ISBN 0-7643-2130-7
284 pages

Foreword; Introduction; photos

Appendices: Victories by JG 301 and JG 302; JG 301 Losses; JG 302 Losses

   Some books arrive here carrying considerable expectations, expectations to which the book doesn't always rise. Other books arrive unheralded but blossom with pleasant surprise when we finally read them. Willi Reschke's modest book falls into the latter category.
   While not so ambitious, professional, or impersonal as major Luftwaffe unit histories such as Jagdgeschwader 300, and suffering from the usual loss of records at the end of the war which means some information is simply unavailable, Jagdgeschwader 301/302 nevertheless succeeds admirably in telling a detailed story of those two fighter units. Moreover, Reschke—a veteran of both units—adds sufficient personal touches to humanize the aerial history without turning it into a maudlin memoir. Without beating it into the ground, when he methodically describes the daily air combat and lists the 301st and 302nd pilots lost each day, the author ensures that readers never forget these men were his friends and comrades.
   To begin with, Reschke writes a five-page introduction titled "How I Became a Fighter Pilot." This process, as it turns out, was a long and winding road. Although he enlisted in the Luftwaffe at the age of eighteen in February 1940 and passed the aircrew exam, twelve months went by before he was called to active service and flight training. With delays caused by a temporary stint as a Luftwaffe infantryman, glider training, and assignment as a flight instructor even though he had no combat experience, Reschke didn't join a fighter unit until June 1944 when he was posted to JG 302.
   Having described his own path to JG 302, the author backtracks in Chapter One to explain the creation of the Luftwaffe's single-engine night-fighter force. The fighters and their pilots comprised the "Wilde Sau" who, without support of ground-based radar or air defense controllers, flew alone into the night to locate and intercept RAF bombers. Despite misgivings by many senior Luftwaffe officers, by July 1943 Major Hajo Herrmann had proved the viability of his theories and began forming Jagdgeschwader z.b.V. Herrmann.

   Something was happening in the affected command positions. Where there had been doubt and skepticism, now there was feverish activity. Directives and orders were issued in rapid succession to the affected departments, as if they had always been in favor of the "single-engined night-fighter" project.
   An enormous amount of work had to be done at the beginning of the formation of the first single-engined night-fighter Geschwader, and if personality wasn't enough, one just had to bypass the chain of command. The greatest challenges were faced by the signals, technical and maintenance sectors. If possible, the pilots were to have a Class I or II Instrument Flight Certificate. This requirement essentially eliminated the pure fighter pilot. Most of the aircrew were therefore instructors or pilots from bomber, reconnaissance and transport units. This had the advantage of obviating the need for time-consuming instrument training and the pilots only had to be given conversion training on fighter aircraft. The disadvantage, however, was that the pilots, who lacked specialized fighter training, initially had difficulties with night takeoffs and landings. Losses during this conversion period were correspondingly high. The lack of specialized fighter training had even more drastic consequences during later daylight operations.
   With the necessary pilots in place, the Geschwader also needed aircraft. This created serious difficulties in the early weeks as the Luftwaffe plans at that time did not include the formation of new Geschwader. Once again it was Major Herrmann who came up with a workable solution.
   The Gruppen were transferred to bases housing day fighter units. These "piggyback" Gruppen used the day fighter units' machines for night sorties. It was—at least within the Defense of the Reich—the optimal utilization of existing materiel: two pilots fighting with one aircraft, one by day the other by night.
   This system also had serious drawbacks, however, in particular with regard to servicing the aircraft. The question soon arose: should one mechanic be responsible for both pilots or should each pilot have his own mechanic, and if so, which should bear the main responsibility? Another problem was the equipment: wear and tear was doubled, and the number of hours between engine overhauls was reduced. There was also the question of who should be responsible for supplying spares and replacement aircraft, the day or night fighter arms. The sharing of aircraft could only be an interim solution, and there were frequent reminders that every coin has two sides.
   The difficulties were mastered in spite of everything, and after a certain time the "piggyback" Gruppen became a thing of the past. By the beginning of 1944 each of the "Wilde Sau" fighter Gruppen had its own aircraft. The airfields at Lechfeld, Leipheim, Munich-Riem, Neuburg an der Donau, Schwabisch Hall, Echterdingen, Furstenfeldbruck, Bad Aibling and Ingolstadt, all within the area of Luftgaukommando VII, were developed into bases for the single-engined night-fighters with facilities for night operations.

   The author continues this part of the book with the formation of JG 301 and 302 in October and November of 1943. With Chapter Three, he moves into the heart of his work: a day-by-day chronology of the activities, victories, and losses of the two fighter units. He divides this material into chapters based on larger events such as changes in command, creation/disbanding of formations, transferring bases, re-equipping, and so on, but the presentation remains basically the same. Here's how one relatively quiet day is described:

31 May 1944

   II./JG 301 and IV./JG 301, still represented by just the 10. Staffel, continued to operate in Romanian airspace. On this day the 6. and 10. Staffel took off from Targsorul-Nou against American bombers attacking targets in Romania in support of Russian forces advancing toward the west.
   The German fighters were heavily engaged by the escort and Feldwebel Ernst Kiehling of the 10. Staffel shot down a P-38 Lightning at 1006 hours.
   The pilots of the 6. Staffel positioned themselves behind a group of B-24s and attacked.
   Leutnant Hans-Joachim Weber and Unteroffizier Walter Toldrian inflicted damage on two B-24s, which dropped out of formation. Time of these two Herausschusse was 1025 hours.
   Oberfeldwebel Max Salzgruber, also of the 6. Staffel, shot down a Liberator at 1054 hours. It was his first victory.
   While the 6. Staffel suffered no losses in this action, the 10. Staffel was forced to pay a heavy price in blood:
   Unteroffizier Waldemar Blazeck was shot down and killed by P-38s near Romanesti (Bf 109 G-6. WNr. 163 089).
   Feldwebel Fritz Gehrmann lost his life in combat with escort fighters near Bultea (Bf 109 G-6 "Black 8", WNr. 20 144).
   Feldwebel Kurt Witschel was shot down by the fighter escort and crashed to his death west of Bucharest (Bf 109 G-6, WNr. 162 126).
   Oberleutnant Hans Kretschmer, Kapitan of the 10. Staffel, was wounded in action and obliged to force-land his badly-damaged Bf 109 G-6 "Black 5", WNr. 412 236.

