ISBN 1-903223-15-6
208 pages

The Author; Acknowledgements; Foreword; Author's Preface; Glossary/Abbreviations; Introduction; photos; maps; sidebars; documents; chronology; color plates; footnotes; Sources; Index

Appendices: Markings and Camouflage of Nachtschlachtgruppe 9; Allied Victory Claims against NSG 9; NSG 9 Aircraft Lost or Damaged; NSG 9 Order of Battle

   Nick Beale, whose earlier work includes Air War Italy, 1944-45 with Ferdinando D'Amico and Gabriele Valentini, turns his attention to the unit history of NSG 9, a Luftwaffe night ground attack group. Beale provides detailed and interesting material about the unit, Tom Tullis adds high-quality color artwork, and the team at Classic Publications ties everything together with another outstanding job of layout and design.
   Unlike the glamorous fighter aces who tend to grab much of the attention in books about WWII air warfare, the aircrew with Nachtschlachtgruppe 9 were more like ordinary working men. Beale tells their stories, and the story of their unit, for the first time.
   The book opens by showing how the Soviets excelled at using a few aircraft to harass German forces at night, expending minimal effort to conduct a few pinprick attacks mostly designed to force the ground troops to remain alert and to deprive them of sleep. The Germans responding by forming their own Storkampfstaffeln (harassment bomber squadrons) and then Storkampfgruppen. These latter were renamed Nachtschlachtgruppen in the autumn of 1943, and at the end of November 1943 NSG 9 formed in northern Italy. The cadre of experienced pilots came from the Russian front and the initial aircraft consisted of Italian machines. After some unsuccessful testing with Caproni 314s, the unit began operations with Fiat CR.42 Falco biplanes. The first missions were flown in February 1944 against the Allied beachhead at Anzio.
   Nighttime nuisance raids by NSG continued until the end of the war. By April 1944 the gruppe was flying Ju 87D Stukas—slower and less maneuverable than the CR.42s, but able to carry much heavier bombloads, sturdier than the biplanes, and altogether more suited for nighttime harassment work. With the Allied breakout from Anzio and the Gustav Line, NSG 9 was reinforced and stepped up attacks against enemy transport columns, supply dumps, AA and artillery emplacements, and similar targets. Given Allied command of the daytime skies, this was the best the Luftwaffe could do. In return, the Allies stepped up night fighter patrols, making harassment missions that much more dangerous for NSG 9.

   On the 21st, Piacenza airfield belatedly received orders from Luftflotte 2 that with immediate effect bases in Koflug 2/VI should only refuel aircraft of NAG 11, NSG 9 and FAG 122. On the 24th, Luftflotte 2 passed to its subordinate commands an RLM directive that for reasons of fuel economy workshop flights by single-seater aircraft were to cease immediately. On the 23rd, Polish troops crossed the River Metauro as a curtain raiser to the British Eighth Army's assault on the eastern end of the Gothic Line beginning on the 25th. Next day, Komm. Gen. Mittelitalien signalled that operations by Nachtschlacht aircraft were to be expected near the front line from the night of the 27/28th onward with precise intentions to be notified each day.
   In fact, the Luftwaffe reported that vehicle columns were attacked on the night of the 26/27th, west and south west of Florence and south of the Metauro despite poor visibility. On the morning of the 27th, Komm. Gen. announced that aircraft were to take off during the coming night from the Parma-Reggio-Ferrara area for road strafing in front of the whole main defence line with the principal effort on the German left wing. In what MAAF termed the "first Ju 87 activity this moonlight period" an estimated 20 sorties attacked traffic east and west of Florence, near Fano (PS) and south of the Metauro. Toni Fink and Obgfr. Egon Zantow bombed Fano and Pesaro in +GL; they were flying from Palata, having ferried the aircraft over from Cavriago earlier in the evening. Kehrer and Eck (E8+CL) meanwhile carried HE and fragmentation bombs from Cavriago to attack San Giovanni.
   According to German records, two Ju 87s were missing from the night's operations. Although neither can now be identified with certainty, this is consistent with Allied claims: one by the anti-aircraft guns and the other by F/L Thompson and F/O Beaumont....

   In January 1945 the gruppe began receiving Fw 190s. Although designed as day fighters, the Focke Wulfs served NSG 9 along with the Stukas through the end of war in the face of increased Allied night fighter missions and the final collapse of the ground front.
   Each chapter offers solid details on where NSG 9 was based, who the pilots were, what missions they were flying, and what results they achieved. Given the scarcity of Luftwaffe records, much of this material comes from interviews with surviving NSG 9 veterans and Allied intelligence.
   This is by no means a simple photo album, but almost every page is illustrated with crisp, well-captioned photographs. At the end, a two-page Postscript displays photos of the vets as they appear today. Beale also offers numerous sidebars covering topics such as bombs used by NSG 9, commanding officers, the Allied perspective on night operations, and more. There are several short biographical "A Life in Aviation" sections, and a series of "In Their Own Words" installments with remarks from veterans about various topics.

In their own words: Results

   "Troop movements, supplies and nights' rest were disrupted. Losses in men and material [caused] were limited. I can hardly remember [receiving] information about the results of attacks."

   "Now and again thanks came from the front lines but I never encountered a direct briefing. They must certainly have got more of that in the Stab. One time I heard from the Bologna area that, thanks to our efforts, the ground troops finally got to eat in peace that night."

   "The operations were very well rated by the ground units. All the same, NSG 9 was one of the few units that was on hand until the end. In early 1945 we suffered a lot from the operations of British night fighters (Mosquito) fitted with very good radar. There were losses while our machines were landing and the Flak couldn't improve the situation. The Anglo-American defences were highly effective, especially toward the end of the war. Their principal advantage was [their] radar and [radio] interception technology. Flak hardly played any role, rather it was the night fighters."

   "We got no reports back from the front because our ops were confined to the supply [lines]... Our missions couldn't have a decisive influence on the situation at the front. It was rather a disruption of supply traffic and that only on moonlit nights."

   "Operations must have been very successful in part because the Americans frequently bombed our base, Villafranca di Verona... NSG 9's successes were mentioned in the Wehrmacht communique."

   "Russia: nuisance attacks good [effect]. Italy: no influence on the enemy's strategy—perhaps delayed his advance."

   "The night operations had hardly any effect: "nuisance raids" was the best you could call them, disturbing the enemy soldiers' sleep...."

   "In retrospect, I have the impression...that our superiors knew how ineffective our missions were, that is they were aware of their ineffectiveness but had the feeling that "it's an order from above and something must be done." I never heard information about the outcome [of attacks]. Perhaps the infantryman up forward in his trench was more content whenever he heard something from German aircraft."

   "...initiation and deployment of the NS units must be regarded in the light of an emergency measure dictated by circumstances. They did, however, achieve local successes, and caused the Allies considerable expenditure of men, planes and ammunition in combatting their activities, besides helping to maintain the morale of the German troops on the ground."

   Tom Tullis contributes fourteen color profiles of aircraft used by NSG 9 as well as the Allied night fighters employed against them. These all meet his usual gorgeous standards.
   The first appendix describes NSG 9 markings and camouflage in considerable detail, while the next two offer tabular compilations of Allied claims against NSG 9 and an OB/TOE for NSG 9 from 31 December 1943 through 22 April 1945.
   Not only has Beale done a fine job to gather all this material and mold it into a comprehensible whole (despite a few inevitable gaps due to lack of documentation), Classic has performed its usual magic to create an especially handsome package. It's a winning combination.
   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Classic Publications.
   Thanks to Classic for providing this review copy.