Prompted by the manned flying bomb thread I'll make this post in a seperate thread. I've been aware of various "sondereinsatz" or special missions for some time. Being away from my beloved books I have cribbed most of this from FalkeEins Luftwaffe blog which I can access. I remember most of the gist but would never have remembered the various units!!!!
Tony (Yak Face) expressed surprise at the idea of german suicide attacks. I think most of us would find it rather odd as well,I know I found it hard to believe when I first heard of them. There is no doubt that some suicide attacks did take place and many more were planned but for one reason or another did not take place.
It is well known that Sturmstaffel pilots were supposed to ram allied bombers if all else failed. This seems rarely to have happened (it's not as easy as it sounds) and they would still have a chance of survival.
There were other programs under the heading 'Totaleinsätze'.Volunteer pilots were needed for a "Sondereinsatz" or special mission.The best known was given the cover name "Schulungslegrgang Elbe." These pilots were to fly explosive laden aircraft in ramming attacks on bombers,with a consequently lower chance of survival.Many of the pilots were inexperienced and were flying aircraft no longer classed as "Einsatzfähig" (serviceable). They would have been easy meat for the american escort fighters.
The first "Elbe" mission was on 7 April 1945.Twenty five bombers were rammed by Elbe pilots and some forty Elbe pilots were killed. Göbbels' diary entry for this date mentions this first German Rammeinsatz. " ..The results were not what had been expected from this first experiment ".
On 16th April '45 the Russians crossed the Oder and orders were given to destroy the bridges. In true selbstopfer or kamikaze missions an unknown number of pilots did crash their explosive laden aircraft into the bridges.
It is difficult to imagine the mood in Germany during the final weeks of the war. Many thousands of people comitted suicide,unable to see a future without national socialism or,worse,under a communist regime.
It's all very,very sad.
Steve
Tony (Yak Face) expressed surprise at the idea of german suicide attacks. I think most of us would find it rather odd as well,I know I found it hard to believe when I first heard of them. There is no doubt that some suicide attacks did take place and many more were planned but for one reason or another did not take place.
It is well known that Sturmstaffel pilots were supposed to ram allied bombers if all else failed. This seems rarely to have happened (it's not as easy as it sounds) and they would still have a chance of survival.
There were other programs under the heading 'Totaleinsätze'.Volunteer pilots were needed for a "Sondereinsatz" or special mission.The best known was given the cover name "Schulungslegrgang Elbe." These pilots were to fly explosive laden aircraft in ramming attacks on bombers,with a consequently lower chance of survival.Many of the pilots were inexperienced and were flying aircraft no longer classed as "Einsatzfähig" (serviceable). They would have been easy meat for the american escort fighters.
The first "Elbe" mission was on 7 April 1945.Twenty five bombers were rammed by Elbe pilots and some forty Elbe pilots were killed. Göbbels' diary entry for this date mentions this first German Rammeinsatz. " ..The results were not what had been expected from this first experiment ".
On 16th April '45 the Russians crossed the Oder and orders were given to destroy the bridges. In true selbstopfer or kamikaze missions an unknown number of pilots did crash their explosive laden aircraft into the bridges.
It is difficult to imagine the mood in Germany during the final weeks of the war. Many thousands of people comitted suicide,unable to see a future without national socialism or,worse,under a communist regime.
It's all very,very sad.
Steve
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