"JTF600's P-61 and Nightfighter operations gaming" Topic
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Kaoschallenged | 19 Mar 2013 11:04 a.m. PST |
Found a photo of a Judy with Victory markings on it's tail. Robert
link |
Kaoschallenged | 25 Mar 2013 6:16 p.m. PST |
Just found my old copy of the Squadron/Signal Night Wings USMC Night Fighters, 1942-1953 by Thomas E. Doll. Some really nice photos in it and color plates. Robert |
Kaoschallenged | 26 Mar 2013 3:00 p.m. PST |
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Kaoschallenged | 04 Apr 2013 2:51 a.m. PST |
Another aspect I wasn't aware of other then the Cr.42Ns. Robert "The Regia Aeronautica Dornier Do.217J were 15, of which 7 J-1 and 8 J-2 (radar equipped) as follows: Wk.Nr. 1251 – J-1 (3C+MT) Wk.Nr. 1260 – J-2 Wk.Nr. 1262 – J-2 (3C+MR) Wk.Nr. 1264 – J-1 Wk.Nr. 1272 – J-1 Wk.Nr. 1288 – J-1 Wk.Nr. 1316 – J-2 (3C+LT) Wk.Nr. 1321 – J-1 (3C+GR) Wk.Nr. 1337 – J-2 Wk.Nr. 1347 – J-1 Wk.Nr. 1348 – J-1 Wk.Nr. 1349 – J-2 Wk.Nr. 1358 – J-2 (3C+IL) Wk.Nr. 1359 – J-2 Wk.Nr. 1361 – J-2 They were delivered between 21.9.1942 and 15.5.1943 to 233a and 235a Squadriglie of 41° Stormo. Concerning the camouflage, it is true that almost all the J-1 were finished in overall black, but the J-2s weren't. For example, the W.Nr.1358 showed a finish in large 75 blotches on the upper surfaces over an apparently 76 base, whereas another J-2 had a typical Luftwaffe NF camouflage, with a scheme of sprayed 75 over 76 in small soft blotches. Not existing photographs of all the Italian Do 217s, nothing can be said for sure, but it seems clear that overall black wasn't the rule. The bomber involved was the Lancaster III "EM-W" serial ED692 flown by P/O L. E. Stubbs and was shot down by the Do.217J-1 of Cap. Aramis Ammannato at 04,15 hours of 17 July 1943. The only survivor of the British bomber was the dorsal gunner Sgt. W. O'Brien, who was found miraculously unharmed in the low waters of the river Ticino, near the wrecked remains of the Lancaster
This was the one and only confirmed victory of an Italian Dornier Do.217 J." weaponsandwarfare.com/?p=4141
link |
Kaoschallenged | 07 Apr 2013 1:53 a.m. PST |
"In 1943, three ME 110s were sent by the Luftwaffe to the Regia Aeronautica at Lonate Pozzolo. The serial numbers were 964, 1358 and 1804. These aircraft were intended for night fighter operations. The were painted in the standard 70/71 scheme with an overall black paint, white fuesalge band and white crosses of Savoia on the fins, for night operations. The squadriglia number was the 235-6 in blue for WNr. 964 " W.Nr/MM 964, Bf.110 C-3 Guidonia Summer 1942
link |
Kaoschallenged | 12 Apr 2013 9:19 p.m. PST |
In August 1941 a He-112B from the 51st Fighter Squadron flew the first night interception mission in the history of ARR against Soviet bombers that were attacking Bucharest. Robert |
Kaoschallenged | 17 Apr 2013 8:32 p.m. PST |
"In April 1943 the 5/1 Experimental Royal Hungarian Night Fighter Squadron was formed in Mátyásföld, Capt. Ádám Krúdy in command. Germans offered to train 2x3x12 personnel in Germany beginning in May. In the meantime the unit was transferred to Ferihegy, absorbed the personnel of the 5/1 Fighter Squadron and training began with old C.R. 42 and Héja aircraft. Later 22 pieces of Me-210 were allocated for them. Night flying exercises took place in Budaörs until September 15 when this activity was also shifted to Ferihegy. Basic Me-210 training was over by October 15 and pilots began instrumental flight training on Ju-52 after that. Meanwhile Germans sent three Bf. 110G-2s with instructors in June 1943. Basic training was over by March 1, 1944. At this point of time the unit was full-trained as day-time Zerstörer squadron. It was expected to obtain night fighter capability by autumn 1944. On April 3, 1944 15USAAF hit the aircraft factory at Horthy-liget. Airplanes of 5/1 NFS was also launched but the fighter escort peppered them. The night strike of 205RAF on the same day went unanswered due to lacking capabilities of the unit. On April 5 the unit scored its first victory, the Me-210 of Sgt. Dezső Zsámboki and Cpl. Géza Sallós scratched a B-24 near Gara. On April 13 the USAF targeted Budapest so every available aircraft scrambled. The 5/1 NFS scored two victories this time; one B-24 and one P-38, both credited to Lt. György Bertalan. It did not come cheap. Three out of nine aircraft were lost, two pilots died. After that day the unit was spared from day-time sorties. Nevertheless, training was continuous: Sonderkommando FL.ABK/Z/ in Ferihegy trained more and more pilots on Bf. 110C and D airplanes in Ferihegy between May 15 and August 2. After the April air strikes on Budapest the unit was transferred to Tápiószentmárton. Two more squadrons were setup and the 5/1 NFS was redesignated 1. Éjszakai Vadászosztály (1 NF Battalion). Capt. Krúdy commanded the battalion; commanders of the 1st and 2nd squadron became Capts. János Hollós and László Csura. The first two squadrons were operational; training took place in the 3rd squadron. Krúdy was arrested in July 1944 for sabotage. Hollós was promoted to commander of 1NFB, commander of 1/1 NFS became Capt. Imre Hennyei. On September 23 this squadron was transferred to Breslau bei Ohlau for Bf. 110G-4 training. They lost two crews during training and returned to Csorna on 21 December equipped with 12 Bf. 110G-4s (fuselage marking from M1+01 till M1+12). 