Sonderkommando Elbe

Sonderkommando "ELBE"
Active 7 April 1945
Country  Nazi Germany
Branch  Luftwaffe
Role special attack interceptor
Size 2000 aircraft
2000 volunteers
300 fighter pilots
Motto "Treu, Tapfer, Gehorsam"
("loyal, valiant, obedient")
Colors Black and White
Engagements Air war/aerial ramming 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 them mid-air, with the desperate strategic aim of causing the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces to halt or at least reduce their air campaign against Germany.[1]

History

Sonderkommando literally means "special command", and Elbe is one of the main rivers in Germany. While the Luftwaffe had a ready supply of airplanes at this point in the war; however, well-trained pilots and fuel were two components in short supply. Despite the grim prospects of surviving such a mission, the unit was not a true "suicide unit" as pilots were expected to attempt a bail out just before or subsequently after colliding with the Allied aircraft. This is quite unlike the Japanese kamikaze attacks against Allied ships in the Pacific Theatre, in which Japanese forces loaded their pilots' aircraft with explosives, often within the structure of the aircraft with the full intention to crash the aircraft and sacrifice the pilot at the intended target. The Japanese Ohka is an example of a purpose designed rocket-powered suicide aircraft. The closest airframe design that Germany ever developed in purpose to the Ohka was the Reichenberg R-IV manned version of the pulsejet-powered V-1 flying bomb.

A 1944 drawing by Helmuth Ellgaard illustrating "ramming"

The aircraft of choice for this mission was usually a later G-version (Gustav) of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, stripped of armor and armament. The heavily stripped-down planes had one synchronized machine gun (usually a single MG 131 in the upper engine cowling) instead of up to four automatic weapons (usually including a pair of 20mm or 30mm underwing-mount autocannon) on fully equipped Bf 109G interceptors, and were only allotted 60 rounds each, a normally insufficient amount for bomber-interception missions. To accomplish their mission, Sonderkommando Elbe pilots would typically aim to ram one of three sensitive areas on the bombers: the empennage with its relatively delicate control surfaces, the engine nacelles which were connected to the highly explosive fuel system, or the cockpit itself. One of the most famous reports of cockpit ramming was against a Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber, nicknamed "Palace of Dallas", along with another bomber that the German plane careened into after slicing the cockpit of the "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.[2][3][4]

Similarities to Japanese kamikaze units

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, with their Mistel composite attack aircraft.

Order of battle

Successful missions

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)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Der Spiegel - Deutsche Kamikaze-Flieger; Himmelfahrtskommando für Hitler
  2. ↑ "German Pilot Perspective". RootsWeb. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ in addition to the list above B-17 44-8744 385th BG/550th BS also reported lost by ramming 7 April 1945
  5. ↑
    1. 44-49533 12 O'clock High Forum
  6. ↑ [Either B-17 42-97105 or B-17 43-38869 both reported rammed http://forum.armyairforces.com/tm.aspx?m=165902&high=rammed 388th BG Forum]
  7. ↑ 12 O'clock high Forum
  8. ↑ 12 O'clock high Forum
  9. ↑ [B-17 J-38514 damaged see http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=130091 and http://www.100thbg.com/fubar/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=589
  10. ↑ 12 O'clock high Forum
  11. ↑ 12 O'clock high Forum
  12. ↑ 12 O'clock high Forum
  13. ↑ [B-17 43-39126 damaged http://home.earthlink.net/~tom.mccrary/TargetParchim-RammedOverGermany.htm Wentz account]
  14. ↑ [b-24 #42-94931 http://www.the467tharchive.org/sacktimedamage.html 467th Bomb group]
  15. ↑ [B-17 42-97071 rammed. http://www.100thbg.com/mainpages/crews/crews1/calder1.htm 100th Bomb Group]
  16. ↑ [B-17 380558 severely damaged]

External links