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GTX_Admin:
Unternehmen Kondor I & II

The first offensive operation of 1945 was yet another unexpected blow to the Allies.  It would also come as a surprise to one of its supposed participants.  On the evening of 20th Feb 1945, a large contingent of German and Turkish aircraft took off from bases in Crete and Cyprus.  These were a combination of Do-335s and a few He-343s carrying a combination of conventional bombs or PC 1400 “Fritz-X” guided bombs, escorted by Me-262s and Ta-183A-2s.  All carried drop tanks to enable them to fly a greater range.  The most significant element of the striking force though was a total of 12 Me-262 based Mistel combinations (these comprised a piloted Me-262 attached to an unpiloted version), which offered far more potent striking ability.  The target for this operation (known as Unternehmen (Operation) “Kondor I”) was the Egyptian port of Alexandria as well as a number of surrounding Allied airbases.

At the same time as Kondor I was taking place, a somewhat similar force of Italian, German, and what appeared to be Spanish, aircraft also took off from secret airstrips in central Spain (the aircraft had originated from bases in Italy and Southern France and were refuelled quickly at the strips which had been temporarily ‘captured’).  This force comprised of German and Italian Me-262s, Ta-183A-2s escorting a number of Ar-234C-5s and He-343s armed with a combination of PC 1400 “Fritz-X” guided bombs, Hs295 guided missiles as well as conventional bombs.  Also within the force were a total of 16 Ar-234C-5/E-377 Mistel combinations (the E-377 was a new dedicated Mistel design).  This potent force was targeted for the British naval base of Gibraltar.  This mission was known as “Kondor II”.

Both forces were also preceded by a small number of a new version of the Me-262 – the Me-262D-1.  This was a two seat version designed around a single, highly specialised mission – that of disrupting the radar defences of the enemy forces. To help the Me-262D-1’s undertake their mission, the second crew member operated a suite of radar detection/location sensors carried within the nose (at the expense of the cannon).   The new aircraft were widely nicknamed “Wilde Weisel” (due to their devious, ferocious mission) by their crews and were armed with special versions of the Ruhrstahl/Kramer X-4 fitted with a larger warhead and most importantly a special guidance system designed to home onto the emissions of Allied radar systems.  Their effect would be devastating as around mid-night at both Alexandria and Gibraltar, the Allied air-defence radars (both land based and upon ships) first detected a number of incoming aircraft and then in quick succession were rapidly destroyed.  The only radars to survive were those which were inactive at the time.  With their electronic eyes blinded, there was now limited ability for the defending forces to do much to defend themselves against the waves of strike aircraft following.  Soon, both docks and surrounding military facilities (including a number of air-strips) were burning furiously.  On the water large numbers of Allied naval ships were either sinking or in a perilous state.  In one single stroke, the Axis had gained almost total naval superiority in the Mediterranean – this would shortly also mean that most Allied convoys were unable to safely transit the area.

the Me-262D-1“Wilde Weisel” 



Port of Alexandria and Gibraltar before the attacks.




Some of the platforms that took part in the raid




As a consequence of the Kondor II raid, Spain suddenly also found itself an active participant in the war.  This was due to both Britain and the United States having declared war upon Spain following the discovery of a crashed Me-262 in Ejército del Aire (EdA) markings (this was in fact piloted by a Luftwaffe pilot as part of a plot by Hitler to finally force Franco to join the Axis, though that was unknown at the time) and the reports of the strike having launched from Spanish soil.  As a result, Spain now asked Germany to supply it with the latest in modern weapons in return for it “joining” the Axis.  This was satisfied by the transfer of some Me-262s, He-162s and Do-335s.  Later on a license was also allocated to Hispano Aviacion in Spain to produce the Ta-183A-2 as the Ha 1115.  Also part of this transfer were a number of Panther tanks (a factory to produce them under license was also established), as were a number of U-boats (these would operate from the soon to be captured port of Gibraltar (though this did not fall until a month later following a long siege).

