Hugh Spencer
Airman 1st Class
- 120
- Jan 11, 2008
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This day in the war in Europe 65 years ago
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
20 March 1943
EASTERN FRONT: During take-off from Gatschina airfield, Oblt Mietusch, Staffelkapitaen of 7./JG 26, suffered engine failure of his Fw 190A and crashed, overturning on the field. He was out of action for 2 months. In his place, Obfw. Heinz Kemethmuller was transferred from 9./JG 26 to the staffel.
Another loss suffered by the Luftwaffe this day was Wolf-Dieter von Coester, of JG 52 who was reported missing in action and presumed dead. He had 5 victories against the Allies.
NORTHERN FRONT: Fw. Friedrich Hammesfahr of 14(Jabo)./JG 5 was shot down and wounded by Soviet AA near Severomorsk, north-east of Murmansk, becoming the first Fw 190 of the jabostaffel lost on operations. He recovered from his injuries and later returned to the unit, eventually serving with the Focke-Wulf company, flying all Fw190 variants up to the Fw190F-9 and the Ta 152.
MEDITERRANEAN: 2(F)./122 dispatched a sortie to the Straits of Sicily but one Ju 88D-1 failed to return after combat with P-38s of the US 82nd FG and was lost. Four crewmen were killed.
Oblt. Paul Sommer serving in Stab II./JG 27, flying a Bf 109G, shot down a Spitfire 6km from cap Scaramia.
NORTH AFRICA: As night fell, Montgomery's long awaited attack on the Mareth line began with a massive AA barrage on Italian positions along the coast. With his 'Left Hook' ready to press through the Tebaga Gap, Monty's 'Right Hook' began moving forward as sappers went first followed by the British 50th Northumbrian Division, the 4th Indian and the 51st Highland. The Germans had discovered the New Zealands of the 'Left Hook', so the orders were off and they were told to go as fast as they could to the north. The 2nd New Zealand Division marched to their flanking position to the west and finally reached the Tebaga Gap. The Germans were looking over their shoulders at the Americans at Gafsa as Monty began his frontal assault. Near the coast, the British infantry attacked the Italian Young Fascists Division and put a bridgehead through. But from the beginning the attack was crippled. The sappers in front of the 50th Northumbrian, the lead division, couldn't hear the ping of their mine detectors, the bombardment was so loud. Undiscovered mines began to take a toll on the attackers. Then at Wadi Zigzaou, torrential rains had turned it into a moat of muddy water. Engineers tried to bridge the ravine but only 4 tanks crossed before the causeway was swallowed up in the mud. The Germans were so little impressed that they regarded this as only a diversion and did not attack with the 15.Panzerdivision. The infantry fared better than the armour in crossing the wadi and by morning the next day, had won a bridgehead on the far bank. Although the infantry had succeeded in getting a foothold in the enemy lines, they were concentrated in a relatively small area and were coming under heavy fire from German flak. As dusk fell over Mareth, Monty was preparing a fresh attack. A few miles past El Guettar, the Americans had to pause. There, as they entered a vast green valley rimmed by ridges, the road leading east split in two, both branches disappearing through narrow passes on the high hills that blocked other exits from the valley. The Axis had converted these passes into fortified funnels sown with wide belts of mines backed up by aprons of barbed wire. The cliffs above them sprouted AA and light and heavy machine guns. The Americans recognized that a steep slope rising to the crest of a hill overlooking one of the passes might be climbed by a column of men moving in single file. If they were able to gain the crest, they would be staring at the backs of the Italians whose guns were trained down on the pass. So during the night a column spearheaded by 500 men of Lt. Col. William O. Darby's Rangers set out over the path. They could not carry any sizable weapons, the terrain was too difficult. The success of their mission would depend instead on stealth, surprise and shock. They marched in silence, picking their way painfully over a carpet of loose stone and struggling through crevasses. At intervals their progress slowed to a crawl as they scaled 20 foot cliffs, passing their equipment up from hand to hand. It was near dawn when at last the Rangers reached the rocky plateau that overlooked the Italian guns.
Six Spitfires of the Us 309thFS/31st FG got into a dogfight with 8 Bf 109s, claiming 3 damaged while Lt. Barber had to crash land. Oblt. Dietrich Kasten of 2./JG 53 claimed the Spitfire for his 17th victory. JG 53 also lost Oblt. Gunther Hess of 6./JG 53 when the 9 victory pilot was listed as missing in action in his Bf 109G-4/trop.
WESTERN FRONT: 12 Mosquitoes went to Louvain and Malines railway yards but only Louvain was reached.
1 Lancaster bombed Leer near Emden. This flight was carried out by Squadron Leader C. O'Donoghue of 103 Squadron. He decided to make this lone flight after a major Bomber Command effort planned for the previous night was cancelled. The Lancaster attacked Leer soon after dawn and its bombs fell close to the railway station.
12 Wellingtons and 4 Lancasters went minelaying off Biscay ports but the Wellingtons were recalled. No losses.
EASTERN FRONT: During take-off from Gatschina airfield, Oblt Mietusch, Staffelkapitaen of 7./JG 26, suffered engine failure of his Fw 190A and crashed, overturning on the field. He was out of action for 2 months. In his place, Obfw. Heinz Kemethmuller was transferred from 9./JG 26 to the staffel.
Another loss suffered by the Luftwaffe this day was Wolf-Dieter von Coester, of JG 52 who was reported missing in action and presumed dead. He had 5 victories against the Allies.
NORTHERN FRONT: Fw. Friedrich Hammesfahr of 14(Jabo)./JG 5 was shot down and wounded by Soviet AA near Severomorsk, north-east of Murmansk, becoming the first Fw 190 of the jabostaffel lost on operations. He recovered from his injuries and later returned to the unit, eventually serving with the Focke-Wulf company, flying all Fw190 variants up to the Fw190F-9 and the Ta 152.
MEDITERRANEAN: 2(F)./122 dispatched a sortie to the Straits of Sicily but one Ju 88D-1 failed to return after combat with P-38s of the US 82nd FG and was lost. Four crewmen were killed.
Oblt. Paul Sommer serving in Stab II./JG 27, flying a Bf 109G, shot down a Spitfire 6km from cap Scaramia.
NORTH AFRICA: As night fell, Montgomery's long awaited attack on the Mareth line began with a massive AA barrage on Italian positions along the coast. With his 'Left Hook' ready to press through the Tebaga Gap, Monty's 'Right Hook' began moving forward as sappers went first followed by the British 50th Northumbrian Division, the 4th Indian and the 51st Highland. The Germans had discovered the New Zealands of the 'Left Hook', so the orders were off and they were told to go as fast as they could to the north. The 2nd New Zealand Division marched to their flanking position to the west and finally reached the Tebaga Gap. The Germans were looking over their shoulders at the Americans at Gafsa as Monty began his frontal assault. Near the coast, the British infantry attacked the Italian Young Fascists Division and put a bridgehead through. But from the beginning the attack was crippled. The sappers in front of the 50th Northumbrian, the lead division, couldn't hear the ping of their mine detectors, the bombardment was so loud. Undiscovered mines began to take a toll on the attackers. Then at Wadi Zigzaou, torrential rains had turned it into a moat of muddy water. Engineers tried to bridge the ravine but only 4 tanks crossed before the causeway was swallowed up in the mud. The Germans were so little impressed that they regarded this as only a diversion and did not attack with the 15.Panzerdivision. The infantry fared better than the armour in crossing the wadi and by morning the next day, had won a bridgehead on the far bank. Although the infantry had succeeded in getting a foothold in the enemy lines, they were concentrated in a relatively small area and were coming under heavy fire from German flak. As dusk fell over Mareth, Monty was preparing a fresh attack. A few miles past El Guettar, the Americans had to pause. There, as they entered a vast green valley rimmed by ridges, the road leading east split in two, both branches disappearing through narrow passes on the high hills that blocked other exits from the valley. The Axis had converted these passes into fortified funnels sown with wide belts of mines backed up by aprons of barbed wire. The cliffs above them sprouted AA and light and heavy machine guns. The Americans recognized that a steep slope rising to the crest of a hill overlooking one of the passes might be climbed by a column of men moving in single file. If they were able to gain the crest, they would be staring at the backs of the Italians whose guns were trained down on the pass. So during the night a column spearheaded by 500 men of Lt. Col. William O. Darby's Rangers set out over the path. They could not carry any sizable weapons, the terrain was too difficult. The success of their mission would depend instead on stealth, surprise and shock. They marched in silence, picking their way painfully over a carpet of loose stone and struggling through crevasses. At intervals their progress slowed to a crawl as they scaled 20 foot cliffs, passing their equipment up from hand to hand. It was near dawn when at last the Rangers reached the rocky plateau that overlooked the Italian guns.
Six Spitfires of the Us 309thFS/31st FG got into a dogfight with 8 Bf 109s, claiming 3 damaged while Lt. Barber had to crash land. Oblt. Dietrich Kasten of 2./JG 53 claimed the Spitfire for his 17th victory. JG 53 also lost Oblt. Gunther Hess of 6./JG 53 when the 9 victory pilot was listed as missing in action in his Bf 109G-4/trop.
WESTERN FRONT: 12 Mosquitoes went to Louvain and Malines railway yards but only Louvain was reached.
1 Lancaster bombed Leer near Emden. This flight was carried out by Squadron Leader C. O'Donoghue of 103 Squadron. He decided to make this lone flight after a major Bomber Command effort planned for the previous night was cancelled. The Lancaster attacked Leer soon after dawn and its bombs fell close to the railway station.
12 Wellingtons and 4 Lancasters went minelaying off Biscay ports but the Wellingtons were recalled. No losses.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
21 March 1943
NORTH AFRICA: Italian forces defending Tebaga Gap in Tunisia put up a surprisingly determined defense, stopping the 2nd New Zealand Divison's flank attack. Meanwhile the 'Right Hook' attack on the Mareth Line by British forces had in the morning established a small force across the natural ant-tank obstacle of the Wadi Zigzaou but ground conditions prevented a further buildup. Engineers worked feverishly to build a more substantial causeway across the ravine. Once this was done, the British commander made a costly mistake. Instead of sending AA guns across, he opted to send lightly armed Valentine tanks instead. 42 tanks made it across before the causeway was churned into a hopeless mess and bacame impassable again. The Americans covered the 28 mile distance to Sened and took their second objective, this time against light opposition. Again in high gear, Ward's tankers pushed on 20 miles to Maknassy only to see enemy troops evacuate the villiage. Continuing east, Ward soon found determined opposition in hills around the village and stopped his column to await stronger support. While the tankers rushed eastward, the infantrymen found themselves in a major battle 40 miles back to the west at El Guettar. As Allied planners hoped, Kesselring had released 10.Panzerdivision for a counterattack on II Corps. As the German attack pleased strategists waiting for an enemy diversion from the south, the troops of Major General Terry Allen's 1st Infantry Division - who had to face it - saw nothing to celebrate.
The US 31st FG escorted A-20s to Kairouan and encountered 17 Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers with Bf 109 escorts. The temptation was too great and the 309th FS went after them. The result was 4 Stukas shot down and 4 damaged and one Bf 109 damaged. One Spitfire, flown by Lt. Langberg, was lost. He bailed out, was captured by Italian troops but then was released and returned on the 23rd. The US 52nd FG lost one Spitfire that day also. Three pilots from II./JG 51 and Oblt. Siegfreid Freytag from Stab II./JG 77 claimed 4 Spitfires.
GERMANY: Another attempt was made to assassinate Hitler, this time by a suicide bomber, on Heroe's Memorial Day (a holiday honoring German WWI dead). Tresckow selected Col. Rudolph Christoph von Gersdorf (who had provided the faulty bomb in the 13 March attempt) to act as a suicide bomber at the Zeughaus Museum in Berlin where Hitler was to attend the annual dedication. While Hitler was visiting the exhibit at the museum, von Gersdorfplanned to detonate a bomb planted on himself while standing near the Fuhrer. Von Gersdorfwas to sidle up to Hitler as he reviewed the memorials and ignite the bombs, taking the dictator out - along with himself and everyone in the immediate vicinty. Von Gersdorfhad wanted to use an instantaneous detonator but could only obtain an acid-based 10 minute delay fuse. With a bomb planted in each of his coat pockets, all went as planned as von Bersdorf set the fuse going at the end of Hitler's speech and joined the tour group, inching toward the Fuhrer. But shortly after starting the tour, Hitler moved off, ignoring the exhibit and left the area. The Colonel was informed that Hitler was to inspect the exhibits for only 8 minutes - not enough time for the fuses to melt down. Von Gersdorf was forced to rush to the men's room to flush the acid detonator down the toilet before it blew up.
EASTERN FRONT: Hptm. Helmut Bennemann's I./JG 52 moved from Kursk to Poltawa.
NORTH AFRICA: Italian forces defending Tebaga Gap in Tunisia put up a surprisingly determined defense, stopping the 2nd New Zealand Divison's flank attack. Meanwhile the 'Right Hook' attack on the Mareth Line by British forces had in the morning established a small force across the natural ant-tank obstacle of the Wadi Zigzaou but ground conditions prevented a further buildup. Engineers worked feverishly to build a more substantial causeway across the ravine. Once this was done, the British commander made a costly mistake. Instead of sending AA guns across, he opted to send lightly armed Valentine tanks instead. 42 tanks made it across before the causeway was churned into a hopeless mess and bacame impassable again. The Americans covered the 28 mile distance to Sened and took their second objective, this time against light opposition. Again in high gear, Ward's tankers pushed on 20 miles to Maknassy only to see enemy troops evacuate the villiage. Continuing east, Ward soon found determined opposition in hills around the village and stopped his column to await stronger support. While the tankers rushed eastward, the infantrymen found themselves in a major battle 40 miles back to the west at El Guettar. As Allied planners hoped, Kesselring had released 10.Panzerdivision for a counterattack on II Corps. As the German attack pleased strategists waiting for an enemy diversion from the south, the troops of Major General Terry Allen's 1st Infantry Division - who had to face it - saw nothing to celebrate.
