On 1 October 1942, 3./NJG 1 was redesignated 1./NJG 5. In March and April 1943, GeneralJosef Kammhuber ordered IV./NJG 5 to Rennes, France to protect the German U-boat bases. The group was relocated to the Eastern Front again and redesignated as I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 100 (I./NJG 100).
By early 1943 the Soviet Air Forces were increasing difficulties for the invading German forces. At night harassment sorties were flown with elderly biplanes. ThePolikarpov Po-2, known to the Germans as theNähmaschine (sewing machine), did little damage in night raids but had an immense nuisance value. The aircraft with their slow cruising speed made interception extremely difficult.
To counter these attacks IV./NJG 5 underHeinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was moved to the Eastern Front in February 1943. The unit moved to Bryansk and Orel in June 1943 forOperation Citadel and later operated underLuftflotte 6 in the Smolensk-Bryansk area and underLuftflotte 4 in the Poltava-Stalino area.
OberleutnantWalter Borchers was madeGruppenkommandeur of III./NJG 5 on 22 April 1943, leading theGruppe until March 1944. On the night of 27/28 April,Wilhelm Johnen in aMesserschmitt Bf 110 G-4 performed an emergency landing at the Swiss airfield atZürich-Dubendorf. Johnen and his crew were interned, and the Luftwaffe employed extensive political manoeuvring to ensure the Bf 110, equipped with the still secretSN-2 radar, was kept from close Allied examination and returned intact.
At the end of July 1944 I./NJG 5 was withdrawn toStendal for re-equipment with the newJu 88G-6 night fighter. Then deployed to Jesau nearKönigsberg in East Prussia, present day Yushny,Bagrationovsky District, night operations against Soviet bombers followed for the remainder of 1944. Following the opening of the Soviet offensive on 12 January 1945, I./NJG 5 operated in the ground attack role on the eastern front. By 25 January 1945 I./NJG 5 was again operating from bases in Germany, relocating toParchim andErfurt.
Borchers was shot down and killed on the night of 5 March 1945 by W/C Walter Gibb and F/O Kendall in aMosquito night fighter ofNo. 239 Squadron. Flying Junkers Ju 88 G-6 "C9+GA" (Werknummer 622 319—factory number) his air gunner parachuted to safety while his radio operator was also killed. he was replaced by MajorRudolf Schoenert. By the war's end the bulk of NJG 5 were based at Lübeck-Blankensee.
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