Spanish  Ha 1115

GTX_Admin:
The Desert Fox Returns

The primary purpose of the Kondor I & II operations was to ensure the un-impeded return of Axis forces to North Africa (Unternehmen Schakal (Jackal)).  Under the command of the Desert Fox himself, Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, two armoured divisions of the Heer armed with the latest Panther Ausf. H tanks (these were an improved design powered by a new diesel engine and were also equipped with rudimentary night vision equipment and a new rapid reload mechanism allowing a higher rate of fire) as well as the proven Tiger tanks, and 4 Italian divisions (1 armoured and 3 infantry) landed in Tunisia.  Strong supporting airpower was also supplied, in the form of the Me-262s of ZG-76 and the Ju-289A-2s (the Junkers fighter had been found to be generally better suited to operations from rough desert airstrips than its Focke-Wulf stable-mate) of JG-27 as well as Me-262s and Do-335s of the Règia Aeronautica (this having been reconstituted following Mussolini’s triumphant return to Rome).  This force would soon be joined by a substantial Spanish force landing in Morocco.

German forces being unload in Tunisia.



Me-262s  of the African campaign




Also making an appearance (at least for the first time in the west) were new specialised anti-tank versions of the Me-410 and Me-262 – the Me-410E-1/U4 and Me-262E-1 respectively.  Both of these replaced the standard cannon of the earlier versions with a single 50mm Mauser Mk214 cannon.  Initially, trialled in the anti-bomber role, these were soon re-tasked in the anti-tank role and were first introduced to combat by Schlachtgeschwader 2 (SG-2) under the command of Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel.  A single hit from the 50mm cannon was sufficient to cripple even the heaviest of enemy tanks.  In Africa, both aircraft types operated as part of SG-4.

The Me-410E-1/U4 and Me-262E-1 Tank Busters.








The first phase of this operation involved the re-occupying of the Islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.  In addition, this time Malta would also be occupied.  With the Allies in disarray (especially with Gibraltar out of action), these operations were able to take place quickly and with relative few casualties – the inability of the Allies to resupply them and thus the very real threat of starvation, was a major factor in the decisions of the garrisons on each to not resist for long.

With such overwhelming forces at hand, and with further fronts soon opened in both the west (Morocco) and east (Iraq – see further below), not to mention the devastation inflicted upon their forces in both Cairo and Gibraltar and the earlier substantial losses in the Italian campaign, the Commonwealth and American forces soon found themselves on the retreat once again.  A number of the new Allied jets were rushed to the theatre, though they weren’t able to make much of an impact in time.

Having learnt from his earlier campaign, Rommel insisted that a number of key requirements be put in place to guarantee the success of this second Afrika Korp campaign.  These included guaranteed access to a robust logistics re-supply system as well strong air-cover.  The latter was provided by the basing of JG-27, ZG-76 and SG-4 all in North Africa (along with numerous Règia Aeronautica air units as well). 

To ensure the former, the Luftwaffe and Règia Aeronautica based a number of air and naval units at various points throughout the Mediterranean (including upon the recently captured island of Malta) to patrol for Allied units that may attempt to strike at the supply lines.  Amongst these forces were a number of dedicated anti-submarine units using a combination of flying boats, converted bombers and a new two-seat variant of the Do-335, the Do-335C (more on this variant later).  In addition, the Règia Aeronautica introduced the first of a new type to replace its tired old Savoia Marchetti S.M.79s in the anti-shipping role.  This new aircraft, the Savoia-Marchetti S.M.96 Uragano, was based upon the German He-219 night fighter (a few of which had already entered Règia Aeronautica service) but was specially modified for use in the anti-shipping role.  In doing so, the night fighter equipment (radar, belly cannon pack, Schräge Musik installation etc) were removed.  The wing root cannon were retained (though they were upgraded to the new Mauser MG 213D - this was a development of the 213C entering service on the new fighters but modified to allow greater muzzle velocity) and the FuG 200 Hohentwiel sea-search radar set was fitted.  Perhaps the most noticeable external change though was the fitting of a remote-controlled tail gun to provide a degree of self protection.  Apart from the cannon, the typical armament was 1 – 2 torpedoes (later these would able to be replaced by the L.11 "Schneewittchen" winged torpedo and the new “Zitteroschen” supersonic anti-shipping missile) as well as up to 24 R4/M HL Panzerblitz 2 rockets under the outer wings.  The S.M.96 Uraganos were first used by 256a Squadriglia, 108° Gruppo and soon made their presence felt sinking Allied shipping throughout the Mediterranean.  Following their success, small numbers were also acquired by Spain and Croatia for use in the Mediterranean.  A version was even acquired by Germany (as the He-219D) for use in the Baltic and in Norway.

