Operation Gisela facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Operation Gisela
Part of Defence of the Reich
A Handley Page Halifax HX332 of No. 10 Squadron RAF burned out in a Yorkshire field. 5 out of the 7 occupants were killed when the aircraft was shot down by Leutnant Arnold Döring. It was one of 34 aircraft damaged or destroyed by Gisela.
Date 3/4 March 1945 Location England, North Sea and northern Germany Result Operation failed
Belligerents
Germany	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Hermann Göring Joseph Schmid	John Whitley Edward Addison
Strength
Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 Nachtjagdgeschwader 5	No. 4 Group RAF No. 100 Group RAF
Casualties and losses
22 aircraft destroyed 12 aircraft damaged 45 killed 11 injured	24 aircraft destroyed 9 aircraft damaged 78 killed 18 wounded 17 civilians killed 12 civilians severely wounded

Operation Gisela was a secret German military plan during World War II. It was an "intruder operation" where German night fighter planes would fly over England. Their goal was to attack British bombers as they returned to their bases at night. This was the last big operation by the German Luftwaffe (air force) night fighter units in the war.

By March 1945, Germany's air force was much weaker. The Allied air forces controlled the skies over Germany. German cities were being heavily bombed, which hurt Germany's war efforts. American planes bombed by day, and British planes bombed by night.

Allied armies were also moving into Germany. The German air defence system, called the Kammhuber Line, was broken in many places. This made it harder for Germany to defend against British night attacks. The Luftwaffe also had very few experienced pilots and not enough fuel. This meant their training stopped, and many planes couldn't fly. British de Havilland Mosquito planes were also flying over Germany, causing problems.

Some German night fighter pilots thought they should try attacking British bomber bases again. They had done this in 1940–41, attacking British bombers as they landed. Even though Adolf Hitler had stopped these attacks, some believed they could work again.

Hermann Göring, the head of the Luftwaffe, approved the plan. The Germans waited for the right moment. It came on the night of March 3/4, 1945, when British bombers attacked targets in western Germany. However, the operation didn't work as well as they hoped. The Germans lost too many planes for the small success they had.

Understanding Intruder Missions

Early German Intruder Attacks

Boundary map drawn up by the Luftwaffe in 1940. It remained unchanged for the duration of the war. Intruders were to patrol the areas.

At the start of World War II, Germany's air force focused on attacking. They didn't think much about defending their own skies at night. But after the Battle of Britain in 1940, things changed. Britain started bombing Germany at night. This was embarrassing for Hermann Göring, who had boasted that no enemy planes would fly over Germany.

So, Göring ordered a new force to be created in June 1940. This force was called Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (Night Fighter Wing 1). Soon, more night fighter units were formed. These units were led by Josef Kammhuber. He created the Fernnachtjagd, a special long-range night fighter force.

Since German planes didn't have radar to find British bombers at night, they decided to attack over Britain. German radio experts listened to British radio signals. They could figure out where British bombers were taking off and landing. Then, German night fighters would fly to those British airfields. They would attack bombers as they took off or landed. They also patrolled over the North Sea to catch bombers on their way.

This plan sounded good, but it was hard to do. In December 1940, the German night fighters lost 32 aircrew and 12 planes. They claimed to have shot down 18 British planes, but many of these claims were not true.

In 1941, German night fighters started to have more success. They began flying over the North Sea, near the English coast. This helped them avoid British ground defences. In June, they claimed 22 British planes, mostly over the sea. By October 1941, Britain had lost 54 planes in these operations. Germany lost 27 planes.

These attacks caused a lot of stress for British bomber pilots. They felt unsafe even over their own airfields. Many crashed because they landed too fast or were too nervous. Just as these intruder missions seemed promising, Adolf Hitler stopped them. He wanted German people to see British bombers destroyed over Germany. He also noticed that Britain wasn't doing similar attacks during The Blitz. So, on October 12, 1941, the operations stopped. Kammhuber tried to get them restarted, but the German High Command wasn't interested.

Air War in 1945

Ju 88 heavy fighters hidden beside a Reichsautobahn, early 1945. Allied planes often attacked German airfields.

For the next three years, the Allies bombed Germany heavily. Germany had to build up its air defence system, the Kammhuber Line. By 1942, new radar technology helped German night fighters. They became very good at shooting down British bombers. British losses were high, especially during the Battle of Berlin in 1943–1944.

Intruder operations started again briefly in August 1943. They happened sometimes, but there was no organized force. On April 22, 1944, German planes attacked American bombers returning to England. They shot down 10 planes and killed 61 men, losing only two of their own planes.