The US 31st FG escorted A-20s to Kairouan and encountered 17 Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers with Bf 109 escorts. The temptation was too great and the 309th FS went after them. The result was 4 Stukas shot down and 4 damaged and one Bf 109 damaged. One Spitfire, flown by Lt. Langberg, was lost. He bailed out, was captured by Italian troops but then was released and returned on the 23rd. The US 52nd FG lost one Spitfire that day also. Three pilots from II./JG 51 and Oblt. Siegfreid Freytag from Stab II./JG 77 claimed 4 Spitfires.
GERMANY: Another attempt was made to assassinate Hitler, this time by a suicide bomber, on Heroe's Memorial Day (a holiday honoring German WWI dead). Tresckow selected Col. Rudolph Christoph von Gersdorf (who had provided the faulty bomb in the 13 March attempt) to act as a suicide bomber at the Zeughaus Museum in Berlin where Hitler was to attend the annual dedication. While Hitler was visiting the exhibit at the museum, von Gersdorfplanned to detonate a bomb planted on himself while standing near the Fuhrer. Von Gersdorfwas to sidle up to Hitler as he reviewed the memorials and ignite the bombs, taking the dictator out - along with himself and everyone in the immediate vicinty. Von Gersdorfhad wanted to use an instantaneous detonator but could only obtain an acid-based 10 minute delay fuse. With a bomb planted in each of his coat pockets, all went as planned as von Bersdorf set the fuse going at the end of Hitler's speech and joined the tour group, inching toward the Fuhrer. But shortly after starting the tour, Hitler moved off, ignoring the exhibit and left the area. The Colonel was informed that Hitler was to inspect the exhibits for only 8 minutes - not enough time for the fuses to melt down. Von Gersdorf was forced to rush to the men's room to flush the acid detonator down the toilet before it blew up.
EASTERN FRONT: Hptm. Helmut Bennemann's I./JG 52 moved from Kursk to Poltawa.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
22 March 1943
ATLANTIC OCEAN : Mosquitoes shot down 2 Ju 88s over the Bay of Biscay.
GERMANY: US Eighth AF Mission #46: 76 B-17s and 26 B-24s were dispatched against the U-Boat yards at Wilhelmshaven. 69 B-17s and 15 B-24s dropped 224 tons of bombs on target. They lost one B-17 and 2 B-24s. The fighters of I./JG 1 intercepted the formations including Lt. Knoke who tried his aerial bombing tactic for the first time. Flying a Bbf 109G loaded with a 500lb bomb, Lt. Knoke was able to drop the bomb in the middle of a formation of Fortresses. The bomb broke the wing off a B-17 from the 91st BG and it crashed 18 miles off Heligoland, killing the entire crew. Not exactly the way it was supposed to work but the effect was the same. Numerous bombers returned to England badly damaged including one that had 368 holes in the aircraft.
WESTERN FRONT: 189 Lancasters, 99 Halifaxes, 63 Stirlings and 6 Mosquitoes attacked St Nazaire. 1 Lancaster was lost. RAF #3 Group sent out a recall order to its Stirlings and only 8 carried on to bomb the target. Accurate marking led to a concentrated attack by 283 aircraft on the port area of St Nazaire. Lt. Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of Stab II./NJG 1 claimed the destruction of a Lancaster during the RAF raid on St. Nazaire. But another pilot, Hptm. Wilhelm Herget of Stab I./NJG 4 also made a claim of destroying the same RAF bomber. Unable to decide who should get credit for the kill, General Kammhuber ordered the 2 experten to draw lots. The Lancaster kill was awarded to Hptm. Herget.
6 Wellingtons laid mines off Texel without loss.
12 Venturas attacked Maasluis oil refinery but again failed to hit the target. 12 further Venturas turned back from French targets. No losses.
NORTH AFRICA: As the British attempted to expand their bridgehead over Wadi Zigzaou, German reserves from the 15.Panzerdivision (with a mere 30 tanks in all) counterattacked. The panzers attacked just as a heavy rain fell on the area. The British Valentine tanks were no match for the more powerfully gunned panzers and by dusk the bridghead had all but disappeared. The British lost two thirds of the Valentine tanks and went on the defensive in this sector.
Meanwhile elements of 21.Panzerdivision and 164th Light Division arrived at Tebaga Gap to stop the 2nd New Zealand Division's advance. But it was here that Montgomery decided to change tactics and throw all his weight behind his 'Left Hook'. He sent General Horrocks and the British 1st Armoured Division over the long desert route to join the New Zealanders in their thrust through the Tebaga Gap.
RAF Hurricanes smashed a panzer counter-attack near the Mareth Line. At 12:50 hours a total of 24 Spitfires of RAF No. 145 Sqdrn and RAF No. 601 Sqdrn took off in two formations. 12 of these Spitfires, from 145 Sqdrn, met 7 Bf 109s from JG 51 in the Mareth area. The other formation of 12 Spitfires also reported an engagment with 7 Bf 109s in the same area. Shortly after 13:00 hours 36 Kittyhawks from RAF Nos. 112 and 250 Sqdrns took off and were attacked by 6 Bf 109s. One Kittyhawk of 250 Sqdrn was shot down by Major Muncheberg of Stab./JG 77. Six more Spitfires dived into the combat, whereby S/L Wade claimed one Bf 109 shot down. This may have been Oblt. Heinrich Osswald of 4./JG 77 who was killed. A little while later 13 Hurricanes of RAF No. 6 Sqdrn took off and was engaged by Bf 109s which shot down one Hurricane. Lt. Franz Hradlicka of 5./JG 77 claimed a Hurricane during the combats as did Lt. Liedtke of 4./JG 77.
23 P-38s of the US 82nd FG escorted B-26s and they were engaged by 2 Bf 109s. Later during the mission, the same formation of bombers and P-38s were attacked by 6 Bf 109s. The US 52nd FG was very successful near Mazzouna against Bf 109s, Fw 190s and Ju 88s. the group downed 5 Bf 109s, 2 Fw 190s and 2 Ju 88s, losing only one Spitfire to a crash landing from flak damage. The US 31st FG also lost one to a crash-landing.
UNITED KINGDOM: There was slight German activity over Newcastle. Sunderland and County Durham bore the brunt of the Luftwaffe's sorties. AA projectiles caused damage and casualties. HE and IBs fell on fields north of Rake House, Rake Lane, on the beach at Cullercoats and on the rocks beside the South Pier. Considerable damage was done to sidings and railway stock, chiefly wagons and vans. German records examined after the war show that a Do 217 failed to return from a sortie to Hartlepool.
EASTERN FRONT: German troops of Heeresgruppe Mitte recaptured Byelgorod.
Once again the weather had taken a decisive hand in the war in Russia. The thaw came early and both armies were bogged down in the morass of mud churned up by fighting vehicles of both sides. Where, only a few days ago, tanks could roar at full speed across the hard-frozen steppe, they were now in danger of drowning in a sea of mud and the runways of airstrips had turned into quagmires which refused to release aircraft. While the thaw brought difficulties to both sides, it hurt the Germans most by bringing von Manstein's successful counter-offensive to a halt. After recapturing Kharkov, he had planned to cut quickly across the Donets behind the Russian armies which were still pressing west. If he had been able to do so, he might well have caught the Red Army in a trap and produced a disaster comparable to Stalingrad. But he lost too many men and too many machines to achieve the quick result, and now General Thaw had taken command.
MEDITERRANEAN: 24 B-17s bombed port facilities at Palermo. This was the first Allied bomber mission against Sicily by aircraft based in Northwest Africa.
ATLANTIC OCEAN : Mosquitoes shot down 2 Ju 88s over the Bay of Biscay.
GERMANY: US Eighth AF Mission #46: 76 B-17s and 26 B-24s were dispatched against the U-Boat yards at Wilhelmshaven. 69 B-17s and 15 B-24s dropped 224 tons of bombs on target. They lost one B-17 and 2 B-24s. The fighters of I./JG 1 intercepted the formations including Lt. Knoke who tried his aerial bombing tactic for the first time. Flying a Bbf 109G loaded with a 500lb bomb, Lt. Knoke was able to drop the bomb in the middle of a formation of Fortresses. The bomb broke the wing off a B-17 from the 91st BG and it crashed 18 miles off Heligoland, killing the entire crew. Not exactly the way it was supposed to work but the effect was the same. Numerous bombers returned to England badly damaged including one that had 368 holes in the aircraft.
WESTERN FRONT: 189 Lancasters, 99 Halifaxes, 63 Stirlings and 6 Mosquitoes attacked St Nazaire. 1 Lancaster was lost. RAF #3 Group sent out a recall order to its Stirlings and only 8 carried on to bomb the target. Accurate marking led to a concentrated attack by 283 aircraft on the port area of St Nazaire. Lt. Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of Stab II./NJG 1 claimed the destruction of a Lancaster during the RAF raid on St. Nazaire. But another pilot, Hptm. Wilhelm Herget of Stab I./NJG 4 also made a claim of destroying the same RAF bomber. Unable to decide who should get credit for the kill, General Kammhuber ordered the 2 experten to draw lots. The Lancaster kill was awarded to Hptm. Herget.
6 Wellingtons laid mines off Texel without loss.
12 Venturas attacked Maasluis oil refinery but again failed to hit the target. 12 further Venturas turned back from French targets. No losses.
NORTH AFRICA: As the British attempted to expand their bridgehead over Wadi Zigzaou, German reserves from the 15.Panzerdivision (with a mere 30 tanks in all) counterattacked. The panzers attacked just as a heavy rain fell on the area. The British Valentine tanks were no match for the more powerfully gunned panzers and by dusk the bridghead had all but disappeared. The British lost two thirds of the Valentine tanks and went on the defensive in this sector.
Meanwhile elements of 21.Panzerdivision and 164th Light Division arrived at Tebaga Gap to stop the 2nd New Zealand Division's advance. But it was here that Montgomery decided to change tactics and throw all his weight behind his 'Left Hook'. He sent General Horrocks and the British 1st Armoured Division over the long desert route to join the New Zealanders in their thrust through the Tebaga Gap.
RAF Hurricanes smashed a panzer counter-attack near the Mareth Line. At 12:50 hours a total of 24 Spitfires of RAF No. 145 Sqdrn and RAF No. 601 Sqdrn took off in two formations. 12 of these Spitfires, from 145 Sqdrn, met 7 Bf 109s from JG 51 in the Mareth area. The other formation of 12 Spitfires also reported an engagment with 7 Bf 109s in the same area. Shortly after 13:00 hours 36 Kittyhawks from RAF Nos. 112 and 250 Sqdrns took off and were attacked by 6 Bf 109s. One Kittyhawk of 250 Sqdrn was shot down by Major Muncheberg of Stab./JG 77. Six more Spitfires dived into the combat, whereby S/L Wade claimed one Bf 109 shot down. This may have been Oblt. Heinrich Osswald of 4./JG 77 who was killed. A little while later 13 Hurricanes of RAF No. 6 Sqdrn took off and was engaged by Bf 109s which shot down one Hurricane. Lt. Franz Hradlicka of 5./JG 77 claimed a Hurricane during the combats as did Lt. Liedtke of 4./JG 77.
23 P-38s of the US 82nd FG escorted B-26s and they were engaged by 2 Bf 109s. Later during the mission, the same formation of bombers and P-38s were attacked by 6 Bf 109s. The US 52nd FG was very successful near Mazzouna against Bf 109s, Fw 190s and Ju 88s. the group downed 5 Bf 109s, 2 Fw 190s and 2 Ju 88s, losing only one Spitfire to a crash landing from flak damage. The US 31st FG also lost one to a crash-landing.
UNITED KINGDOM: There was slight German activity over Newcastle. Sunderland and County Durham bore the brunt of the Luftwaffe's sorties. AA projectiles caused damage and casualties. HE and IBs fell on fields north of Rake House, Rake Lane, on the beach at Cullercoats and on the rocks beside the South Pier. Considerable damage was done to sidings and railway stock, chiefly wagons and vans. German records examined after the war show that a Do 217 failed to return from a sortie to Hartlepool.
EASTERN FRONT: German troops of Heeresgruppe Mitte recaptured Byelgorod.
Once again the weather had taken a decisive hand in the war in Russia. The thaw came early and both armies were bogged down in the morass of mud churned up by fighting vehicles of both sides. Where, only a few days ago, tanks could roar at full speed across the hard-frozen steppe, they were now in danger of drowning in a sea of mud and the runways of airstrips had turned into quagmires which refused to release aircraft. While the thaw brought difficulties to both sides, it hurt the Germans most by bringing von Manstein's successful counter-offensive to a halt. After recapturing Kharkov, he had planned to cut quickly across the Donets behind the Russian armies which were still pressing west. If he had been able to do so, he might well have caught the Red Army in a trap and produced a disaster comparable to Stalingrad. But he lost too many men and too many machines to achieve the quick result, and now General Thaw had taken command.
MEDITERRANEAN: 24 B-17s bombed port facilities at Palermo. This was the first Allied bomber mission against Sicily by aircraft based in Northwest Africa.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
23 March 1943
NORTH AFRICA: Patton's drive on El Guettar was stopped by determined German and Italian resistance with the 10.Panzerdivision taking serious losses. The Germans were amazed at how quickly the Americans were learning.
50 tanks of Broich's 10.Panzerdivision had swept down from the hills during the night and hit the US 1st Infantry Division marching in the valley below, followed by mobile guns and troop carriers full of infantry. Messerschmitts swarmed out of the sky and strafed foxholes and gun emplacements. The Germans swept through, driving all before them until they were slowed by a hastily laid minefield and artillery. the panzers paused to reorganize then set off again, fully confident of victory against the 'green' Americans.But the Americans stood their ground. Artillery shells rained down on the panzers and in fighting that often came down to "him-or-me" hand-to-hand combat, US 1st Division troops pushed the Germans out of their fighting positions and off hilltops. Fortunately, Allen's men could call on strong air and artillery support. Massed artillery and tank destroyers knocked out nearly 30 tanks while mines stopped 8 more. American casualties were heavy but the 10.Panzerdivision had to withdraw.
In the afternoon the Axis forces returned, this time in long columns of infantry led by panzers. But the American forces had used the hours in between to set up their artillery guns and showered the advancing Germans with shells. The panzers turned and retreated. The US 1st Division avenged its defeat at the Kasserine Pass by beating off the 10.Panzerdivision which retreated from the El Guettar valley and dug in to reinforce the Italian 'Centauro' Division in the mountains. For the first time an American infantry divsion had taken on German tanks and won.
