LuftwaffeBomberWingKG200

ThistopsecretLuftwaffeunitflewthemostspecialmissionswiththemostspecialaircraft

LuftwaffeoperatedAmericanB17bomber

LuftwaffesecretweaponseveryoneknowsaboutGermany'sV1andV2missilesandtheLuftwaffejetand
rocketaircraft,buttheywerenorealsecret,evenduringthewar,asLondon'sciviliansandalliedpilotsknew
aboutthemandsawtheminaction,andalliedintelligenceknewaboutthemevenearlier.
ThisessayisaboutthemostsecretLuftwaffeunit,whichoperateditsmostsecretaircraftandflewitsmost
specialmissions.AghostunitwhichbecameknowntoalliedintelligenceonlyafterWorldWar2ended.This
isthestoryofLuftwaffewing200.
EverylargeAirForcehassquadronsandaircraftforstrategicintelligencemissionsandformissions
requiringtheuseofspecialaircraftandspecialweapons.Sometimes"innocent"civilianaircraftarebeing
usedforespionagemissions,orevenafewcapturedenemyaircraft.Therearealsounitsthattestfly
experimentalandcapturedaircraft.Thesespecialandsecretaircraftareusuallyflownbythemost
experiencedandskilledpilots,andcoveredbythedeepestsecrecy,oftenfordecades.
Forexample,inthepostwarUnitedStatestheseweretheSR71Blackbirdspyplane,thestealthaircraft,
theCIAoperatedaircraft,andthecapturedRussianaircraftandexperimentalaircraftflownfromArea51in
Nevada,nicknamedDreamland.
InNaziGermany,thetopsecretLuftwaffeunitcodenamedBomberWing200(KG200)wasallthat.
Civilianaircraftphotoreconflights
WhentheGermanmilitarybegantoprepareforWorldWar2,itneededairphotosofthecountriesit
intendedtoinvade.SinceflightsbythestandardLuftwaffephotoreconaircraftwerenotjustviolationof
thosecountriesairspacebutalsoaclearwarningsignofGermanintentions,theGermanmilitaryintelligence
usedaerialcamerascarefullyhiddeninGermanpassengerandcommercialaircraftwhichflewoverthose
countries.
TheriseinlandingdelaysbytheformerlypreciseGermanpilotsmadethePolishintelligencesuspectthat
theinnocentcivilianGermanaircraftareusedforphotoreconnaissance,buttheycouldnotfindthehidden
cameras,whentheycheckedthoseaircraftwhentheylandedinPolishairports.

TheLuftwaffeoperatedcivilianaircraftforphotoreconmissionsalloverEuropeandNorthAfricabeforeand
duringWorldWar2.InitiallytheaircraftbelongedtotheGermanmilitaryintelligence,butduringthewarthey
wereassignedtotheLuftwaffe.
WhenWorldWar2started,Germanspiesandsaboteurshadtobeinsertedtoorextractedfromallied
countries.SomewereinsertedorextractedbyGermansubmarines,sometravelledvianeutralcountries,
andsome,likemanyalliedsecretagents,parachutedfromLuftwaffeaircraft.
FlyingallLuftwaffespecialmissions
InFebruary1944,Luftwaffeheadquartersorderedthatallstrategicandcovertaerialreconnaissance,secret
agentdeliveries,specialdeliveryflightstoJapan,andexperimentalaircrafttesting,infactallspecial
missions,willbeconcentratedinonenewunit,codenamedbomberwing200.Thecommanderofthenew
unitwasWernerBaumbach,averyexperiencedandhighlydecoratedbomberpilotandleaderwhosurvived
overfouryearsofbombingmissionsoverenemyterritory,overFrance,Britain,Russia,andelsewhere.
KG200wasmadeofseverallargesquadrons.Itwasalsogeographicallyspreadinmultiplebasesallover
Europe.ThetotalsecrecyinKG200,ascommoninsuchtopsecretunits,wassuchthatitspeopleknew
verylittleofeachother'sactivity,tominimizesecuritybreachincaseofcaptivity.Ithadover100aircrews
andoperatedover30differentGermanandalliedaircrafttypes.
The1stsquadronofKG200wasinchargeofflyingGermansecretagentstoandfromalliedterritory.Ithad
alongrangegroup,andashortrangegroupwhichwasspreadalloverEurope.Itgotitsoperationalorders
directlyfromtheSD,theNaziparty'sintelligenceservice.
The2ndsquadronofKG200wasinchargeofallotheroperations,includingelectronicwarfareandspecial
bombingmissions,longrangepatrolsasfarastheUSEastcoast,andspecialcargomissionswhichflewall
thewaytoJapaneseheldNorthChina.ItoperatedfromhiddenairstripsalloverEurope,usuallynear
forests,usedtohidetheirspecialaircraftfromalliedpilots.
Additionalsquadronswhichwereestablishedbutdidnotbecomeoperationalbeforethewarended,were
theGermansuicideattackunit,equippedwithahumanpilotedversionoftheV1cruisemissile,andavery
longrangesquadronintendedtoreachtheUSEastcoastandotherremotetargets.
Allsecretagentdeliverymissionswerenightmissions,tofurtherminimizeexposuretotheenemy,andthey
reliedonthenavigationskillsofthenavigators,whichwerethebestandmostexperiencednavigatorsinthe
Luftwaffe.
Tofurtherminimizetherisktobothpilotsandagentsinsecretagentinsertionmissions,especiallywhena
teamofagentswasinvolved,theLuftwaffedevelopedaspecialhumanairdropdevice.Itwasabomblike
cylindercarriedbyabomber,inwhichthreesecretagentsandtheirequipmentcouldbesafelydropped
fromthebombertotheenemyground.Thecylinderwasequippedwithaparachute,atelephonewhich
enabledthesecretagentstospeakwiththebomberpilotduringtheflight,andashockabsorbertofurther
easethelanding.ItallowedtheGermanintelligencetosafelylandsingle,orteams,ofsecretagentsin
enemyterritory,withheavierequipmentandwithoutthecommonriskofparachutingleginjuries.
AlliedbombersinLuftwaffeservice

