Luftwaffe night harassment bombers

[wiking85]

Does anyone have any info about these units and their combat history? Also any idea why they didn't try to use obsolete French bombers like the LeO 20 or even 451? Even the MS.230 was the same as the Go 145 that made up the bulk of the night harassment squadrons (according to what limited info I could find), which according to wikipedia was produced in virtually the same amounts; they could then have effectively doubled their historical numbers by impressing those trainers. Any ideas or info?

 

[Juha]

Hello Viking
LeO 451 was unsuitable to the ops the night harassment units flew. I shuold have an article on NSGr. 8 in my attick, in Finnish, IIRC some estonians flew night harassment ops, so a book on them should incl some info on night harassment ops, but according to Neulen's In the Skies of Europe the ops of NSGr 11 was seriously limited by the fuel shortage. The book has a bit more on the ops of the Latvian NSGr. 12.

Juha

 

[wiking85]

What year was the fuel shortage? I would assume that's after the oil campaign began

 

[wiking85]

Any idea how effective they were?

 

[Balljoint]

A broad topic. Maybe something at;

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/av...ions-vs-american-air-bases-england-34221.html

 

[wiking85]

A broad topic. Maybe something at;

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/av...ions-vs-american-air-bases-england-34221.html

Thanks, but intruder missions were very different from night harassment:
Asisbiz Fiat CR-42 Luftwaffe Nachtschlachtgruppe (NSGr.) NSG20 Red 83 used as night harassment and anti-partisan roles Strassboug France 1943

 

[Juha]

Any idea how effective they were?

One has to check that from Russian sources. But Soviet night harashment must have had some effects because otherwise germans would not have copied it.

 

[Juha]

What year was the fuel shortage? I would assume that's after the oil campaign began

In 1944, Germans were slow to utilise Balts because they had their own imperialistic plans for Baltic area and didn't want to arm and train nationalist Balts, only when the Germans became aware of the fact that they were loosing the war they changed their attitude towards Balt combatants.

 

[davebender]

Germany enlisted Balts in anti communist crusade from 1941 onward. For example Latviju Kareivu Nacionala Savieniba (National Federation of Latvian Fighters) was created prior to Operation Barbarossa. Battailon Narwa was part of SS Wiking division during Battle of Kursk.

Bear in mind that Baltic region was thinly populated. You aren't going to recruit enough people to create an entire Baltic army.

 

[Juha]

Germany enlisted Balts in anti communist crusade from 1941 onward. For example Latviju Kareivu Nacionala Savieniba (National Federation of Latvian Fighters) was created prior to Operation Barbarossa. Battailon Narwa was part of SS Wiking division during Battle of Kursk.

Battalion Narwa, 500 - 800 men, in late 1944 there were about 100 000 Estonians in arms. I'd say that Germans didn't utilize Estonians fully until it was too late. And that was because of their plans to subordinate the Balts after the war.

Bear in mind that Baltic region was thinly populated. You aren't going to recruit enough people to create an entire Baltic army.

Now Finland was even more sparcely populated, but we could mobilize 540 000 men in 1941. Out of population of 3½ millions.

 

[Vincenzo]

Baltic republics had around a six milions population, 1 were not baltics people (+40% of this was russian)

 

[Juha]

Baltic republics had around a six milions population, 1 were not baltics people (+40% of this was russian)

Hello Vincenzo
on the number of the Russians living in the Baltic states pre-war. There was altogether over 5 millions inhabitans in the Baltic States pre-war. In Estonia Estonians 88% Russians 8,2%, in Latvia Latvians 75,5%, Russians 10,6%, in Lithuenia Lithuenians 89%, Russians 2,5%.

Juha

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

And here is a book that I have. GHOST BOMBERS THE MOONLIGHT WAR OF NSG 9 Luftwaffe Night Attack Operations from Anzio to the Alps.The book is written by Nick Beale. I Got it through Amazon. Great book to. They list the Arado Ar 66C, the Caproni Ca.314, the Junkers W.34, the Fiesler Fi 156, the Fiat CR.42 Falco, the Junkers Ju87D-5 and D-3, and the Focke-Wulf Fw190F-8/R1 as aircraft that were used by NSG 9.

 

[Vincenzo]

Hello Vincenzo
on the number of the Russians living in the Baltic states pre-war. There was altogether over 5 millions inhabitans in the Baltic States pre-war. In Estonia Estonians 88% Russians 8,2%, in Latvia Latvians 75,5%, Russians 10,6%, in Lithuenia Lithuenians 89%, Russians 2,5%.

Juha

the number i've used were similar
Estonia 88,2% Estons, 8,2% russians, population (39) 1,134 thousands
Latvia 75,5% Latvians, 12% russians, pop (39) 1,981 thousands
Lithuania 83,9% Lithuans, 2,7% russians pop (39) 2,575 thousands