The Luftwaffe suffered a terrible loss. During a freie jagd, Major Joachim Muncheberg, Geschwaderkommodore of JG 77, came across a formation of US Spitfires. Diving on the Allied flight, Muncheberg claimed his 135th kill. But unable to break from his attack, Muncheberg's Bf 109 collided with his victim and both planes crashed to the ground, killing the commander. His position at JG 77 was taken by Oblt. Johannes Steinhoff from II./JG 51.
II./JG 51 recorded the first loss of one of their new Bf 109G-6s in the desert.
In the morning, 3 He 111s of I./KG 26 attacked the convoy 'KMF 11' to the north of Tenes Head, sinking the troop transport 'Windsor Castle' and damaging the Norwegian oil tanker 'Garonne'.
GERMANY: In an effort to prove his point about the effectiveness of his night-fighter program with the new He 219 'Uhu', General der Nachtjagd Kammhuber convened a demostration flight with his He 219 going up against the RLM's favorite for night-fighter duties, a Ju 88 flown by Oberst Wiktor von Lossberg and a D0 217N. The Dornier soon withdrew and after trying his best, von Lossberg soon conceded defeat to the 'Uhu', flown by the Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG 1, Major Werner Streib.
WESTERN FRONT: A Ju 88A-4 belonging to 13./KG 30 crashed in Store Vildmosen moor near the road, killing the crew of four. The aircraft burst into flames on impact and set fire to the moor.
15 Mosquitoes attacked railway engine works at Nantes. Direct hits were scored and no aircraft were lost.
45 aircraft laid mines in the Frisian Islands and south of Texel and 21 aircraft dropped leaflets over French towns. 2 Wellingtons were lost, one each from the minelaying and leaflet dropping sorties.
NORTH AFRICA: Patton's drive on El Guettar was stopped by determined German and Italian resistance with the 10.Panzerdivision taking serious losses. The Germans were amazed at how quickly the Americans were learning.
50 tanks of Broich's 10.Panzerdivision had swept down from the hills during the night and hit the US 1st Infantry Division marching in the valley below, followed by mobile guns and troop carriers full of infantry. Messerschmitts swarmed out of the sky and strafed foxholes and gun emplacements. The Germans swept through, driving all before them until they were slowed by a hastily laid minefield and artillery. the panzers paused to reorganize then set off again, fully confident of victory against the 'green' Americans.But the Americans stood their ground. Artillery shells rained down on the panzers and in fighting that often came down to "him-or-me" hand-to-hand combat, US 1st Division troops pushed the Germans out of their fighting positions and off hilltops. Fortunately, Allen's men could call on strong air and artillery support. Massed artillery and tank destroyers knocked out nearly 30 tanks while mines stopped 8 more. American casualties were heavy but the 10.Panzerdivision had to withdraw.
In the afternoon the Axis forces returned, this time in long columns of infantry led by panzers. But the American forces had used the hours in between to set up their artillery guns and showered the advancing Germans with shells. The panzers turned and retreated. The US 1st Division avenged its defeat at the Kasserine Pass by beating off the 10.Panzerdivision which retreated from the El Guettar valley and dug in to reinforce the Italian 'Centauro' Division in the mountains. For the first time an American infantry divsion had taken on German tanks and won.
The Luftwaffe suffered a terrible loss. During a freie jagd, Major Joachim Muncheberg, Geschwaderkommodore of JG 77, came across a formation of US Spitfires. Diving on the Allied flight, Muncheberg claimed his 135th kill. But unable to break from his attack, Muncheberg's Bf 109 collided with his victim and both planes crashed to the ground, killing the commander. His position at JG 77 was taken by Oblt. Johannes Steinhoff from II./JG 51.
II./JG 51 recorded the first loss of one of their new Bf 109G-6s in the desert.
In the morning, 3 He 111s of I./KG 26 attacked the convoy 'KMF 11' to the north of Tenes Head, sinking the troop transport 'Windsor Castle' and damaging the Norwegian oil tanker 'Garonne'.
GERMANY: In an effort to prove his point about the effectiveness of his night-fighter program with the new He 219 'Uhu', General der Nachtjagd Kammhuber convened a demostration flight with his He 219 going up against the RLM's favorite for night-fighter duties, a Ju 88 flown by Oberst Wiktor von Lossberg and a D0 217N. The Dornier soon withdrew and after trying his best, von Lossberg soon conceded defeat to the 'Uhu', flown by the Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG 1, Major Werner Streib.
WESTERN FRONT: A Ju 88A-4 belonging to 13./KG 30 crashed in Store Vildmosen moor near the road, killing the crew of four. The aircraft burst into flames on impact and set fire to the moor.
15 Mosquitoes attacked railway engine works at Nantes. Direct hits were scored and no aircraft were lost.
45 aircraft laid mines in the Frisian Islands and south of Texel and 21 aircraft dropped leaflets over French towns. 2 Wellingtons were lost, one each from the minelaying and leaflet dropping sorties.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
24 March 1943
GERMANY: 3 Mosquitoes shot up trains in areas east of the Ruhr without loss.
EASTERN FRONT: Lt. Erich Hartmann of 7./JG 52, during one of two missions that he flew for the day, tangled with Russian aircraft near Kerch in the Crimea. Shortly after noon, he downed a Russian U-2 to bring his score to 5 kills and earning him the Iron Cross-Second Class.
MEDITERRANEAN: Lt. Ferdinand Jahn of 9./JG 77 was killed in action against the Allies. He had destroyed a total of 8 enemy aircraft during his war career.
ENGLAND: A force of German raiders was scattered widely over seperated parts of Northern England. At North Shields considerable damage was done to property. The only casualty was one person seriously injured at High Heaton by AA fire. There was a fighter-bomber raid on Ashford, Kent. A total of 8 German aircraft - 3 Do 217Es and 5 Ju 88As - crashed this night, mostly flying into high ground. A Do 217E struck a hill at Twice Brewed Inn at Haltwhistle at 00:20 hours. The crew all perished. A Ju 88A, flying low, hit a hill at a shallow angle at Linhope Rigg near Powburn, Northumberland at 00:45 hours and again the crew all perished. Another D0 217E was shot down by AA fire and crashed at Madam Law Farm, Kirknewton. It appeared that the aircaft had come from a northerly direction, crashed into the side of Madam Law, near the top, riccocheted over the hill and came to rest in pieces on the southern side. Three of the four crew were thrown out of the plane and killed, the fourth was found dead inside the burnt wreckage.
NORTH AFRICA: Montgomery continued his attacks in Tunisia, sending the 4th Indian Division on a flank attack toward Ksar el Hallouf and Ben Zelten. It failed to dislodge the Axis forces.
GERMANY: 3 Mosquitoes shot up trains in areas east of the Ruhr without loss.
EASTERN FRONT: Lt. Erich Hartmann of 7./JG 52, during one of two missions that he flew for the day, tangled with Russian aircraft near Kerch in the Crimea. Shortly after noon, he downed a Russian U-2 to bring his score to 5 kills and earning him the Iron Cross-Second Class.
MEDITERRANEAN: Lt. Ferdinand Jahn of 9./JG 77 was killed in action against the Allies. He had destroyed a total of 8 enemy aircraft during his war career.
ENGLAND: A force of German raiders was scattered widely over seperated parts of Northern England. At North Shields considerable damage was done to property. The only casualty was one person seriously injured at High Heaton by AA fire. There was a fighter-bomber raid on Ashford, Kent. A total of 8 German aircraft - 3 Do 217Es and 5 Ju 88As - crashed this night, mostly flying into high ground. A Do 217E struck a hill at Twice Brewed Inn at Haltwhistle at 00:20 hours. The crew all perished. A Ju 88A, flying low, hit a hill at a shallow angle at Linhope Rigg near Powburn, Northumberland at 00:45 hours and again the crew all perished. Another D0 217E was shot down by AA fire and crashed at Madam Law Farm, Kirknewton. It appeared that the aircaft had come from a northerly direction, crashed into the side of Madam Law, near the top, riccocheted over the hill and came to rest in pieces on the southern side. Three of the four crew were thrown out of the plane and killed, the fourth was found dead inside the burnt wreckage.
NORTH AFRICA: Montgomery continued his attacks in Tunisia, sending the 4th Indian Division on a flank attack toward Ksar el Hallouf and Ben Zelten. It failed to dislodge the Axis forces.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
25 March 1943
EASTERN FRONT: Lt. Walter Nowotny of JG 54 scored his 79th victory with the destruction of a Soviet Spitfire from 26 GVIAP of the Leningrad Air Defense.
Herbert Kirnbauer of JG 52 was killed in action aganist the Soviets. He had destroyed only 8 enemy aircraft during his combat career.
A Ju 88D-1 from 4(F)./122 failed to return from a sortie to the P'ot'i-Bat'umi area of Georgia. Four crewmen went missing.
ENGLAND: The Luftwaffe flew a bombing mission over North Britain and Scotland and lost 10 aircraft. KG 2 lost 4 Do 217s, 3 crashing in the UK and one on the Continent, whilst KG 6 lost 6 Ju 88s including 2 missing over the North Sea. One Junkers Ju 88 of 1./KG 6 based at Deelen, Holland was chased by a Beaufighter from RAF No. 219 Sqdrn and hit Linhope Rig near Powburn in the early hours. Ofw. F. Lang and his 3 crew were all buried in Chevington Cemetary.
NORTH AFRICA: Pressure from the British 1st Armoured Division at Tebaga Gap and the US II Corps at Maknassy forced General von Arnim to withdraw from the Mareth Line.
Hptm. Fritz Schroter's III./SKG 10 moved its Fw 190As from Gabes-West to San Pietro at night and Bizerte and Djedeida during the day.
MEDITERRANEAN: Greek partisans succeeded in taking over Samos Island from the Itailian garrison.
EASTERN FRONT: Lt. Walter Nowotny of JG 54 scored his 79th victory with the destruction of a Soviet Spitfire from 26 GVIAP of the Leningrad Air Defense.
Herbert Kirnbauer of JG 52 was killed in action aganist the Soviets. He had destroyed only 8 enemy aircraft during his combat career.
A Ju 88D-1 from 4(F)./122 failed to return from a sortie to the P'ot'i-Bat'umi area of Georgia. Four crewmen went missing.
ENGLAND: The Luftwaffe flew a bombing mission over North Britain and Scotland and lost 10 aircraft. KG 2 lost 4 Do 217s, 3 crashing in the UK and one on the Continent, whilst KG 6 lost 6 Ju 88s including 2 missing over the North Sea. One Junkers Ju 88 of 1./KG 6 based at Deelen, Holland was chased by a Beaufighter from RAF No. 219 Sqdrn and hit Linhope Rig near Powburn in the early hours. Ofw. F. Lang and his 3 crew were all buried in Chevington Cemetary.
NORTH AFRICA: Pressure from the British 1st Armoured Division at Tebaga Gap and the US II Corps at Maknassy forced General von Arnim to withdraw from the Mareth Line.
Hptm. Fritz Schroter's III./SKG 10 moved its Fw 190As from Gabes-West to San Pietro at night and Bizerte and Djedeida during the day.
MEDITERRANEAN: Greek partisans succeeded in taking over Samos Island from the Itailian garrison.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
26 March 1943
GERMANY: 173 Wellingtons, 157 Lancasters, 114 Halifaxes, 9 Mosquitoes and 2 Stirlings attacked Duisburg. 6 aircraft were lost.
The Mosquito lost was the first Oboe Mosquito casualty. A message was received from the pilot, F/Lt L.J. Ackland, that he was having to ditch in the North Sea. His body was never found but his navigator, W/O F.S. Sprouts, is believed to have survived. This raid was one of the few failures of this series of attacks on Ruhr targets. It was a cloudy night and, for once, accurate Oboe sky-marking was lacking because 5 Oboe Mosquitoes were forced to return early with technical difficulties and a sixth was lost. The result was a widely scattered raid. The only details reported from Duisburg were 15 houses destroyed and 70 damaged with 11 people killed and 36 injured.
NORTH AFRICA: Montgomery took a leaf from the German book and staged what he called a "blitz attack" on the afternoon of 26 March, with the sun behind the British and shining in the eyes of the Axis troops and a dust storm blowing in their faces. As Freyberg's infantry and Horrock's armour moved toward the entrance of the Tebaga Gap, waves of 30 Allied bombers, paced 15 minutes apart, zeroed in on the Axis defenses in the valley passageway to El Hamma. The RAF plastered the German units holding the exits and smashed guns and equipment and paralyzed the 21.Panzerdivision. The bombing and strafing lasted 3 hours and when at dusk silence again settled in the valley, Freyberg's New Zealanders, bayonets at the ready, poked into the gap.
After the infantry led the way through the rim of the Axis defenses, it parted and let Horrock's armour slide through and push on toward El Hamma in the moonlight. As the 1,200 vehicles left the infantry behind and advanced on a single track, they passsed almost unchallenged through the encampment where part of the 21.Panzerdivision rested for the night. Even though the resistance was feeble, the progress of the gigantic column was agonizingly slow, impeded by frequent wadis. By dawn the Germans had been able to scrape up enough 88mm guns to establish an anti-tank screen at the exit of the valley, 3 miles from El Hamma. They opened up on the British 1st Armoured Division and stopped its advance, keeping Horrocks at bay for two days.
But Monty's "Left Hook" had done its job. Fearing that Horrocks might break through at any moment and attack thier rear in force, the Axis troops of the Mareth Line were compelled to retreat. They pulled out undercover of a sandstorm and withdrew northward along the coast, settling finally for another fight at Wadi Akarit, 15 miles north of the port of Gabes.
During the morning, a formation of 12 torpedo bombers constisting of 9 He 111s of I./KG 26 and 3 Ju 88s of III./KG 26 attacked convoy 'KMF 12' to the west of Alger, sinking the Dutch motor-ship 'Prinz Willem III'.
GERMANY: 173 Wellingtons, 157 Lancasters, 114 Halifaxes, 9 Mosquitoes and 2 Stirlings attacked Duisburg. 6 aircraft were lost.