Duringthewar,theLuftwaffedownedmanyalliedbombersoverGermanheldterritory.Otherslanded
becauseoftechnicalproblems.Someofthesebombersremainedflyable.Initiallythesecapturedbombers,
suchasAmericanB17sandB24sandRussianPe2sandTupolevsandotheraircraft,wereflownbythe
Luftwaffeforstudyingtheircapabilitiesforintelligenceandtechnologicalanalysis.Thesetestflownbombers
weregivenLuftwaffemarkings,liketheoneinthepictureabove.
Later,KG200begantousethesecapturedlongrangebombersforitstopsecretmissions.Withthe
increasingairsuperiorityofalliedairforces,theGermanretreats,andtheincreasinguseofRADARand
RADARequippednightfighters,itbecameeverharderfortheGermanbomberstoflydeepintoallied
airspace.FlyinglongrangedcapturedalliedbombersinsteadofthesmallerandshorterrangeGerman
bomberswasaperfectsolutionfortheLuftwaffe.Thesebomberscouldflyfurtherandcouldflyoverthe
mostprotectedalliedtargets,dayandnight,withoutbeingevenshotat,astheylookedandsoundedexactly
likealliedbombers.Itwastheperfectequivalentofthestealthbomber.Thecapturedalliedbombersusedby
KG200werenotgivenGermanmarkingsandremainedwiththeiroriginalalliedcolorsandmarkingsfor
completedayornightdeceptionofalliedpilotsandantiaircraftgunnerswhichsawthem.Theycouldfly
anywhere,dayornight,makeaerialphotos,dropagents,bombtargets,trackalliedbomberformationsand
constantlyreporttheirexactpositionandaltitudewithoutbeinginterceptedbytheirfighterescorts,etc,etc,
andsotheydid.

Mistel,aLuftwaffebombertransformedtoahugemissile

Bombersizemissiles
InWorldWar2,Germanyledinthedevelopmentofguidedbombsandmissiles.Inadditiontooperating
normalguidedweapons,suchastheHs293missileandFritzXbomb,KG200operatedtheheaviestand
mostuniquetypeofweaponoperatedbytheLuftwaffe,theMistelbombersizemissile.
Mistelwasabomber,usuallyaJunkers88,thatwastransformedtoahugemissilebyreplacingitscockpit
withafourtonswarhead,placingamountonitsbackforcarryingamountedfighteraircraft(pictureabove),
andconnectingtheunmannedbomber'sflightcontrolstothefighter,sothatthefighter'spilotcouldflythe
dualaircraftallthewaytothetarget,usuallyalargefixedstrategictargetsuchasadam,apowerstation,or
alargebridge,aimthebombertoitsfinaldivetothetarget,andthendisconnectthefighterfromitandfly
home.TheMistelbombermissilehadalongrangeandcouldsmashthelargesttargets.
Intheirfirstattack,inJune1944,fourMistelssankshipsintheEnglishChannel.Oneofthemajorplanned
LuftwaffeattackswassupposedtodestroyRussia'slargesthydroelectricpowerstationswithMistels,and
bydoingsoreduceRussia'selectricityproductionby75%,butmostofthemweredestroyedontheground

