Friedrich-Karl "Nasen" Müller

Friedrich-Karl Müller — "Nasen-Müller" — (4 December 1911 – 2 November 1987) was a Luftwaffe night fighter ace during World War II.[Note 1] He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Friedrich-Karl Müller
Nickname(s)	Die Nase
Born	4 December 1911 Sulzbach, Germany
Died	2 November 1987 (aged 75) Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1934–45
Rank	Major
Unit	KGz.b. V 172, KG 50, NJ Kdo, JG Hermann, JG 300, NJGr 10, NJG 11
Commands held	I./NJG 11
Battles/wars	World War II Western Front
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Early career

He first received flying training in 1934 and joined the German airline Deutsche Lufthansa.[1] At the beginning of World War ΙΙ, Müller was posted to Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 172 (KGr.z.b.V. 172—Fighting Group for Special Use) as a transport pilot flying the Junkers Ju 52. He was promoted to Feldwebel and assigned to 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of KG z.b.V. 172. After participating in the Invasion of Poland, in February 1940, Müller became an instructor at Blindflugschule 4 and promoted to Leutnant. He served with Blindflugschule 7 from September until December 1942, when he moved to I. Gruppe (1st group) of Kampfgeschwader 50 (KG 50—50th Bomber Wing) as Technical Officer, the unit being equipped with the new Heinkel He 177 heavy bomber.[2]

Night fighting

A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown.

Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, bombing missions by the Royal Air Force (RAF) shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.[3] By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector, named a Himmelbett (canopy bed), would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.[4]

In summer 1943, Müller joined Hajo Herrmann as part of the latter's experimental Wilde Sau single-engine night fighting unit Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann. Herrmann considered Müller an ideal candidate for the role because of his blind flying instructing experience.[2]

On the night of 3/4 July, Müller recorded his first Wilde Sau victory, a Halifax near Cologne. On the night of 22 October, Müller's fighter suffered engine failure, and he was slightly injured after baling out. In mid August Müller was appointed Technical Officer of Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing).

He claimed two victories on 11 August 1943, both Halifax bombers near Heidelberg. Two Lancasters was claimed near Swinemünde on 17 August 1943 and two Stirlings were claimed downed over Berlin on 24 August 1943. Müller then claimed a Lancaster SE of Munich on 7 September 1943. On the night of 8/9 October 1943 Müller claimed a Halifax northwest of Hannover. This was probably Halifax V LK900 "ZL-D" of No. 427 Squadron RCAF (piloted by Sgt FJ Kelly, the crew were all killed.)

By November 1943, Müller was Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 300 and had 19 night victories to his credit. In January 1944, Müller was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of 1./Nachtjagdgruppe 10 (NJGr 10) and was charged with evaluating all aspects of technical and tactical experimentation concerning single-engined night fighting, especially countering operations by the RAF's Mosquito fast bomber. Hauptmann Müller was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 27 July 1944 for 23 victories.

He then became commander of I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 11 (NJG 11) on 25 August 1944. Müller continued to fly against the RAF night bomber streams, allegedly sometimes flying a personal Bf 109G-14 uniquely fitted with an oblique-mounted MG 151/20 cannon in a Schräge Musik installation behind the cockpit, although has yet to be verified. Müller claimed a Mosquito near Eindhoven on 23 August 1944 and a Lancaster over Frankfurt on 12 September 1944. The Mosquito was Mark B-XX, KB242 of No. 608 Squadron RAF, based at Downham Market. Flown by Flt Lt SD Webb RCAF and navigator F/O John Campbell RAFVR, the badly damaged Mosquito crash landed at RAF Woodbridge at 01:10 hours. The crew escaped unhurt.[5] A double victory was claimed over Lancasters on 4 December 1944.

