Operation Bodenplatte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Operation Bodenplatte
Part of the Battle of the Bulge, World War II
A Fw 190D-9 of 10./JG 54 Grünherz, (pilot Leutnant Theo Nibel), downed by a partridge which flew into the nose radiator near Brussels on 1 January 1945.
Date 1 January 1945 Location Belgium, the Netherlands and France Result Operation failed German tactical success Strategic German exhaustion
Belligerents
United Kingdom  United States  Canada  New Zealand  Poland	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Arthur Coningham Jimmy Doolittle Hoyt Vandenberg	Werner Kreipe Joseph Schmid Dietrich Peltz Karl Hentschel Gotthard Handrick
Units involved
2nd Tactical Air Force Eighth Air Force Ninth Air Force	II. Jagdkorps 3. Jagddivision 5. Jagddivision
Casualties and losses
See Aftermath and casualties	See Aftermath and casualties

Operation Bodenplatte (which means "Baseplate" in German) was a big surprise attack by the German Air Force (called the Luftwaffe) during World War II. It happened on January 1, 1945. The Germans wanted to damage Allied air forces in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Their main goal was to take control of the sky during the Battle of the Bulge. This would help the German Army move forward again.

The operation was supposed to happen earlier, in December 1944. But bad weather kept delaying it until New Year's Day. The Germans kept the plan very secret. So secret, in fact, that some of their own ground and naval forces didn't know about it. This led to some German planes being shot down by their own anti-aircraft guns.

Even though Allied spies knew German planes were gathering, they didn't realize a big attack was coming. The attack did surprise the Allies and caused some damage. Many Allied planes were destroyed on the ground. But the Allies quickly replaced them within a week. Not many Allied pilots were hurt because their planes were on the ground.

However, the Germans lost many pilots who were hard to replace. This operation failed to give Germany control of the sky. German ground forces still faced attacks from Allied planes. Bodenplatte was the last major attack the Luftwaffe launched during the war.

Why Did the Attack Happen?

Focke-Wulf Fw 190A shot down by a fighter of the USAAF XXIX Tactical Air Command in 1944 or 1945. German losses were very heavy by late 1944.

During 1944, Allied armies were moving across Western Europe. They had strong support from Allied air forces. The British Royal Air Force (RAF) and its Second Tactical Air Force helped the ground troops. They attacked German strong points and supply lines. They also gathered information about German movements.

With the Allies controlling the sky, the German Army couldn't fight well. The Luftwaffe also struggled to protect German soldiers from the air. Even though Germany made many planes in 1944, they didn't have enough experienced pilots or fuel.

The fighting moved closer to Germany. Most of France and parts of Belgium and the Netherlands were freed. Allied air forces moved to new bases on the continent to stay close to the fighting. The only thing that slowed the Allies down was the weather. In winter, rain and mud made airfields unusable. This stopped big air and ground operations.

The Germans then launched the Battle of the Bulge on December 16, 1944. They hoped to capture the city of Antwerp and split the British and American armies. They planned this attack for bad winter weather. This weather would keep Allied planes on the ground. The attack initially worked, but the weather also kept most of the Luftwaffe grounded.

The first day of the Battle of the Bulge was supposed to be the day for Operation Bodenplatte. But the weather was too bad. So, the air attack was put off. The German ground attack started well. To fight back, the American Air Forces put some of their units under British command. On December 23, the RAF helped the Americans stop the Germans from taking Malmedy and Bastogne. The German attack then slowed down.

The Luftwaffe did fly many missions in December. But they lost many planes and pilots in fights with the RAF and American Air Forces. Between December 17 and 27, 1944, the Germans lost 644 fighter planes. Many pilots were killed, captured, or wounded. By the end of December, German fighter leaders didn't expect any more big air operations.

How Was the Attack Planned?

In September 1944, Adolf Hitler decided to launch a big attack in the West. He ordered the Luftwaffe to get planes ready. By November, German fighter divisions were told to prepare for a large ground attack in the Ardennes. This attack was planned for the first day of the ground offensive.

General Dietrich Peltz was in charge of planning the air operation. He was a dive bomber pilot, not a fighter pilot. His experience in ground attacks made him a good choice for planning Bodenplatte. On December 15, the plan was finalized with other German fighter leaders. It was meant to support the Battle of the Bulge, which started on December 16, 1944.

But the weather was too bad, so the air attack was delayed until January 1, 1945. By then, the German Army had lost its momentum. The weather had also cleared, allowing Allied planes to fly. The Luftwaffe was supposed to support another German attack called Operation Northwind.

