continued …
Prisoners from II./KG 100 taken on 26 September recalled that during August there had been “3 or 4 Do 217 in Benghazi fitted as night fighters …” and a Nachtjagdkommando first appears in the Fl.Kps. X strength return for 30 September, with 4 (0) aircraft although Do 217 operations seem to been underway for a week before that:
|
Night
|
Type
|
Up/down
|
Task
|
Remarks
|
|
|
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23/24th
|
1 Do 217
|
2100–0200
|
Protection of Rondine
|
No contact
|
25/26th
|
1 Do 217
|
1748–2320
|
Crete–Tobruk convoy
|
Attacks on convoy 2300–0100 but no contact with attacking a/c
|
|
1 Do 217
|
2102–0330
|
|
|
26/27th
|
1 Do 217
|
|
Intended transfer to Tobruk for operations.
|
|
27/28th
|
1 Do 217
|
1850–?
Heraklion
|
Protection of Unione
|
With convoy 2010–2140 but lost contact owing to faliure of D/F equipment.
|
|
1 Do 217
|
1930–2030
Derna
|
|
Broke off early with engine trouble
|
NOTE: Unione (6071 GRT) was torpedoed by an aircraft at 2300 on the 27th, around 205 km SSW Pylos in Greece. She was taken in tow by the destroyer Giovanni di Verrazzano and brought into Pylos early on 29 September. She was carrying 2110 tonnes of supplies, 15 artillery pieces, 103 vehicles and 72 men.
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Subsequently the Allied Y-Service picked up a number of markings which they attributed to Do 217 night fighters (see table below). Two in particular stand out: R4+CR and R4+DR. No III./NJG 2 was then in existence, having become the Geschwader's new II. Gruppe as of 1 October. Since this apparently left the 7. Staffel codes "spare", perhaps they were allocated to the new Nachtjagdkommando.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Night
|
Type
|
Aircaft markings
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1/2 Oct
|
Do 217
|
R4+DR
|
|
|
5/6 Oct
|
Do 217
|
R4+CR
|
|
|
NOTE: On 22 October, a Fw. Rades sent a message from Lechfeld to Nachtjagdkommando Heraklion, saying that Do 217 R4+CR had landed at Lechfeld at 0830 that morning. “Completion”, presumably of repairs, was was expected by 30 October.
|
|
12/13 Nov
|
Do 217
|
R4+DL
|
|
|
26/27 Nov
|
Do 217
|
R4+CM, R4+DM
|
|
|
4/5 Dec
|
Do 217
|
R4+BM
|
|
|
6/7 Dec
|
Do 217
|
R4+DH, R4+GH
|
|
|
13/14 Dec
|
Night fighter
|
R4+GH
|
|
|
17/18 Dec
|
Ju 88
|
R4+DB, R4+EH, R4+IM
|
|
|
NOTE: The above attributions were arrived at by comparing ULTRA reports on operations undertaken, with regular wireless and radio traffic associated with each night's flying. They were not necessarily correct: R4+CR, R4+DR and D5+NM are the only Do 217s for which there is firm identification.
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