1NFB was disbanded on 23 December. 1/1 NFS was redesignated 101 NFS, 1/2 and 1/3 NFS were merged and transferred to Breslau on 25 December for training but later (FEB45) moved to Kbely, Prague. 101NFS had little to do. They soon transferred to Wiener Neustadt and provided night escort for the Budapest airlift effort. No actual combat occurred during these missions. After fuel became scarce German sappers blew up the remaining aircraft in MAR45". link |
Kaoschallenged | 23 Apr 2013 5:56 p.m. PST |
One night after picking up a downed US pilot a Lysander was almost lost to a Luftwaffe Night Fighter |
Kaoschallenged | 28 Apr 2013 3:15 a.m. PST |
This article is quite informative about the Finnish Air Forces night fighter program, FINNISH NIGHT FIGHTER COURSE IN GERMANY IN 1944 sci.fi/~fta/nightftr.htm |
Kaoschallenged | 28 Apr 2013 9:50 p.m. PST |
Here is a very interesting encounter between John Alison in his P-40 and some "Sally" bombers on a night bombing raid, One-Man Air Force,The Night Ambush Of Pilot John Alison link Robert |
Kaoschallenged | 04 May 2013 11:32 a.m. PST |
I have seen that the VG-33 fighter for the Armée de l'Air was also going to be or was used as a night fighter. Does anyone have any more info? Robert |
Kaoschallenged | 11 May 2013 2:18 p.m. PST |
"Developing a True Night Fighter The United States, comfortable in the knowledge that British airmen would carry the brunt of night combat for the time being, could afford to develop its night fighters slowly, under peacetime priorities. Wartime priorities, on the other hand, forced the British to take a fast, off-the-shelf U.S. attack bomber, the Douglas A-20 Boston, and convert it to a night fighter equipped with the Mark IV airborne radar. For the long-term, the Air Corps wanted a specially designed night fighter, built according to Muir Fairchild's guidance from the early 1920s. The original request for proposals called for a "Night Interceptor Pursuit Airplane." In response to a proposal from Northrop, the Army Air Corps ordered two XP-61 prototypes in January 1941 for $1,367,000. USD Hungry for its first night fighter, the Air Corps ordered thirteen YP-61s two months later for service testing. The prototype was an all-metal, twin engine, three-place monoplane with twin tail booms and a fully retractable tricycle landing gear. Its revolutionary slotted flaps and perforated spoilers allowed it to close on a target very quickly-up to 362 miles per hour (P-61A version)-and then to decelerate rapidly to only 70 miles per hour so as not to overshoot the target. Nicknamed the Black Widow, the P-61 had many teething problems, which prevented the first prototype from flying until May 1942, a service test model until February 1943, and a production model until October 1943. The Black Widow made its public debut in January 1944 during a mysterious night flyover of the Los Angeles Coliseum, rapidly appearing out of the dark like some gigantic bat, and then just as strangely disappearing, with only the roar of its engines testifying that it had flown over the surprised crowd at a halftime celebration. The P-61's long-delayed development forced the AAF to seek an interim solution. Since the British had been converting Douglas Boston attack bombers to night fighters since 1940, it seemed logical to fill the gap left by the "Night Interceptor Pursuit Airplane" project with the night version of the Boston, known as the Havoc. The RAF had also fitted some Havocs with a powerful searchlight to illuminate enemy aircraft and allow accompanying Hurricane day fighters to attack. Renamed the Turbinlite, these aircraft proved ineffective because the searchlight blinded everyone in the area, friend and foe alike. In October 1941 U.S. airmen installed in Douglas Boston attack bombers their version of the Mark IV airborne radar, initially the handmade AI-10 and later the manufactured SCR-540. Thus modified and redesignated the P-70, sixty of these aircraft became available at Douglas's Santa Monica plant when supercharged engines needed for the bomber version could not be allocated. Armed