by Oberstleutnant Dahl
At Kaufbeuren, Germany, 20 September 1945
Force Assumed: A fighter Geschwader with one heavy Sturmgruppe and two light escort Gruppen. Geschwader is stationed in the Nurnberg-Ansbach area.
The weather over the entire German area indicates that a heavy bomber attack is to be expected. Weather permits flights in from the west as well as from the south. Weather over the entire Reich is suitable for defense.
The Geschwader CO is called by phone around 5:30 a.m. by the Division CO. In this conversation the Division CO makes known the plans of the High Command (including the Jagdkorps and Luftflotte), for example: ‘Today on the basis of weather forecasts, missions from the south as well as from the west are to be expected. Weather for defense is ideal. Your Geschwader will be used to combat the mission from the west, but if the mission from the west only penetrates into the occupied zone (France, Belgium, and Holland) you will combat the mission from the south. Ready times as usual, i.e., when the Listening Service picks up the bomber assembly over Italy your Geschwader will go into 15 minute readiness.’
The Geschwader CO speaks, after this, with his Gruppe COs and relays to them the pre-briefing which he just got from the Division CO. The Gruppe CO’s now hold the pre-briefing for their pilots.
The Geschwader HQ, which was fully occupied and in operation since dawn, especially if a mission seemed likely, gives out to the Gruppen the organization of the formation for the day, assigns the Y-Aircraft (those fighters which are equipped with one FuGE 16 ZY VHF set for fighter control purposes) call signs, as well as the chain of command in formation (deputy leaders). The Division commentary will be tuned in by the Geschwader and Gruppen as soon as the 15 minute readiness starts (this commentary comes by telephone, radio in Morse and voice, and OKW station).
Around 8:20, the Division commentary gives out the enemy situation after the bombers cross the English coast. All three bomb divisions are in the air. In a continuous commentary the position of the bomber formations point over the Scheldt estuary at 9:00 a.m. with course due east.
The Geschwader now goes into three minute readiness and a short time later into Sitzbereitschaft (with pilots in their aircraft). Pilots are in their aircraft in the dispersal areas around the edge of the field, ready to start. By loudspeaker over the Staffel hook-up the enemy situation is continually broadcast to the pilots in their aircraft. The bomber formation holds its due east course for a while but just west of the Rhine it turns to the southeast and heads for the Rhine-Main industrial area around Frankfurt.
In the meantime the Division CO has held repeated telephone conversations with the Geschwader CO’s. The Jagdkorps has decided to use the Geschwader against the bombers approaching from the West. There are no signs of a mission from the South. Around 9:40 the Geschwader goes into sitting readiness, at 9:50 the point of the bomber formation is Southwest of Cologne over the Eifel area. The Geschwader now receives its order to start.
All three Gruppen now make a scramble start, assemble over their own airfields at 3000–6000 feet in 6–10 minutes and fly to the Geschwader assembly point. There, the Geschwader CO is already in the air and he forms up the battle formation (Gefechtsverband). Behind him lies the Sturmgruppen and the close and top escort hang on to them. The assembly altitude has been ordered beforehand and was fixed at 10,000 feet, under the ceiling. The assembly and the forming up of the Gefechtsverband can take no more than 20 minutes calculated from the time of take-off of the Gruppen. After this space of time, the Gefechtsverband must be ready to set course and start for its objective. The Geschwader CO announces by radio to the Division the completed assembly and the readiness of the formation to set course.
The Division now gives the order to set course:
‘Set course at 320° and climb to combat altitude of 25,000 feet.’ The Geschwader goes out of the left turn it used in the assembly and starts on the prescribed course, with the formation leader throttling back so that the Sturmgruppen can keep well closed up behind him. The close escort divides and goes half to the left of the Sturmgruppen and half to the right; the top escort sits 3000–6000 feet above the formation, stacked up from front to rear. In this formation the fighters climb at 220 m.p.h. IAS and climb at 600–900 feet per minute.
During the take-off, assembly and on course, strict radio discipline is observed. In the formation as little talking as possible is done, but the Division continually sends up its commentary to all pilots, describing the enemy situation. The location of the fighter formation is known to the Division at all times through Y-Procedure (or by Benito), and the Division can order the formation wherever necessary. In case the Division tells the Geschwader location information, code names and numbers are used to reduce the possibility of betrayal through the Allied listening service.
The formation continues to climb in the described formation toward the Rhine-Main area. Over Würzburg they reach an altitude of 23,000 feet. The formation leader already sees contrails ahead of him to the left and shortly thereafter sees Flak over Frankfurt. By the radio he announces this to the Division. Around 10:50 he can distinguish the first bomber formations. The Division gives him the green light to attack and releases him from ground control. Until then he has not contacted enemy fighters.
The formation leader orders external tanks to be dropped and attacks a bomber formation of about 60 Fortresses which has just dropped its bombs and is turning away to the right. The Sturmgruppen attack from level rear and go through with one pass. After the first attack the Sturm fighters (FW 190’s) assemble to the right below the bombers. The German escort Gruppen are already engaged in light air combat with American fighters. The German fighters succeed in attacking still another bomber formation before it reaches its target and it jettisons its bombs. After this, there is air combat with the sizeable American fighter escort force until the vicinity of the Moselle River is reached. There at about 11:30 the air combat is broken off.
The few German Schwärme still holding together, as well as the aircraft flying alone, now receive the order to land in the vicinity of Mannheim. Around 1200 all have landed in the prescribed area, without further interference from enemy fighters. On these intermediate airfields each pilot is received by the field operations room and there he gives a short report of his mission. The formation leaders call the nearest responsible fighter command headquarters and give a short report by priority phone call. After all the aircraft have been serviced with fuel and ammunition the fighter command (Jafu, Division) gives the order to each field that all aircraft are to return to their bases from the intermediate fields, since no more enemy activity is in progress, or at least all the enemy formations are too far away to be caught by a second mission.
Usually these so-called ‘Second Missions’ did not lead to much success. Through the breaking up of the fighter forces in the first missions and the landings on many different fields, it was very difficult to form the pilots and aircraft into really effective fighting units.
After return to the home bases, the formation leader gives the operational report and the victory and loss statistics. The critique of the mission by the Gruppe CO with his pilots (and if possible with the Geschwader CO) takes place as soon as possible after the mission, to keep a clear picture of the conduct of the mission. The operational report is made by telephone and confirmed in writing. In addition the Geschwader CO and sometimes the Gruppen CO’s call the Division CO and report by telephone about the mission, discussing the results and object lessons of the mission, making proposals for improving tactics. In case of special new enemy tactics or equipment the formation or unit leader may call and discuss the matter with the General der Jagdflieger or the Inspector of Day Fighters (East or West).