Thanks for the recommendation Martin. I will check the on-line books sales and see if I can get a copy. Maybe after I read it I will do better at the Microsoft flight simulator missions.

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PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEABLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT ONLY BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF. GEORGE ORWELL

Erich, I am not sure that I understand what the point of having the impression that there were more Luftwaffe planes then there really were.

Was this to make the British planes waste time looking for the fake ones or to scare them into believing they would be outnumbered?

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PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEABLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT ONLY BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF. GEORGE ORWELL

Bigice :

ok am taking cancer treatments so this may come ut all wrong ... ?

the idea was to confuse Mossie NF's as they circled around the beacon-lights that operated to act as a return or general focusing point for German nf's. The idea included giving out false readings to the target -cities to be bombed or false reports of the RAF bomber streams course in and away from the target, also to encourage the Mossie nf's to go carrying off to other destinations. the "fake" operated Ju 88G-6's as mentioned dropped window to confuse Mossie AI trying to intercept prowling German nfs toward the bomber streams. yes it is all confusing but hopeful I have broken through the muck with this ... ? anyone else with sense of today can clear this up please feel free to do so. The RAF of course had their own jamming and translation fouling bombers in 100th group

Thanks for the effort Erich, especially in light of your treatments. I think I have the idea.

Sorry to hear about you needing cancer treatments. I hope that all goes well with them and we have you well and contributing for a long time.

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PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEABLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT ONLY BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF. GEORGE ORWELL

Don't worry, bigiceman - I have just about every book that's published on this subject, and I've been reading about it for years, and I still find it incredibly confusing.

The night-air-war over NW Europe is virtually a war-within-a-war ; a subject all of its own. Nightfighting went very quickly from aircraft roaming around looking for shadows, to an incredibly complex and demanding electronic battlefield. The story of the 'boffins' ( scientists ) frantically developing measure and counter-measure is extraordinary. And all this in an era before micro-technology.

The whole thing can appear so inhuman, with thousands of tons of bombs being dropped on cities, bombers vapourising in sudden huge explosions, thousands of casualties on both sides....

Which is one reason it's been so important to me to meet just a small number of survivors from both Bomber Command and the Nachtjagd to appreciate the very human side of this often very cruel and sad story.

Just my two penn'orth....but be warned, if you start to read the right books about this, you can get hooked.....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

The world of Flight Sims is totally alien to me, I'm afraid, but even so this is quite fun to look at : -

http://www.shockwaveproductions.com/store/he219/

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

I will have to say that I agree that it is indeed fun to look at. Some of those cockpit pictures had me straining to see if it was a real photograph. I have not heard of this particular sim before but they sure look as though they went to a lot of trouble trying to get it right.

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PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEABLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT ONLY BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF. GEORGE ORWELL

A paragraph from my new book, "Gunner"
According to The German Night Fighter and The RAF NIght Bomber Report RAF and GAF Aircrew Compare Notes A.D.I. (K) Report No.337/1945, which relied on informantion from German night fighter pilots Major Schnaufer,Kommordore of NJG-4 and two of his Gruppe-kommandeure: "Of the bombers shot down by NJG-4 pilots approx. 40% did not fire or manoeuvre, 50% fired or manoeuvred after the fighter had opened fire, and 10 to 20 % fired or manoeuvred first".

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Work Harder ! Millions on welfare are depending on you.

well here are the impressions of a Uhu experten

Hello Erich, hello Peter,

Just recovering from the 'safe landing' of our lovely daughter Juliëtte on March 2nd. I saw your messages:

He217 A-7
There are some primary sources mentioning that the I.NJG 1 had A-7's in their inventory: Microfilm Reel no.12 (Gen Qm. Abt. 6 Luftwaffe losses) says that on February 3rd 1945 two He219 A-7 from the I.NJG 1 were damaged by fighter bombers on Fliegerhorst Ludwigslust, the Wnr. 310205 and 310190. Further: the listings from the Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen I.NJG 1 do mention also that the I.NJG 1 had some He219 A-7's.
Even if we should not have these primary evidence, the fact that the I.NJG 1 was the only unit in the nightfighter force, that converted completely to the He219 during the first months of 1944, makes it very unlikely that they never used the A-7 subtype.

Now the ejection seats in the He219. Despite the life saving capabilities of these chairs, the fysical sensations for the crew were quite unpleasant. The description 'Katapult Anlage' needs no further explanation... The first documented use of the He219 ejection seats 'im Einsatz' was in the night of 11/12th April 1944 when the crew of Uffz.Herter/Gfr.Perbix, 2/NJG 1 saved their lives. The He219 crashed near Weert/Netherlands and its remaining wreck parts were salvaged in March 1979.

All the best, Marcel

an oldie but not a moldie............

Martin did you ever find out how many kills Otto Fries had while flying the UHU ? I know he was an ace.....

he lives somewhere in Berlin as well I'd sure like to make contact

E ~

a most interesting site..... I./NJG 1 ejections of utmost importance

2005

also there is a second page covering 1945 jumps

No I didn't, Erich....it's very strange, but I was thinking about Herr Fries just this morning before logging on to the forum. It gives me an excuse to post this picture of Peter Spoden and Otto Fries again.....



That day at Wendover in March '06 was the most enjoyable 'meeting with veterans' I've ever had the privilege to experience.

And why I didn't ask him that most obvious question just goes to show how even (semi-) serious researchers can be overawed when in the presence of the 'real thing'.....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Martin you know how to make us jealous. This is a beautiful picture. lucky you!

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Martin so glad you posted the pics of those two warriors, I was hoping you would............

time to research then

this cannot be right can it for Herr Fries ?

1 victory on July 29, 1944 using the He 219A

E ~

well I checked the claims listing in my little hands from end of March 44 for Fries, nothing till July and then I spot a 3 claim night on November 6, 1944, 3 Lancasters west of Rheine

No excuses for posting these, then.....







It would be difficult to think of anyone who looks less like a 'warrior' than Otto Fries - which just proves how very deceptive appearances can be !

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Martin was Otto signing some book for you at the time and if so what is he signing in the second photo and the book to his left ?

Great photos Martin.

There is a certain "caption this" quality to the first one, as Peter Spoden apparently explains something to Otto Fries.

Firstly, a very warm welcome to 'mhuxt' - great to see you here !

Erich, in the last pic Herr Fries is signing a book of Nick Trudgian's prints ; in fact, he's signing under the very same print that Kai posted a link to on #3 of this thread. I bought a copy of the print that day ; you are of course right, it's 'bogus' but Peter signed beneath the Bf110 and Herr Fries under the 219 for me.... The book to Herr Fries' left is 'The Defeat Of The Luftwaffe', I think (neither book was mine ).

The first pic shows Peter holding my copy of Boiten's 'Nachtjagd' and here are the signatures : -






You won't find this one on E-Bay ; for me it's a treasured memento of a most memorable day !

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

this is almost gotten comical as one poster decided to take his frustrations out on me..........but he is failing

Board Message

I just may reply to get a certain few "straightened out"

Hmmmm...interesting discussion....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson