Fighting the bombers : the Luftwaffe's struggle against the Allied bomber offensive : as seen by its commanders

288 Pages·2003·4.05 MB·English

by  Isby

FIGHTING THE
BOMBERS
FIGHTING THE
BOMBERS
The Luftwaffe’s Struggle
Against the Allied Bomber Offensive
AS SEEN BY ITS COMMANDERS
by
General der Flieger Josef Kammhuber, Generalleutnant Josef
“Beppo” Schmid, Generalmajor Hans-Detlef Herhuth von
Rohden, Dr. Willi Messerschmitt, Generalleutnant Adolf Galland,
Generaloberst Hubert Weise, General der Flieger Wolfgang
Martini, Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, Major Heinrich
Ruppel, Major G. S. Sandmann, Major Josef Scholls
Edited by
David C. Isby
Frontline Books
Fighting the Bombers:
The Luftwaffe’s Struggle against the Allied Bomber Offensive
First published 2003 by
Greenhill Books
published in this format in 2015 by
Frontline Books,
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street, Barnsley, S70 2AS
www.frontline-books.com
Copyright © David C. Isby
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise,
without the written permission of the Publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Fighting the bombers:
the Luftwaffe’s struggle against the Allied bomber offensive
1. Germany. Luftwaffe – Drill and tactics 2. World War,
1939–1945 – Aerial operations, British 3. World War,
1939–1945 – Aerial operations, American
4. Bombing, Aerial – Germany
I. Kammhuber, Josef II. Isby, David C.
940.5'44941
ISBN 1-85367-532-6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
Designed and typeset by Roger Chesneau
Printed and bound in Great Britain
Contents
Introduction
The Contributors
Part One: The Defense of the Reich
1 Reich Air Defense in World War II: A Strategical-Tactical Survey
compiled by Generalmajor Hans-Detlef Herhuth von Rohden, August
1946
2 The Overall Defense of the Reich: 1940–1944 (January) by
Generaloberst Hubert Weise
3 Development of Nightfighting: July 1940–15 September 1943 by
General der Flieger Josef Kammhuber
Part Two: A Battle of Increasing Numbers and Technology
4 Technical and Communications Equipment used in the Reich’s
Defense by Generalmajor Hans-Detlef von Rohden
5 German Nightfighting: From 15 June 1943 to May 1945 by
Generalleutnant Josef “Beppo” Schmid
6 German Dayfighting in the Defense of the Reich: 15 September
1943 to the End of the War by Generalleutnant Josef “Beppo” Schmid
Part Three: Developing Technology to Defend the Reich
7 Fighter Control: Interrogation of Generalleutnant Adolf Galland 15
October 1945
8 Luftwaffe Radars: Interrogation of General der Flieger Wolfgang
Martini 10 October 1945
9 Luftwaffe Radars and Radios: Interrogation of OKL Staff
10 The Me-262: Development, Experience, Success, and Prospects by Dr Willi
Messerschmitt
Part Four: Applying the Technology: Operations and Tactics
11 Commanding the Nightfighters: Interrogation of General der Flieger Josef
Kammhuber 4, 22, 28 August 1945
12 Nightfighter Control by Major Heinrich Ruppel
13 Nightfighter Direction: Interrogation of Major G. S. Sandmann 16 August
1945
14 Nightfighter Operations: Interrogation of Major G. S. Sandmann 1 August
1945
15 Nightfighter Tactics: Interrogation of Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (and
two NJG 4 Gruppenkommandeure) 21 May 1945
16 Nightfighter Tactics (NJG 6) by Major Josef Scholls
17 Nightfighter Missions: Interrogation of Major Josef Scholls 16 August 1945
18 Fighting the P-61: Interrogation of Major Heinrich Ruppel
Part Five: Summing Up
19 Looking Back by Generalmajor Hans-Detlef Herhuth von Rohden
Glossary
Introduction
This book is a collection of Luftwaffe leaders’ views of the Defense of the Reich
against the Allied combined bomber offensive. The accounts give their version
of the course of the battle against the bombers, how technology was developed
and deployed—or not—in the increasingly sophisticated operations, and how the
technology was employed in combat by fighter leaders and controllers. The
longest and largest air campaign in history has certainly attracted its share of
historians. However, the German accounts provided here give some unique
insights.
The authors compiled most of these documents as prisoners of war, under the
authority of the US Army Air Forces (although some of the interrogations on
nightfighting were conducted by RAF specialists, themselves veterans of the
bomber offensive). These documents represent the command “debrief” of many
of the Luftwaffe’s leaders, undertaken in 1945 or 1946. It is to our advantage
that these debriefs were carried out while memories were fresh, for the prisoners
were without most official documents. The exceptions were the von Rohden and
Messerchmitt chapters, which were historical narratives requested by the
USAAF and US Navy, respectively. These accounts are written by professionals,
for other professionals. Much of the syntax and capitalization is non-standard
and reflects that of the German original. The authors assume that those for whom
they are writing know the abbreviations, equipment, and references they use
freely (which has required the provision of a glossary).
The accounts include matters often overlooked, such as the development of
German fighter control capabilities and tactics. They are, quite literally, the first
draft of the history of the Luftwaffe fighter force, and make up in immediacy
what they may lack in reflection and opportunities for archival research. Each of
