"Cat's Eyes" Night Fighters-Air War in the Darkness-Volume Two

[Justo Miranda]

"Cat's Eyes" Night Fighters

Air War in the Darkness

Volume Two



CONTENTS

​

Caudron R.XI C.3

Breguet XIV CN2

Breguet XIX CN2

Hawker Woodcock II

Gloster Gamecock

Bristol Type 95 Bagshot

Westland Westbury

Boulton Paul P.31 Bittern

Westland C.O.W. Gun Fighter

Vickers Type 161

Messerschmitt M.22

Nieuport-Delage NiD 622 C.1

Morane-Saulnier M.S. 225 EVN

Dewoitine D.501 CN

Bleriot-Spad S.510 CN

Arado Ar 68 E-1

Dewoitine D.510

Canadian Car & Foundry G-23

Koolhoven FK. 51

Polikarpov I-15

Heinkel He 51 B-1

Gloster Gauntlet Mk. II

Morane-Saulnier M.S. 405

Arado Ar 68 F-1

Morane-Saulnier M.S. 406 C.1

Bristol Blenheim Mk. IF

Bristol Blenheim Mk. IVF

Gloster Gladiator Mk. I

Gloster Gladiator Mk. II

Hawker Fury Mk. II

Hawker Hurricane Mk. I (Early production)

Hawker Hurricane Mk. I (Late production)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I (Early production)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I (Late production)

Boulton Paul Defiant Mk. I

ANF Mureaux 113 CN2

ANF Mureaux 115 R2B2

Potez 631 CN3

Gloster F.9/37 (L7999)

Gloster F.9/37 (L8002)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 B-2

Messerschmitt Bf 109 C-1

Messerschmitt Bf 109 D-1

Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1

Bristol Beaufighter NF Mk. IF

Bristol Beaufighter NF Mk. IIF

Douglas Havoc I

Douglas Havoc II

Douglas Havoc II Turbinlite

Hawker Hurricane Mk. IF

Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIB NF

Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIC NF

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V

De Havilland Mosquito NF Mk. II

Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-4/B

Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-4 with Peil G. IV

Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-7 with Peil G. IV

Messerschmitt Bf 109 T-2

Messerschmitt Bf 110 C-1

Messerschmitt Bf 110 C-2

Messerschmitt Bf 110 C-6

Messerschmitt Bf 110 D-1/U1 with Spanner Anlage I

Messerschmitt Bf 110 D-2 (Dackelbauch)

Messerschmitt Bf 110 D-3

Messerschmitt Bf 110 E-1/U1 with Spanner Anlage I

Messerschmitt Bf 110 F-4/U1

Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-2/U1

Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4/U1

Dornier Do 17 P-1

Dornier Do 17 Z-2

Dornier Do 17 Z-7

Dornier Do 17 Z-7 Kauz I with Spanner Anlage I

Dornier Do 17 Z-10 Kauz II with Spanner Anlage III

Dornier Do 215 B-5 Kauz III with Spanner Anlage III

Junkers Ju 88 C-2

Bristol Beaufighter NF Mk. VIF

Dornier Do 217 J-1

Junkers Ju 88 C-4

Junkers Ju 88 C-6b

Junkers Ju 88 A-4

De Havilland Mosquito NF Mk. XIX

De Havilland Mosquito NF Mk. 30

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/U4N with Naxos

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-2 with Spanner IIA

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4/U2/U8

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4/U2N

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5/U8

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 with Spanner IIA

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R11

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-5/U2 with Spanner II

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/U2 with Spanner II

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/R6 with Eberspächer

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10/R6

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14 with Schräge Musik

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14/AS with Spanner II

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14/U4/MW/AS

Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4/R6

Focke-Wulf Fw 58 B-2

Focke-Wulf Fw 58 G-1

Junkers Ju 87 D-7 (N)

Heinkel He 45 C

Focke-Wulf Fw 189 A-1

Heinkel He 50 A

Henschel Hs 123 A-1

Heinkel He 46 D-1

Henschel Hs 126 B-1

Junkers F-13

Junkers W 34 Hau

Siebel Si 204 D-0

Siebel Si 204 D-1

Siebel Si 204 E-0

Arado Ar 66C

Gotha Go 145 A

Gotha Go 145 B with Panzerschreck III

Bücker Bü 181 C-3 with Panzerfaust 100

Fieseler Fi 156 C-3

Fiat CR.32 CN

Fiat C.R. 42 CN Series IX

Fiat C.R. 42 CN Series XII

Fiat C.R. 42 CN Series XIII

Fiat C.R. 42 LW

Caproni-Vizzola F.5 CN

Caproni-Vizzola F.4 CN

Macchi M.C. 200

Reggiane Re. 2001 Series III

Reggiane Re. 2001 Series IV

Dewoitine D.520 CN

Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 CN

Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 91

CANT Z.1018 M

I.M.A.M. Ro. 58 CN

CANSA FC.20 Quater

Caproni Ca.331N

Dornier Do 217 J-1

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-2

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-3

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-4

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-5

 

[CJGibson]

Justo, are there drawings and info on the Spanner Anlage?

