Unteroffizier Vitus Monshausen - Nachtjagdgeschwader 6
The strategic bombing of Germany during World War II began with Royal Air Force in 1940 but was ultimately structured as British bombing by night and American bombing by day. The RAF and, especially the USAAF, suffered massive casualties through the early years but improvements in operations, technology, and fighter escorts shifted the momentum on the side of the Allies by 1944. Much of Germany was in ruins, along with damage to Germany’s industrial war making abilities, but the Luftwaffe still posed a significant threat to Allied airmen. Although casualty rates were down, they were still substantial. Many within Allied headquarters saw the continued losses among British and American airmen as an even greater reason to pursue the ground war, to beat Germany once and for all.
As part of the preparations for the upcoming invasion of France, the Allied High Command ordered that strategic operations over Germany’s cities and industrial targets be temporarily halted. It was decided that the might of the RAF and USAAF be redirected to bombing targets that could support the German defense of northwest Europe. In late March, however, one final raid was planned – a massive attack on a target in Germany before the upcoming switch in strategic priorities. It was decided the RAF would bomb Nuremburg, a target picked by Sir Arthur Harris (Bomber Harris) in his capacity as head of Bomber Command. The plan was an 820+ plane raid that would devastate the city, a symbolic place in the history of Nazism, and one that was of particular interest to Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The route chosen for the raid was direct, without the typical diversionary routes utilized for raids on German targets. The planes would cross the Belgian border into Germany and head to Nuremburg on a direct line, partially due to the great distance the city was from air bases in England, and also to fool the Germans into thinking the raid targeted smaller objectives in the vicinity of the attack route. The plan was further justified by reports of significant cloud cover on the way to the city that would shield the planes from flak and attacking German night fighters.
The planes left late on the night of March 30, 1944 with H-hour planned for shortly after 01:00 on the morning of the 31st. From almost the beginning, the attack was a disaster. The initial reports of cloud cover turned out to be incorrect and the planes were further illuminated in the night sky by the light of the moon. Furthermore, vapor trails unexpectedly formed behind the streams of bombers and the swarms of planes became almost perfect targets for the Luftwaffe. Planes were annihilated as they crossed the German border by flak and night fighters. Some fighters now equipped with up-pointing cannons caused exceptional damage.
As part of the preparations for the upcoming invasion of France, the Allied High Command ordered that strategic operations over Germany’s cities and industrial targets be temporarily halted. It was decided that the might of the RAF and USAAF be redirected to bombing targets that could support the German defense of northwest Europe. In late March, however, one final raid was planned – a massive attack on a target in Germany before the upcoming switch in strategic priorities. It was decided the RAF would bomb Nuremburg, a target picked by Sir Arthur Harris (Bomber Harris) in his capacity as head of Bomber Command. The plan was an 820+ plane raid that would devastate the city, a symbolic place in the history of Nazism, and one that was of particular interest to Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The route chosen for the raid was direct, without the typical diversionary routes utilized for raids on German targets. The planes would cross the Belgian border into Germany and head to Nuremburg on a direct line, partially due to the great distance the city was from air bases in England, and also to fool the Germans into thinking the raid targeted smaller objectives in the vicinity of the attack route. The plan was further justified by reports of significant cloud cover on the way to the city that would shield the planes from flak and attacking German night fighters.
The planes left late on the night of March 30, 1944 with H-hour planned for shortly after 01:00 on the morning of the 31st. From almost the beginning, the attack was a disaster. The initial reports of cloud cover turned out to be incorrect and the planes were further illuminated in the night sky by the light of the moon. Furthermore, vapor trails unexpectedly formed behind the streams of bombers and the swarms of planes became almost perfect targets for the Luftwaffe. Planes were annihilated as they crossed the German border by flak and night fighters. Some fighters now equipped with up-pointing cannons caused exceptional damage.
Among the various night fighting units to hit the RAF bomber stream was I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 6, stationed in Illesheim, just east of Nuremburg. Serving with the Gruppe, specifically with 2. Staffel, was Flugzeugführer (pilot) Leutnant Hans Zettel, Bordfunker (radioman) Unteroffizier Vitus Monshausen, and (probably) Bordschütz (air gunner) Gefreiter Erwin Tramp, a three man crew of a Messerschmitt Bf 110 night fighter (Zettel and Monshausen are pictured above). As the stream of bombers crossed into Germany, Zettel attacked, successfully shooting down a Halifax, likely from 640 Squadron. At 00:38, over or near the German town of Montabaur, the plane crashed killing its entire seven-man crew.