However, by mid-1944, Germany's night fighter defence faced big problems. The Allied armies advanced through France and Belgium. This destroyed much of the Kammhuber Line. British bombers were also flying with strong escorts of de Havilland Mosquito night fighters. The British were also winning the "electronics war." They could jam German radar and radio communications.

A huge problem was the lack of fuel. Most oil fields were destroyed or captured by 1945. This meant the Luftwaffe didn't have enough fuel to fly their planes. Even though they had many planes, they couldn't use them. The German night fighter force became very weak. For example, during the attack on Dresden, German fighters barely fought back.

Planning Operation Gisela

Joseph Schmid, who helped plan Gisela.

Even after Josef Kammhuber was replaced, some German commanders still wanted to restart intruder operations. Joseph Schmid, the new head of night air defences, pushed for it in December 1943. But Göring said it wasn't his business. Other commanders also disagreed, fearing Hitler's disapproval. They also worried about new German radar falling into Allied hands.

In October 1944, Schmid finally got support from Werner Streib, the Inspector of Night Fighters. Their plan was simple: gather 600–700 night fighters for one big attack.

Another important person was Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, Germany's most successful night fighter pilot. He often chased British bombers close to the English coast. He noticed that British jamming stopped once he was in Allied airspace. He thought this was a good chance for an attack.

Schnaufer suggested to his commander, Walter Grabmann, that they should attack British bombers as they landed in eastern England. Grabmann liked the idea. Schnaufer also encouraged Schmid to talk to the High Command again.

Finally, Hitler agreed to try everything to stop British bombing. The operation was approved in November. Secrecy was very important. Crews were briefed behind locked doors. They were told that all available night fighters would attack British bombers over their airfields in England. The plan was to fly low over the North Sea to avoid radar. Then, they would climb to 4,500 meters (about 14,760 feet) when they reached the coast. This was the usual height for British bombers. Crews also got information about British airfields and their lighting systems. They were warned about special lights that told British pilots if an enemy was nearby.

British Find Out

Unfortunately for the Germans, their secret plan was leaked. On January 1, 1945, a German Ju 88 plane landed by mistake in Luxembourg. The pilot, Corporal Lattoch, had been at the secret briefing. He was captured and told the Americans all about the plan. This information was quickly sent to the British Air Ministry.

RAF Fighter Command and Bomber Command warned all their units. Bomber planes were told to have other landing sites ready. All bomber and fighter groups were connected by phone. Ground control would tell pilots about any intruder planes. Airfields could also be blacked out, and pilots could be told to turn off their navigation lights. Only the Mosquito fighter groups stayed active against intruders.

The British even used a propaganda radio station, Soldatensender Calais, to show the Germans they knew. They played a song called I dance with Gisela tonight. Because of this, the operation was delayed many times until the British seemed less watchful.

The Operation Begins

The British Bombing Raid

A similar scene to the one that occurred over Ladbergen and Kamen; a raid on Pforzheim, 23 February 1945.

On March 3, 1945, British Bomber Command planned a raid on western Germany. They used fake attacks and diversions to trick German air defences. The main force split into two groups. No. 4 Group RAF was to bomb a synthetic oil plant at Kamen. No. 5 Group RAF was to attack an aqueduct and canal boats at Ladbergen.

Nearly 5,000 British airmen were ready to fly 817 heavy bombers. The planes took off at 6:00 PM. British Mosquito planes bombed Berlin and Würzburg first. They marked the targets with special lights.

Other British planes dropped naval mines in Oslo harbour. One British plane was shot down by a German night fighter near Denmark. Other planes jammed German radar systems over the North Sea. Many planes also dropped "Window" (strips of metal foil) to confuse German radar. American B-24 bombers also bombed Emden to help. Finally, British planes dropped target markers over Meppen to fool German controllers. Then, the main bombers attacked Ladbergen, breaking the canal banks. The attack lasted only 25 minutes.

The jamming worked well, but so many planes in a small area meant German night fighters would find some. German pilots, especially the experienced ones, were sent to fight. Four German pilots claimed to have shot down eight of the Lancasters lost that night.

No. 4 Group attacked Kamen. Mosquitoes marked the target. German night fighters were seen but didn't attack the bombers. A total of 690 tons of bombs hit the target in 10 minutes. British Mosquito night fighters patrolled the area, hoping to intercept German fighters. They claimed two German night fighters destroyed. German records confirm two night fighters were destroyed and four damaged.