The plan for Bodenplatte was a surprise attack on 17 Allied air bases. These bases were in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. The goal was to destroy as many Allied planes, hangars, and runways as possible. All German fighter and fighter-bomber units on the Western Front were moved for this attack. Night-fighter and medium bomber units would lead the way. Most of the attacking planes were single-engine Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters.

However, there was a big mistake in the plan. Many German planes flew over areas with lots of German anti-aircraft guns. These guns protected German V-2 rocket launch sites. Some anti-aircraft units had been warned about the operation, but not all. They didn't know about the changing times or flight paths. Because of this, about a quarter of the German fighter units lost planes to their own friendly fire before even reaching their targets.

After five years of war, many Luftwaffe pilots were new and not well trained. They weren't good at shooting or flying. There weren't enough experienced teachers. Also, fuel was scarce, so pilots couldn't train for long. Allied fighters also shot down many training planes. By late 1944, there were no safe places for pilots to train. This meant poorly trained pilots were quickly lost in combat or accidents. Allied soldiers who saw the attacks said the German pilots often missed their targets. Many German planes were shot down by Allied anti-aircraft fire because they flew too slowly and too high.

The plan also required strict radio silence and secrecy. Maps were incomplete, only showing enemy bases, not flight paths. This was to prevent the Allies from finding German bases if the maps were captured. Most commanders couldn't tell their pilots about the mission until just before take-off. This caused confusion. Many German pilots didn't fully understand the mission. They thought it was just a scouting mission.

Targets and German Air Units

The German High Command for the Air Force (OKL) sent 1,035 aircraft for this operation. These planes came from many different fighter, bomber, night fighter, and ground attack wings. About 38.5% were Bf 109s, 38.5% were Fw 190As, and 23% were Fw 190Ds.

Here are some of the main targets and the German units that attacked them:

• Antwerp—Deurne: Targeted by JG 77 with Bf 109s.
• Asch: Targeted by JG 11 with Fw 190s.
• Brussels—Evere: Targeted by JG 26 and JG 54 with Fw 190s.
• Brussels—Melsbroek: Targeted by JG 27 and JG 54 with Bf 109s.
• Eindhoven: Targeted by JG 3 with Fw 190s.
• Ghent/Sint-Denijs-Westrem: Targeted by JG 1 with Fw 190s.
• Metz—Frescaty: Targeted by JG 53 with Bf 109s.
• Sint-Truiden: Targeted by SG 4 and JG 2 with Fw 190s.
• Volkel: Targeted by JG 6 with Fw 190s.

Some airfields like Grimbergen, Knocke, Ophoven, and Heesch might have been hit by mistake.

Secret Codenames for the Attack

After the raids, the Allies found German pilot logbooks. Some had the entry "Auftrag Hermann 1.1. 1945, Zeit: 9.20 Uhr". This meant "Operation Hermann to start on January 1, 1945, at 9:20 am." So, the Allies thought the operation was named Hermann after Hermann Göring, a top German leader.

There were five different secret codes used for the attack:

• Varus: Meant the operation was a "go" within 24 hours.
• Teutonicus: Gave permission to tell pilots and get planes ready.
• Hermann: Gave the exact date and time of the attack.
• Dorothea: Meant the attack was delayed.
• Spätlese ("late harvest"): Meant the attack was canceled after planes were already flying.

What Allied Spies Knew

Allied intelligence didn't realize how big this German attack would be. They did intercept some German messages. For example, on December 4, 1944, a German fighter corps ordered supplies for navigation, like flares. Allied spies didn't pay much attention to this. They also ignored messages about using flares to lead formations. They thought these were for ground support, not air attacks.

On December 20, a message from a German fighter division was intercepted. It said that emergency landing spots for a "special undertaking" hadn't changed. This was a clear sign something was up, but Allied intelligence didn't comment on it. They also ignored messages about low-level attack training. By December 16, Allied intelligence had tracked German Army and Luftwaffe movements. Still, they didn't suspect a major attack.

The Battle Begins

The attacks started around 8:30 AM on January 1, 1945. German planes flew low to surprise the Allies.

Attacks on Maldegem, Ursel, and St. Denijs Westrem

The German unit JG 1 attacked the airfields at Ursel and Maldegem.

• JG 1 Losses: 29 planes lost, 25 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: 16 planes destroyed at Maldegem, 6 at Ursel. At St. Denijs Westrem, 18 Spitfires were destroyed on the ground.

JG 1 lost 13 planes and 9 pilots over Maldegem and Ursel. Many were shot down by their own anti-aircraft fire. At St. Denijs Westrem, JG 1 lost 17 planes, a very high loss rate. Overall, JG 1 lost 25 pilots and 29 aircraft. They claimed to have destroyed about 60 enemy planes, but Allied records show fewer.

