Moonlight Hunter

Flight Journal, Jun 2003 by Trudgian, Nicolas

As the, air warraged over Berlin and other German cities, the Lurtwkffe's night-fighter units; such as NJG 100-the original Eastern Front night-lighter Geschwader-were redeployed closer to home in the final desperate defense of the Vaterland. By late 1944, the night-fighting aircraft were being flown by experienced crews vising sophisticated electronic equipment, and though they were fighting a losing battle, they had become the scourge of the KAFs night raiders.

Here, one ol the Luftwaffe's most successful night-fighter pilots, Maj. Paul Zorner, Gntppenkoinniandeur. of III./NJG 100 based at Stubendorf, uses his Junkers ju 88G-6 to intercept and badly damage an RAF Bomber Command taiicaster over Germany. Shedding debris and trailing flames, the crew just may have enough time to bail out before the bomber falls away in the black abyss.

With the aid of his FuG 220 radar and upward-tiring Schrage Musik armament, Zorner has stalked his prey and attacked from beneath-unseen. The Lancaster's crew didn't have a chance. After his attack, Zorner slipped away under the moonlight into the darkness to find another victim.

-Nicohis Trulgian.