with four 20-mm cannons and airborne radar, the P-70 could carry up to two thousand pounds of bombs on night bomber missions. However, the absence of superchargers and therefore a diminished high-altitude capability guaranteed their failure as night fighters. The desperate need for anything that would fly at night nonetheless warranted orders for 65 more combat versions and 105 trainers. By September 1942, 59 P-70s were ready for combat, with about half going to training schools at Orlando, Florida, and the other half to operational units defending the Panama Canal (24th Fighter Squadron) and Hawaii (6th Fighter Squadron). Meanwhile, the P-61 Black Widow faced mounting technical problems: aerodynamically-induced tail-buffeting, a move of the cannons from the wings to the belly, a requirement for additional fuel capacity, Plexiglas nose cones that melted in the sun, and delays in receiving remotely controlled gun turrets (in demand for the B-29) slowed production even more. Labor problems and material shortages also contributed to delays at Northrop's Hawthorne, California, plant, which built only 34 in 1943, 449 in 1944, and 199 in 1945. Only 100 Black Widows were overseas by D-Day, June 6, 1944. But what a technical marvel! Two 2,000 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp engines powered the P-61, two-speed General Electric turbosuperchargers boosted performance at altitude, and four 20-mm cannons and four .50-caliber machine guns provided killing power. Though the Black Widow was designed for a crew of three (pilot, radar operator [R/O], and gunner), the gunner sometimes did not fly in combat because the remote-controlled gun turret was either deleted or fired by the pilot. Armor plates protected the crew from machine gun fire. The pilot could use 5.8 power night binoculars mounted in the cockpit and connected to the optical gunsight. Four illuminated dots on the gunsight allowed the pilot to determine the enemy's range. The R/O sat backwards, unable to see what lay ahead, his eyes trained on the radar scope between his knees. The P-61 was perhaps the first "stealth" technology to fly for the United States. Following tests at the National Defense Research Committee, Northrop painted the night fighter glossy black to help it hide in darkened skies by reflecting light away rather than down to the ground. Baptized the Black Widow, certainly one of the most apropos nicknames ever, the P-61 (including the version with water injection) could fly up to 370 miles per hour in level flight at 30,000 feet, reach an altitude of 41,000 feet, and climb to 20,000 feet in 8.5 minutes. Fully loaded, it weighed only as much as an empty B-17 Flying Fortress. The seven hundred Black Widows built were, by any terms, the most sophisticated and advanced piston engine-powered, propeller-driven aircraft of the war. All this performance came with a high pricetag. With Northrop's assembly line in full gear, a completely equipped P-61 cost $180,000 USD in 1943 dollars, three times the cost of a P-38 fighter and twice the price of a C-47 transport. But, unconcerned with cost, the men who flew the Widow loved it. According to one, it was "fun to fly" and especially suited for its role of flying by instruments because of its stability. The P-61 pilot manual said: "When the Black Widow takes to the night sky, sticking her long nose into whatever trouble lies there, she is hard to see, hard to hit, and hard to beat." Its full-span landing flaps and retractable ailerons afforded great maneuverability. Some pilots believed the plane needed more speed, but what fighter pilot has not asked for greater speed? Others criticized the multiple ribs in its canopy that obstructed vision. Still, any aircraft that could bring down an Me 410 flying 375 miles per hour at 24,000 feet and a Ju 52 flying 90 miles per hour at 1,000 feet in the darkness of midnight was obviously a successful fighter. The Germans soon learned what the Black Widow could do and endeavored to collect one. Pilot 1st Lt. Paul A. Smith and R/O 1st Lt. Robert E. Tierney followed a bogey (enemy aircraft) to the ground, the German plane playing a game of tag, always staying safely ahead of the P-61, but never attempting to lose it either. After nearly thirty minutes of chase, Smith and Tierney found themselves at low altitude flying through a "killing field" of light German antiaircraft guns supported by searchlights. Having lost their port engine, the 422d Night Fighter Squadron (NFS) crew nursed the damaged Black Widow back to their home base. Though the P-61 bore eighty-seven holes, the Germans were unable to claim their prize. AAF Col. Phineas K. Morrill laid the groundwork for a major controversy in September 1943, when he requested that all of the night fighter squadrons trained by his 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group be equipped with twin-engine British Mosquitoes rather than American P-70s or P-61s. The proposal received little attention until June 1944, when Maj. