerschmitt plants to produce Me-109 were destroyed.

Night RAF bombers flight to the Augsburg has finished the “big week”.

Source: Cajus Bekker “The Luftwaffe War Diaries”

By the noon time about 663 bombers took off, formed up three groups and headed to the one target: fighters production in Brunswick-Halberstadt-Aschersleben. This area lay down on the straight air route to Berlin, less then 100 miles away.
German HQ has decided this bombers wave goes to Berlin, so not being in a hurry fighters were prepared.

By the moment 8th Air Force has started to experience difficulties by themselves. Though over target weather still was clear, skies over England were full of clouds and the forming up process took from bombers priceless time. During the flight weather became worse and general Dolittle decided to turn 2nd and 3rd groups back. This decision was supported by the fact that already at Holland-German border bombers were hardly striked by the Me’s and FW’s. At that stage USAF didn’t have necessary amount of supporting fighters.

At the turning point over the Western Germany fortresses and liberators of 2nd and 3rd group has dropped their bombs on secondary targets or just on plain fields and has headed back to base.

So it was only 238 bombers (out of 663 total) left to reach main mission goal. But this time they were covered with group of 49 Mustangs. Their appearing over central Germany has caused absolute shock in the German fighters HQ. First time intercepting Me-109s and FW-190s meet fighters resistance. Still it was 49 fighters only, besides they’ve meet bombers group too late, so they weren’t able to successfully cover bombers.

From German side it was three fighters division: 1st based in Doberitz near Berlin under the command of colonel Hajo Hermann (’Wild Boar’ creator), 2nd under Generalmajor Ibel (famous commander of JG 27) based in Stade on Elbe and 3rd under colonel Walter Grabman based in Deelen, Netherlands. Totally it was 207 single and dual fighters against Mustangs. Besides, German fighters were using missiles, fired from long-ranges, so old bombers tight-formation tactics didn’t work out this time.

For the AGO plants in Aschersleben (one of the Focke-Wolf productioin centers) it was aimed 174 bombers. But before they’ve reached target, 24 of them (20%) were shot down.

Toitally 8th Air Force has lost 60 heavy bombers and 5 fighters in that first attempt to destroy German fighters production. From other side German losses consisted 39 planes.

This battle showed Luftwaffe has spent 43/44 winter very wisely. But Mustang’s creation already has changed overall situation dramatically. The main weak spot of long-range bombers operation - fighters cover was closed and from now on nothing could stop bomb strikes on every place of German territory.

Source: Cajus Bekker “The Luftwaffe War Diaries”

It was absolutely clear no country can perform constant bombing operations by such a cost. But if RAF decided just to switch time of operation to the night, USAF has chosen other way - they decided to create a fighter able to cover bombers in deep raids behind the enemy line - P-51 Mustang.

Source: Cajus Bekker “The Luftwaffe War Diaries”

Due to Kammhuber’s insistence by the summer 1943 his “Himmelbelt” zones were covering territory from the north of Jutland to the Mediterranean, he had five Geschwaders (about 400 of twin-engine fighters) under his command, and sixth was forming up. But he was not going to stop on this. Intelligence reports about plans of allies (especially US) to re-equip bombers aviation with huge amount of four-engine bombers made him think German night air defence will be useless against such power.

Unfortunatelly, solution he saw was in great increase of thr hardware instead of new tactics, when each fighter will not be hardly linked to the only one “Himmelbelt” zone.

He demanded to increas night fighters amount from 6 to 18 Geschwader, to cover all the German territory. Besides, he wanted to replace very expensive existing radar stations with more modern ones, new onboard radars supposed to have wider tracking range.

All this was leading to the great shift in all the German electric and electronic industry. Goering was convinced by the Kammhubers plans and partially has approved them, when 24th of June 1943 has came, the day to meet Fuehrer.

The main point of Kammhubers plan was information, provided by the Vermaht’s intelligence HQ (Ic), that US industry produces 5000 bombers every month. Till that day these data were taken without any doubts.

Hitler just denied this information and refused to beleive it is true. He said: “Its ridiculous! If this info is correct, I need to take all the reserves from the Eastern frontline and to use them for the air defence only! But this info is wrong! And I’m not going to deal with this anymore!”

Hitler was indisputable, night fighters were doing quite well that time, so he put tons of angry on Goering and Keitel (Vermaht commander). Goering went out of Hitlers room red-faced and angry as well.

It was the end of Kammhuber’s career. Soon he was replaced on his position of XII air corps commander by the general-major Joseph Beppo Schmidt (Schmidt was the chief of staff for Luftwaffe HQ intelligence). Till the middle of November 1943 Kammhuber was staying on his “General of the Night Fighters” position, but then was retired from there as well.

The person to create all the Germany night air defence was sent to see service in Norvegy.

Source: Cajus Bekker “The Luftwaffe War Diaries”