Nachtjagdgeschwader 3

*Nachtjagdgeschwader* 3
Nachtjagdgeschwader 3
Active	1941 – 1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Type	Night Fighter
Role	Air superiority
Size	Air Force Wing
Engagements	World War II
Insignia
Identification; symbol	Geschwaderkennung of; L1 (inherited from LG 1), later D5

Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 (NJG 3) was a Luftwaffe night fighter-wing of World War II. NJG 3 was formed on 29 September 1941 in Stade from Stab./Zerstörergeschwader 26. Pilots of NJG 3 claimed approximately 820 aerial victories by day and night.¹

Commanding officers

Geschwaderkommodore

Major Johann Schalk, 29 March 1941 – 1 August 1943²
Oberst Helmut Lent, 1 August 1943 – 7 October 1944²
Oberst Günther Radusch, 12 November 1944 – 8 May 1945²

Gruppenkommandeur

Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 from 9./NJG 3 source ↗

I. Gruppe

Hauptmann Günther Radusch, 7 October 1940 – 2 October 1941²
Hauptmann Hans-Dietrich Knoetzsch, 3 October 1941 – 30 September 1942²
Major Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld, 1 October 1942 – 31 May 1943²
Hauptmann Erhard Peters, 1 June 1943 – 14 August 1943²
Hauptmann Walter Mylius, 15 August 1943 – 13 December 1943²
Hauptmann Paul Szameitat, 14 December 1943 – 2 January 1944²
Major Werner Husemann, 4 January 1944 – 8 May 1945²

II. Gruppe

Hauptmann Günther Radusch, 3 October 1941 – 1 August 1943²
Major Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, 15 August 1943 – November 1943²
Hauptmann Paul Szameitat, December 1943 – 14 December 1943²
Major Klaus Havenstein, 15 December 1943 – September 1944²
Hauptmann Hüschens, September 1944 – February 1945²

III. Gruppe

Oberstleutnant Heinz Nacke, 1 November 1941 – 21 April 1943²
Hauptmann Walter Mylius, 22 April 1943 – 14 August 1943²
Hauptmann Rudolf Sigmund, 15 August 1943 – 4 October 1943²
Major Walter Barthe, 15 October 1943 – 8 May 1945²

IV. Gruppe

Major Erich Simon, 1 November 1942 – 7 October 1943²
Hauptmann Albert Schulz, 8 October 1943 – January 1944²
Hauptmann Franz Buschmann, January 1944 – July 1944²
Hauptmann Heinz Ferger, July 1944 – November 1944²
Major Berthold Ney, November 1944 – 4 March 1945²
Hauptmann Freidrich Tober, 5 March 1945 – 8 May 1945²

Surviving aircraft

A Bf 110 G-4, formerly of NJG 3, at the RAF Museum in London. source ↗

Ju 88 R-1, Werk Nr. 360043, RAF Museum (2008), formerly of NJG 3 source ↗

Two aircraft that served with NJG 3 are displayed together at the Royal Air Force Museum London, one of the two sites of the Royal Air Force Museum. These are Messerschmitt Bf 110 G Werk Nr. 730301, which was surrendered to the British at the end of the war in 1945, and Junkers Ju 88 R-1, Werk Nr. 360043,³ which came into British hands in 1943. Both aircraft are almost unique - each is one of only two intact survivors of their type.

References

Aders 1978, p. 239.
Aders 1978, p. 228.
Simpson, Andrew. "INDIVIDUAL HISTORY MESSERSCHMITT Bf110G - 4/R6 W/NR.730301 AIR MINISTRY 34; 8479M MUSEUM ACCESSION NUMBER 78/AF/954" (PDF). Retrieved 13 April 2015.

Bibliography

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[FOOTNOTEAders1978239-1] Aders 1978, p. 239.

[FOOTNOTEAders1978228-2] Aders 1978, p. 228.

[refmuseum-3] Simpson, Andrew. "INDIVIDUAL HISTORY MESSERSCHMITT Bf110G - 4/R6 W/NR.730301 AIR MINISTRY 34; 8479M MUSEUM ACCESSION NUMBER 78/AF/954" (PDF). Retrieved 13 April 2015.

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