Herrman's Kommandos

WEATHER: Niteowl or Nitefire
INSERTS: None
MIN.TIME: 12:25
RADAR: None (no map)

In June, 1943, a former bomber
pilot - Major Hajo Herrmann -
discussed a new idea for night
fighting with Reichsmarschall
Goering. As a bomber pilot over
London during the night Blitz,
Herrmann had seen how a nocturnal
battle could be waged in suitable
ambient light provided by a com-
bination of searchlights, ground
fires, flares, and explosions. He
suggested to Goering that single-
engined fighters could be used very
effectively as point defense over
cities, where such conditions would
exist. Previously, night fighters
would intercept bombers en route to
target cities; the cities themselves
depended solely upon FlaK for defense.
Herrmann proposed to fill this gap
with single-engine fighters, to be
known as Wild Boars. Goering liked
the idea and provided Herrmann with
10 Fw190s and Bf109s. On 3-4 July,
Herrmann's Kommandos saw their first
combat, over Cologne. Dashing into
their own FlaK (which mistakenly did
not adhere to an ordered low ceiling),
the Wild Boars attacked the British
over the cities, where they were
usually safe. The Wild Boars shot
down 12 bombers for the loss of one.
Goering immediately ordered the for-
mation of JG300 - the Luftwaffe's first
Wild Sau unit.
ORDERS: Intercept the bombers coming
over the Ruhr towards Cologne.

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