Sorry to hear about your friend Erich and thank you for posting despite this terrible fate.
Thank you for the interesting details regarding FW-190 nightfighters.

Fred Wilson, thank you for the Delacour info.

__________________

Skipper get me some April 44 dates and I can check against the JG 300 data of which I have.........this is most likely the unit facing RAF heavies. In fact:

there were a total of 6 Fw 190A losses from II./JG 300 during April of 44 with another 2-4 additions from malfunctions of all kinds. In the above 6, two Fw 190A-7/N's were lost from 5th and 6th staffels on April 24/25, 1944 near Dortmund. Must confess that there were not a wide range of Fw 190A's fitted with the Neptun FuG 217 radar. Also I forgot to point out that JG 302 in part also had Fw 190A's fitted with the FuG 217, with one pilot coming to mind and that was ace Kurt Welter.

E ~

The data on the logbook shows the night of May 19/20th 1944. It says "three attacks by FW-190s LIGHT fLAK" . By checking lost data bases I confirm that 514 took part at the bombings of this operation (LE MANS) . In fact five Lancs were lost and two of those were from 514 Squadron. Both Lancs crashed homebound : LL641 crashed (spun) at Chippenham at 03.10, killing four including the skipper E. Shearing. there were 2 survivors. LL703 crashed at 03.00 at Graveley airfield . It was hit by lak while over France but the crew was unhurt (skipper= D. Gray) . The question is how to explain the presence of those FW-190s around the target at about 600kms south of their usual hunting area?

__________________

Skipper I see no actions of any LW fighter of JG 300 the date you mention. there is a lull in fighter activity for JG 300 from May 14th to May 21, 1944 as JG 300 was being brought back up to strength in equipment......

let me see now, well II./JG 302 and inf act the whole of JG 302 by May had given up their Fw 190A NF's and flew the Bf 109G-6 on daylight missions. I see no data reference for any night flights for JG 301 or JG 302 on the date in May.

again NJGr 10 was based east of Berlin so we can rule them out. I still think the candidate could of bee a flight by JG 300, II. gruppe but nothing is in the data/text about this. another and very remote is 4./NJGr 10 if I am correct who flew the Fw 190A and were based out of Holland and was a small independent unit - scored 0 victories during the war

This is what I thought too. Alex told earlier that this could have been wrong statement, but I always like to have proof that is as scientific as possible. The units involved around Le Mans in May 1944 were NJG4 (Coulommiers) and NJG5 (Athies) both were mainly flying ME-110s.

__________________

this may sound odd but it could easily have been mistaken ID, and that is simple enough when your bomber was attacked and chaos around you.

for 19/20 of May 44, Oberleutnant Schaus of II./NJG 4 scored 1 Lancaster, location unknown for his 10th victory. I see no other claims made for this night of activity by the LW Nachtjagd.

E ~

Schauss's claim was not around LE MANS. The three other Lancs that crashed near the target were all hit by Flak this is why thye are not mentioned in the Nachtjaght claims. Your statement is not odd at all, ID were mistaken all the time in a sutation of stress. This adds to the mystery and the fun. If everything was written down there would be ne more jigsaw to assemble.

__________________

Skipper yes, I was just trying to throw out one unit and I can also confirm NJG 5 as you suspect was in France at the time. May was an odd time for the LW day/night units with alot of shifting around and placement of airbases, had they known what was to come before them ~ Normandie ~they would of stayed well up front towards the coast

This is why NJG2 was sent to Chateaudun on June 7th, only 24h after D-Day, so from this aspect, indirectly , A2-C was a casualty of the D-Day landings...

__________________

and did you know Skip that NJG 2 in part was planning on opening up the Fernenachtjagd missions over England again.? the Normandie landings and aftermanth closed that idea down real quick... of course it never happened until march of 1945 with 3 + missions

Erich,

Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.

Thanks for the link to the "lost bombers" site. You are right that is an amazing site and again appears to maintained by a volunteer.

Wayne

thanks guys for the condolences, it is just as well that I am here not thinking about him, and all the rain so no work but research for one and all.

back quickly to topic and the 109/Fw 190A night fighters. Most evident with radar in the early spring of 44 from February to April - early - then in regards to JG 300, radars removed, flying the last Wilde Sau missions with the Fw 190A's returning to the "new" engagements with US heavy bombers. the 109's and esepcially the III./Jg 300 gruppe flew night missions into June of 44 against the RAF and then the almost removed 10(N)./JG 300 formed into an RAF Moskito-hunting unit from August to November 1944's end when cadre and a/c literally went over to form II./NJG 11 with the Bf 109G-6/AS and G-14/AS machines

Thanks for this Erich I 'm always interested in the radar warfare. Without D-Day it's almost certain that NJG2 would have attacked British targets during the Summer of 1944. The Luftwaffe has been advocating this for years as they always thought sticking to the Reich Defense while they could still attack England was a major strategical mistake.

__________________

yes Skipper had we not landed on the Reich frontier most probably all the NJG's would of had front line-coastal long range night fighter patrols over English bases.

I know the guys here have had some dis-agreements as if the English/US forces would of been overwhelmed but I think for me the LW would of plastered bases beyond belief as the RAF would try and counter that with the existing superior twin engine craft-the Mossie in numbers to take on the hordes of low flying black/camo'd German nf's. Even if stopped at a later date and this is getting to be a what-if the war may have continued in spite another 1-2 years. where would jet a/c have gone under LW leadership ?

well many unanswered questions

An interesting "what if" indeed but then the Soviets would possibly have advanced further to the west.

__________________

Wonderful video! Great cudos to you and your father. I have passed the link on to my father who was a pathfinder pilot with 582 Squadron and shot down Aug12/13, 1944 on the return from Russelsheim. The video has given me a greater feel and understanding of the story we are currently writing.

Thank you for sharing it with us.

Kind regards
Leslie

I forwarded the link to the video on to my father. He called me today to tell me that Doug Harvey was a very good friend of his after the war in the RCAF and was the public relations officer with 426 Squadron. My mother and his wife gave birth to children one week apart. Dad remembers Doug's bout with testicular cancer and his tremendous sense of humour about it. He said when they were wheeling him down the hall for surgery, he had a sign hanging from his big toe, saying "old pilots never die, they just lose their balls." (I hope no offense is taken at this comment.)
Regards Leslie

Whoops, thought I better clarify my last post. My dad thought Doug Harvey was the son of Douglas Harvey, however now realizes he's the son of Sam Harvey. Sorry for the boo boo.

Leslie

Welcome Leslie. The the names have often caused mistaken identity, no harm done at all. Here's a coincidence. I just got off the phone 2 minutes ago and found your message. The caller was our real Doug Harvey, maker of the film. Yes I expect a visit from him Sunday morning, the first in a few years. I can imagine your father being quite surprised.
Cheers for now Alex Campbell

__________________

Alex, this is excellent news. I hope you will convince each other to come to France in the future. If you do I'll do my best to arrange eveything I can. I will also send you the electronic version of Christian's drawing before Sunday. If you can print it on a home printe ron A4 format , Doug could have his copy too. Please send him my warmest regards.

__________________