By late 1944 and into 1945, Müller flew numerous nocturnal ground attack missions against Allied railway targets and supply columns. His last known victories were both on 21 February 1945.Towards the end of the war, I./NJG 11 received a few Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters to experiment with in night interceptions. Müller died on 2 November 1987. Müller was one of the leading single-seat night fighter aces with 30 night victories (and three unconfirmed) claimed in 52 missions.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Müller was credited with 30 nocturnal aerial victories claimed in Wilde Sau night fighter operations. He flew 52 combat missions.[6] Foreman, Matthews and Parry, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, list 30 nocturnal victory claims.[7] Matthews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, also listing Müller with 30 claims, including one Mosquito.[8]

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Serial No./Squadron No.
– Versuchskommando Herrmann –
1	4 July 1943	01:28	Halifax[9]	near Cologne
– I./Versuchskommando Herrmann –
2	11 August 1943	00:44	Halifax[10]	35 km (22 mi) north-northeast Biblis
3	11 August 1943	00:45	Halifax[10]	area north Heidelberg
– Stab/Jagdgeschwader Herrmann –
4	18 August 1943	01:45	Lancaster[11]	Swinemünde
5	18 August 1943	01:58	Lancaster[12]	10 km (6.2 mi) northwest Swinemünde
– Stab/Jagdgeschwader 300 –
6	24 August 1943	00:15	Halifax[13]	Gassen near Genheim
7	24 August 1943	00:58	Stirling[14]	Berlin
8	24 August 1943	01:15	Stirling[14]	Berlin
9	28 August 1943	02:12	Lancaster[15]	10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) west Nuremberg
10	6 September 1943	00:07	Halifax[16]	near Mannheim
11	6 September 1943	00:37	Stirling[17]	10 km (6.2 mi) north Speyer
12	7 September 1943	00:37	Lancaster[18]	15 km (9.3 mi) southeast Munich
13	7 September 1943	00:48	Lancaster[18]	Munich
14	27 September 1943	23:09	Lancaster[19]	Hildesheim
15	2 October 1943	23:34	Halifax[20]	mid-Munich
16	3 October 1943	22:41	four-engined bomber[21]	10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) southeast Kassel
17	4 October 1943	21:35	Halifax[21]	Hülst
18	9 October 1943	01:29	Halifax[22]	northwest Hanover
19	18 October 1943	20:24	Lancaster[23]	near Hildesheim	LM326/No. 207 Squadron[24]
– 1/Nachtjagdgruppe 10 –
20	20 February 1944	04:14	Lancaster[25]	Leipzig
21	23 May 1944	00:54	Halifax[26]	10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) north Dortmund
22	23 May 1944	01:16	Lancaster[26]	north Bonn
23	25 May 1944	01:06	four-engined bomber[27]	Roermond
24	23 August 1944	23:25	Mosquito[28]	Eindhoven	KB242/No. 608 Squadron[5]
– I/Nachtjagdgeschwader 11 –
25	12 September 1944	23:06	Lancaster[29]	northwest Frankfurt am Main
26	4 December 1944	19:35	Lancaster[30]	Wörth-Lautersbach
27	4 December 1944	19:43	Lancaster[30]	southwest Karlsruhe
28	14 January 1945	—	Lancaster[31]
29	21 February 1945	—	four-engined bomber[32]
30	21 February 1945	—	four-engined bomber[32]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 13 December 1943 as Hauptmann and pilot[33][Note 2]
• German Cross in Gold on 25 November 1943 as Hauptmann in the Stab/Jagdgeschwader 300[34]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 1./Nachtjagdgruppe 10[35][36]

Notes

1. For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces
2. According to Obermaier on 26 November 1943.[6]

References

Citations

1. Weal 1996, p. 39.
2. Matthews & Foreman2015, p. 877.
3. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 9.
4. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 27.
5. Bowman 2016, p. 116.
6. Obermaier 1989, p. 171.
7. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, pp. 92–235.
8. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 877–878.
9. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 92.
10. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 101.
11. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 103.
12. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 104.
13. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 105.
14. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 106.
15. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 108.
16. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 110.
17. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 111.
18. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 112.
19. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 117.
20. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 118.
21. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 119.
22. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 120.
23. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 123.
24. Bowman 2014, p. 73.
25. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 150.
26. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 178.
27. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 179.
28. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 210.
29. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 216.
30. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 225.
31. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 230.
32. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 235.
33. Patzwall 2008, p. 149.
34. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 318.
35. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 317.
36. Scherzer 2007, p. 555.

Bibliography

• Bowman, Martin (2014). Last of the Lancasters. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-78383-174-6.
• Bowman, Martin (2016). German Night Fighters Versus Bomber Command 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-47384-979-2.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Foreman, John; Parry, Simon; Matthews, Johannes (2004). Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939–1945. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-0-9538061-4-0.
• Matthews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 3 M–R. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-20-2.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Weal, John (1996). Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Western Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-595-1.