xhoel
Posts: 3219
Joined: 6/24/2017 From: Germany Status: offline
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T4, July 24th 1943. Situation report [Northern Europe]. The weather over northern Europe has not been very suitable for air operations due to scattered showers that have been present all week. The 8th US Air Force has not conducted any raids, a news that was more than welcomed by the OKW. This break in the fighting has allowed our fighter wings time to rest and replenish their losses. Ruhr remains RAF Bomber Commands target for the 3rd week since the bombing campaign has resumed. Their night raids continue despite the poor weather. The deliberate targeting of civilian living quarters also continues. The RAF Fighter Command continues the bombing of our air bases, their target for this week was Belgium. No success is achieved since these airbases only exist as ground structures and no air wings or ground crews are stationed in Belgium at the time except for one Strategic Recon wing at Brugges. Our losses over Northern Europe are very low, only 6 Fighters lost. CONFIDENTIAL Disposition of Night Fighter Wings As far as we can tell the main objective of the WA night bombing campaign is the Ruhr industrial region. To help deliver a blow to the enemy bomber formations, additional night fighter wings have been transferred to Kassel and Frankfurt. In this area alone we are able to concentrate 275 airframes. Night Fighter wings present in the Ruhr sector: -All air groups of NJG 1 (Stab, I, II, III, IV), -All air groups of NJG 2 (Stab, I, III), -2 air groups from NJG 4 (I, III), -3 air groups from NJG 3 (Stab, I, III), -1 air group from NJG 6 (I). Two other sectors are also covered by our night fighter wings: -The Hamburg sector in the north covered by 2 groups of NJG 5 (I, II) ~ 30 planes. -The Stuttgart sector in the south covered by 1 group of NJG 5 (III) ~25 planes. The rest of our night fighter wings are long range interceptors and have been based at Fuerstenwalde (east of Berlin) and at Ruzyn (west of Prague). ~140 planes. Map of the positions of our night fighters and their interception range:
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