Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 (NJG 3) was a Luftwaffe night fighter-wing of World War II. NJG 3 was formed on 29 September 1941 in Stade from Stab./Zerstörergeschwader 26. Pilots of NJG 3 claimed approximately 820 aerial victories by day and night.
Commanding officers
Geschwaderkommodore
Gruppenkommandeur
I. Gruppe
- Hauptmann Günther Radusch, 7 October 1940 â 2 October 1941
- Hauptmann Hans-Dietrich Knoetzsch, 3 October 1941 â 30 September 1942
- Major Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-WeiÃÂenfeld, 1 October 1942 â 31 May 1943
- Hauptmann Erhard Peters, 1 June 1943 â 14 August 1943
- Hauptmann Walter Mylius, 15 August 1943 â 13 December 1943
- Hauptmann Paul Szameitat, 14 December 1943 â 2 January 1944
- Major Werner Husemann, 4 January 1944 â 8 May 1945
II. Gruppe
- Hauptmann Günther Radusch, 3 October 1941 â 1 August 1943
- Major Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, 15 August 1943 â November 1943
- Hauptmann Paul Szameitat, December 1943 â 14 December 1943
- Major Klaus Havenstein, 15 December 1943 â September 1944
- Hauptmann Hüschens, September 1944 â February 1945
III. Gruppe
- Oberstleutnant Heinz Nacke, 1 November 1941 â 21 April 1943
- Hauptmann Walter Mylius, 22 April 1943 â 14 August 1943
- Hauptmann Rudolf Sigmund, 15 August 1943 â 4 October 1943
- Major Walter Barthe, 15 October 1943 â 8 May 1945
IV. Gruppe
- Major Erich Simon, 1 November 1942 â 7 October 1943
- Hauptmann Albert Schulz, 8 October 1943 â January 1944
- Hauptmann Franz Buschmann, January 1944 â July 1944
- Hauptmann Heinz Ferger, July 1944 â November 1944
- Major Berthold Ney, November 1944 â 4 March 1945
- Hauptmann Freidrich Tober, 5 March 1945 â 8 May 1945
Surviving aircraft
Two aircraft that served with NJG 3 are displayed together at the Royal Air Force Museum London, one of the two sites of the Royal Air Force Museum. These are Messerschmitt Bf 110 G Werk Nr. 730301, which was surrendered to the British at the end of the war in 1945, and Junkers Ju 88 R-1, Werk Nr. 360043, which came into British hands in 1943. Both aircraft are almost unique - each is one of only two intact survivors of their type.
References
Bibliography