The Mosquito lost was the first Oboe Mosquito casualty. A message was received from the pilot, F/Lt L.J. Ackland, that he was having to ditch in the North Sea. His body was never found but his navigator, W/O F.S. Sprouts, is believed to have survived. This raid was one of the few failures of this series of attacks on Ruhr targets. It was a cloudy night and, for once, accurate Oboe sky-marking was lacking because 5 Oboe Mosquitoes were forced to return early with technical difficulties and a sixth was lost. The result was a widely scattered raid. The only details reported from Duisburg were 15 houses destroyed and 70 damaged with 11 people killed and 36 injured.
NORTH AFRICA: Montgomery took a leaf from the German book and staged what he called a "blitz attack" on the afternoon of 26 March, with the sun behind the British and shining in the eyes of the Axis troops and a dust storm blowing in their faces. As Freyberg's infantry and Horrock's armour moved toward the entrance of the Tebaga Gap, waves of 30 Allied bombers, paced 15 minutes apart, zeroed in on the Axis defenses in the valley passageway to El Hamma. The RAF plastered the German units holding the exits and smashed guns and equipment and paralyzed the 21.Panzerdivision. The bombing and strafing lasted 3 hours and when at dusk silence again settled in the valley, Freyberg's New Zealanders, bayonets at the ready, poked into the gap.
After the infantry led the way through the rim of the Axis defenses, it parted and let Horrock's armour slide through and push on toward El Hamma in the moonlight. As the 1,200 vehicles left the infantry behind and advanced on a single track, they passsed almost unchallenged through the encampment where part of the 21.Panzerdivision rested for the night. Even though the resistance was feeble, the progress of the gigantic column was agonizingly slow, impeded by frequent wadis. By dawn the Germans had been able to scrape up enough 88mm guns to establish an anti-tank screen at the exit of the valley, 3 miles from El Hamma. They opened up on the British 1st Armoured Division and stopped its advance, keeping Horrocks at bay for two days.
But Monty's "Left Hook" had done its job. Fearing that Horrocks might break through at any moment and attack thier rear in force, the Axis troops of the Mareth Line were compelled to retreat. They pulled out undercover of a sandstorm and withdrew northward along the coast, settling finally for another fight at Wadi Akarit, 15 miles north of the port of Gabes.
During the morning, a formation of 12 torpedo bombers constisting of 9 He 111s of I./KG 26 and 3 Ju 88s of III./KG 26 attacked convoy 'KMF 12' to the west of Alger, sinking the Dutch motor-ship 'Prinz Willem III'.
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Hugh Spencer
Airman 1st Class
- 120
- Jan 11, 2008
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
27 March 1943
EASTERN FRONT: Near Byelgorod JG 52's Lt. Georg Schwientek shot down 2 LaGG-5s and 2 Il-2s and claimed another LaGG-5 but was denied the last kill giving him 4 kills for the day. Lt. Erich Hartmann of 7./JG 52 downed a Russian I-16 Rata near Anapa for his 6th kill.
GERMANY: Negotiations had begun between the RLM and Heinkel for some 300 He 280B-1 fighters, although the actual production was to be subcontracted to Siebel Flugzeugwerke as Heinkel had little surplus capacity. But revised estimates of the availability of the Jumo 004 dictated that both the He 280 and the Me 262 could not both be built. Development of the He 280 seemed to be going well, but further evaluation of the Me 262 demonstrated the superiority of the Messerschmitt aircraft and the RLM ordered all further development of the He 280 as an operational type to be abandoned. As the redesign work to adapt the He 280 to the Jumo engine had only just begun, the Me 262 was chosen as it was ready for production, merely waiting on its engines. The V-1, V-7 and V-8 prototypes were put to use as flying testbeds for a variety of engine and aerodynamic design projects. The V-1 was fitted with 4 Argus 014 pulse-jet engines (as fitted on the V-1 missile) but failed to complete a flight as the pilot was forced to eject when the tow line failed to separate (the pulse-jets didn't develop enough thrust for an unassisted take-off). The V-7 was completed as a glider and made a large number of flights investigating problems encountered in high-speed flight. The V-8 was fitted with a pair of Jumo 004B engines and a V-tail for 10 flights, after which the engines were removed and it was flown as a glider to continue the investigation into the aerodynamic qualities of the V-tail.
191 Lancasters, 124 Halifaxes and 81 Stirlings attacked BERLIN. 9 aircraft were lost. This raid was basically a failure. The bombing force approached the target from the south-west and the Pathfinders established two separate marking areas but both well short of the city. No bombing photographs were plotted within 5 miles of the aiming point in the centre of BERLIN and most of the bombing fell from 7 to 17 miles short of the aiming point. The BERLIN report confirms that damage in the city was not heavy although the bombing was slightly more widespread than the bombing photographs indicated. Only 16 houses were classed as completely destroyed but many further buildings including public utilities and factories suffered light damage. These were typical results in a scattered raid; the local fire services were able to contain fires quickly but 102 people were killed and 260 injured. The majority of these casualties occurred when two bombs at the Anhalter Station hit a military train bringing men on leave from the Russian Front. 80 soldiers were killed and 63 injured. Arno Abendroth states that the damage in BERLIN would have been heavier if approximately one quarter of the bombs dropped had not turned out to be 'duds'. "The English factories must have been under some stress," he writes. Further out from the city centre stray bombs hit several Luftwaffe establishments. 3 planes were destroyed and a flak position was hit at Templehof airfield. The flying school at Staaken airfield was damaged and a further 70 service personnel were killed or wounded. These casualties are in addition to those in BERLIN. The most interesting story concerns a secret Luftwaffe stores depot in the woods at Teltow, 11 miles south-west of the centre of BERLIN. By chance this was in the middle of the main concentration of bombs and a large quantity of valuable radio, radar and other technical stores was destroyed. The Luftwaffe decided that this depot was the true target for the RAF raid on this night and were full of admiration for the special unit which had found and bombed it so accurately. The Gestapo investigated houses nearby because someone reported that light signals had been flashed to the bombers.
5 Mosquitoes reached and bombed and engineering factory at Hengelo but 7 other Mosquitoes did not reach their targets. No losses.
NORTH AFRICA: Soldiers of the 2nd New Zealand Division broke through the Axis lines after an overnight attack which outflanked the German defenses now retreating from the Mareth Line 30 miles further east. The New Zealanders - 27,000 men and 200 tanks - attacked a gap in the hills at Tebaga. The 8th Armoured Brigade and the New Zealand infantry made up the advance wave, followed by the British 1st Armoured Divsion. Their movements were given some cover not only by the encroaching dusk but also by a sandstorm which obscured the vision of the anti-tank guns ranged to defend Tebaga. By daybreak the Allies had blasted through the gap, ensuring the ultimate breach of the Mareth Line. Montgomery had pushed back the Axis forces from two sides: the inland column established through Tebaga (the "Left Hook") and a direct coastal assault via Gabes (the "Right Hook"). Von Arnim planned to deploy tanks of the 15.Panzerdivision to hold off the Allies in order to allow his infantry time to retreat from the doomed Mareth Line to new defensive positions at Wadi Akarit. As Patton began anew attack near Foudouk, the British armour was stopped in front of El hamma as German infantry held the road open for retreating Axis forces. US 12th AF fighters attacked the German installations.
Another attack against convoy 'KMF 12' in the afternoon was made by 12 Italian S. 79 torpedo bombers of 89 and 105 Group and 8 He 111s of I./KG 26, guided by 2 Ju 88 bombers of III./KG 76. The British motor-ship 'Empire Rowan' was sunk in the Gulf of Philippeville by 3 aircraft of the Italian 105 Group along with 2 crews of 89 Group. An Italian aircraft failed to return to base from the mission being shot down by a Spitfire of RAF No. 43 Squadron. The Germans lost 3 aircraft, a He 111 of I./KG 26 and the 2 Ju 88s of II./KG 76 to Hurricanes and Spitfires of RAF No. 43 Sqdn and RAF No. 249 Sqdn.
.
WESTERN FRONT: Hptm. Heinz Bar's I./JG 77 moved from Fatnassa/Oudref to La Fauconnerie.
24 aircraft went minelaying in the Frisians and off Texel with no losses.
EASTERN FRONT: Near Byelgorod JG 52's Lt. Georg Schwientek shot down 2 LaGG-5s and 2 Il-2s and claimed another LaGG-5 but was denied the last kill giving him 4 kills for the day. Lt. Erich Hartmann of 7./JG 52 downed a Russian I-16 Rata near Anapa for his 6th kill.
GERMANY: Negotiations had begun between the RLM and Heinkel for some 300 He 280B-1 fighters, although the actual production was to be subcontracted to Siebel Flugzeugwerke as Heinkel had little surplus capacity. But revised estimates of the availability of the Jumo 004 dictated that both the He 280 and the Me 262 could not both be built. Development of the He 280 seemed to be going well, but further evaluation of the Me 262 demonstrated the superiority of the Messerschmitt aircraft and the RLM ordered all further development of the He 280 as an operational type to be abandoned. As the redesign work to adapt the He 280 to the Jumo engine had only just begun, the Me 262 was chosen as it was ready for production, merely waiting on its engines. The V-1, V-7 and V-8 prototypes were put to use as flying testbeds for a variety of engine and aerodynamic design projects. The V-1 was fitted with 4 Argus 014 pulse-jet engines (as fitted on the V-1 missile) but failed to complete a flight as the pilot was forced to eject when the tow line failed to separate (the pulse-jets didn't develop enough thrust for an unassisted take-off). The V-7 was completed as a glider and made a large number of flights investigating problems encountered in high-speed flight. The V-8 was fitted with a pair of Jumo 004B engines and a V-tail for 10 flights, after which the engines were removed and it was flown as a glider to continue the investigation into the aerodynamic qualities of the V-tail.
191 Lancasters, 124 Halifaxes and 81 Stirlings attacked BERLIN. 9 aircraft were lost. This raid was basically a failure. The bombing force approached the target from the south-west and the Pathfinders established two separate marking areas but both well short of the city. No bombing photographs were plotted within 5 miles of the aiming point in the centre of BERLIN and most of the bombing fell from 7 to 17 miles short of the aiming point. The BERLIN report confirms that damage in the city was not heavy although the bombing was slightly more widespread than the bombing photographs indicated. Only 16 houses were classed as completely destroyed but many further buildings including public utilities and factories suffered light damage. These were typical results in a scattered raid; the local fire services were able to contain fires quickly but 102 people were killed and 260 injured. The majority of these casualties occurred when two bombs at the Anhalter Station hit a military train bringing men on leave from the Russian Front. 80 soldiers were killed and 63 injured. Arno Abendroth states that the damage in BERLIN would have been heavier if approximately one quarter of the bombs dropped had not turned out to be 'duds'. "The English factories must have been under some stress," he writes. Further out from the city centre stray bombs hit several Luftwaffe establishments. 3 planes were destroyed and a flak position was hit at Templehof airfield. The flying school at Staaken airfield was damaged and a further 70 service personnel were killed or wounded. These casualties are in addition to those in BERLIN. The most interesting story concerns a secret Luftwaffe stores depot in the woods at Teltow, 11 miles south-west of the centre of BERLIN. By chance this was in the middle of the main concentration of bombs and a large quantity of valuable radio, radar and other technical stores was destroyed. The Luftwaffe decided that this depot was the true target for the RAF raid on this night and were full of admiration for the special unit which had found and bombed it so accurately. The Gestapo investigated houses nearby because someone reported that light signals had been flashed to the bombers.
5 Mosquitoes reached and bombed and engineering factory at Hengelo but 7 other Mosquitoes did not reach their targets. No losses.
NORTH AFRICA: Soldiers of the 2nd New Zealand Division broke through the Axis lines after an overnight attack which outflanked the German defenses now retreating from the Mareth Line 30 miles further east. The New Zealanders - 27,000 men and 200 tanks - attacked a gap in the hills at Tebaga. The 8th Armoured Brigade and the New Zealand infantry made up the advance wave, followed by the British 1st Armoured Divsion. Their movements were given some cover not only by the encroaching dusk but also by a sandstorm which obscured the vision of the anti-tank guns ranged to defend Tebaga. By daybreak the Allies had blasted through the gap, ensuring the ultimate breach of the Mareth Line. Montgomery had pushed back the Axis forces from two sides: the inland column established through Tebaga (the "Left Hook") and a direct coastal assault via Gabes (the "Right Hook"). Von Arnim planned to deploy tanks of the 15.Panzerdivision to hold off the Allies in order to allow his infantry time to retreat from the doomed Mareth Line to new defensive positions at Wadi Akarit. As Patton began anew attack near Foudouk, the British armour was stopped in front of El hamma as German infantry held the road open for retreating Axis forces. US 12th AF fighters attacked the German installations.
Another attack against convoy 'KMF 12' in the afternoon was made by 12 Italian S. 79 torpedo bombers of 89 and 105 Group and 8 He 111s of I./KG 26, guided by 2 Ju 88 bombers of III./KG 76. The British motor-ship 'Empire Rowan' was sunk in the Gulf of Philippeville by 3 aircraft of the Italian 105 Group along with 2 crews of 89 Group. An Italian aircraft failed to return to base from the mission being shot down by a Spitfire of RAF No. 43 Squadron. The Germans lost 3 aircraft, a He 111 of I./KG 26 and the 2 Ju 88s of II./KG 76 to Hurricanes and Spitfires of RAF No. 43 Sqdn and RAF No. 249 Sqdn.
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WESTERN FRONT: Hptm. Heinz Bar's I./JG 77 moved from Fatnassa/Oudref to La Fauconnerie.
24 aircraft went minelaying in the Frisians and off Texel with no losses.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
28 March 1943
WESTERN FRONT: Shortly after noon, 103 B-17s and 24 B-24s were sent to bomb the Rouen marshaling yards. Bad weather caused the Liberators to return to base, leaving the Fortresses to carry on alone. After the escorting RAF Spitfires failed to rendezvous with the bombers, the B-17s began flying a triangular pattern over the Channel, allowing the fighters of II./JG 26 and 12./JG 2 to intercept the formation. When the Spitfires finally arrived, they were too low on fuel and had to return to their airbases leaving the B-17s alone to the Luftwaffe. The German fighters tore into the bomber formation. 9 B-17s were badly damaged and one was shot down by Lt. Georg-Peter Eder of 12./JG 2. But Lt. Eder was injured by return fire from the American bombers and crash-landed his Bf 109 at Beaumont-Le Roger airfield.
