29/11/14

To mark the occasion, there's an expanded and remastered 25th Anniversary de luxe reissue of an article I had published back in November 1989 about a I./KG 200 spy-dropping mission over Belgium. Many more sources have become available since I researched the original.

The other new things this month are:

Information about 2/Lt. Peter J. McGirr of the 414th NFS, shot down by an Fw 190 of NSG 9. (This new material comes by courtesy of Lt. McGirr's niece, Ellen Manzo).

A visit by General der Schlachtflieger Hubertus Hitschhold to SG 4 in Piacenza, Italy in June 1944.

SG 4 in Normandy: more about the defence of the Distelfink radar station at Douvres-la-Délivrande.

More about Bf 109s of 3./NAG 13 in Spring and Summer 1944.

Geschwader Bongart: identification of another Junkers W.34 belonging to the unit.

Operation Dragoon: reference to another He 111 of Stab II./KG 26.

The Me 262 "S" marking: more about the Sichtungsstelle General der Jagdflieger.

Amendments to page layouts, typing corrections, restoration of links and some changes to file structures.

24/10/14

Jagdgruppe 200: more about the events of 14 July 1944; also a brief note about the unit's whereabouts prior to its disbandment.

Geschwader Bongart: a little more about IV./KG 27's deployment to Dijon in March 1944; the German police request for an attack on Thônes; an Fw 190 of the 8. Staffel at Cravant and an He 46 D at Étampes-Mondesir, possibly belonging to the Geschwader; an eyewitness account of Luftwaffe attacks on the Vercors Plateau.

10./ZG 1: Several additions, including operations on 2 and 6 March 1944 and information about the Staffel's disbandment, necessitating a slight change of title.

Jagdgeschwader recognition markings: a deciphered message stating the aims of the major defensive fighter operation being prepared in Autumn 1944; and an RAF Intelligence assessment of the bases from which this could be mounted.

Operation Dragoon: something more about Ju 88 A-17, W.Nr. 300135 of KG 26.

Kommando Hecht: details of an operation on 18 November 1944.

Raid damage: German Police reports on the attacks on Angers on 8 and 17 June 1944.

Guide to Ultra: two additions to the Further Reading page.

Corrections to layouts, links and typing mistakes.

16/09/14

Some additional information on the fates of I./JG 2 pilots who served in Italy.

Extensive additions to the Geschwader Bongart article about the attacks on the Glières Plateau (March 1944); Valréas (09.06.44); Houeillès (13.06.44); Anterrieux (20.06.44); Lestaget (25.06.44); Combovin (22.06.44); Combovin Plateau (28.06.44); Les Ollières (29.06.44; Saou and Saint-Floret (30.06.44); Le Cheylard (05.07.44); Lamastre (06.07.44); Villereversure (11.07.44); Oyonnax (12.07.44); Saint-Pierreville (17.07.44); Ambert and Ouroux, Rhône (26.07.44); Thônes (03.08.44); Morgins, Switzerland (06.08.44); Marcols (07.08.44); La Douzette and Cluny (11.08.44); Le Lioran (13.08.44). Also, an afterword, several additions to the map of operations, many more source links and various changes to page layouts and numbering to incorporate the new material.

Various edits and corrections.

09/08/14

NSG 9: the results of attacks on Loreto on 5/6 July and Rimini on 30 September 1944 (with thanks to Enzo Lanconelli and Daniele Celli for the latter).

Additions to the Raid damage reports article, including an attack on Stade on 31 December 1944.

Geschwader Bongart: anti-partisan operations by 2./FAG 5 on 13 June and 4 July and by 4./KG 26 on 5 August 1944 (thanks to Georg Schlaug). Ex-Fl.ZG 2 Reggiane 2002 aircraft designated for scrapping in October 1944.

An addition to the Kdo. Götz article on Kommando Falke delivering two Ar 234 to 1.(F)/123.

The Ar 234 in Denmark & Norway, a number of small additions.

1./NAG 1 and the Me 262: more about Oblt. Wilhelm Knoll; a new page dealing with training Me 262 reconnaissance pilots at Lechfeld (with thanks to David E. Brown, Tomáš Poruba and Dave Wadman for their input to the latter).

NAG 6 and the Me 262: loss of a Bf 110 on 1 February 1945.

