Figure 1.--

"When I had to go in my plane, it was a good thing it was dark. My stomache was awfully sensitive and when I acame out o a plane, I disappeared behind the plane and pitty there was no that little house with a heart on a door. Yu just had to doit in plain air."

-- Major Wilhemm Herget, Luftwaffe night fihter ace who brought down 8 British bombers in one night.

The Luftwaffe gave little attention to air defense fese as they prepared for the War. The idea was to win the war quickly and dcisively after which air defenses would not be needed. And the air forces of neigboring countries were not seen as threatening. Only France had a sizeable air force. The French, however, were so afraid of reprisal they refused to allow the Brituish to bomb from French fields. The Luftwaffe assessment proved vaid. Bomber Cimmand efforts to bomb German targets resulted in more losses from operations (especially poor navigation) than German defenses. The Luftwaffe did not begin to develop real defenses until RAF Bonber Command began to reeive more advanced aircraft. Bombr command began night-time raids. The first adjustmet was night fidhters. Here Me-109s were used and then Me-110s. Regular fighters were not useful until the American Eigth Air Force arrived in Britain (1942). Despite readiky available information, Hitler and Göring ds missed the idea that the Americans were a threat, but daylight strikes into the reich bgan (1943). They were met with Me-109 and FW-190s which quickly abused the Americns that the bombers coukd fight their way into the Reich. Squdrons were brought back from the East. The Luftwaffe's fighter defensive against Allied bombers proved highly effective until long-range P=51 Mustngs arrived as escorts. The Luftwaffe never ran out of aircraft, but they rn out of trained pilots. With the resulting destrucion of the Luftwaffe, the Germans were left wiyh onlt the FLAK defeses which prioved totally indaequate.

Created: 1:47 AM 7/28/2025
Last updated: 1:47 AM 7/28/2025