   This kind of day-by-day coverage continues for more than two hundred pages, with the final daily entry dated 24 April 1945. Throughout that span the entries range from a sentence or two up to several pages. Although he includes some broader information and keeps track of where the aircraft were based, changes in command, etc, the author always focuses on combat operations, victories, and losses. The biggest change in the book involves Reschke's arrival at JG 302 in June 1944, at which point (page 85) he begins adding considerable fresh and interesting material about his own experiences in the air while serving with the unit. He survived plenty of adventures, including the intentional ramming of a B-24 very early in his operational career.

   Then I spotted a straggler lagging far behind a group of bombers approaching from the north. I headed toward the formation to find out why the lone Liberator was so far behind the formation. Machines flying on their own like that were often a trap for an attacker, carrying extra guns instead of bombs. I moved in close but couldn't see anything suspicious, so I jettisoned my external tank and prepared to attack.
   I made my attack from about 1,000 meters above, so that I had the entire top of the Liberator as a target area. I had no need to fear the defensive fire from the formation, for it was much too far away.
   My approach was not unseen, however, for I came under fire as I rolled over to begin my attack. It was nowhere near as concentrated as the fire from a formation, and the first burst from my machineguns struck the fuselage in the area of the dorsal turret. I was about to switch my fire to the two starboard engines and wing, when my guns fell silent. A quick glance at the weapons status lamp showed no indication. I quickly recharged the guns and the indicator came on. My very high speed brought the Liberator quickly closer, and after hastily aiming and pressing the firing buttons I clearly saw shells striking the Liberator. But once again my weapons fell silent after just a short burst. Recharging the guns again was impossible at this stage, for the Liberator loomed huge before me. At that moment a word appeared in my mind like a flash: "Ram!"
   As I was still slightly higher with plenty of speed, my first thought was to just strike the starboard fin of the Liberator and then pull away to the right. I closed to within a few meters of the Liberator, but I had not taken into account the airflow caused by its propellers, which seized my Bf 109. I struck the starboard fin and rudder somewhat lower than I had planned. As a result, my left wing was damaged as well as the propeller, but I did not realize this until my machine separated from the Liberator. The engine was still running, but the damaged propeller blades were causing the machine to vibrate very heavily.
   When I looked at the left wing I quickly abandoned the idea of making a forced landing. My only choice was to bail out, something that the fighter school had not prepared me for but which I now faced for the first time. As it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain control of the aircraft, I wanted to get out as quickly as possible. I disconnected the helmet leads, look off my oxygen mask and released the seatbelt. I pulled the canopy jettison lever but nothing happened. I pulled the lever again while pushing against the top of the canopy. My efforts were rewarded and I flew out of the machine with the canopy.

   Reaching the ground safely and reflecting on his stunt, Reschke decided he wouldn't be ramming any more aircraft any time soon. After more than four years in training and instruction, he went on to fly almost fifty combat missions and down twenty-seven aircraft, twenty of them four-engined bombers. No more of his victories were scored by ramming. Reschke was also shot down several times. Many of his personal stories are integrated into the daily history of the units without taking the spotlight for himself.
   The appendices present in tabular fashion all the records of victories and losses the author has been able to assemble. The table for victories (the 301st and 302nd are listed together) includes name of pilot, rank, unit, date, time, area, pilot's victory tally, and day/night. The tables for losses (each geschwader listed separately) includes date, unit, aircraft type, werk number/code, cause, location, pilot, rank, and fate of pilot.
   Although written by a veteran of the unit who participated in the battles he describes, this remains a history of JG 301 and 302 rather than a memoir. It includes many of Reschke's personal experiences, but—beyond the brief Introduction—it never becomes an autobiography. Likewise, the focus of the book stays very much in the air, not on the ground. Little attention is paid to the men themselves outside the context of aerial combat.
   Upon disbandment of JG 302, Reschke writes paragraphs that could also apply to JG 301 and could further serve as a fitting conclusion to the book:

   In the preceding chapters I have attempted to chronicle the most of the history of JG 302. This means, however, that I was unable to tell the complete story. It is a certainty that events occurred which are missing from the records or have simply been forgotten. I believe, however, that I have succeeded in compiling the significant events in the life of the Geschwader.
   I do wish to take issue, however, with those who judge the men of this Geschwader based solely on their success in combat, while lacking sufficient knowledge about the fighter units of the Reichsverteidigung and the devotion, courage and fighting spirit of the men who served in them.
   Every single member of JG 302—and this applies to pilots and technicians—selflessly gave his all in defense of the Fatherland. In the bitter air battles against a foe vastly superior in numbers, every pilot—from officer to NCO—heroically and selflessly stood his ground. There was never any sign of resignation, again and again combat was sought and often paid for in young lives. If this Jagdgeschwader failed to achieve the success by which it is often measured, it was primarily because of our political leadership. Anyone who declares war on dozens of nations, including the greatest empire in the world, cannot expect a few fighter wings to straighten out such madness.

   An unexpected gem of a book.
   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Schiffer Publishing.
   Thanks to Schiffer for providing this review copy.