Gisela: German Counter-attack

A Ju 88G-6 night fighter with FuG 240 Berlin Cavity magnetron radar. The Ju 88G was the backbone of the German night fighter force.

German intelligence knew a big British raid was coming. The code word Gisela was given to fighter units. Some units didn't react quickly because they had forgotten what the code meant. Crews had to be reminded about the plan. They were told about the strong winds and a weather front over the North Sea. They would have to fly low, in heavy rain, to stay hidden from British radar.

The first German Ju 88 planes took off at 11:00 PM. They flew towards the Dutch coast, then dropped to just 50 meters (about 164 feet) above the sea. They were not allowed to attack over the North Sea to keep the surprise. The weather was bad, but they used special radar to fly safely. The pilots were under great stress. When they reached the British coast, they climbed up to the height of the returning bombers. They also released "Düppel" (chaff) to confuse British radar. Then, they were free to attack.

Just after midnight on March 4, 1945, the first German Ju 88 attacked a British B-17 bomber. The bomber was damaged but landed safely. Soon, British radar screens showed many enemy planes. British Mosquito squadrons were sent to intercept. A "scram" order was given to British bombers still in the air. This meant they should fly to safer airfields in western or southern England.

Many bombers received the warning too late. Halifaxes of No. 4 Group were alerted at 12:45 AM. By then, German Ju 88s were already seeing the landing lights of British airfields. German pilots used special attacks, including Schräge Musik (upward-firing guns), against the unaware crews. Some British pilots managed to do a "corkscrew" move to escape. Some bombers landed but were then attacked on the ground.

At RAF Winthorpe, Ju 88s attacked bombers lit up by landing lights. Leutnant Arnold Döring destroyed two bombers between 1:05 AM and 1:15 AM. British crews quickly turned off their lights. Döring then attacked a train. During those 10 minutes, nine bombers were destroyed. More losses happened to No. 5 Group's Lancasters.

By 1:30 AM, British Mosquitoes were actively hunting the intruders. Several Ju 88s were chased out to sea. Two were claimed shot down. Three Ju 88s crashed while attacking targets on the ground. One crashed after hitting the runway. Another hit power lines, killing the German crew and a British civilian on the ground. Near Pocklington, a German crew crashed into trees while trying to attack a landing Halifax and a taxi. These were the last German airmen to crash on British soil during the war.

The most dangerous part of the operation was over by 2:15 AM. The German planes had been over England for more than an hour. Now they had to fly back over the sea. The British jammed German radio beacons and turned on fake ones. This was meant to trick German pilots into landing in Britain. Experienced pilots weren't fooled, but they had to navigate without help. Only about five Ju 88s were lost in combat over England, but eight crews went missing. Three crews died in crash-landings, and 11 planes crashed or were damaged on landing.

German Claims

This is a list of some of the planes German pilots claimed to have shot down during Gisela. Some crews who didn't return might also have made claims.

British Losses

British records show that 15 Handley Page Halifax and 12 Avro Lancaster bombers were lost. These were the majority of the casualties. Two Mosquitos were also lost. Nine other planes were damaged.       Airframe damaged
      Airframe severely damaged
      Airframe destroyed

German Losses

The Junkers Ju 88 was the only German fighter plane available in large numbers with enough range for this mission. So, all German losses were Ju 88s.       Airframe damaged
      Airframe severely damaged
      Airframe destroyed

Outcome of Operation Gisela

Operation Gisela did not achieve its main goals. It did not cause huge losses for the British, and it didn't stop their bombing missions. The very next night, a smaller attack was tried, but it also had no effect. The German force was much smaller than what Schmid had hoped for. Some people called Gisela the "swansong" (last effort) of the German night fighter force. During this operation, the last German plane to be shot down over Britain crashed.

Some historians believe that if Germany had kept up these intruder attacks over Britain in 1941, it could have hurt the British bomber training program. This program created the huge bomber force that flew in 1944–45. Not continuing these attacks allowed Britain to build its bomber force without much trouble for four years. An effective German intruder campaign might have given the Luftwaffe a big advantage in the night air war. It might have stopped or reduced the effectiveness of British bombing. This mistake is seen as one of the biggest errors made by the German High Command regarding Germany's air defence.

In the last eight weeks of the war, the bombing got even more intense. British bombing operations stopped in late April 1945. By this time, many German airfields were being taken by Allied ground forces. The German night fighter force began to surrender in large numbers.