Drawings of the Savoia-Marchetti S.M.96 Uragano




Also, in March/April 1945, the Germans/Italians succeeded in laying a pipeline along the sea floor from Malta to Tunisia (a second, similar one was later laid from Spain to Morocco).  Once fully operational, these pipelines allowed the delivery of approximately, 5 million litres of oil per day to the forces in North Africa (they would also be added to later by a pipeline operating in reverse bringing oil from the oilfields of Africa) .  The last element of the logistics effort was the use of the re-equipped Luftwaffe and Règia Aeronautica transport units to pre-position (either through airdrops or, where possible by landing) caches of arms/fuel ahead of the advancing ground forces. 

Ar-232B shielded from the elements at a forward operating base – part of the  efforts to pre-position arms/supply caches for Rommel’s forces.



With all of these elements in place and with air and ground forces working in a coordinated manner, and with the ability of the new Panther Ausf. H tanks to fight at night, Rommel’s forces quickly found themselves at the Egyptian border.  It was like 1942 all over again, with worse to come.

He-343



 Rommel – back in Africa



German forces in North Africa.









On 27/28 May 1945, a group of disaffected army officers (the "free officers") led by Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew King Farouk and demanded that the Allied forces leave Egypt.   They were aided in their coup d'état by the appearance out of virtually no where of the Egyptian Revolutionary Air Force (ERAF) flying a collection of Me-262s, Ju-289s and Do-335s.  In reality these were flown by Luftwaffe crews with hastily painted ERAF markings, and were used to fly a number of strikes against retreating Allied forces.  Nasser declared Egypt a republic on the 1st August and declared himself leader.  Germany, Italy, Spain and Turkey all immediately recognised the new government and offered to provide the nascent Egyptian Revolutionary Forces with military equipment in exchange for the right to base substantial “protection” forces in Egypt (especially around the strategically important canal area).

Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser

GTX_Admin:
An Unimaginable Event

With the recent reversals in the Mediterranean theatre, the RN aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable and its escort were ordered to return from the Pacific.  It was hoped that its striking power would help remedy the impacts of the recent losses at Gibraltar and Cairo.  On the 18th March 1945, the Indefatigable passed through the Suez Canal.  However, unknown to the Allies, this passing was observed and the information was quickly radioed to the German High Command.

HMS Indefatigable in better days and passing through the Suez Canal .




On the afternoon of the 20th March a strike force of 16 Ar-234C-5s (half armed with PC 1400 “Fritz-X” guided bombs and half with L.11 gliding torpedoes), escorted by Turkish Me-262s, struck.   The carrier itself managed to avoid most of the weapons fired at it (the escorting destroyers weren’t so lucky), and was only struck once – unfortunately, this was by a torpedo at the stern.  This crippled the mighty ship’s rudder, thus leaving it a virtual ‘Sitting Duck’.  The stage was now set for one of the most remarkable operations of the entire war.

With both sides recognizing the importance of the crippled carrier a race was on.  The British had two options – either try to get the ship back to the relative safety of Cairo, or failing that, to scuttle it.  Following the losses of the previous months, the prospect of scuttling the relatively new carrier wasn’t the preferred option.

On the Axis side, at first the only perceived option was to send another strike force to sink it.  However, another option was soon put forward by the near legendary (indeed, he would be after this operation) Standartenführer Otto Skorzeny, who was then based in Crete.  What if the carrier could be captured?  Without, advising Berlin or Rome of their intentions, Skorzeny planned an operation in conjunction with the assistance of local Luftwaffe and Kreigsmarine leaders.
 