Chris

 

[Justo Miranda]

Justo, are there drawings and info on the Spanner Anlage?

Chris

Please see drawings 038, 044, 045, 046 and 057.

 

[Justo Miranda]

Infra-red​

During the first year of the World War Two a try was made to improve the detection capabilities of night fighters with the help of searchlights installed onboard the aircraft.



Italians used a night version of the Fiat C.R. 42 biplane fighter fitted with spotlights, in gondolas under the wings, and prolonged engine exhaust. The system was inefficient due to the limited power of the searchlights.



In 1942 there were ten British Turbinlite operational squadrons integrated by Douglas Havoc bombers with a powerful searchlight installed in the nose. Guided by radar until the intruder proximity, they lighted up by surprise, giving the Hawker Hurricane Mk. II night fighters operating nearby the opportunity to visually locate it. The system had a weakness in the difficulty to coordinate the attacks in darkness, being left aside by mid-1943, as in practice the light made them also easy targets for German gunners.



In 1941 the Luftwaffe started using infra-red searchlights type Z.G. 1221 with a diameter of 36 cm installed under the nose of some Bf 110 D-3 and E-1 night fighters from 4./NJG 1 St. Trond. The radiation reflected on the target was made visible for the human eye through and IR image converter telescope named Q-Rohr installed in front of the pilot.



The system was developed by Allgemeine Electrizitaetsgesellschaft in Berlin and Zeiss in Jena, under the name Spanner Anlage I (with 300 W power and 200 m. range) entered into service in 1941 with some Messerschmitt of the 4./NJG1 squadron and ten Dornier 17 Z-7 and Z-10 of the I./NJG2. The latest were equipped with the more powerful IR active seeker Spanner III (with 1,000 W power) for short distances. It was an improved version with a bigger scope and one AEG searchlight with a diameter of 60 cm, installed in the nose cone.

In all cases Spanner proved to be inadequate, being unable to identify friend of foe.



In February 1942 a Dornier Do 217 E-2 bomber was modified installing one FuG 202 AI radar, with a minimum detection range of 200 m, and an IR active seeker Spanner III for short distances. It was useful just for an approximation among clouds as in most cases the target was visible at 200 m without any electronic help.



The Hochspannungsgerät Spanner II was a passive IR detector (that didn’t depend on a searchlight) developed by AEG-Zeiss for its use in single engine fighters, detecting only IR-emitting targets, such as exhaust flames. On December 10, 1941, the Spanner II/A prototype was tested on a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-2 from Nachtjagdversuchskommando, for Flak identification, with poor results.

Early in 1944 some Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-5 from 1./JG300, Bf 109 G-6 from II./JG27 and Bf 109 G-14/AS from NJG11 were equipped with Spanner II devices.



The Spanner IV was developed by AEG/Leitz as Schräge Musik gun trigger for the Do 217 N-2, the device was flight tested in 1943 at Werneuchen Test Center with one Do 17 Z-7 and eight MG 151/20 Vertikal Bordwaffen cannons mounted at 90 degrees.



The development of the IR devices was difficult and slow. Until 1945 there were no practical results, when the Zeiss FuG 280 Kiel Z appeared. It was a passive seeker, with 4,000 m range and 25 cm diameter scanning mirror with 20 degrees side to side forward view. The indications are presented on a cathode ray tube. It was tested on the Ju 88 G-6 (3C+AB) of the I./NJG4 on 12 March 1945, too late to be useful.



The main shortfall of the first Spanner was the reduced field of view of the telescope. The image also suffered interferences from the moon, the stars, the flares and the explosions of flak.



In 1944 the Luftwaffe started using Verbandsflüg tactics with a great number of night fighters operating in the same sector. To avoid confusions, the airplanes identify themselves using the infra-red lamp termed Gaensebrust.

The British bombers used infra-red navigation lights since 1944. To locate them, the Germans developed the IR seeker named Falter with just 15 degrees of view field and difficult to use.



Another system termed Mücke was being tested at the end of the war in Europe. Although the Allies preferred to use their advanced centimetric radars, the Luftwaffe ordered the firms AEG and Siemens to develop the airborne warning devices Froschauge and Katze (the latest based on the Spanner II) and an IR jamming known as Wärmebold that were never used in combat.

 

[CJGibson]

Thanks Justo, added to list.

Chris

 

[Justo Miranda]

Available
https://www.amazon.com/Cats-Eyes-NI...s+eyes+night+fighters,digital-text,143&sr=1-1