Luftwaffe Night Fighters
ICM 72209

No of parts: 44+135+155

Luftwaffe night fighters

At the beginning of the second world war, german military leadership did not prioritize specialized air-defense fighter aircraft. they believed anti-aircraft artillery would serve as the primary defense against aerial attacks on the reich. however, large-scale nighttime raids by british aviation revealed that heavy anti-aircraft guns could not effectively protect ground targets. this necessitated specialized night-fighter units and a distinct tactical approach.

Since no aircraft were specifically designed for night combat at the time, the luftwaffe initially used standard combat aircraft painted in dark colors—such as the bf 109e-4 operated by nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (the 1st night fighter wing). for long-range interception of british bombers over british territory, they employed a specially converted do 17 bomber designated the do 17z-10 kauz ii. the aircraft featured an infrared searchlight to help locate enemy aircraft in the night sky.

There are also documented cases of fw 189 a-1 aircraft being used as night fighters after special modifications, including the installation of fug 212 radar and an additional mg 151 cannon mounted for forward and upward firing.