24 Venturas, escorted by fighters, bombed Rotterdam docks and hit at least 6 ships and started a fire in a dockside warehouse. No planes were lost.
6 Mosquitoes were dispatched to attack a railway yard near Liege but 2 aircraft were shot down and the remaining 4 bombed an alternative target.
179 Wellingtons, 52 Halifaxes, 50 Lancasters, 35 Stirlings and 7 Mosquitoes attacked St Nazaire. 2 aircraft were lost. This Oboe marked attack fell mainly in the port area.
7 aircraft laid mines off St Nazaire with no losses.
NORTH AFRICA: British 8th Army forces completed the capture of the Mareth Line as Free French forces operating in southern Tunisia cleared several towns. 9th AF P-40s supported ground forces in eastern Tunisia while 12th AF aircraft supported ground forces in western Tunisia.
Anxious to move beyond El Guettar, Patton planned a two division attack to the sea that would divide enemy forces. The now experienced US 1st Infantry Division would advance on the north. On the south Major General Manton S. Eddy's 9th Infantry Division would make its first attack as a unit. The 9th would also be making its first attack at night, a difficult tactic in the easiest terrain and in the rocky hills east of El Guettar probably impossible for a unit with only 5 months experience. When the attack began before dawn, 3 battalions of the 9th soon became lost, and 2 remained out of touch for 36 hours. On the left the 1st Infantry Division made faster progress but was unable to push too far ahead of Eddy's men without inviting envelopment. Soon both divisions were exhausting themselves against enemy units dug into rock-face positions with interlocking fields of fire.
Hptm. Heinz Bar, Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 77, was promoted to Major.
WESTERN FRONT: Shortly after noon, 103 B-17s and 24 B-24s were sent to bomb the Rouen marshaling yards. Bad weather caused the Liberators to return to base, leaving the Fortresses to carry on alone. After the escorting RAF Spitfires failed to rendezvous with the bombers, the B-17s began flying a triangular pattern over the Channel, allowing the fighters of II./JG 26 and 12./JG 2 to intercept the formation. When the Spitfires finally arrived, they were too low on fuel and had to return to their airbases leaving the B-17s alone to the Luftwaffe. The German fighters tore into the bomber formation. 9 B-17s were badly damaged and one was shot down by Lt. Georg-Peter Eder of 12./JG 2. But Lt. Eder was injured by return fire from the American bombers and crash-landed his Bf 109 at Beaumont-Le Roger airfield.
24 Venturas, escorted by fighters, bombed Rotterdam docks and hit at least 6 ships and started a fire in a dockside warehouse. No planes were lost.
6 Mosquitoes were dispatched to attack a railway yard near Liege but 2 aircraft were shot down and the remaining 4 bombed an alternative target.
179 Wellingtons, 52 Halifaxes, 50 Lancasters, 35 Stirlings and 7 Mosquitoes attacked St Nazaire. 2 aircraft were lost. This Oboe marked attack fell mainly in the port area.
7 aircraft laid mines off St Nazaire with no losses.
NORTH AFRICA: British 8th Army forces completed the capture of the Mareth Line as Free French forces operating in southern Tunisia cleared several towns. 9th AF P-40s supported ground forces in eastern Tunisia while 12th AF aircraft supported ground forces in western Tunisia.
Anxious to move beyond El Guettar, Patton planned a two division attack to the sea that would divide enemy forces. The now experienced US 1st Infantry Division would advance on the north. On the south Major General Manton S. Eddy's 9th Infantry Division would make its first attack as a unit. The 9th would also be making its first attack at night, a difficult tactic in the easiest terrain and in the rocky hills east of El Guettar probably impossible for a unit with only 5 months experience. When the attack began before dawn, 3 battalions of the 9th soon became lost, and 2 remained out of touch for 36 hours. On the left the 1st Infantry Division made faster progress but was unable to push too far ahead of Eddy's men without inviting envelopment. Soon both divisions were exhausting themselves against enemy units dug into rock-face positions with interlocking fields of fire.
Hptm. Heinz Bar, Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 77, was promoted to Major.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
29 March 1943
NORTH AFRICA: The last Axis troops reached Wadi Akarit. With the Wadi Akarit line fully manned, the New Zealanders entered Gabes. The new Axis defense was a strong natural barrier but preparations for the line were poor and the forces to defend it depleted. El Hamma was finally occupied by British forces. 9th AF B-25s and P-40s attacked an airfield and supported British ground troops.
MEDITERRANEAN: 9./JG 53 moved to Monserrato / Sardinia.
GERMANY: 162 Lancasters, 103 Halifaxes and 64 Stirlings attacked BERLIN. 21 aircraft were lost. Weather conditions were difficult with icing and inaccurately forecast winds. The marking for the raid appeared to be concentrated but in a position which was too far south and the Main Force arrived late. Most of the bombs fell in open country 6 miles southeast of BERLIN. German records say that 148 people were killed in BERLIN and 148 buildings were totally destroyed but there is some doubt about the accuracy of these figures.
8 Oboe Mosquitoes and a Main Force of 149 Wellingtons attacked Bochum. 12 aircraft were lost. This raid was another failure. The night was moonless and cloudy. The Mosquitoes were not able to adhere to their timetable and there were long gaps in the sky-marking. Local records say that only 4 buildings in Bochum were destroyed and 35 were damaged with 28 people being killed.
WESTERN FRONT: 61 Venturas flew 2 raids to Rotterdam docks and 1 to a railway target at Abbeville but the weather was unfavorable and only the bombing on the second raid to Rotterdam was accurate. No losses.
1 Mosquito went to Dortmund and 7 Stirlings laid mines in the Frisians without loss.
NORTH AFRICA: The last Axis troops reached Wadi Akarit. With the Wadi Akarit line fully manned, the New Zealanders entered Gabes. The new Axis defense was a strong natural barrier but preparations for the line were poor and the forces to defend it depleted. El Hamma was finally occupied by British forces. 9th AF B-25s and P-40s attacked an airfield and supported British ground troops.
MEDITERRANEAN: 9./JG 53 moved to Monserrato / Sardinia.
GERMANY: 162 Lancasters, 103 Halifaxes and 64 Stirlings attacked BERLIN. 21 aircraft were lost. Weather conditions were difficult with icing and inaccurately forecast winds. The marking for the raid appeared to be concentrated but in a position which was too far south and the Main Force arrived late. Most of the bombs fell in open country 6 miles southeast of BERLIN. German records say that 148 people were killed in BERLIN and 148 buildings were totally destroyed but there is some doubt about the accuracy of these figures.
8 Oboe Mosquitoes and a Main Force of 149 Wellingtons attacked Bochum. 12 aircraft were lost. This raid was another failure. The night was moonless and cloudy. The Mosquitoes were not able to adhere to their timetable and there were long gaps in the sky-marking. Local records say that only 4 buildings in Bochum were destroyed and 35 were damaged with 28 people being killed.
WESTERN FRONT: 61 Venturas flew 2 raids to Rotterdam docks and 1 to a railway target at Abbeville but the weather was unfavorable and only the bombing on the second raid to Rotterdam was accurate. No losses.
1 Mosquito went to Dortmund and 7 Stirlings laid mines in the Frisians without loss.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
30 March 1943
NORTH AFRICA: Allied troops of the British Eighth Army moved up to the new German defensive line at Wadi Akarit. The 10 day battle to breach the Axis defenses of the Mareth Line was over, with Montgomery a decisive victor in his first confrontation with the new German commander, General von Arnim. The movement of so many men and tanks in darkness was a move previously favoured by Rommel but not the Allies. Another tactic deployed to a greater extent than was customary for the Allies was the use of air power to support attacking land forces. Forward air-controllers were in the front line of the Tebaga attack, using radio to direct Spitfires and other aircraft to attack tanks and enemy defenses. The land forces advanced behind an aerial barrage of cannon fire and bombs from fighter-bombers flying over them in 15 minute relays. Some 6,000 Axis soldiers - mostly Italian - were taken prisoner. But although most of the Mareth Line defenders escaped, they had little time to prepare new defenses against the inevitable next move by Monty's desert soldiers.
Further northwest, frustrated at the pace of the American infantry attack, General Alexander directed Patton to send an armoured column on a quick thrust to Gabes, the seaport whose possession would complete the division of Axis forces. Patton sent a task force ahead at noon, but in 3 days it made little progress and lost 13 tanks. The task force was halted, and the emphasis returned to the infantry struggling in the hills.
After a stay of a few days, Major Heinz Bar's I./JG 77 moved from La Fauconnerie to Bou Thadi.
EASTERN FRONT: Stalin was informed that the Murmansk convoys were being suspended due to the losses sustained by the merchant ships.
WESTERN FRONT: 10 Mosquitoes bombed the Philips works at Eindhoven but could only hit the corner of the factory. No losses.
NORTH AFRICA: Allied troops of the British Eighth Army moved up to the new German defensive line at Wadi Akarit. The 10 day battle to breach the Axis defenses of the Mareth Line was over, with Montgomery a decisive victor in his first confrontation with the new German commander, General von Arnim. The movement of so many men and tanks in darkness was a move previously favoured by Rommel but not the Allies. Another tactic deployed to a greater extent than was customary for the Allies was the use of air power to support attacking land forces. Forward air-controllers were in the front line of the Tebaga attack, using radio to direct Spitfires and other aircraft to attack tanks and enemy defenses. The land forces advanced behind an aerial barrage of cannon fire and bombs from fighter-bombers flying over them in 15 minute relays. Some 6,000 Axis soldiers - mostly Italian - were taken prisoner. But although most of the Mareth Line defenders escaped, they had little time to prepare new defenses against the inevitable next move by Monty's desert soldiers.
Further northwest, frustrated at the pace of the American infantry attack, General Alexander directed Patton to send an armoured column on a quick thrust to Gabes, the seaport whose possession would complete the division of Axis forces. Patton sent a task force ahead at noon, but in 3 days it made little progress and lost 13 tanks. The task force was halted, and the emphasis returned to the infantry struggling in the hills.
After a stay of a few days, Major Heinz Bar's I./JG 77 moved from La Fauconnerie to Bou Thadi.
EASTERN FRONT: Stalin was informed that the Murmansk convoys were being suspended due to the losses sustained by the merchant ships.
WESTERN FRONT: 10 Mosquitoes bombed the Philips works at Eindhoven but could only hit the corner of the factory. No losses.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
31 March 1943
WESTERN FRONT: The shipyards at Rotterdam were bombed by the Us 8th AF. 78 B-17s and 24 B-24s were dispatched. The US had trouble as only 33 B-17s of the 303rd and 305th BG (Heavy) bombed the target. A formation of B-24s on the way to Rotterdam were blown off course by high winds which forced the formation to change course numerous times. The changes were so bad that 4 of the 6 bomber groups aborted the mission. The remaining B-17s were met by Fw 190s from JG 26. Fw. Peter Crump explained the action;
At JG 1 Hptm Gunther Beise gave up his position as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 1. At III./JG 1, Major Walter Spies gave up his position as Gruppenkommandeur to Major Karl-Heinz Lessmann. Oblt. Dr. Erich Mix gave up his position as Geschwaderkommodore of JG 1, performing Reichsverteidigung duties in Germany. Several Geschwaderkommodoren of the Kampfgeschwader also lost their positions. At KG 53, Oblt. Pockrandt was made Geschwaderkommodore in place of Oberst Wilke. Oblt. freiherr zu Eisenbach was given command of KG 54 in place of Oblt. Marienfeld.
EASTERN FRONT: Attacks against the German 17.Armee in the Kuban peninsula resulted in the fall of Anastasyevsk, north of Novorossiisk, to the advancing Soviet forces. Oberst Kurt Kuhlmey, Gruppenkommandeur of II./SG 3 was made Geschwaderkommodore of Stukageschwader 3, seeing action on the Eastern Front and in the Crimea.
Major Hubertus von Bonin's III./JG 52 moved from Kertsch IV to Taman.
GERMANY: Major-General Peltz of the Luftwaffe, was appointed Angriffsfuhrer England, in charge of bombing raids against the British Isles.
NORTH AFRICA: Cap Serrat was occupied by the British. Hptm. Adolf Dickfeld, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 2 gave up his command in North Africa to transfer to a new unit forming in Germany.
MEDITERRANEAN: A large US AF bombing force attacked the Axis air base and transit port of Cagliari, Sardinia.
UNITED KINGDOM: Approximately 1056 RAF Bomber Command aircrew were lost in March, either killed or POW.Major Hubertus von Bonin's III./JG 52 moved from Kertsch IV to Taman.
GERMANY: Major-General Peltz of the Luftwaffe, was appointed Angriffsfuhrer England, in charge of bombing raids against the British Isles.
NORTH AFRICA: Cap Serrat was occupied by the British. Hptm. Adolf Dickfeld, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 2 gave up his command in North Africa to transfer to a new unit forming in Germany.
MEDITERRANEAN: A large US AF bombing force attacked the Axis air base and transit port of Cagliari, Sardinia.
WESTERN FRONT: The shipyards at Rotterdam were bombed by the Us 8th AF. 78 B-17s and 24 B-24s were dispatched. The US had trouble as only 33 B-17s of the 303rd and 305th BG (Heavy) bombed the target. A formation of B-24s on the way to Rotterdam were blown off course by high winds which forced the formation to change course numerous times. The changes were so bad that 4 of the 6 bomber groups aborted the mission. The remaining B-17s were met by Fw 190s from JG 26. Fw. Peter Crump explained the action;
Only 2 bombers were lost, one shot down by Fw. Crump and another by Oblt. Stammberger of 4./JG 26 off Ostend. Two other bombers were destroyed in a mid-air collision.
At JG 1 Hptm Gunther Beise gave up his position as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 1. At III./JG 1, Major Walter Spies gave up his position as Gruppenkommandeur to Major Karl-Heinz Lessmann. Oblt. Dr. Erich Mix gave up his position as Geschwaderkommodore of JG 1, performing Reichsverteidigung duties in Germany. Several Geschwaderkommodoren of the Kampfgeschwader also lost their positions. At KG 53, Oblt. Pockrandt was made Geschwaderkommodore in place of Oberst Wilke. Oblt. freiherr zu Eisenbach was given command of KG 54 in place of Oblt. Marienfeld.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
1 April 1943
ATLANTIC OCEAN: British coastal fighters and torpedo planes engaged the Italian blockade runner 'Pietro Orseolo' off the coast of Spain. Escorting German destroyers destroyed 5 of the attacking aircraft but the US submarine 'Shad' hit the Italian ship with a torpedo causing substantial damage.