21/06/14

The final instalment of the article about Kommandos Götz, Sperling and Hecht, and
1.(F)/123, covering April–May 1945; more about the aircraft lost on 29 January 1945; new graphics; questions about the Werk Nummer of Hptm. Felde's 4U+DH.

1.(F)/100: strength and serviceability figures for 10 February 1945 added; more about efforts to locate 6. SS Division during April 1945.

Markings and camouflage: the criterion for the Me 262 "S" marking.

Markings and camouflage: paint for Fliegerzielgeschwader 1 (June 1944) and markings instructions for 4./Minensuchgruppe 1 (July 1944).

2./NAG 6: a note about Kdo. Braunegg's relationship to Versuchsverband OKL (thanks to Tomáš Poruba).

1./NAG 1: new information added for 21 February and 8 and 9 April 1945. More about Oblt. Wilhelm Knoll. Duplicated text removed.

Jagdgruppe 200: a note about the prisoners held by the Vercors Maquis; strength figures for 16 August 1944; addition regarding the death of Uffz. Hans Ludwig on 15 August; minor rewording; and restoration of a link.

Minor corrections throughout and some changes to layouts and file structure.

23/05/14

The fourth instalment of the article about Kommandos Götz, Sperling and Hecht, and
1.(F)/123, covering March 1945, plus more about No. 443 Squadron's action over Rheine on 22 January 1945.

Jagdgruppe 200: additions about the events of 14 July 1944 (including Uffz. Cöster's capture by the Resistance) and corrections to pilots' names.

Geschwader Bongart: revised page layout to include new material about 6 and 29 June; 11–24 July; 2, 11, 13, 18, 19 and 22 August 1944. Changes to the Appendix on the unit's aircraft.

More about the activities of Nachtjagdstaffel Norwegen in October and November 1944.

1.(F)/100: addition of the unit's strength on the evening of 12 April 1945.

Additions to the Ar 234 in Norway and Denmark article based on RAF Signals Intelligence reports; also changes to the page layout.

More about Obltn. Gerhard Bahr, transferred to NAG 6 in February 1945.

A small addition regarding the NAG 6 ground echelon's move to Herzogenaurach in August 1944.

A little more about the history of three of the Bf 109s of II. and IV./EJG 1 attached to JG 7 in the target presentation role.

Operation Dragoon: a link to research by Paul Mathevet identifying one of the He 111s shot down by Hellcats of VOF-1 on 19 August 1944.

Corrections to layouts, links and typos.

The third instalment of the article about Kommandos Götz, Sperling and Hecht, and
1.(F)/123, covering January and February 1945.

He 111 torpedo operations: July–August 1940, new information on ships that were attacked.

More details of the later careers of Bf 109s W.Nr. 15862 and 412169 of Staffel Kaatsch.

Werk Nummern of two Bf 109s of II. and IV./EJG 1 attached to JG 7 for target presentation.

A signal mentioning Oberst von dem Bongart in the last days of the war.

1./NAG 1: a new note about Me 262 A-4 aircraft at Lechfeld and a revised page layout.

1.(F)/100: a note about belated efforts to support the 6. SS Division around Bad Orb.

Minor corrections.

15/04/14

14/03/14

The second instalment of the article about Kommandos Götz, Sperling and Hecht, and
1.(F)/123, covering November and December 1944.

Extensive additions to the Geschwader Bongart story including aircraft loss data (thanks to Matti Salonen) and the unit's involvement in more anti-Maquis actions.

Stab JG 77, addition of diary entry for 28 April 1944.

Small additions and layout changes to the Einsatzkdo. KG 51 article.

Minor corrections.

11/02/14

The first instalment of an article about Kommandos Götz, Sperling and Hecht, and
1.(F)/123.

Additions to the Using Ultra pages about:

The HW 11 file series which contains several volumes of Air and Military Official Histories written by the Government Code & Cipher School; and

The code groups introduced into German signals late in the war to denote numbers, dates and times.

A little more about I./LLG 1's withdrawal after the Vercors operation.

Kampfflieger Vol. 4: impressions of the December 1943 raid on Bari from a German prisoner of war.

A mission assigned to Kdo. Braunegg on 1 December 1944 and a comment on code letters assigned to their aircraft.

Additional activity by 1.(F)/100 in April 1945.

Corrections to typos, layouts, links etc.