Goss, Chris Luftwaffe Intruder Operations Over the United Kingdom

Fernnachtjagd Units, 1940 to 1944

On 17 July 1940, after his release from French captivity, Colonel Josef Kammhuber took command of the Luftwaffe's 1st Night Fighter Division. He was tasked with combating RAF bombers, which were posing an increasing threat to Germany during the Battle of Britain. Kammhuber's strategy, known as Fernnachtjagd (long-range night fighter), focused on attacking bombers while they were particularly vulnerable during take-off and return to their bases. Kammhuber was convinced that converted German bombers such as the Dornier Do 17Z and the Junkers Ju 88, flown by experienced crews, were ideally suited for these missions. The first successes of the Fernnachtjagd were achieved on 23 July 1940, when Luftwaffe pilots accidentally shot down a Bristol Blenheim, which they mistook for a Vickers Wellington. These night missions continued with varying degrees of success in the following years. From 1942 onwards, the campaign became a stopgap solution, and the introduction of the Messerschmitt Me 210 and Me 410 brought further changes in tactics and the aircraft used. While long-range night fighter missions still had some effect in 1941, their effectiveness had waned by 1944. It is noteworthy that during the Allied air raid on Berlin on 19 February 1944, the Luftwaffe shot down more RAF bombers than the entire Me 410 campaign in 14 months.