The losses suffered by Zettel’s victim were symbolic of the entire raid. Consistent attacks by the Luftwaffe, various navigation errors and unexpectedly strong winds and thick clouds over Nuremburg, made the raid ineffective at best. Few bombers reached the city to actually bomb their targets and the surviving bombers had to turn around and cover the route they had essentially just taken. The trip back over Germany and Belgium and to the English Channel resulted in even more casualties. The bombers flew for the safety of England in a swarm rather than the traditional screen as they scrambled to escape attack. The raid would go down in history as the worst disaster ever suffered by the RAF; its losses far surmounted British losses in the air during the entire Battle of Britain.
On April 7, 1944, Monshausen was decorated with the Iron Cross Second Class for his participation in combatting the Nuremburg raid; it is quite likely that his entire three-man crew was recognized for their bravery and success. His award was processed at the headquarters of 7. Jagddivision and signed by Generalmajor Joachim-Friedrich Huth, division commander.
Monshausen and his crew enjoyed more success roughly three weeks later when Zettel, once again, was credited with shooting down a British bomber. This time it was a Halifax of 578 Squadron. The attack occurred at approximately 01:38 on April 23rd in the vicinity of Düsseldorf. The bomber crashed in Dinslaken, roughly 20 miles north of Düsseldorf killing four of the seven man crew.
Two nights later, however, Zettel and his crew met their fate. Visibility was especially poor around Illesheim due to bad weather forcing a number of Bf 110s to crash. Among them was the crew of Zettel, Monshausen and Tramp. All three were killed when the plane flew into trees and overturned. Their days of combatting RAF raids over Europe were over.
As was customary at the time, a Heldentod document was produced, honoring the memory and services of the deceased. Monshausen was honored with an award dated April 27 following his death two nights earlier. It was signed by Hauptmann Karl Hadeball as Gruppen commander and, naturally, sent to his family.
As 1944 went on, the Luftwaffe suffered greater and greater losses to RAF and USAAF raids against tactical and strategic targets in and around Germany. The death of Monshausen and his crew is representative of the almost countless losses suffered by both sides during the air war. Sadly, the award documents shown on this page amount to a minimum of 14 men killed in the war between the RAF and Luftwaffe.
The losses suffered by Zettel’s victim were symbolic of the entire raid. Consistent attacks by the Luftwaffe, various navigation errors and unexpectedly strong winds and thick clouds over Nuremburg, made the raid ineffective at best. Few bombers reached the city to actually bomb their targets and the surviving bombers had to turn around and cover the route they had essentially just taken. The trip back over Germany and Belgium and to the English Channel resulted in even more casualties. The bombers flew for the safety of England in a swarm rather than the traditional screen as they scrambled to escape attack. The raid would go down in history as the worst disaster ever suffered by the RAF; its losses far surmounted British losses in the air during the entire Battle of Britain.
On April 7, 1944, Monshausen was decorated with the Iron Cross Second Class for his participation in combatting the Nuremburg raid; it is quite likely that his entire three-man crew was recognized for their bravery and success. His award was processed at the headquarters of 7. Jagddivision and signed by Generalmajor Joachim-Friedrich Huth, division commander.
Monshausen and his crew enjoyed more success roughly three weeks later when Zettel, once again, was credited with shooting down a British bomber. This time it was a Halifax of 578 Squadron. The attack occurred at approximately 01:38 on April 23rd in the vicinity of Düsseldorf. The bomber crashed in Dinslaken, roughly 20 miles north of Düsseldorf killing four of the seven man crew.
Two nights later, however, Zettel and his crew met their fate. Visibility was especially poor around Illesheim due to bad weather forcing a number of Bf 110s to crash. Among them was the crew of Zettel, Monshausen and Tramp. All three were killed when the plane flew into trees and overturned. Their days of combatting RAF raids over Europe were over.
As was customary at the time, a Heldentod document was produced, honoring the memory and services of the deceased. Monshausen was honored with an award dated April 27 following his death two nights earlier. It was signed by Hauptmann Karl Hadeball as Gruppen commander and, naturally, sent to his family.
As 1944 went on, the Luftwaffe suffered greater and greater losses to RAF and USAAF raids against tactical and strategic targets in and around Germany. The death of Monshausen and his crew is representative of the almost countless losses suffered by both sides during the air war. Sadly, the award documents shown on this page amount to a minimum of 14 men killed in the war between the RAF and Luftwaffe.
Sources:
The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 http://www.ww2.dk/
Lexicon der Wehrmacht http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/inhaltsverzeichnis1.htm
Chorley, W.R. RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Vol. 5: 1944 Manchester: Crecy Publishing, 1997
The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 http://www.ww2.dk/
Lexicon der Wehrmacht http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/inhaltsverzeichnis1.htm
Chorley, W.R. RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Vol. 5: 1944 Manchester: Crecy Publishing, 1997