EASTERN FRONT: Auschwitz-Birkenau: With the opening of the second of four spanking-new crematoria here today, the camp's capacity to process human beings into ashes has taken another step forward. The
extermination of Jews and Gypsies on such a scale brings a new problem: how to dispose of their belongings? In order to maintain the illusion that they are to be resettled, deportees are allowed to take a bundle of clothes or a small suitcase of belongings each. When they arrive, and undergo the selection that sends most of them straight to the gas chamber, they must drop everything. A special corner of the camp, called Canada, is full of privileged prisoners whose task is to sort the goods into piles. In the middle of the yard are two enormous mountains, one of blankets, and one of suitcases and knapsacks. Prisoners sort clothing into piles; the yellow stars will be taken off, the bloodstains cleaned up and the old clothes shipped to the Reich for distribution to the German needy. To the right, hundreds of prams; to the left, thousands of pots and pans. All around are huts filled to the rafters with shaving brushes, spectacles, dentures, corsets, wigs, false limbs, shoes, handkerchiefs; the pitiful residue of lives cruelly terminated in a cloud of poison gas. The children's toys, bottles, dummies and tiny clothes bear mute testimony to the slaughter of the innocents. Money and valuables - mainly watches, jewelry, and currency - are set aside and sent to the Reichsbank. This includes the few diamonds squeezed out of toothpaste tubes where hopeful deportees hid them, and gold teeth and fillings wrenched from the mouths of corpses before cremation.
WESTERN FRONT: Jagdfliegerfuhrer 4 was formed in northern France for Luftflotte 3. Among its members were Major Gerhard Schopfel, Operations Officer and Obstlt. Dr. Erich Mix, formerly of JG 1. Obstlt. Joachim-Friedrich Huth was appointed Jagdfliegerfuhrer. The HQ of Jafu 4 was initially located in a monastery in Rennes.
The growing might of the Allies had forced the Luftwaffe to increase its fighter units and a new Geschwader, JG 11, was formed at Jever from a poaching of Bf 109s from I./JG 1 and Fw 190s from III./JG 1, becoming II./JG 11 and I./JG 11 respectively. To this organization was added a new Bf 109 equipped II./JG 11 and a Geschwaderstab under Geschwaderkommodore Major Anton Mader from II./JG 77. Having formed this new unit, JG 11 was based in an arc stretching on the north German plain between the Dutch and Danish borders. I./JG 11 was divided between Aalborg-West (Denmark) and Lister (Norway). II./JG 11 was initially divided between Borkum (4./JG 11), Jever (Stab.II and 5./JG 11) and Wangerooge (6./JG 11), but all were united at Jever during April. The Gruppenkommandeurs were Major Walter Spies for I./JG 11, Hptm. Gunther Beise of II./JG 11 and Hptm. Ernst-Gunther Heinze for III./JG 11. In place of Major Mader, Major Siefried Freytag was posted as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77.
Hptm. Hans Philipp of I./JG 54 was transferred to Reichsvertiedigung duties as Geschwaderkommodore of JG 1 in place of the recently departed Obstlt. Dr. Erich Mix. But Hptm. Philipp was in command of a depleted air unit. The remaining units of JG 1 were reformed at Deelen. IV./JG 1 became I./JG 1 led by Major Fritz Losigkeit and III./JG 1 led by the newly appointed Major Karl-Heinz Leesmann.
Back in August 1942, the General der Nachtjagd, Josef Kammhuber, had urged the aircraft manufacturer Ernst Heinkel to produce enough of the new He 219 'Uhu' nightfighters to equip an operational Gruppe by 1 April 1943. By this date Heinkel had only 5 prototypes available. A small batch of preproduction He 219A-Os were nevertheless delivered to I./NJG 1 at Venlo.
In early April, the Fliegerfuhrer Atlantik Generalluetnant Ulrich Kessler, requested that patrols be flown by auxillary tank equipped Fw 190s to the area southwest of Cornwall, England, where Coastal Command aircraft could be expected to fly.
12 Mosquitoes bombed a power station and railways yards at Trier. Both targets were hit. A local report says that 21 people were killed in the attack but gives no other detail. No planes were lost.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: British coastal fighters and torpedo planes engaged the Italian blockade runner 'Pietro Orseolo' off the coast of Spain. Escorting German destroyers destroyed 5 of the attacking aircraft but the US submarine 'Shad' hit the Italian ship with a torpedo causing substantial damage.
EASTERN FRONT: Auschwitz-Birkenau: With the opening of the second of four spanking-new crematoria here today, the camp's capacity to process human beings into ashes has taken another step forward. The
extermination of Jews and Gypsies on such a scale brings a new problem: how to dispose of their belongings? In order to maintain the illusion that they are to be resettled, deportees are allowed to take a bundle of clothes or a small suitcase of belongings each. When they arrive, and undergo the selection that sends most of them straight to the gas chamber, they must drop everything. A special corner of the camp, called Canada, is full of privileged prisoners whose task is to sort the goods into piles. In the middle of the yard are two enormous mountains, one of blankets, and one of suitcases and knapsacks. Prisoners sort clothing into piles; the yellow stars will be taken off, the bloodstains cleaned up and the old clothes shipped to the Reich for distribution to the German needy. To the right, hundreds of prams; to the left, thousands of pots and pans. All around are huts filled to the rafters with shaving brushes, spectacles, dentures, corsets, wigs, false limbs, shoes, handkerchiefs; the pitiful residue of lives cruelly terminated in a cloud of poison gas. The children's toys, bottles, dummies and tiny clothes bear mute testimony to the slaughter of the innocents. Money and valuables - mainly watches, jewelry, and currency - are set aside and sent to the Reichsbank. This includes the few diamonds squeezed out of toothpaste tubes where hopeful deportees hid them, and gold teeth and fillings wrenched from the mouths of corpses before cremation.
GERMANY: The prototype Blohm and Voss Bv 222V-7 made its maiden flight. This aircraft was different from its predecessors in having 6 980hp Jumo 207C diesels in place of BMW engines. It had an increased armament and provision for rocket-assisted take-off.
Early in the morning, an RAF Lancaster tried to repeat the British success of 20 March 1943 by raiding into Germany alone. The lone Lancaster of RAF No. 103 Sqdrn was again piloted by S/L C. O'Donoghue and set out to bomb the town of Emmerich just over the German border. But this time the bomber was met by Obfw. Fritz Timm of 3./JG 1 who shot down the bomber for one of the few Lancaster kills achieved by the Geschwader. The Lancaster went down over Holland and the entire crew was killed.
Major-General Peltz of the Luftwaffe is appointed Angriffsfhrer England, in charge of bombing raids against England. With the whole country now geared up for "total war", the armaments industry accounts for a massive 70% of Germany's national product. Since 1939, production of arms and equipment has quadrupled. Overall industrial production has risen by only 12%. The National Socialist government says that recovery from the appalling losses of the Wehrmacht in the USSR will be made on a rising tide of new weaponry, although male armaments workers are being sent to replace their dead countrymen at the front. All businesses that are not essential to the war effort have been closed. Agricultural production has fallen severely as farmhands are siphoned off to the war industries and fertilizers are increasingly hard to come by. Even production of the much-praised potato has dropped, and it is now illegal to feed potatoes to livestock. But the economy would be in a far worse state if it were not for the National Socialists' systematic exploitation of the occupied countries' resources and labour. Nearly one-fifth of the food consumed in Germany comes from abroad.
At Rastenburg, Hitler meets Bulgaria's King Boris III for consultations.
NORTH AFRICA: During the night RAf Wellingtons of the NAAF bombed the Bizerte docks and Karouba Bay seaplane base. During the day, A-20s bombed La Fauconnerie and El Djem airfields. Fighters carrying out recon missions over wide areas of Tunisia, attacked motor transports, tanks and guns in the Sidi Mansour-Djebel Tebaga areas. British medium and light bombers along with fighters hit gunpositions north of Oued el Akarit and hit the Sfax-El Maou airfield, hitting parked planes and AA batteries.
Major Thyng of the US 309th FS / 31st FG destroyed a Bf 109. Lt. Kelly also claimed a Bf 109 however Lts. Juhnke and Strole were both killed.
JG 77 gained an emblem when the unit was given a Geschwader badge and the name 'Herz-As' or Ace of Hearts.
NORWAY: Soviet troops occupy Anastasyevsk, north of Novorossiisk. The Soviet Navy records 1 submarine loss during the month that is not listed by day: S-54 Northern Fleet off coast of Norway (mined off Norwegian coast)
Early in the morning, an RAF Lancaster tried to repeat the British success of 20 March 1943 by raiding into Germany alone. The lone Lancaster of RAF No. 103 Sqdrn was again piloted by S/L C. O'Donoghue and set out to bomb the town of Emmerich just over the German border. But this time the bomber was met by Obfw. Fritz Timm of 3./JG 1 who shot down the bomber for one of the few Lancaster kills achieved by the Geschwader. The Lancaster went down over Holland and the entire crew was killed.
Major-General Peltz of the Luftwaffe is appointed Angriffsfhrer England, in charge of bombing raids against England. With the whole country now geared up for "total war", the armaments industry accounts for a massive 70% of Germany's national product. Since 1939, production of arms and equipment has quadrupled. Overall industrial production has risen by only 12%. The National Socialist government says that recovery from the appalling losses of the Wehrmacht in the USSR will be made on a rising tide of new weaponry, although male armaments workers are being sent to replace their dead countrymen at the front. All businesses that are not essential to the war effort have been closed. Agricultural production has fallen severely as farmhands are siphoned off to the war industries and fertilizers are increasingly hard to come by. Even production of the much-praised potato has dropped, and it is now illegal to feed potatoes to livestock. But the economy would be in a far worse state if it were not for the National Socialists' systematic exploitation of the occupied countries' resources and labour. Nearly one-fifth of the food consumed in Germany comes from abroad.
At Rastenburg, Hitler meets Bulgaria's King Boris III for consultations.
NORTH AFRICA: During the night RAf Wellingtons of the NAAF bombed the Bizerte docks and Karouba Bay seaplane base. During the day, A-20s bombed La Fauconnerie and El Djem airfields. Fighters carrying out recon missions over wide areas of Tunisia, attacked motor transports, tanks and guns in the Sidi Mansour-Djebel Tebaga areas. British medium and light bombers along with fighters hit gunpositions north of Oued el Akarit and hit the Sfax-El Maou airfield, hitting parked planes and AA batteries.
Major Thyng of the US 309th FS / 31st FG destroyed a Bf 109. Lt. Kelly also claimed a Bf 109 however Lts. Juhnke and Strole were both killed.
JG 77 gained an emblem when the unit was given a Geschwader badge and the name 'Herz-As' or Ace of Hearts.
NORWAY: Soviet troops occupy Anastasyevsk, north of Novorossiisk. The Soviet Navy records 1 submarine loss during the month that is not listed by day: S-54 Northern Fleet off coast of Norway (mined off Norwegian coast)
WESTERN FRONT: Jagdfliegerfuhrer 4 was formed in northern France for Luftflotte 3. Among its members were Major Gerhard Schopfel, Operations Officer and Obstlt. Dr. Erich Mix, formerly of JG 1. Obstlt. Joachim-Friedrich Huth was appointed Jagdfliegerfuhrer. The HQ of Jafu 4 was initially located in a monastery in Rennes.
The growing might of the Allies had forced the Luftwaffe to increase its fighter units and a new Geschwader, JG 11, was formed at Jever from a poaching of Bf 109s from I./JG 1 and Fw 190s from III./JG 1, becoming II./JG 11 and I./JG 11 respectively. To this organization was added a new Bf 109 equipped II./JG 11 and a Geschwaderstab under Geschwaderkommodore Major Anton Mader from II./JG 77. Having formed this new unit, JG 11 was based in an arc stretching on the north German plain between the Dutch and Danish borders. I./JG 11 was divided between Aalborg-West (Denmark) and Lister (Norway). II./JG 11 was initially divided between Borkum (4./JG 11), Jever (Stab.II and 5./JG 11) and Wangerooge (6./JG 11), but all were united at Jever during April. The Gruppenkommandeurs were Major Walter Spies for I./JG 11, Hptm. Gunther Beise of II./JG 11 and Hptm. Ernst-Gunther Heinze for III./JG 11. In place of Major Mader, Major Siefried Freytag was posted as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77.
Hptm. Hans Philipp of I./JG 54 was transferred to Reichsvertiedigung duties as Geschwaderkommodore of JG 1 in place of the recently departed Obstlt. Dr. Erich Mix. But Hptm. Philipp was in command of a depleted air unit. The remaining units of JG 1 were reformed at Deelen. IV./JG 1 became I./JG 1 led by Major Fritz Losigkeit and III./JG 1 led by the newly appointed Major Karl-Heinz Leesmann.
Back in August 1942, the General der Nachtjagd, Josef Kammhuber, had urged the aircraft manufacturer Ernst Heinkel to produce enough of the new He 219 'Uhu' nightfighters to equip an operational Gruppe by 1 April 1943. By this date Heinkel had only 5 prototypes available. A small batch of preproduction He 219A-Os were nevertheless delivered to I./NJG 1 at Venlo.
In early April, the Fliegerfuhrer Atlantik Generalluetnant Ulrich Kessler, requested that patrols be flown by auxillary tank equipped Fw 190s to the area southwest of Cornwall, England, where Coastal Command aircraft could be expected to fly.
12 Mosquitoes bombed a power station and railways yards at Trier. Both targets were hit. A local report says that 21 people were killed in the attack but gives no other detail. No planes were lost.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
2 April 1943
ATLANTIC OCEAN: 'U-124' on passage to the Freetown area encountered the UK/West Africa convoy 'OS45' to the west of Portugal. Two merchant ships were sunk, but she was attacked by the sloop 'Black Swan' and the corvette 'Stonecrop' of the 37th EG and sunk in turn.
EASTERN FRONT: Moscow claimed that 850,000 Germans died in the winter campaign.
GERMANY: The commander of Luftwaffenkommando Ost, Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim, was awarded the Eichenlaub.