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Deputy Commander in Chief of Allied Expeditionary Air Force in Europe, added his weight to Morrill's request. Considering that "neither the P-61 nor the P-70 type aircraft are suitable night fighters . . . and that little success can be expected," Vandenberg wanted U.S. night fighter squadrons to switch to British-provided Mosquitoes. To resolve the controversy, Lt. Gen. Carl A. Spaatz, Commander of United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe, ordered a July 5, 1944, flyoff at Hurn, England, pitting the P-61 directly against Vandenberg's choice, the British Mosquito. Lt. Col. Winston W. Kratz, director of night fighter training in the United States, bet $500 USD that the Mosquito could outperform the Widow. According to the 422d NFS historian, the competing P-61, "tweaked" to get maximum performance, proved faster at all altitudes, "outturned the Mossie at every altitude and by a big margin and far surpassed the Mossie in rate of climb." All in all, the historian noted, "a most enjoyable afternoon-Kratz paid off." The official report concluded that the "P-61 can out-climb the Mosquito due to the ability of the P-61 to operate indefinitely at military power without overheating," critical to closing on a bogey. Despite this impressive performance, the Black Widow lacked the speed advantage necessary to intercept some high-flying enemy bombers. At Leyte in the Pacific, chagrined Army pilots had to ask for help from single-engine Marine F6F-3N Hellcats to stop nightly Japanese high altitude intruders. The AAF had tested its own single-engine and single crew night fighters in 1944 over France, sending two P-51s and two P-38s on twenty-one sorties with a RAF night squadron. Their lack of success, at a cost of one P-38, prematurely ended the AAF's experiment with single-engine or single-crew night fighters. U.S. airmen were convinced that such aircraft should be twin-engined and carry more than a single crewman-the P-61 Black Widow would have to do the job" link |
Kaoschallenged | 17 May 2013 11:08 p.m. PST |
US Night Fighter Radars of WWII link |
Kaoschallenged | 19 May 2013 3:02 a.m. PST |
"456 Squadron RAAF No. 456 Squadron was the Royal Australian Air Force's only dedicated night fighter squadron during the Second World War. An Article XV squadron, it was formed at Valley, on the Welsh island of Anglesea, on 30 June 1941 and joined 9 Group of Fighter Command. The squadron was initially equipped with Boulton Paul Defiant aircraft but had barely begun operations before it was re-equipped with Bristol Beaufighters at the end of September. Obsolete, the Defiant was ill-suited to the night fighter role, but operating the potent radar-equipped Beaufighter, the squadron was well-equipped for stalking German bombers in Britain's night skies. The squadron operated Beaufighters from Valley for a little over a year before it was re-equipped with De Havilland Mosquitoes in December 1942. The Mosquito was even more versatile and its introduction, combined with a lessening of the German air threat over Britian, led to a diversification of 456 Squadron's activities. From the start of 1943 it was also employed on offensive patrols over occupied Europe, striking at both German bombers near their home airfields and at targets on the ground. On 30 March 1943 the squadron relocated to Middle Whallop, in Hampshire to the east of Salisbury. Although the night skies remained the squadron's principal domain, it also mounted operations in daylight, attacking trains and other enemy transport in France, and flying patrols in defence of Coastal Command aircraft operating over the Bay of Biscay. On 17 August 1943 the squadron moved to Colerne, to the east of Bristol. The move marked the beginning of a lull in operations in which the squadron's energies were devoted to training. On 17 November it again moved, to Fairwood Common, in south Wales and mounted patrols in support of Bomber Command's operations over Germany. At the end of February 1944 a German "mini-blitz" on London and other targets in southern England resulted in 456 Squadron being redeployed to strengthen the defences there. It joined 11 Group at Ford, south east of London, and operated in its primary role against German bombers. The German campaign petered out at the end of May, just in time for 456 Squadron's efforts to be diverted to protect the Allied landings in Normandy that began on 6 June. Later that month, the squadron returned to the air defence of Britain, mounting patrols to intercept V1 flying bombs. The air threat to Britain, in all its forms, had receded by the start of 1945, and 456 Squadron, after a period of training at Church Fenton, was redeployed to Bradwell Bay in south east England to provide patrols in defence of Bomber Command aircraft. When not required in this role, the squadron mounted its own strikes against ground targets. 