SS Standartenführer Otto Skorzeny



On the evening of the 22nd, a force of 13 Ar-234C-5s all armed with PC 1400 “Fritz-X” guided bombs and escorted by Me-262s and Ta-183A-2s attacked.  They had specific orders to only aim for the escorting ships.  Following them at wave top height were six Focke-Achgelis FA 223 Drache helicopters (these had been on the Island undergoing trials) carrying Skorzeny and a hand-picked raiding team.  As a result of its damaged state, the carrier wasn’t able to launch any aircraft to defend itself.  As the helicopters landed aboard the flight deck, an order no-one aboard a Royal Navy Carrier expected to hear was issued – “Prepare to repel boarders!”  Unfortunately, despite their valiant attempts at defence, seamen are no match for battle hardened kommandos.  After brief firefights (including the apparent use of poison gas canisters by some of the kommandos), the ship was tentatively under the control of Skorzeny and his men.  Their tenuous position was soon strengthened when pair of Kriegsmarine destroyers arrived carrying extra troops as well as seamen able to take over basic operation of the carrier.  Tow lines were soon attached and the ship put under tow towards Crete and then Italy.  To ensure the Allies weren’t able to sink their prize, continuous patrols of Me-262s and Ta-183s were flown overhead.

Focke-Achgelis FA 223 Drache helicopter – these were used by Standartenführer Otto Skorzeny to help capture the Indefatigable.



Once in an Italian port, the surviving crew was quickly removed and the ship inspected and repaired. It was soon decided to add it to the new Kreigsmarine Tragerflotten fleet (more details below) which included the recently completed Graf Zeppelin and soon to be completed Peter Strasser (both currently located in the Baltic).  Once repaired, the newly renamed Hindenburg joined the Italian carrier Aquila as part of the Mediterranean fleet.  The ship also provided German and Italian ship builders many ideas for new carrier designs which were also refined with the help of the Japanese (more below).

GTX_Admin:
A Mesopotamian Venture

Two days after Rommel’s troops landed in Tunisia, a second Middle Eastern front was opened much further east.  Turkish troops, supported by a small contingent of German ‘advisors’ (equipped with Panther Ausf. H tanks), launched an invasion of Northern Iraq.  They were supported in this endeavour by Turkish Do-335s and Me-410s in the ground attack role as well as by THK-1 jets (locally produced Me-262A-1 under license by Türk Hava Kurumu (THK)).  Also involved were a small number of Luftwaffe Me-262E-1s operating in Turkish colours and some Me-262A-2a/U2s in Iraqi colours (much had been the case earlier in the war when Bf-110s of Sonerkommando Junck had operated briefly in Iraq).
 
”Iraqi” Ta-183s




The Turkish troops were able to quickly advance to capture the towns of Mosul, Arbil and Karkuk before halting.  Although their German advisors pushed for the advance to be continued to capture the whole of Iraq, the Turkish High Command stubbornly refused to go any further and instead started construction of a series of forts to defend their new possessions.  All was not lost though since despite their advancing no further, the effect upon the Allies was significant.  Fearing a strategic pincer manoeuvre, the Allies in North Africa were not able to mount a coordinated, focused defence against Rommel’s advancing forces to the West.

GTX_Admin:
An Eastern Stalemate

Whilst the war in the West and South had been a series of defeats for the Allied forces, the war in the East had largely turned into a stalemate much in the form of the First World War.  Although the Soviet forces were for the most part significantly greater in overall numbers and of ever growing technological and tactical ability, they were never-the-less balanced by the re-vitalised technological superiority of the Axis forces (primarily German, Finnish, Bulgarian and Romanian).  Furthermore, with the German heartland (and its all important factories) no longer under sustained heavy bomber attack and thus much more able to provide significant quantities of the latest equipment and vital supplies, the Russian offensives of 1943/44 were able to be contained.  Kursk had still proved costly but with Soviet weapons production severely hampered (see below), they were unable to exploit the situation.

The Axis situation was aided greatly when in mid 1943, Unternehmen Eisenhammer (Iron Hammer) was successfully accomplished.  This was an aerial bombing operation against power generators near Moscow and Gorky in the Soviet Union. The raid destroyed ten turbines in water and steam power-plants near Moscow, Gorky, Tula, Stalinogorsk and under the Rybinsk Reservoir.  Also attacked were substations, transmission lines and factories. The attack succeeded in knocking out just over 80% of the power used by the Soviet defence industry. Only two smaller energy centres behind the Urals and in the Soviet Far East were left intact. At this time the Soviet Union had no turbine manufacturing capabilities and the only repair facility (in Leningrad) had been heavily damaged.  As such Soviet war production almost ground to a halt.