Attack on Sint-Truiden

Schlachtgeschwader 4 (SG 4) and Jagdgeschwager 2 (JG 2) were supposed to hit Sint-Truiden airfield.

• German Losses: 46 planes lost, 12 damaged, 23 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: 10 destroyed, 31 damaged.

JG 2 flew over the front line at Malmedy and faced heavy Allied ground fire. Many planes were lost to anti-aircraft guns. Some JG 2 planes attacked Asch and Ophoven airfields by mistake. JG 2's mission was a disaster, with very high losses. SG 4 also had a bad mission. Many of their planes got lost or turned back. Only a few SG 4 planes attacked airfields near Aachen and Asch. The commander of SG 4 was reported missing.

Attacks on Volkel and Heesch

Jagdgeschwader 6 (JG 6) was supposed to attack Volkel.

• German Losses: 27 planes lost, 5 damaged, 23 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: Very little damage at Heesch or Helmond. 33 fighters and 6 medium bombers at Eindhoven.

JG 6 approached Heesch airfield, and some pilots thought it was Volkel. Heesch was a new airfield, probably unknown to the Luftwaffe. Many Allied planes from Heesch were already in the air. Some German fighters engaged them, while others looked for Volkel. JG 6 also attacked an empty strip at Helmond by mistake. They lost planes to ground fire and Allied fighters. JG 6 failed to find Volkel. Their only success was accidentally attacking Eindhoven, causing significant damage there. JG 6 lost 43% of its strength.

Attacks on Antwerp-Deurne and Woensdrecht

Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) was tasked with destroying Deurne airfield in Antwerp.

• German Losses: 11 planes lost, 11 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: 14 destroyed, 9 damaged.

JG 77 took off in two groups. Some pilots from JG 77 mistakenly attacked Woensdrecht airfield. The main group continued to Antwerp. The ground defenses at Antwerp were ready. The German attack was disorganized. Only 12 Spitfires were destroyed at Antwerp, which was light damage considering how many planes were there. JG 77 lost 11 planes and pilots.

Attack on Metz-Frescaty

Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) attacked the American airfield at Metz-Frescaty.

• German Losses: 30 planes lost, 8 damaged, 17 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: 22 destroyed, 11 damaged (all P-47s).

Some JG 53 planes were met by American P-47 fighters. The P-47s shot down many German planes without any losses themselves. However, the main attack by other JG 53 groups was more successful. They caused a lot of damage to parked American fighters. JG 53 lost more than 50% of its attacking force. While they destroyed many Allied planes, the losses for JG 53 were very high.

Attacks on Le Culot and Ophoven

Jagdgeschwader 4 (JG 4) was supposed to attack Le Culot airfield.

• German Losses: 25-26 planes lost, about 6 damaged, 17 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: 10 destroyed, 31 damaged at Sint-Truiden. No damage at Le Culot.

JG 4 lost planes to ground fire before reaching the target. Some JG 4 planes got lost and attacked Sint-Truiden by mistake. This small attack by JG 4 caused a lot of damage at Sint-Truiden. But no damage was done at Le Culot, their actual target. Another part of JG 4 also got lost and attacked Asch airfield. Other JG 4 planes attacked Ophoven airfield. Overall, JG 4 suffered heavy losses.

Attack on Asch

Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11) was supposed to destroy Asch Airfield.

• German Losses: 28 planes lost, 24 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: 1 B-17 destroyed, 3 damaged. 1 P-47 lost.

JG 11 flew over Ophoven by mistake, and about half of their planes attacked it. The other half continued to Asch. At Asch, American pilots were already preparing to take off. They quickly launched their planes and fought back. No American P-51s were lost in the air. JG 11 lost 28 fighters, and many pilots were killed, including important leaders. The battle over Asch lasted 45 minutes and became known as "The Legend of Y-29."

Attacks on Brussels-Evere and Grimbergen

Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) and part of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) were to attack Brussels-Evere. Grimbergen Airfield was almost empty. Evere was a very busy airfield with many targets.

• German Losses: 40 planes lost, 30 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: 34 destroyed, 29 damaged at Evere. 6 destroyed at Grimbergen.

Many German planes were forced to turn back due to damage or mechanical problems. Some were shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. As they crossed the border, Allied fighters intercepted them. The attack on Grimbergen was a disaster for the Germans, with 21 planes lost for only 6 Allied planes destroyed.

Only parts of JG 26 hit Evere. They destroyed hangars, trucks, fuel, and planes. At Evere, 60-61 Allied aircraft were destroyed. Many transport planes were there, which German pilots focused on. This left many Spitfires undamaged. The Canadian wing commander said German pilots' poor aim kept them from causing even more damage. The Evere attack was a success for the Germans in terms of damage caused, but they still took heavy losses.