456 Squadron launched its last operational sorties of the Second World War on the night of 3 May 1945 but these were aborted due to bad weather. After the Armistice on 8 May, the squadron was employed to enforce the surrender of the German garrisons on the Channel Islands and on reconnaissance missions over Germany. It disbanded on 15 June 1945 having shot down 42 enemy aircraft and 29 V-1 flying bombs during the war. The bulk of 456 Squadron's personnel sailed for home on 19 October 1945" link |
Kaoschallenged | 24 May 2013 10:31 a.m. PST |
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Kaoschallenged | 26 May 2013 3:36 p.m. PST |
WWII USMC Marine Night Fighter Air Squadron VMF-542 Photo Album link |
Kaoschallenged | 28 May 2013 11:37 p.m. PST |
Another good "What If?". Robert "Ar Project I The E.583 Projekt I was a delta-wing nightfighter with a 35 degree, twin fins and rudders, powered by two BMW 003A turbojets were located under the rear fuselage. In the pressurize cockpit the crew of two were to be seated side-by-side. Armament was to be four MK 108 30mm cannons in nose mounting." link
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Kaoschallenged | 30 May 2013 7:10 p.m. PST |
Luftwaffe night fighters JU 88 Me 110 Do 217 ME 110 HE 219 YouTube link |
Kaoschallenged | 02 Jun 2013 2:21 a.m. PST |
P-61 Black Widow vs. He 177 Greif
KG 40 Heinkel He 177 crew of pilot Hptm. Stolle (centre) after their 'successful' combat with a 422 NFS P-61 Black Widow during the night of 14/15 August 1944. The Alsatians 'Max' and 'Moritz' also flew sorties. link |
Kaoschallenged | 05 Jun 2013 4:00 p.m. PST |
"One of the lesser known episodes in the operational history of the Spitfire is its use as a night fighter. During the winter 1941/1942 it was feared that the night Blitz of the year before might be repeated in 1942. During 1941, the Hurricane was deployed by several squadrons for night duties, proving largely indifferent as the night fighter but having some success in the night intruder role. For interception duties, higher performance was required and therefore a decision was made to convert some of the Spitfire Mk. V squadrons to night fighting duties." link |
Kaoschallenged | 06 Jun 2013 10:39 p.m. PST |
"One of the lesser known episodes in the operational history of the Spitfire is its use as a night fighter. During the winter 1941/1942 it was feared that the night Blitz of the year before might be repeated in 1942. During 1941, the Hurricane was deployed by several squadrons for night duties, proving largely indifferent as the night fighter but having some success in the night intruder role. For interception duties, higher performance was required and therefore a decision was made to convert some of the Spitfire Mk. V squadrons to night fighting duties. The Nos. 111, 65 and 41 Squadrons were assigned for the new role. The aircraft were repainted in night camouflage and the units commenced training in night flying and interception during winter 1941/1942. It was envisaged that the Spitfires would be gradually vectored to their targets by searchlights pointing in the direction of flight. At the right moment, the searchlights would also need to keep the bomber illuminated so that the fighter's pilot could open fire. This tactics received a code name Smack. Like the contemporary Turbinlite concept, the Smack tactics was short-lived. After three months' flying it was apparent that the idea of using Spitfires at night would render only meagre results at the cost of prohibitive accident rate. Of all RAF combat aircraft, the Spitfire was perhaps the most difficult to fly at night because of the poor visibility over the nose and the necessity of flying a curved landing approach. The pilot was virtually blind during the final stages of the landing and the problem was exacerbated by the narrow-track undercarriage. The latter combined with massive torque of the engine posed also a severe problem on night take-offs. As one of the pilots put it: ""If you were flying the Mosquito you had two engines, so you had no swing on take-off. It was balanced. In a Spitfire there's one engine and torque going one way. It scared the out of you. The first time you took off you didn't know where you're going, the swing was terrific and had to be corrected right away" In January 1938, no. 