Do-17 Z10 "Kauz II" night-fighter with 'Spanner' infrared detection system - I./NJG 2 at Gilze Rijen, Holland 1941.
Since other types were judged unsuitable for the Nachtjagd, the Do 17 and the Ju 88 became the principal long-range 'night fighters' put into service by the Luftwaffe at the end of 1940. At the risk of stating the obvious, the Do 17 and Ju 88 were bombers. They were 'adapted' as 'fighters' as a result of the Luftwaffe's lack of resources. This choice was essentially dictated by their greater endurance which meant they were well-suited to a new tactic - long-range 'intruder' missions over the UK as flown by I./NJG 2.
II./NJG 1 ( established at Amsterdam-Schiphol in June 1940 on the back of IV./NJG 2) was redesignated I./NJG 2 on September 1, 1940. Kammhuber had come up with the tactic of launching its aircraft (twin-engine 'heavy' types) over England to attack the enemy bombers 'at the source' - '..when I have to
destroy a wasps' nest, I don't attack the wasps one by one but wait until they have all returned to the nest to smoke them out'. The idea was probably a good one but its application was piecemeal and enjoyed only partial success..
The Gruppe was led by Major Karl-Heinrich Heyse who had been in charge of II./NJG 1 since July 1, 1940. Heyse, born in 1908, had been an artilleryman before joining the Luftwaffe in 1933. Staffelkapitän in K/88 (bomber Staffel) during the Spanish Civil War, he then flew in the West (1939/1940) with KG 55 before moving to the 'heavy' fighters.
His subordinates were : -1./NJG 2: Oblt. Herbert Bönsch - led the Zerstörerstaffel of KG 30 before commanding 4./NJG 1. His Staffel flew Ju 88 C-1s; -2./NJG 2: Hptm. Rudolf ('Rolf') Jung, ex-Staka of 2./ZG 2. The Staffel was equipped with Do 17 Z-7s and Z-10s and some Ju 88s. -3./NJG 2: Hptm. Karl-Theodor ('Kurt') Hülshoff, ex-Staka of 7./KG 54 and later 6./NJG 1. The Staffel flew Ju 88 C-2s but was still in training at the time and was to be added to the Gruppe shortly.
Two views of Do 17 Z-7 'R4+HK' 2./NJG 2, Gilze Rijen
via Rich Carrick
" The new book from Chandos Publications on the Luftwaffe's Dornier Do 17/215 ‘Kauz’ night fighters in WWII is nearing completion. I have therefore made the book available to pre-order on my website. Please click on the link below. .."
Dornier Do-17 Z-7 Kauz in 1/72nd scale, Airfix/OWL conversion by Jes Touvdal