MEDITERRANEAN: During the night, RAF Liberators of the 9th AF bombed the ferry terminal at Messina and the airfield at Crotone. During the day two 9th AF B-24s on a special mission, bombed the ferry terminals at Messina and Villa San Giovanni. 27 B-24s sent against Naples found the target totally obscured by clouds. 9 machines bombed the area through overcast and 3 bombed Augusta and Crotone. 24 9th AF B-24s sent to attack Palermo aborted because of heavy clouds over the target.
1(F)./122 received 6 Bf 109G-4/R3s with orders to base them at Elmas, since this was the only airfield on Sardinia that had a runway long enough for Bf 109 photo recon variants outfitted with auxiliary fuel tanks.
NORTH AFRICA: US 9th AF P-40s flew 9 armed recon and 6 fighter-bomber and escort missions. NAAF B-25s and A-20s bombed the airfield at La Fauconnerie.
6./JG 77 lost a Bf 109 in an air combat with a P-40, north of Gabes, 4./JG 77 lost one Bf 109 in combat with Bostons and Spitfires over La Fauconnerie and 3./JG 77 lost one Bf 109 after combat with a P-40 near gabes in the evening.
UNITED KINGDOM: Today was the first sortie of the newly formed 1409 (Meteorological) Flight, based at Oakington. One Mosquito, crewed by Flight Lieutenant P. Cunliffe-Lister and Sergeant J. Boyle, made a weather reconnaissance flight to Brittany in preparation for the Bomber Command raids to be carried out in the coming night. The Mosquito returned safely. 1409 Flight operated until the end of the war, flying 1364 sorties on 632 days. Only 3 Mosquitoes were lost during this period. Although all these sorties were under Bomber Command control, it was not practicable to list every sortie in the Bomber Command War Diaries.
WESTERN FRONT: 55 mixed aircraft went to St Nazaire and 47 to Lorient in the last raids on these French ports. Bomber Command was released from the obligation to bomb these targets 3 days later. 1 Lancaster was lost from the St Nazaire raid. The only report available from France said that the local fire brigade headquarters at St Nazaire was hit and 1 person was wounded. Both towns were now largely deserted by their former civilian populations.
33 aircraft laid mines off the southern part of the Biscay coast. 1 Lancaster was lost.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: 'U-124' on passage to the Freetown area encountered the UK/West Africa convoy 'OS45' to the west of Portugal. Two merchant ships were sunk, but she was attacked by the sloop 'Black Swan' and the corvette 'Stonecrop' of the 37th EG and sunk in turn.
EASTERN FRONT: Moscow claimed that 850,000 Germans died in the winter campaign.
GERMANY: The commander of Luftwaffenkommando Ost, Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim, was awarded the Eichenlaub.
MEDITERRANEAN: During the night, RAF Liberators of the 9th AF bombed the ferry terminal at Messina and the airfield at Crotone. During the day two 9th AF B-24s on a special mission, bombed the ferry terminals at Messina and Villa San Giovanni. 27 B-24s sent against Naples found the target totally obscured by clouds. 9 machines bombed the area through overcast and 3 bombed Augusta and Crotone. 24 9th AF B-24s sent to attack Palermo aborted because of heavy clouds over the target.
1(F)./122 received 6 Bf 109G-4/R3s with orders to base them at Elmas, since this was the only airfield on Sardinia that had a runway long enough for Bf 109 photo recon variants outfitted with auxiliary fuel tanks.
NORTH AFRICA: US 9th AF P-40s flew 9 armed recon and 6 fighter-bomber and escort missions. NAAF B-25s and A-20s bombed the airfield at La Fauconnerie.
6./JG 77 lost a Bf 109 in an air combat with a P-40, north of Gabes, 4./JG 77 lost one Bf 109 in combat with Bostons and Spitfires over La Fauconnerie and 3./JG 77 lost one Bf 109 after combat with a P-40 near gabes in the evening.
UNITED KINGDOM: Today was the first sortie of the newly formed 1409 (Meteorological) Flight, based at Oakington. One Mosquito, crewed by Flight Lieutenant P. Cunliffe-Lister and Sergeant J. Boyle, made a weather reconnaissance flight to Brittany in preparation for the Bomber Command raids to be carried out in the coming night. The Mosquito returned safely. 1409 Flight operated until the end of the war, flying 1364 sorties on 632 days. Only 3 Mosquitoes were lost during this period. Although all these sorties were under Bomber Command control, it was not practicable to list every sortie in the Bomber Command War Diaries.
WESTERN FRONT: 55 mixed aircraft went to St Nazaire and 47 to Lorient in the last raids on these French ports. Bomber Command was released from the obligation to bomb these targets 3 days later. 1 Lancaster was lost from the St Nazaire raid. The only report available from France said that the local fire brigade headquarters at St Nazaire was hit and 1 person was wounded. Both towns were now largely deserted by their former civilian populations.
33 aircraft laid mines off the southern part of the Biscay coast. 1 Lancaster was lost.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
3 April 1943
GERMANY: 225 Lancasters, 113 Halifaxes and 10 Mosquitoes attacked Essen. 12 Halifaxes and 9 Lancasters were lost, a further 2 Halifaxes crashed in England. This was the first raid in which more than 200 Lancasters had taken part. The weather forecast was not entirely favorable for this raid and the Pathfinders prepared a plan both for sky-marking and ground-marking the target. In the event, there was no cloud over Essen and the Main Force crews were somewhat confused to find two kinds of marking taking place. The resultant bombing, however, was accurate and a higher proportion of aircraft produced good bombing photographs than on any of the earlier successful raids on Essen. Local reports showed that there was widespread damage in the centre and in the western half of Essen. 635 buildings were destroyed and 526 seriously damaged.118 people - 88 civilians, 10 flak gunners, 2 railwaymen, 2 policemen and 16 French workers - were killed and 458 people were injured. Almost the whole of NJG 1 were involved in the RAF raid on Essen and several pilots recorded multiple kills. Triple victories were awarded to Major Werner Streib of Stab I./NJG 1 and Hptm. Hans-Dieter Frank of 2./NJG 1 while Hptm. Herbert Lutje from 8./NJG 1 and Oblt. Eckart-Wilhelm von Bonin of 6./NJG 1 were credited with 2 bombers apiece. Single scores were claimed by Lt. August Geiger of 7./NJG 1, Major Helmut Lent of Stab IV./NJG 1 and Oblt. Martin Bauer from 3./NJG 1.
GERMANY: 225 Lancasters, 113 Halifaxes and 10 Mosquitoes attacked Essen. 12 Halifaxes and 9 Lancasters were lost, a further 2 Halifaxes crashed in England. This was the first raid in which more than 200 Lancasters had taken part. The weather forecast was not entirely favorable for this raid and the Pathfinders prepared a plan both for sky-marking and ground-marking the target. In the event, there was no cloud over Essen and the Main Force crews were somewhat confused to find two kinds of marking taking place. The resultant bombing, however, was accurate and a higher proportion of aircraft produced good bombing photographs than on any of the earlier successful raids on Essen. Local reports showed that there was widespread damage in the centre and in the western half of Essen. 635 buildings were destroyed and 526 seriously damaged.118 people - 88 civilians, 10 flak gunners, 2 railwaymen, 2 policemen and 16 French workers - were killed and 458 people were injured. Almost the whole of NJG 1 were involved in the RAF raid on Essen and several pilots recorded multiple kills. Triple victories were awarded to Major Werner Streib of Stab I./NJG 1 and Hptm. Hans-Dieter Frank of 2./NJG 1 while Hptm. Herbert Lutje from 8./NJG 1 and Oblt. Eckart-Wilhelm von Bonin of 6./NJG 1 were credited with 2 bombers apiece. Single scores were claimed by Lt. August Geiger of 7./NJG 1, Major Helmut Lent of Stab IV./NJG 1 and Oblt. Martin Bauer from 3./NJG 1.
NORTH AFRICA: Patton's thrust by US II Corps around El Guettar was stopped by determined Axis defenses. NAAF fighters strafed tanks and trucks at Kebira and Jabal Nasir Allah. 13 Stukas near El Guettar were attacked by Spitfires of the US 52d FG. The Spitfires shot down 12 of the Stukas and lost one Spitfire. As remembered by Col. Collinsworth;
USAAF 9th AF B-24s bombed El Maou Airdrome in the Sfax area during the night. P-40s flew fighter-bomber missions north of Gabes. B-25s bombed the airfield at Saint Marie du Zit. Western Desert AF light bombers hit motor transport and gun positions north of Oued el Akarit.
Capt. Vinson did become an ace, along with Capt. Norman McDonald who shot down 3 that day, to become the first Spitfire aces in the Med.
USAAF 9th AF B-24s bombed El Maou Airdrome in the Sfax area during the night. P-40s flew fighter-bomber missions north of Gabes. B-25s bombed the airfield at Saint Marie du Zit. Western Desert AF light bombers hit motor transport and gun positions north of Oued el Akarit.
UNITED KINGDOM: FW190 fighter bombers raided Eastbourne and strafed streets crowded with shoppers.
WESTERN FRONT: 12 Venturas bombed shipping at Brest and 8 Mosquitoes attacked railway targets in Belgium and France. 1 Mosquito was lost.
16 Wellingtons went minelaying off Brittany ports. 1 aircraft was lost.
WESTERN FRONT: 12 Venturas bombed shipping at Brest and 8 Mosquitoes attacked railway targets in Belgium and France. 1 Mosquito was lost.
16 Wellingtons went minelaying off Brittany ports. 1 aircraft was lost.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
4 April 1943
GERMANY: 203 Lancasters, 168 Wellingtons, 116 Halifaxes and 90 Stirlings made the largest raid so far on Kiel. This was the largest 'non-1000' bombing force of the war so far. 12 aircraft were lost. The Pathfinders encountered thick cloud and strong winds over the target so that accurate marking became very difficult. It was reported that decoy fire sites may also have drawn off some of the bombing. Kiel reported that only a few bombs in the town with 11 buildings destroyed, 46 damaged and 26 people being killed. No commercial premises were hit. The only building hit apart from houses was a Catholic church.
MEDITERRANEAN: The US Ninth AF dispatched 99 B-24s to attack Naples, concentrating on the dock area. In Sicily, RAF Liberators bombed Palermo. Meanwhile NAAF B-25s bombed shipping at Carloforte on San Petro Isalnd and 64 B-17s hit Capodichino airfield and the marschaling yards at Naples.
NORTH AFRICA: NAAF P-38s dive-bombed a beached freighter off Cape Zebib. Other P-38s escorted bombing raids. NATAF A-20s hit La Fauconnerie airfield while B-25s hit El Djem and Sainte Maries du Zit airfields. Fighters accompanied light and medium bombers on attacks and carried out support missions over the battle areas of Tunisia. Ofw. Johann Picler of 7./JG 77 claimed one B-25 for his 32d victory.
UNITED KINGDOM: German aircraft began dropping mines in the Thames Estuary near London.
GERMANY: 203 Lancasters, 168 Wellingtons, 116 Halifaxes and 90 Stirlings made the largest raid so far on Kiel. This was the largest 'non-1000' bombing force of the war so far. 12 aircraft were lost. The Pathfinders encountered thick cloud and strong winds over the target so that accurate marking became very difficult. It was reported that decoy fire sites may also have drawn off some of the bombing. Kiel reported that only a few bombs in the town with 11 buildings destroyed, 46 damaged and 26 people being killed. No commercial premises were hit. The only building hit apart from houses was a Catholic church.
MEDITERRANEAN: The US Ninth AF dispatched 99 B-24s to attack Naples, concentrating on the dock area. In Sicily, RAF Liberators bombed Palermo. Meanwhile NAAF B-25s bombed shipping at Carloforte on San Petro Isalnd and 64 B-17s hit Capodichino airfield and the marschaling yards at Naples.
NORTH AFRICA: NAAF P-38s dive-bombed a beached freighter off Cape Zebib. Other P-38s escorted bombing raids. NATAF A-20s hit La Fauconnerie airfield while B-25s hit El Djem and Sainte Maries du Zit airfields. Fighters accompanied light and medium bombers on attacks and carried out support missions over the battle areas of Tunisia. Ofw. Johann Picler of 7./JG 77 claimed one B-25 for his 32d victory.
NORWAY: A Ju 88A-4 from IV./KG 30 crashed into the sea at Kattegat 3 miles east of Hals before noon for unknown reasons. Two ships from Hafenschutsflotille Hals set course for the area of the crash to search for survivours but returned to Hals without having found any of the crew.
A Bf 110F-4 from 7./NJG 3 crashed into the Storebaelt, south of the island of Sjaelland. Uffz. Brodel and Uffz. Abele were found washed ashore on the island of Bogo on 7 April and interred in Kobenhavn Vestre cemetary.
A Bf 110F-4 from 7./NJG 3 crashed into the Storebaelt, south of the island of Sjaelland. Uffz. Brodel and Uffz. Abele were found washed ashore on the island of Bogo on 7 April and interred in Kobenhavn Vestre cemetary.
UNITED KINGDOM: German aircraft began dropping mines in the Thames Estuary near London.
WESTERN FRONT: The US Eighth AF targeted the Renault plant in Paris for bombing by 97 B-17s of the US 1st BW. Three diversions by the bombers drew the defending German fighters away and allowed 18 B-17s of the US 305th BG to successfully bomb the target. On the return flight, the bombers were bounced over Rouen by 75 fighters from JG 26, I./JG 2 and the single Staffel of JG 105 led by the Geschwaderkommodore of JG 2, Major Walter Oesau. Heavy damage was caused by the German defenders before the escorting RAF Spitfires appeared and a massive dogfight ensued, extending over the Channel. Five Spitfires were shot down and 2 B-17s were credited to II./JG 26's Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. 'Wutz' Galland. Oblt. Karl Borris of 8./JG 26 claimed 1 B-17 while Major Oesau was credited with a 4th bomber. JG 26 lost 2 pilots killed from MG fire from the bombers and one pilot injured. Victory claims being what they were, one B-17 crew was given credit for destroying 10 Luftwaffe fighters.
