The German Nightfighters

April 1940

An 18 year old grammar school pupil called Josef Krinner joins the Luftwaffe and trains to be a radar operator.

 

July 1941

Josef Krinner is sent to Belgrade and attached to the nightflying school there. He teams up with a pilot called Hans Meissner.

January 1942

The team Meissner/Krinner are posted to Schleswig/Jagel to join II/NJG3. They will be flying Me110 nightfighters.

April 1943

The Luftwaffe crew Meissner/Krinner are slowly adding to the squadron's total. Each new victory is added to the victory mast outside the Kommandantur. The nightfighter crews are kept busy as there are many attacks on German facilities in Denmark and the short land crossing over South Jutland is a popular route for the British bombers. In fact, by the war's end there have been over 350 RAF crashes in Denmark alone.