111 Suqadron had the distinction of becoming the first Hurricane squadron of the RAF Fighter Command. The Squadron flew as part of both Nos 11 and 12 Groups during the Battle of Britain and replaced its Hurricanes with Spitfires in April 1941. After the short night-fighting episode, the unit moved to Gibraltar in November 1942 in preparation for Operation Torch – the invasion of North Africa – where it supported the 1st Army through Algeria and Tunisia before moving to Malta in June 1943 to cover the invasion of Sicily. Night-fighting Spitfires were painted matt black overall. In spite of the black colour scheme, the aircraft could still give itself away in the darkness because the exhaust manifolds used to glow red hot, so part of the maintenance routine was applying very thick red lead paint to the manifolds to reduce glare. Exhaust flame dampers had not been fitted to these aircraft and the pilot's night vision suffered accordingly. No 41 Squadron received its first Spitfires in January 1939 – an association that was, remarkably, to last for the whole of World War II. Activity was light for the Squadron until May 1940 when it was used to provide fighter cover for the evacuation of Dunkirk and was stationed at Hornchurch during the Battle of Britain. In the following years, No 41 was employed on a variety of missions including convoy patrol, 'Rhubarb' interdiction flights and fighter interception. After joining the Second Tactical Air Force in September 1944, the Squadron flew fighter sweeps over the continent, moving to Germany as part of the occupation forces in July 1945. The night camouflage was applied on top of the aircrafts' former day fighter scheme, which also resulted in a variety of roundel sizes and markings. This aircraft retains the sky spinner and tail band from its former camouflage. The fuselage roundel of this aircraft is non-standard and the serial number has been overpainted. Fuselage codes are also painted Sky, with the letter W markedly larger than the squadron code." link |
Kaoschallenged | 13 Jun 2013 8:58 p.m. PST |
Wings of Victory,Part 2 Technical Development during WW II PDF link |
Kaoschallenged | 18 Jun 2013 5:12 p.m. PST |
A quite detailed page on Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer. "Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was the top-scoring Nachtjäger of World War 2. He was credited with 121 victories recorded in 164 combat missions. His victory total includes 114 four-engine bombers." luftwaffe.cz/schnaufer.html |
Mako11 | 21 Jun 2013 4:39 p.m. PST |
That must have been one tricked out P-61, since most of what I've read about it pointed out the less than designed performance levels, much like those of the He-219, e.g. lower than expected top speed, and a poor climb rate. Usually, aircraft are limited to 5 minute bursts of max power, in order to avoid damaging their engines. |
Kaoschallenged | 30 Jun 2013 6:59 p.m. PST |
Not sure if it was or not Mako. Robert |
Kaoschallenged | 01 Jul 2013 3:34 a.m. PST |
Hawker Typhoon Night Fighter "The idea of fitting existing airborne interception radar to fast single engine fighters was tried, without much success, on a Hawker Typhoon in England. Apparently, the fighter itself never left the U.K., though there have been post-war rumors to the contrary (i.e. that Typhoons thus configured with AI were operationally used in the Pacific)." link |
Kaoschallenged | 06 Jul 2013 5:42 p.m. PST |
Luftwaffe Night Fighters engage British bombers (1943) YouTube link |
Kaoschallenged | 07 Jul 2013 2:52 p.m. PST |
A very informative history of No. 68 SQUADRON RAF, A HISTORY OF No. 68 SQUADRON PDF link |
Kaoschallenged | 15 Jul 2013 7:56 p.m. PST |
Didn't know there was a Polish Night Fighter squadron. No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron "No. 307 (City of Lwów) Polish Night Fighter Squadron (Polish: 307 Dywizjon Myśliwski Nocny "Lwowskich Puchaczy" ) was a Polish night fighter squadron[1] formed in Great Britain on 24 August 1940 as a result of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom. It was the only Polish night fighter squadron fighting alongside the Royal Air Force during World War II. 307 Squadron is named after the City of Lwow in the Eastern Poland province of Galicia. The name "Eagle Owls" is derived from the heroic exploits of young fighters who died defending Lwow from invading Ukrainian / Russian forces in 1918 and 1919. The soldiers, students and youths fought bravely and succeeded in keeping the invading Russians out of Eastern Poland. The Lwów Eaglets (Polish: Orlęta Lwowskie) is a name applied to Polish combatants who defended the city of Lwow, (now called Lviv) (Polish: Lwów, German: Lemberg) in Galicia, Poland during the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918–1919). The name "Eagle Owls" is also appropriate because 307 Squadron's role – night-fighter defence." link |
