Nachtfee
New additional findings
Page created 11 May 2012
Status 14 May 2012
My friend Phil Judkins continued two weeks ago his search in the British National Archives at Kew
He continued to dig in the Felkin files and luckily he could disclose some new ones. He traced them in the AIR 40 2877 series. We are still very grateful to Kew Garden that they gave us permission to transcribe this material, which is disclosing so many interesting facts; which had been kept hidden for > 67 years. Wouldn't we have obtained our Nachtfee recently (November 2012) information may well have been faded away. As the readability of the files is becoming increasingly difficult. My guess is that in the next fifty years it will become unreadable.
I have selected this 'order' or command scale photo as it does not have pointers, which might make some of the 'order' text difficult to read
Showing a recent photo what the actual 'order' or command screen is about. Please notice that the weak red paper shine originate from the four rear screen lamps. The real 'order' pointer is the small one, the bigger one is only acting as a (spring loaded) mechanical memory
Where 'AUTO', just above Pauke, stood for is not known to me
Header of A.D.I (K) Report No. 160/1944. Date 5th April 1944
Please notice for some of the transcribed Felkin reports
Additionally dealt with this subject is: A.D.I. (k) 187/1944, Date 25 April 1944
The next list is more extensive
On page 3 of 160/1944 and page 2 of 187/1944 we encounter this brief list, which lists two ways of handling short messages
The left column is wireless telegraphy, thus messages conveyed by means of Morse code and the R/T is spoken language likely via FuG16, their standard VHF set.
It is becoming clear that we have here a list which extremely well fits to the Nachtfee 'order' or command scale. Although, the interrogators were not (yet) aware of the system code-name Nachtfee
What may be derived from the two lists? (one not displayed)
1L and 1R (Lisa and Rolf) may stand for a deviation change of 5° left or right
2L and 2R consequently meant: 2 x 5° = 10° left or right flight correction
The red squared dash (W) was indicating: preparing for attack
The quite big encircled dot (E) being the sign for flares or bomb release
? (Quittung) Acknowledge by means of the 'key selector switch', thus normally is kept neutral
nal 1 and nal 2, operate Kanal 1 or 2, means: recognition key 1 or 2 (BG 25a switch-box)
Pauke, open bomb doors (quite curiously, as this normally meant 'Attack' Angriff)
Exp, increase speed (Exp is derived from the code-name Express)
snk, decrease speed (snk is derived from code-name Schnecke)
According A.D.I. (K) 187/1944 page 2
jjj, is not yet solved. Though, it might have stood for 'kkk' which equaled: you are being plotted or control finished, please confirm (by means of the control key switch. Also used: HHH or AAA (Autobahn)
knh, ??
kus, ??
fad, ??
N, is the standard starting position, from where off the 'order' or command pointer (the small one) is starting to move (probably clockwise). The waiting position, however, displayed on the aircraft screen was at south (S), this was accomplished by a 180° phase-shift owing to the operation of the 'Freya-Polwender' selector. The crew should being alerted when the blip (pointer) changed its waiting position from (S) towards N (N). Indicating that instruction ('order') was soon to be conveyed
From this text it is learnt that KG.66 operated also from or had to land at Soesterberg, an airfield in the centre of the Netherlands just a bit north of Utrecht. Its main operational airbase was: Montdidier (Avord?), in France
Also interesting is:
December 1943 the EGON procedure was practised at Rechlin and later from Montdidier
Additionally:
Paragraph 30. is of special interest, as it states: The attachment (FuG136, AOB) which was invented and tried out at Rechlin by one Stabsingenieur Benes, consists of a unit placed in the fuselage of the aircraft and a presentation unit, placed between the pilot and observer, embodying a Cathode Ray Tube of about the same diameter as that of the Liechtenstein
This information is again stating the Nachtfee was designed at Rechlin and scurrile Dr. Vierling was not engaged in this Rechlin project. According Fritz Trenkle the Nachtfee inventor was T. von Hauteville (Bladwijzer4). However, my interest is triggered by the hand written marking /y/. According Trenkle was T. von Hauteville also the one who invented the 'Y' system, which techniques both relied on low frequency signal phase shift. My hypothetical guess: T. von Hauteville was the boss and Stabsingenieur the particular Nachtfee designer. But, this is only a hypothetical estimation! Whatsoever, the British reader must then have been aware of this fact. (R.V. Jones?). There is another curious point, and that is that the Blohm & Voss project paper is talking about Fl.-Oberingenieur Bracke a more German like family name, may the interrogated P/W have made a mistake? Not unlikely. FT-Anlage Besprechung am 16.5.44 über P194. The Blohm & Voss information is more likely being correct than the P/W information. Both names are beginning with a 'B' and a mistake is then easily made. Those interrogated may well still have been under stress caused by their recent experiences. Like being shot down - surviving an aircraft crash and surrendering and that like.
It is also learned that the FuG136 electronics was stored in the fuselage. Whether they meant FuG136 + FuG25a remains open. There is hardly a doubt that some external electronics must have been kept elsewhere, as German aircraft had very little free space left in the air crew cabins.
Also of interest is, that it is most likely that next to the aircraft order screen the same instructions were painted (or printed) as the aircraft operator would otherwise not have had so much accurate knowledge. Please bear in mind, that Nachtfee should once have been thought being a substitute for conventional wireless communication, like FuG16 and or FuG10. The two Felkin docs also point that there existed a third means of communication and that was by means of the ground beacon Calais I operating at 583 kHz and was DFd onto by means of the aircraft PeilG6 (APZ 6).
A.D.I. (K) 160/1944 page 2
It was also stated that the operational Nachtfee range was maximally 270 km
On 14 May
I approached the 'order' or command scale again and still wonder where the not matching instructions may have been meant for.
What was the consequence for Nachtfee operation in conjunction to what is written next to the information ('order') screen in the Pathfinder aircraft?
A hypothetical guess only: knh may this have been meant Komm nach Hause (Heim) as is mentioned in paragraph 27? Sounds a bit silly, but returning homewards (Komm zurück) may well have had a (pointing) vector. Thus one out of the four left unsolved, not in successive order:
kus May this have stood for Karussell? Fly a circle?
knh Komm nach Hause (Heim)???
jjj Qittung, Operation completed, order to return?? (para 26. page 3 A.D.I.(K) 160/1944
fad
It is all the time pain striking to deal with the many open queries in our Nachtfee project. We have disclosed a lot, far more than one ever could expect; but we also have to accept that we will not disclose all the hidden secrets.
My estimation is, that some hidden documents are kept in the US; but actual support from there is not existing - simply null!
Since August 2012
Please don't forget to use the handsome: Nachtfee Chronology page
And, the PowerPoint progress page (converted into PDF)
By: Arthur O. Bauer
Please go back to, or proceed with: FuG136-Nachtfee starting page! (Status: 5 March 2012)
Please go back to, or proceed with: Nachtfee survey page 2 (status: 8 December 2011)
Please return to, or proceed with: Nachtfee survey page 3 (status: 21 December 2011)
Please return to, or proceed with for the survey pre-phase to: Nachtfee 3a (status 8/1/2012)
Please go back to, or proceed with: Nachtfee MLK Lab. Survey (status: 13 December 2011)
Please go back to, or proceed with: Nachtfee-Inbetriebnahme (status: 5 March 2012)
Please go back to, or proceed with: Nachtfee evaluation and conclusion page (status: 1 March 2012)
Please continue or proceed with: Nachtfee-FuG25a concideration page (status: 10 March 2012)
Please go back to, or proceed with: Handbooks papers and product information