the authors was interrogated on subjects about which he had direct personal
knowledge: the intense internal secrecy of the German war effort makes claims
to knowledge that did not come from such hands-on experience suspect.
These accounts are earlier and less refined than the better-known series of
historical studies written by former Luftwaffe officers (some volumes of which
have been reprinted by publishers such as Greenhill Books and Garland) and
collectively referred to as the Karlshrue Studies. However, the chapters by von
Rohden—who went on to manage the Karlshrue Studies—may be seen as being
the first of the series of studies. These chapters written done as a collaborative
effort with a number of other Luftwaffe officers, including at least two of the
authors of this volume, Adolf Galland and “Beppo” Schmid.
This book is in many ways complementary to The Luftwaffe Fighter Force:
The View From the Cockpit, published by Greenhill in 1998. That was the
history of an air force—that part of the Luftwaffe which flew fighters—from
organization to ultimate defeat; Fighting the Bombers is the story of that force’s
greatest battle. Thus, it begins with historical narratives (those of von Rohden,
Weise and Kammhuber) to set out the overall context. Then the technologies
involved are introduced in more detail. Finally, there is consideration of the
manner in which these technologies were applied by the fighter controllers and
fighter pilots involved in the Defense of the Reich. Fighting the Bombers also
stresses the technology of radio and radar and the night battle whereas the earlier
book put more emphasis on covering the daylight battles. This reflected the role
of Adolf Galland—whose concern was daylight air fighting—as the unifying
voice in that book. In this book, although Galland reappears, there is a greater
range of authors and concerns. The current volume could be subtitled “The View
From the Ops Room,” because that is where the authors did most of their
fighting, leading and directing the fighters. While this volume’s contributors
include Major Schnaufer, the highest-scoring nightfighter ace (with 121
victories), the emphasis is on the system itself rather than the pilots who were at
its “sharp end.”
The narratives are all highly personal to the authors and certainly do not
represent a more nuanced view taking a broader range of sources into account;
some of the authors—most notably Kammhuber and Schmid—took this wider
view in the 1950s when they prepared volumes in the Karlshrue studies. Others,
like Schnaufer (killed in a postwar accident), never got to tell their story again.
There has been no attempt to correct the accounts, even where the authors get
things wrong, or to insert more recent or superior knowledge. Whenever
possible, the original spellings and terminology have been maintained, including
even such elementary things as capitalization and the rendering of umlauts into
English, which have been placed without consistency in the original documents.
The translation has been edited to bring specific terminology, but not necessarily
grammar and syntax, into line with standard English-language usage. But the
alterations have been kept to a minimum.
David C. Isby
Washington, March 2002
The Contributors
Galland, Generalleutnant Adolf Ace with 103 victories. Served as
Waffengeneral (General der Jagdflieger) 1941–5, when relieved and put in
command of Me 2629 equipped JV 44. Widely known author postwar.
Kammhuber, General der Flieger Josef Bomber Geschwader commander at
the start of the war, shot down by the French. Given command of Fliegerkorps
XII against early EAF night raids. Built up nightfighter force but was relieved
after Hamburg raids in 1943, after which he commanded in Denmark and
Norway (in command of Luftflotte 5). Put in charge of jet-and rocket-powered
aircraft programs in 1945. Worked on Karlshrue studies. Returned to Luftwaffe
service in 1950s, becoming first Inspekteur (1956–62).
Martini, Generalmajor Wolfgang Chief of Luftwaffe Signal Troops (including
radar) from September 1941 until the end of the war.
Messerschmitt, Dr Willi German aircraft designer from the First World War
through to end of the Second. Responsible for many outstanding wartime combat
aircraft designs, first with the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke A.G. and then with his
own company. Postwar, also worked in automotive industry.
Rohden, Generalmajor Hans-Dedef Herhuth von Head of Abteilung 8—the
Historical Section of the OKL—during the Second World War. Also held staff
positions with operational formations (including six months each as chief of staff
of IV Riegerkorps and Luftflotte 4 on the eastern front). Postwar went to work
for USAAF. Helped organize German logistical support for Berlin Airlift, 1948.
In the 1950s, based at Karlsruhe, produced a series of studies written by former
Luftwaffe officers for the USAF.
Ruppel, Major Heinrich First World War pilot and reserve officer. Sector
controller at Darmstadt. Served as la, JaFu Mi Helrhein, at the end of the war.
Considered by Schmid to be the best fighter controller in the Luftwaffe.
Sandmann, Major G. S. Air Tactics Officer, Air Defense Section, OKL, at the
end of the war. Previously served as Fighter Controller, 3. Jagddivision.
Schmid, Generalleutnant Joseph “Beppo” Intelligence chief of the Luftwaffe