From http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/fo...ummer-of-1918/
It seems that the Allieds had one or more night fighter units in the summer of 1918. There was also a German counterpart, in the form of the Masosta or Sonderstaffel A operating from the Vlissegem and Stalhille aerodromes.Home Defence had rather a mixed selection. So any of the below could have ended up going against Gothas and Zeppelin Stackens.There is quite a lot of material left in the record about British night fighter units - in the last six months of the war it was the subject of a lot of theoretical and practical investigation, much of which survives. It was seen as a definite element of war-making potential.
The night-fighter units in France were 151 and 152 Sqn, flying night fighter Camels. These moved the cockpit aft and (usually) had twin Lewis guns on Foster mounts on the top plane above - in order to minimise glare problems from firing etc. These units seem to have been used as test beds, as much as anything else, but were definitely quite active - 151 Sqn from about June 1918 and 152 from late October. Some night fighter Camels from 151 Sqn were attached to the night bombing FE2b units (eg to 101 Sqn for a week or so in late June at Famechon).
Whilst these units did achieve a number of aerial victories at night, one of their primary tasks was to mount standing patrols above enemy airfields to prevent the German bombers and others from taking off. Regarding typical aerial victories 151 Sqn claimed about 26 of the enemy - 24 of which were bombers, including two "Giants." Notably they suffered no fatalities due to enemy action.
I've not been able to find much on the German side, apart from firsthand accounts of "Halberstadts", presumably CL.IIs, as an account of a crash mentioned two crew.RAF night fighter units in the last 6 months of the war included:
37 sqn BE 12 and BE 12a
38 sqn FE 2b
39 sqn Bristol Fighter
44 sqn (already mentioned) Sopwith F1 Camel (including 'Comic cuts version)
50 sqn SE 5a
51 sqn FE2d
61 sqn SE 5a
75 sqn Avro 504 K Night Fighter version
76 sqn BE 12b
78 sqn Sopwith Camel F1
112 sqn Sopwith Camel F1
141 sqn Bristol Fighter
143 sqn SE5a
The French were apparently the first to put dual lewis guns over the top wing on Nieuport 11s, 17s etc and use them as nightfighters. There are many photos of French naval Nieuports used for defence of Dunkerque, Calais etc against the incessant and rather successful German night bomber attacks.
http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escad..._Dunkerque.htmHe delivers his experience on the nocturnal hunting, then completely experimental at the time, to the newspaper " La guerre aérienne illustrée ": "
Really, you can distinguish an enemy machine in the middle of the night?
By moonlight, certainly! You are also guided by the green flames of the engine exhaust. The bows which come to bombard us are all the better, as they send only two-engined or tri-engine engines.
And how do you avoid the risks of attacking each other?
They are patrolled in separate stages of at least 300 meters and 500 meters at most. On each floor there is, moreover, only a hunting apparatus. What is most delicate is not to attack the big British cuckoos that return to bombard the Belgian cities. We use signals of recognition that allow us to recognize ourselves as best we can.
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