HISTORY

NEIL PAGE

WILDE SAU - STORIES

By the late summer of 1944 wilde Sau operations

out. Our Bf 109s had only a small speed advantage

and so the alarm was raised. However, the unknown

were a distant memory for the majority of pilots in

sergeant turned back because of an engine failure, over the Mosquito, and the enemy aircraft came in

JG 300. All night-fighter actvities in the Geschwader

leaving Ltn. Mitterdorfer to fly this mission alone. and flew out at top speed from the target area. So

had been concentrated in a ‘specialised’ Moskito- Over the course of his sortie he was vectored onto

we had to be at a higher altitude to have a chance of

-hunting Staffel designated 10. (N)/ JG 300. This was

knocking them down. We waited for them mostly at

two Mosquitoes, and after closing on one of the RAF

the so-called ‘Kometen’ or Comet Staffel, established

twins, pursued the enemy down to 4,000 metres be- about 10,000 meters (25,000 feet), often higher. It was

fore realising that it was spinning down out of con- a very difficult task..."

to combat the almost nightly incursions over Berlin

trol. After landing, Ltn. Mitterdorfer filed two claims

by DH Mosquito bombers of the RAF's LNSF (Light

Czypionka recalled being vectored onto a MosquiNight Striking Force.). Operating out of Jüterbog, (although contrary to what can be read elsewhere

the second Mosquito loss was not credited to Mi- to that was captured in the glare of as many as 30

south of Berlin, under Staffelkapitän Leutnant Karl

tterdorfer). He was immediately awarded the EKII

searchlights. He approached the speeding bomber

Mitterdorfer, 10. Staffel flew a 'modified' Wilde Sau

in the field for his exploit - shooting down the fast

from behind, and as he was lining up his shot, the

system— guided by two vertical searchlight beams

searchlights went out. Czypionka opened up noneand a ground controller, the unit’s high performan- Mosquito with a Me 109G-14/AS, an encounter where

ce G-14/AS fighters loitered at high altitude (10,000

theless but had no way of knowing if he ever hit the

circumstances really had to favor the fighter in order

meters) above the 'corridors' used by the Mosqui- to record any success.

aircraft. Not that Czypionka was unduly concerned

toes flying into Berlin. Karl Mitterdorfer was initially

- flying was most important to Czypionka, not coma flight instructor and did not join 10. / JG 300 until Jorg Czypionka was a flight instructor with FFS A/B

bat - his mother had told him not to kill anybody. As it

August 1944. He quickly made a name for himself

was he found it challenging and risky enough simply

115 in Austria, prior to being posted to 10./JG 300;

with a spirited sortie on the night of 13/14 September "..[We flew ] a modification of the earlier Wilde Sau

flying at night—alone in the cockpit with the roar of a

system—single seat Messerschmitt 109s without ra- 2,000 horsepower engine, the sky at 30,000 feet, cold,

1944, his first 'sharp' sortie.

dar, using ground-based navigation and communi- huge and pitch-black.

Just two pilots, Mitterdorfer and an unknown

cation. The Mosquitoes came in very loosely and very Czypionka described an added problem – engine reFeldwebel, were assigned to cockpit readiness that

liability. With the throttle at full power for too long, it

fast. They flew in singly and were thus widely spread

night. Mosquitoes were reported approaching Berlin

Bf 109G-14/AS, Lt. Karl Mitterdorfer, CO of 10./JG 300,

Jüterbog, Germany, September 1944

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INFO Eduard - July 2021