Attack on Brussels-Melsbroek

Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27) and part of Jagdgeschwager 54 (JG 54) targeted Melsbroek airfield.

• German Losses: 21 planes lost, 1 damaged, 17 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: 35 destroyed, 9 severely damaged.

The Germans hit Melsbroek hard. Anti-aircraft positions were not manned, and Allied planes were lined up, making them easy targets. The attack caused a lot of damage and was a big success. Many reconnaissance planes and transport aircraft were destroyed. JG 27 and JG 54 claimed many victories. However, JG 27 suffered very high losses in planes and pilots.

Attacks on Gilze-Rijen and Eindhoven

Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) and Kampfgeschwader 51 (KG 51) were to attack Eindhoven and Gilze-Rijen.

• German Losses: 15-16 planes lost, 15-16 pilots killed or captured.
• Allied Losses: 47 destroyed, 43 damaged at Eindhoven. 1 destroyed, 1 damaged at Gilze-Rijen.

The German planes reached the area around 9:20 AM. The attack was led by Heinrich Bär, a famous German pilot. Pilots made several passes, destroying anti-aircraft guns, fuel tanks, and vehicles. There were nearly 300 Allied aircraft at Eindhoven. The attack caused fires all over the airfield. JG 3 claimed many planes destroyed. British records show JG 3 destroyed 43 aircraft and damaged 60 more. JG 3 lost 15 of its 60 fighters. The damage to Eindhoven was significant and was a victory for JG 3.

What Were the Results of the Raid?

It's hard to know the exact numbers of planes destroyed because records are confusing. It's likely more planes were destroyed than officially listed. Some American losses might not have been fully counted. A more realistic total might be around 290 Allied planes destroyed and 180 damaged on the ground. Including planes shot down in air combat, the total could be 305 destroyed and 190 damaged.

Here's a summary of the damage at each target:

• Antwerp—Deurne: Light damage.
• Asch: Light damage.
• Brussels—Evere: Heavy damage (34 destroyed, 29 damaged).
• Brussels—Grimbergen: Medium damage (all 6 planes present destroyed).
• Brussels—Melsbroek: Heavy damage (35 destroyed, 9 severely damaged).
• Eindhoven: Heavy damage (47 destroyed, 43 damaged).
• Ghent/Sint-Denijs-Westrem: Heavy damage (16 destroyed, several damaged).
• Gilze—Rijen: Little to no damage.
• Heesch: No losses.
• Le Culot: No damage.
• Maldegem: Heavy damage (13 destroyed, 2 damaged beyond repair).
• Metz—Frescaty: Heavy damage (22 destroyed, 11 damaged).
• Ophoven: Little to no damage.
• Sint—Truiden: Heavy damage (10 destroyed, 31 damaged).
• Volkel: Little to no damage.
• Woensdrecht: No effect.
• Ursel: Light damage.

What Happened After and Who Was Lost?

Operation Bodenplatte achieved tactical surprise, meaning it surprised the enemy in the moment. But it failed because of poor planning and inexperienced German pilots. The Luftwaffe launched this attack even though they knew they had problems with training and fuel. This meant any short-term gains would be outweighed by heavy losses.

Bodenplatte severely weakened the German fighter force, making it almost impossible to rebuild. The head of the German fighter force, Adolf Galland, said, "We sacrificed our last substance."

The Luftwaffe lost 143 pilots killed or missing. Another 70 were captured and 21 were wounded. This included many important leaders, like three wing commanders and five group commanders. This was the largest single-day loss for the Luftwaffe. Many of the lost leaders were experienced veterans. This put even more pressure on the remaining pilots. So, Bodenplatte was a very short-term success but a long-term failure.

The Allies quickly replaced their lost planes and pilots. But the Germans could not replace their lost aircraft and especially their experienced pilots. One historian, Gerhard Weinberg, said the operation left the Germans "weaker than ever and incapable of mounting any major attack again."

In the last 17 weeks of the war, the German fighter force struggled to recover. They couldn't effectively defend German airspace during later Allied operations, like the crossing of the Rhine River. Any later German air operations were small and couldn't challenge Allied control of the sky. Another historian, Werner Girbig, wrote that Bodenplatte "dealt this force a mortal blow and sealed its fate."

Images for kids

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  Destroyed P-47s at Y-34 Metz-Frescaty airfield.

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  Kurt Tank and Major Günther Specht (left) inspecting the rudder of his Bf 109. Specht's loss was a bitter blow for JG 11.

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  Fire crews attempt to save an Avro Lancaster from burning at Melsbroek, Belgium. This aircraft had landed at Melsbroek with the number 3 (starboard inner) engine out of action, its propeller feathered.