byaUSairattackbeforetheoperation.TheMistel'slastattack,inmarch1945,waspersonallyledby
WernerBaumbach,commanderofKG200.AlargegroupofMistelstookoffforthemission,mostofthem
wereshotdown,butfiveMistelsdestroyedlargebridgesoverriversinEastGermany,inordertodelay
RussianadvanceintoGermany.
TheGermansuicideunits
TheMistelwaslikeasuicideaircraftbutwithoutthesuicide.AsGermanywaslosingthewar,therewere
somefanaticandinfluentialNaziofficerslikeHannaReitsch,afamousfemaletestpilotandprewargliding
champion,OttoSkorzeny,aspecialoperationsexpert,andHajoHermann,aseniorbomberandnightfighter
leader,whosuggested,unrelatedtotheJapaneseuseofKamikazesuicidepilots,thatGermanywilluse
volunteersassuicidepilotsinordertoovercomethealliedtechnologicalandnumericaladvantageswith
theirfanaticspirit.TheideahadrootsinGermanmythologythatwasglorifiedbyNazipropaganda,itwas
"Totenritt",adeathride.
Hitlerwasreluctant,buteventuallyagreedtoReitsch'srequesttoestablishandtrainasuicideattackairunit,
inconditionthatitwillnotbeoperatedincombatwithouthisapproval.Thenewunit,nicknamedthe
LeonidasSquadron,alsobecamepartofKG200.
LeonidaswastheGreekwarriorkingofSpartawhoin480BCstoppedtheinvadingPersianarmyatthe
narrowThermopylaepassinEastGreecewithjust300elitewarriorswhofoughttothelastman.Their
sacrificesavedGreecefromoccupation,andastatueofLeonidasstillstandsatThermopylae.The
desperateNazifanaticsthoughttheycansaveGermanytoobysuicidetactics.
TheaircrafttobeusedwastheFi103Reichenberg,amannedversionoftheGermanV1cruisemissile,
equippedwithasmallcockpitandflightcontrols.Aftertwovolunteerswerekilledtryingtotestflyit,itwas
successfullyflownbyHannaReitsch,theexperiencedtestpilotwhowasthefirsttosignasavolunteer
suicidepilot.24V1cruisemissileswereinitiallymodifiedtomannedsuicidemissilesandover70
volunteers,mostlyyoungrecruits,begantrainingtoflytheV1asasuicidemissile.Theywerecalled"self
sacrificers".Theoreticallytheyweresupposedtotrytobailoutafteraimingtheirpilotedmissiletoitsfinal
diveatthetarget,butitwasclearthatthechancesofsurvivalwereverylow.Also,unlikethemuchfaster
rocketpoweredJapaneseOkhasuicidemissile,thatwasmuchfasterthanallalliedfighters,thejetpowered
V1wasslowenoughtobeintercepted.
ThesuicidesquadronofKG200wasneverusedincombatbecauseWernerBaumbachandhissuperiors
considereditanunnecessarywasteoflifeandresources,andpreferredtheMistel.Baumbachclaimedthat
Mistelwasbetterthanbothamannedbomberandasuicidemissile,becauseoftheminimallossofcrew
lives,aslosingamannedbombermeantthelossofafullcrewwhileMistelwasflownbyasinglepilot,and
unlikeasuicidemissilepilot,theMistelpilothadachancetoreturnsafely.
EventuallyanotherGermansuicidetacticwasusedincombat.Itwastheinterceptionofheavybombersby
ramming,assuggestedbyHajoHermann,headoftheGermannightfighterscommand.Fighterwing300
(JG300)wasassignedtousethistacticverylateinthewar,equippedwithordinaryMe109andFw190
fighters,butitwasusedjustafewtimes,withlittlesuccess.Fewbombersweredestroyedbycollisions,and
fewsuicidepilotswhomanagedtobailoutwerekilledbythefuriousgunnersoftheotherbombers.
TheendofKG200

AtthelastdaysofWorldWar2,Luftwaffebomberwing200retreateditsremainingspecialaircrafttoSouth
Germany,thedocumentsaboutitssecretactivitiesweredestroyed,andthat'swereitssecretwarended.
Inmarch1945,shortlybeforetheendofWorldWar2,WernerBaumbach,thehighlydecoratedbomber
pilot,andcommanderofKG200,waspromotedtocommanderofwhatwasleftoftheGermanbomber
command.Afterthewar,stillaNazi,hewroteanautobiography.ThetotalsecrecyspiritofKG200,which
remainedevenafterthewar,isbestdemonstratedbythefactthatwhilehedescribeshislongand
distinguishedwartimeserviceasaLuftwaffebomberpilotinthebook,hedoesnotmentionKG200there
withasingleword.LikemanyotherNazis,heimmigratedafterthewartoArgentinawhereheworkedasa
testpilot.Hewaskilledin1953atage36duringatestflight,takingmanysecretsofKG200withhim.