Duell unter den Sternen - Tatsachenbericht eines deutschen Nachtjägers 1941-1945 - Book

Captain Wilhelm Johnen, born on October 9, 1921 in Homberg on the Lower Rhine, came as a young lieutenant in May 1941 for the German night hunt. Embedded in the history of the German night hunt and its famous pilots, he describes his military career from his training in blind flight to his first night hunt operations at night hunting squadron 1 in Venlo and Schleswig. Captured and shot down by his four-engined bomber after his first night-time hunt, he returned to his squadron after a long hospital stay in Venlo. In December 1942 with the third season of the night hunter squadron 1 for III. Relegated to the night fighter squadron 6, he took part in the defensive battles over Hamburg starting from Venlo and was confronted for the first time during this time with the new Staniolstreifen tactics of the Royal Air Force. During the night of 23 to 24 August 1943, 20 kills were scored in the first overnight hunt by his group over Berlin. Johnen also scored his greatest success over Berlin when he managed to shoot down four enemy bombers in just 45 minutes. After various transfers of his group he made in Leipheim during a test flight with the Me 262 first experiences with this jet fighter. On April 28, 1944 he was forced with his Me Bf 110 in Switzerland for emergency landing, but he succeeded in returning to Germany. After their transfer to Hungary in June 1944, the group had the task of protecting Vienna and Budapest from attacks by bomber squadrons of the RAF from Italy and fend off partisan aircraft. After 33 Nachtjagdabschüssen on October 31, 1944 as a first lieutenant awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, he experienced the attack on Würzburg on March 16, 1945 from the air and was able to achieve his 34th and last Nachtjagdabschuss here as a group commander of the III./Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 , The end of the war saw Wilhelm Johnen in Bad Aibling, where he and his comrades on April 30, 1945 blew up their machines.

Hardcover: 232 pages

Language: German

Size: 17,9 x 2,5 x 24,9 cm