60 Venturas attacked an airfield near Caen(24 aircraft), a shipyard at Rotterdam(24 aircraft) and a railway target at St Brieue (12 aircraft). All targets were successfully bombed but 2 aircraft from the Rotterdam raid were lost. Of the RAF Venturas that were lost attacking Caen and Rotterdam, credit for the kills was given to Uffz. Schonrock of 4./JG 1 and Fw. Roden from 4./JG 1 who also claimed a P-38. Six Spitfires were also claimed by pilots of 5. and 4./JG 1.
60 Venturas attacked an airfield near Caen(24 aircraft), a shipyard at Rotterdam(24 aircraft) and a railway target at St Brieue (12 aircraft). All targets were successfully bombed but 2 aircraft from the Rotterdam raid were lost. Of the RAF Venturas that were lost attacking Caen and Rotterdam, credit for the kills was given to Uffz. Schonrock of 4./JG 1 and Fw. Roden from 4./JG 1 who also claimed a P-38. Six Spitfires were also claimed by pilots of 5. and 4./JG 1.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
5 April 1943
EASTERN FRONT: Over Murmansk, Uffz. Kurt Dobner of 14(Jabo)./JG 5 and an original member of the unit, was killed by flak over the seaport.
In a mission summary, Brigadier General Frank Armstrong of the US Eighth AF's 1st BW stated;
12 Venturas attacked a tanker at Brest. The ship was not hit but nearby dock installations were. 3 Venturas were lost.
EASTERN FRONT: Over Murmansk, Uffz. Kurt Dobner of 14(Jabo)./JG 5 and an original member of the unit, was killed by flak over the seaport.
NORTH AFRICA: Montgomery was finally ready to attack the Germans and Italians on the Wadi Akarit Line. The Axis forces had used the time wisely and had improved the defenses so that the 15.Panzerdivision and 90th Light Division were in good shape but most of the armour had been sent north to engage US forces around El Guettar. Four hours before the battle began, the 4th Indian Division staged an attack on the Italian positions on the 900ft high Djebel Fatnassa that commanded the wadi from the rear. In the lead were Gurkhas, warriors from Nepal who began scaling Fatnassa to secure the pathway along the ridgeline above the wadi. For Italian Alpine troops high in the hills overlooking Wadi Akarit, the nightmare came on a starless night. Sentries knew nothing of the assault by the 4th Indian until they felt the cold steel of Gurkha kukris against their throats. In a few hours, more than 4,000 Italians had surrendered. The Indian encirclement - over a wide mountainous area - was an overwhelming success. By dawn, the Gurkhas had secured the high ground, eliminating a key position of the Axis defense.
Operation FLAX began which was designed to destroy - in the air and on the ground - enemy air transports and escrts employed in ferrying personnel and supplies to Tunis. NAAF B-17s and A-20s bombed airfields at Sidi Ahmed and Tunis. Fighetrs attacked E-Boats off Pont-du-Fahs and vehicles south of Bou Hamran. Western Desert AF and NAAF aircraft hit motor transport west of Cekhirs and struck shipping. During the day NAAF aircraft claimed the destruction of nearly 50 aircraft in aerial combat. As the daylight bombers returned to their bases, RAF Wellingtons hammered targets behind the battle lines, destroying a railway station, barracks and factories near Sfax.
Vital Axis supply routes took a terrible punishment. In an effort to re-supply the Afrika Korps trapped in Tunis, the Luftwaffe tried to fly in supplies from Sicily and southern Italy. 65 JU 52s were sent across the Med in one of the first large scale re-supply missions. The Junkers were escorted by only 2 Bf 109s from II./JG 27 and 3 Bf 110s from III./ZG 26. These were attacked near Cap Bon by 46 P-38s from the US 1st and 82d FG, divided into 2 formations. The Germans scrambled whatever they could to aid the hard pressed formation of transports but the whole reinforcement amounted to nothing more than 8 Bf 109s from II./JG 53. The German fighter pilots shot down 6 P-38s, but of course were so outnumbered that they were unable to cover the Ju 52s against the masses of Lightnings. No less than 14 Ju 52s were shot down. Elsewhere, P-38s accounted for another 15 German fighters. Combined efforts of NAAF fighters and bombers destroyed up to 200 Luftwaffe aircraft on 5 April, with many destroyed on the ground.
MEDITERRANEAN: As Allied troops prepared for the final push on Tunis and Bizerte, British and American aircraft launched their greatest assault on Axis targets. More than a thousand sorties were flown, a record in the North African campaign. Allied Fortresses and Mitchells saturated 3 airfields - Borizza, Boca de Felso and Milo - on the Italian mainland. More than 250 grounded aircraft were destroyed. P-38s flew several fighter sweeps over the Straits of Sicily.
WESTERN FRONT: The US sent 104 B-17s and B-24s of the US 1st BW to raid the ERLA aircraft repair facility at Antwerp, escorted by 9 squadrons of RAF Spitfires. The bombing of the factory turned out to be one of the major tragedies of WW II. The Germans had taken over the Minerva motorworks when they occupied Belgium in 1940 and 3,000 people were employed there, repairing damaged German planes and therefore on the priority list for attention by the US Eighth AF. When the escort Spitfires withdrew at the limit of their endurance, the Germans struck, breaking up the US formation causing the bombing run to be poor. Oblt. Otto Stammberger described the attack by JG 26;
Operation FLAX began which was designed to destroy - in the air and on the ground - enemy air transports and escrts employed in ferrying personnel and supplies to Tunis. NAAF B-17s and A-20s bombed airfields at Sidi Ahmed and Tunis. Fighetrs attacked E-Boats off Pont-du-Fahs and vehicles south of Bou Hamran. Western Desert AF and NAAF aircraft hit motor transport west of Cekhirs and struck shipping. During the day NAAF aircraft claimed the destruction of nearly 50 aircraft in aerial combat. As the daylight bombers returned to their bases, RAF Wellingtons hammered targets behind the battle lines, destroying a railway station, barracks and factories near Sfax.
Vital Axis supply routes took a terrible punishment. In an effort to re-supply the Afrika Korps trapped in Tunis, the Luftwaffe tried to fly in supplies from Sicily and southern Italy. 65 JU 52s were sent across the Med in one of the first large scale re-supply missions. The Junkers were escorted by only 2 Bf 109s from II./JG 27 and 3 Bf 110s from III./ZG 26. These were attacked near Cap Bon by 46 P-38s from the US 1st and 82d FG, divided into 2 formations. The Germans scrambled whatever they could to aid the hard pressed formation of transports but the whole reinforcement amounted to nothing more than 8 Bf 109s from II./JG 53. The German fighter pilots shot down 6 P-38s, but of course were so outnumbered that they were unable to cover the Ju 52s against the masses of Lightnings. No less than 14 Ju 52s were shot down. Elsewhere, P-38s accounted for another 15 German fighters. Combined efforts of NAAF fighters and bombers destroyed up to 200 Luftwaffe aircraft on 5 April, with many destroyed on the ground.
MEDITERRANEAN: As Allied troops prepared for the final push on Tunis and Bizerte, British and American aircraft launched their greatest assault on Axis targets. More than a thousand sorties were flown, a record in the North African campaign. Allied Fortresses and Mitchells saturated 3 airfields - Borizza, Boca de Felso and Milo - on the Italian mainland. More than 250 grounded aircraft were destroyed. P-38s flew several fighter sweeps over the Straits of Sicily.
Four B-17s were shot down by JG 26 including one each for Geschwaderkommodore Priller - his 84th kill - Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. 'Wutz' Galland's 38th victory, Obfw. Addi Glunz' 32d victory and Oblt. Stammberger's 5th victory. But this success had a cost. The Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 26, Hptm. Fritz Geisshardt was hit by return fire from the bombers and landed at Ghent, badly wounded. The doctors could not save him and he died the next morning.
In a mission summary, Brigadier General Frank Armstrong of the US Eighth AF's 1st BW stated;
Two bombs hit the aircraft factory, killing many workers but the rest of the bombs were released too late and fell on the residential part of Mortsel, a suburb of Antwerp, over a mile away from the target. A total of 936 civilians were killed including 209 schoolchildren. Only 18 children survived the bombing of St. Lutgardis school at No. 30 Mechelsesteenweg. In all, 342 people were injured and 220 houses destroyed.
12 Venturas attacked a tanker at Brest. The ship was not hit but nearby dock installations were. 3 Venturas were lost.
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Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
6 April 1943
ATLANTIC OCEAN: In attacks on the Halifax/UK convoy 'HX231' southwest of Iceland, 2 U-Boats were lost - 'U-635' to the frigate 'Tay' of the British B7 group and 'U-632' to a RAF Liberator. 6 of the convoy's merchantmen were lost to the 15 ship wolf pack.
EASTERN FRONT: Units of Heeresgruppe A (von Weichs) began an offensive against the Black Sea port of Novorosiisk in the Caucasus.
NORTH AFRICA: Montgomery launched his attack against the Wadi Akarit Line an hour before dawn. The British opened with an artillery barrage described by the Italian commander, General Giovanni Meese, as an "apocalyptic hurricane of steel and fire." The British 50th Division and 51st Highland Division then struck at the center of the Akarit Line. Depsite the artillery barrage, the Italians were surprised by the assault. By 09:30 hours they were surrendering in huge numbers.The attack, though, went poorly and drew the German 15.Panzerdivision and 90th Light Division south and away from Patton's forces at El Guettar. The 90th refused to yield its sector of the line. In the afternoon, as the British 8th Armoured Brigade crawled around the base of a hill behind the captured Italian positions, its lead tanks were met head-on and stopped by the guns of the 15.Panzerdivision. All that afternoon, the 15.Panzerdivision blocked the British breakthrough. Montgomery decided to wait until the next morning before trying to force the advance. But that afternoon, the German Divisional Commanders brought discouraging reports to General Meese who reported these to von Arnim. 15.Panzerdivision had stopped the British but they would be unable to continue to do so. If Italian forces were to be saved, then the Axis lines would have to be pulled back. Orders went out that the remaining Axis troops in the coastal region, at El Hamma and El Guettar must withdraw to the north, to the Enfidaville line. But not before 7,000 prisoners had been taken by the British.
US 9th AF B-25s flew 2 missions against concentrations in the Oued el Akarit region, scoring hits on buildings, tanks and numerous vehicles. P-40s flew escort and strafing operations, attacking guns, vehicles and personnel as the British army began the assault on Wadi Akarit.
During the night, NAAF Wellingtons bombed the dock and shipping at Tunis. Two forces of B-17s bombed a convoy further west, near Zembra Island and hit a convoy off Bizerte sinking a German freighter and damaging an Italian transport which was later beached to prevent her sinking. B-25s and A-20 havocs attacked landing grounds and airfields at Enfidaville, La Fauconnerie and El Djem. La Fauconnerie bore the brunt of the attacks and was well covered. Fighters escorted the bombing raids and attacked scattered Axis movement.
JG 77 suffered 3 losses in the afternoon, one northwest of Fatnassa in air combat and 2 in belly-landings near to La Cesare due to unknown reasons. Fw. Herbert Kittler of 7./JG 77 was killed in action shortly after gaining his 11th victory, a Spitfire. Oblt. Georg Seckel of 7./JG 77 claimed another Spitfire shortly after Fw. Kittler's.
WESTERN FRONT: 8 Mosquitoes attacked Namur railway workshops accurately and without loss.
47 aircraft went to lay mines off the Biscay ports. 1 Halifax and 1 Wellington lost.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: In attacks on the Halifax/UK convoy 'HX231' southwest of Iceland, 2 U-Boats were lost - 'U-635' to the frigate 'Tay' of the British B7 group and 'U-632' to a RAF Liberator. 6 of the convoy's merchantmen were lost to the 15 ship wolf pack.
EASTERN FRONT: Units of Heeresgruppe A (von Weichs) began an offensive against the Black Sea port of Novorosiisk in the Caucasus.
NORTH AFRICA: Montgomery launched his attack against the Wadi Akarit Line an hour before dawn. The British opened with an artillery barrage described by the Italian commander, General Giovanni Meese, as an "apocalyptic hurricane of steel and fire." The British 50th Division and 51st Highland Division then struck at the center of the Akarit Line. Depsite the artillery barrage, the Italians were surprised by the assault. By 09:30 hours they were surrendering in huge numbers.The attack, though, went poorly and drew the German 15.Panzerdivision and 90th Light Division south and away from Patton's forces at El Guettar. The 90th refused to yield its sector of the line. In the afternoon, as the British 8th Armoured Brigade crawled around the base of a hill behind the captured Italian positions, its lead tanks were met head-on and stopped by the guns of the 15.Panzerdivision. All that afternoon, the 15.Panzerdivision blocked the British breakthrough. Montgomery decided to wait until the next morning before trying to force the advance. But that afternoon, the German Divisional Commanders brought discouraging reports to General Meese who reported these to von Arnim. 15.Panzerdivision had stopped the British but they would be unable to continue to do so. If Italian forces were to be saved, then the Axis lines would have to be pulled back. Orders went out that the remaining Axis troops in the coastal region, at El Hamma and El Guettar must withdraw to the north, to the Enfidaville line. But not before 7,000 prisoners had been taken by the British.
US 9th AF B-25s flew 2 missions against concentrations in the Oued el Akarit region, scoring hits on buildings, tanks and numerous vehicles. P-40s flew escort and strafing operations, attacking guns, vehicles and personnel as the British army began the assault on Wadi Akarit.
During the night, NAAF Wellingtons bombed the dock and shipping at Tunis. Two forces of B-17s bombed a convoy further west, near Zembra Island and hit a convoy off Bizerte sinking a German freighter and damaging an Italian transport which was later beached to prevent her sinking. B-25s and A-20 havocs attacked landing grounds and airfields at Enfidaville, La Fauconnerie and El Djem. La Fauconnerie bore the brunt of the attacks and was well covered. Fighters escorted the bombing raids and attacked scattered Axis movement.
JG 77 suffered 3 losses in the afternoon, one northwest of Fatnassa in air combat and 2 in belly-landings near to La Cesare due to unknown reasons. Fw. Herbert Kittler of 7./JG 77 was killed in action shortly after gaining his 11th victory, a Spitfire. Oblt. Georg Seckel of 7./JG 77 claimed another Spitfire shortly after Fw. Kittler's.
WESTERN FRONT: 8 Mosquitoes attacked Namur railway workshops accurately and without loss.
47 aircraft went to lay mines off the Biscay ports. 1 Halifax and 1 Wellington lost.
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