Where is the Luftwaffe?
The missing air support lamented by Dietrich so bitterly has its main cause in the allied bomber offensive permanently increasing which devastates the German towns since the middle of 1942. Göring therefore calls his fighters back to defend the homeland. Those who stay behind to protect and support the army at a possible invasion are a mere 320 aircraft. And nevertheless German pilots try to attack an overwhelming superior strength. A group of Junkers Ju 88 intends to attack shipping over Utah Beach and are welcomed by Mustangs of the 355th Fighter Group. Nine German bombers are shot down the remaining aircraft jettison their bombs and turn off. Generally known is the sortie of Colonel Josef Priller, commander of the Fighter Squadron 26. He and his wingman, Unteroffizier (sergeant) Heinz Wodarcyk, fly a low level attack over the English Sword sector. Not well known is the mission a dozen Messerschmidt Me 109 which engage British Typhoons of the (Jabo) Fighter-bomber Squadron 183. They shoot down three of them before they are chased away.
A further example of bravery of the Luftwaffe pilots is the III. Group of the Schlachtgeschwader (battle group) 4. 50 Focke Wulf Fw 190 F get the order on D-Day to swich airfields from the South and East of France to airfields in Laval and Tours. At such change of airfields it is usual to give the mechanic a ride in the back of the fuselage of the aircraft to ensure immediate maintenance of the plane at the new location. During this flight some of these planes are attacked by Mustangs and Thunderbolts. Five Fw 190 are hit badly. As no parachute is available for the mechanics in their crammed compartment, the pilots refuse to leave their comrades. Of the10 men involved, eight on board of these Jabos get killed. The 2. Group of Fighter Squadron 2 with their 25 aircraft also fights the enemy on June 7. A few days later the entire group is destroyed by Mustangs on the ground. Within the first ten days of the invasion the II. Group of KG 100 which was equipped with Do 217 and gliding bombs lost ten aeroplanes and eight crews.
Also, so-called wonder weapons are used over the invasion front. In the night from June 24 to 25 Commodore Horst Rudat of Kampfgruppe (the task force) 101 carries out a "Mistel" (mistletoe) operation with four machines. The "Mistel", official code name "Beethoven", consists of an unmanned bomber of the type Ju 88 loaded with 2.8 tons of explosives and a Me 109 which is fastened on a support bloc on the trunk surface of the bombe. The Ju 88 fly with the Me into the proximity of the target. The pilot in the Me 109 starts his engine and steered the bomber from a distance of 1-5 km in the flat glide to the target. Besides that the Jabo version of the jet fighter Me 262, the Me 262 A-2a "Sturmvogel" is also in operation early August. That is however, senseless since the Jabo version proves to be useless.
The big problem of the Germans is the non available air reconnaissance. Either all attempts to obtain a summary end in the shooting of the reconnaissance plane or the plane does not even get close to the point of desire. This changes only then when another secret weapon, the Arado, 234 C appears. Of this twin-engine jet bomber and reconnaissance plane which achieves a top speed of 880 km/h only three prototypes exist which are transferred to Juvincourt near Paris exist. Second Lieutenant Erich Sommer takes off with a jet aircraft for the first reconnaissance flight of the world on August 2. In an altitude of 10,000 m it over flies and takes pictures of the entire bridgehead. But other events throw their shadows at this time.
On the return trip of Rommel's memorable meeting on July 17, Rommel is seriously wounded by a Jabo attack at 16.00 on Route National 179 close to the village of Montgomery. Three days later von Stauffenberg tries to kill Hitler with a bomb at his HQ "Wolfsschanze" (wolf`s lair) on July 20.