Luftwaffe preparations for Unternehmen Eisenhammer.



Throughout the first half of 1944, German reconnaissance aircraft (including the new Ar-234) had also been able to provide detailed information on Soviet force build-ups.  This was then used to ensure the most effective application of precision strikes by Axis forces – special emphasis being placed upon destroying the all important weapons depots, fuel stores and supporting re-supply lines (the attacks on these targets would force the Soviets to cancel their long planned summer offensive in mid 1944).  Ar-234 and Me-262 (both single and two seat variants) bombers were used to strike unimpeded at the deeper targets often using guided weapons.  Meanwhile large numbers of new piston engined fighters including Do-335s and Me-410s operating in both the ground attack and Zerstörer roles made their mark felt over the immediate frontline.  Supporting all of this were growing numbers of Me-262 and He-162 fighters of JG-5, JG-52 and JG-54 as well as small numbers of  supporting Finish, Romanian, Bulgarian jets.  These enabled the Axis to once again ensure air superiority over the battlefield.

Luftwaffe Me-262s in Russia.







As with the war in the West/South, 1945 started with that in the East effectively pausing for a couple of months whilst the opposing forces recovered from the previous 12 months of battle and used the time to re-equip.  Come spring, the Axis forces struck first.  First inn the North, a combined German/Finish force struck towards Murmansk.  By the end of May 1945, the all important northern port was under their control.  This had the effect of forcing all Allied aid to come via India in the South or across the Barents Straight and then across the whole of the Soviet Union.  Doing so effectively caused the Soviet forces to pause their own offensive which had been planned to strike at the centre of the battle front.

At approximately, the same time, events took a further significant, when Turkish and German forces launched a new offensive from the area east of the Black Sea.  This struck deep into the Soviet Union’s flank, quickly capturing the all-important oilfields of the Caucasus, thus depriving the Soviet forces of precious fuel (and correspondingly, providing Axis forces with even greater reserves).

Whilst the Eastern land war was largely stalled, that in the air continued as viciously as ever.  The Eastern Jagdgeschwaden of JG-5, JG-52 and JG-54 had all been re-equipped with the new Ta-183A-2 or Ju-289A-2.  Some of these were also supplied to Finland.  Also making an appearance (as previously mentioned) were new specialized anti-tank versions of the Me-410 and Me-262 – the Me-410E-1/U4 and  Me-262E-1.  These versions were first introduced to combat by SG-2 under the command of Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel.  A single hit from the 50mm cannon was sufficient to cripple even the heaviest of enemy tanks.  Using this new variant, Rudel increased his tally of Soviet Tanks beyond 800.  Also in July 1945 the Luftwaffe’s two top aces (Erich “Bubi” Hartmann and Gerhard "Gerd" Barkhorn) surpassed the 500 kills mark.

Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel



Me-410E-1/U4 Tank Busters




Me-262E-1Tank Busters




Erich “Bubi” Hartmann and Gerhard "Gerd" Barkhorn



The Soviets also introduced a number of new combat aircraft including the Lavochkin La-9 (including in the La-9R version which was fitted with a RD-1Kh3 liquid fuel rocket engine in the tail to help compete against the Luftwaffe’s jets) and Yakovlev Yak-3R (similar rocket fit).  Although these were indeed superb designs, they were simply outclassed.  In an attempt to counter the new jets the Soviets also introduced two mixed-power (propeller and thermojet) fighters – the Sukhoi Su-5 and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-13.  However, these were only a stopgap until new Allied pure jets could be introduced. 

The first pure jet fighters entered Soviet service in late November 1945, when the first Lend-Lease shipment of de Havilland Vampire Mk Is (soon followed by a small number of Gloster Meteor F.1s and Lockheed P-80As) arrived via India and Siberia.  The first pure Soviet jets entered service shortly there-after.  These were the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 and Yakovlev Yak-15.  Both used versions of the British/American engines produced under license.  However, despite exhibiting good general performance, they were still outclassed by the Axis pilots, if only because the latter had far longer experience in operating jets in combat.

Soviet Jet Fighters.

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