| Sonderkommando "ELBE" | |
|---|---|
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| Active | 7 April 1945 |
| Country | Nazi Germany |
| Role | Counter special fighter |
| Size | 2000 aircraft 2000 volunteers 300 fighter pilots |
| Motto | "Treu, Tapfer, Gehorsam" |
| Colors | Black and White |
| Engagements | Air war over Germany, 7 April 1945 |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel | Balkenkreuz |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Interceptor | Messerschmitt Bf 109 |
Sonderkommando "ELBE" was the name of a World War II Luftwaffe task force assigned to bring down Allied bombers by ramming German aircraft into the bombers to suspend allied tactical bombing for four to six weeks to create a significant amount of the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Sonderkommando literally means "special command", and Elbe is a river that runs through Germany to the North Sea. While the Luftwaffe had a ready supply of airplanes at this point in the war, well-trained pilots and fuel were two components in short supply. Despite the grim prospects of survival of such a mission, the unit was not a true "suicide unit" in that the pilots were expected to either attempt to bail out just before colliding with the Allied aircraft, or attempt to bail out after colliding. This is unlike the Japanese kamikaze attacks, in which Japanese pilots loaded their planes up with explosives, most often within the structure of the aircraft, and therefore had no chance of survival, as the explosives detonated with the crash of the aircraft itself.
The aircraft of choice for this mission was a Messerschmitt Bf 109 stripped of armor and armament. The chopped-up planes had one machine gun instead of four and were only allotted 60 rounds each, a joke when it came to defensive fighters. To accomplish this mission, pilots would typically aim for one of three sensitive areas on the bombers. The easiest part of an Allied bomber to damage was the empennage, or tail assembly, with its delicate control surfaces on the elevator and rudder. Another potential target were the engine nacelles, which connected to the highly explosive fuel system. The final target, the cockpit, was also the most gruesome. One of the most famous reports of cockpit ramming was against the Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber, nicknamed "Palace of Dallas".
Adding to the last ditch nature of this task force, the only mission was flown on 7 April 1945 by a sortie of 180 Bf 109s. While only 15 Allied bombers were attacked in this manner, eight were successfully destroyed.[1][2][3]
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Unlike that of Japan, Germany′s geographical position did not allow mass self-sacrificing attacks on enemy troops and installations. The largest targets that Germans were able to hit with ramming tactics were Allied four-engined bombers and some strategic bridges over the Oder (see Mistel).
Rank / Name / Former Unit e/a Unit Status
Luftwaffe records claim at least 22-24 American aircraft fell victim to the Sonderkommando Elbe unit.
(WIA - wounded in action / KIA - killed in action)