Kaoschallenged | 16 Jul 2013 10:38 a.m. PST |
Bf 110 under fire from an RAF night fighter |
Kaoschallenged | 20 Jul 2013 9:32 p.m. PST |
"No.25 Squadron served as a night fighter squadron throughout the Second World War. It had received its Blenheim IFs in December 1938 to replace the obsolete Demon biplane, at a time when the Blenheim was not seen as a night fighter, but experiments during 1939 proved that it could carry the large early AI sets. On 17 July 1939 it was decided to fit radar into 21 Blenheim IFs, and on 31 July deliveries began to No.25 Squadron. At the start of the war the squadron had received 15 AI-equipped aircraft. The Blenheim was an indifferent night fighter, lacking the speed needed to catch the German bombers it was attempting to intercept. The development of faster, more capable night fighters meant that it was soon replaced by the Bristol Beaufighter, with early examples reaching No.25 Squadron in October 1940, while the last Blenheims left in January 1941. The Beaufighters remained with the squadron until January 1943, by which time the ultimate British night fighter of the war, the de Havilland Mosquito, had begun to enter service. No.25 Squadron would operate the Mosquito until 1951. No.25 Squadron spent the first three years of the war flying defensive patrols. On 16 February 1943 it began to fly intruder missions over occupied Europe using its newly arrived Mosquito IIs. For the rest of the war the squadron flew a mix of defensive, intruder and bomber support missions. Aircraft December 1938-January 1941: Bristol Blenheim IF August-November 1939: Bristol Blenheim IVF October 1940-January 1943: Bristol Beaufighter I July 1941-September 1941: Havoc I October 1942-February 1944: de Havilland Mosquito NF Mk II September 1943-February 1945: de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk VI December 1943-November 1944: de Havilland Mosquito XVII December 1944-September 1946: de Havilland Mosquito FN Mk 30" link |
Kaoschallenged | 28 Jul 2013 1:38 p.m. PST |
The de Havilland Mosquito as a Night Fighter link |
Kaoschallenged | 30 Jul 2013 10:31 p.m. PST |
"In April 1944, Erprobungskommando 262 was formed at Lechfeld in Bavaria as a test unit (Jäger Erprobungskommando Thierfelder) to introduce the 262 into service and train a core of pilots to fly it. On 26 July 1944, Leutnant Alfred Schreiber with the 262 A-1a W.Nr. 130 017 damaged a Mosquito reconnaissance aircraft of No. 540 Squadron RAF PR Squadron, which was allegedly lost in a crash landing upon landing at an air base in Italy. Other sources state the aircraft was damaged during evasive manoeuvres and escaped. It was the first victory for a turbojet fighter aircraft in aviation history." dark-history.eu/Me262.htm |
Kaoschallenged | 12 Aug 2013 4:19 p.m. PST |
426th Night Fighter Squadron P-61 first air-to-air victory (1/18/45) "We had been told that these Japanese raids had been flying up the river from the southeast one plane at a time at about 15-minute intervals. We took a heading of 140 degrees, hoping we might luck into a raiding bomber. We were at an altitude of about 7,500 feet, flying in a bright moonlit haze. It was a beautiful, luminous night and we were lucky. The first plane in the raid had bombed our runway, but I picked up the second one on my radar. We started the procedure of running an interception where we were approaching the target head-on. The range at the time of my initial contact was 25,000 feet, but this diminished rapidly to 10,000, then 5,000, then 1,000 feet. Then at 500 feet we made a "hard as possible" 180-degree turn that brought us behind the target at a range of 2,200 feet. We started making adjustments to synchronize our speed with that of the target, when Ab announced, "Hell, I see him!" (He was supposed to say "tally ho," which came from the English, who first developed night fighter technique.) Ab now controlled the interception and closed to a very close range of only 250 feet, where we both made a careful visual identification of the target as a Japanese twin-engined medium bomber designated as a "Lily." Enemy bombers most often had feminine names. Their best was the "Betty," then the "Lily," the "Nan" and others. With identification established, Ab swung in behind the enemy and opened fire at this close range. Our armament was awesome for that time, four 20-mm machine cannons loaded so as to fire two incendiary, two armor-piercing and two high-explosive shells very rapidly in sequence. This was formidable weaponry and hits were immediately scored all over the enemy aircraft -- engines, fuselage, wings. There was fire from the first hits, and then explosions. Pieces of the plane flew back to blank out all forward vision through our windshields. Then the enemy plane was an enormous fireball, arching over into a perpendicular dive. We were watching through our side Plexiglas and could see the landscape brightly lit up with detail on the ground, clearly defined. Then everything was instantly dark again, when the burning plane hit the ground and extinguished itself in a spray of white-hot material that exploded away from the point of impact in every direction." link |
