alternatehistory.com

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=104024
by Desdichado on Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:33 am

I've read many works concerning the bombing of Germany by RAF Bomber Command. In several of the books, mention was made of RAF losses inflicted by Luftwaffe intruders who would attack the returning bombers as they were coming in to land or in the circuit. Others mention surprise attacks carried out by raiders who attacked the bombers on the ground before they could take off. I don't know how many RAF bombers were lost in this way but it doesn't look like the Luftwaffe fully exploited this tactic which, by all accounts, was successful when used. I've compiled a few questions that I hope someone will be able to answer.

Does anyone know why the Luftwaffe never formed a specialist unit dedicated to following the bomber stream home in order to strike when the British were most vulnerable? If so, who was responsible for its creation?

Presumably the Luftwaffe was able to replicate IFF to enable them to cross into British airspace with the bomber stream. Did the Luftwaffe fit any of its night-fighters with British IFF technology?

Luftwaffe signals knew when a raid was to take place by monitoring the signals broadcast by wireless operators when each bomber went through its pre-raid air test. Although the target could not readily be ascertained, the intruders could have been scrambled and on their way to eastern England, especially on the long winter nights when the RAF would often take off any time between eleven and midnight. RAF fighter command would have not been able to cover each airfield with a protective screen of night-fighters so the chances of a successful intruder operation were quite good.

By employing intruders in greater numbers than they did, the Luftwaffe might have prevented many bombers from getting anywhere their targets and would also cause panic and confusion on the ground. Granted, in the long run the British would have adopted counter measures to the intruders but there was a window of opportunity there for the Germans to strike a heavy blow against the RAF. I wonder why they didn't exploit it more than they did.

Regards - D

by WalterS on Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:45 pm

During the early years of the RAF's night attacks the Luftwaffe employed "intruder" aircraft which attacked RAF bombers over their own airfields. In 1940-41, according to Max Hastings, these "intruders" had been responsible for two-thirds of the Luftwaffe's night-fighter victories. "[Luftwaffe General] Kammhuber was convinced that this promised to be the most effective means of causing casualties and chaos to the bomber offensive. Bomber Command shared his opinion." If the German "intruders" had been allowed to continue their operations, according to Hastings, the consequences for BC could have been severe.

But the "intruders" were not allowed to continue these successful operations. Why? Hitler ordered that these operations be abandoned because he "considered that only aircraft shot down over Germany were of value in convincing the German people that they were being defended." So, the Luftwaffe left the British airfields alone. Hastings believes that this was the greatest missed opportunity of the bomber war.

See Max Hastings, "Bomber Command," pp.266-270

What if the Luftwaffe was successfully able to persuade Hitler to allow them to continue and expand intruder operations over Britain in 1941 to the end of the war? Historically they were very successful in 1941-2 and caused major morale issues for the RAF according to Max Hastings. An earlier focus on manufacturing specialized night fighters and hunting Bomber Command over their own bases would save tremendous resources later on, while blunting the RAF operations over Germany at a much smaller cost than fighting them over German cities to the civilian population, production, and Luftwaffe itself. In fact with butterflies the TA154 would have been able to be produced later on if night bombing is blunted for a while (the critical glue factory isn't then destroyed). The Mosquito would also be vulnerable over its bases rather than getting a chance to build up full speed in the air, much like how the Allies confronted the Me262.

Yes, the British would counter with more AAA and Mosquito fighter cover at night, so this would probably only be a delay of the inevitable build up, but it would retard British bombing of German cities, which only is a net plus for the Axis war effort. Of course the Germans themselves could end up speeding up their own efforts at countering British developments in areas that they, due to a defensive mindset IOTL, never developed IOTL.

Edit:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=206846&highlight=intruder
Found this earlier thread, but the conversation cut short. I had a different perspective back then, but have read a bit more recently that sparked my interest in this topic again.
Top