Kaoschallenged | 13 Aug 2013 11:31 a.m. PST |
Second air-to-air victory (1/21/45) "After nearly three hours flying at 140 mph and several serious discussions about "shouldn't we turn back now?" we suddenly broke out of the overcast and all considerations left us other than completing this long interception. It was now late night, without moonlight, but as we closed in, Ab gave me a "tally ho" at a range of 500 feet. We made a careful identification. Another "lily," this time noting the exceptionally high vertical stabilizer and a break in the silhouette along the bottom on the fuselage line near the tail. Also, this time Ab put a little more space between us and the target before we opened fire. Neither of us was prepared for the super spectacular that took place. Hollywood couldn't have equaled it. The enemy plane instantly burst into flames, lighting and backlighting the billowing clouds of the overcast still all around us. At the same time, a heavy plume of black smoke poured out of the stricken plane, contrasting with the light clouds and looking like huge, sooty entrails. Then, as it continued its plunge, there were explosions tearing parts of the plane off as the bomb load, at intervals, blew up. Magnesium is an ultra-lightweight metal that burns with fierce intensity. They made railroad flares out of magnesium. The Japanese also made the "Lily" bomber out of this material, accounting for the brilliant neon fireball. Still, most of the wreckage hit the ground in one flaming piece that instantlydad-two-pals extinguished itself. It was then that we noticed we were at the very edge of the city of Nanchang. A lot of lights were showing here and there. We wondered if our fireworks display was as dramatic seen from the ground as it had been from the air. " link |
Kaoschallenged | 16 Aug 2013 1:09 p.m. PST |
Experimental mounting for BK 3,7 in a Ju-288 nose" link |
Kaoschallenged | 31 Aug 2013 4:23 p.m. PST |
"Three Beaufighter Mark IF night fighters of No. 600 Squadron RAF based at Colerne, Wiltshire, flying in starboard echelon formation. The wartime censor has removed the AI Mark IV airborne interception radar aerials from the photograph." link
"WAAF personnel prepare and refuel a Bristol Beaufighter Mark VIF for a night-flying sortie from No. 51 Operational Training Unit at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, as the pilot waits nearby." |
Kaoschallenged | 08 Sep 2013 8:02 p.m. PST |
Blenheim IF Night fighter Radar
link |
Kaoschallenged | 16 Sep 2013 12:38 p.m. PST |
Amazing interview with WWII RAAF Mosquito pilot Col Griffin "WWII RAAF Mosquito pilot Col Griffin – still flying today – shares some of his memories with Kathy Mexted and tells how a wartime recruitment poster set his life on a dramatic and exciting new course. An Adelaide railway station poster headlined: I'm going to join the RAAF. Are you coming? caught the eye of a 21 year old Col Griffin. Quickly sold on the idea, Col says it took him a while to "make up the academic stage", but once enlisted he commenced initial training locally at Victor Harbour. "I walked through that, and then went to learn flying at Parafield, soloing in 8 hours 25 minutes. There were some bright arses that went solo in 6:20, but often that was because they had good weather. Others had worse weather and never soloed at all. The system couldn't wait for them. "We got through, and while most of the blokes went off to Canada, half a dozen of us went over to Geraldton in WA to fly Avro Ansons. I loved Geraldton, it was such a beautiful place. I was commissioned off course as a ‘Pilot Officer' (he says, waving his arms in self mockery). "I came from Strathalbyn in South Australia, where I was nothing but a lad in a dusty country town. Within twelve months I was a ‘Pilot Officer' and I had a uniform, and I had a cap, and boy – was I up myself!" says Col, laughing at the memory of his transformation." link |
Kaoschallenged | 04 Dec 2013 11:29 p.m. PST |
AIR INTERCEPTION RADAR IN WORLD WAR II NIGHT FIGHTER link |
Robert Kennedy | 06 Jan 2014 2:37 p.m. PST |
A HISTORY OF NO. 68 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE link |
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