The first combat ready aircraft,the Me 163B V14 (VD+EW),arrived at Zwischenahn in jan. 1944 and was flown by Rudolph opitz who simulated an operational mission at 24,000 feet.By 31 janurary 1944 the first Me 163 staffel with 12 Me 163's was subordinated to the command of Luftlotte reich.First it was part of JG-1 and recieved the designation of 20./JG 1.Only one month later the unit was renamed 1./JG400 commanded by Oberleutnant Robert Olejnik.
The first combat action occured on 13th May 1944 when major wolfgang spate tried to shoot down a P-47 over northern germany,spates rocket fighter went to fast ,broke the sound barrier and overshot his intended victim.
From 10 july 1944 the 2nd and 3rd staffeln both belonging to I./JG400 were sent to Brandis where a strong combat unit was established with radar support and enough C-stoff and T-stoff to carry out defensive missions.The first B-17 was shot down by Leutnant Harmut Ryll at the end of July 1944.On August 16th 1944 3 allied aircraft were shot down Lt. Hans Bolt and Feldwebel Schubert and feldwebel Strassnicky.Leutnant Ryll's fighter was hit by a P-51.
After another,unconfirmed,victory near Venlo by I./JG400 early in August 1944,the unit was transferred to Brandis on 6 september 1944.Two days later the Fuhrungsstab of the OKL declared that the me-163 was now fully operational and ordered the establishment of four new staffeln(4.,5.,6. and 7./JG400).These were equippped with Me-163B rocket fighters,thus forming a second Gruppe,II./JG400.
After Leutnant Schreiber had damaged an Allied bomber and forced it to drop out of formation,he shot down another on 11 September 1944-the seventh kill of 1./JG400.Two days later the 2./JG400 carried out 9 unsuccesful intercept missions.Early in October 1944,some 30 Me-163's were available at brandis,near Liepzig where one of the most important industril regions was situated.But Allied bomber missions by-passed the area so it was impossible to intercept them.
During that time Robert Olenjiks unit,the (replacement) Erganzungsstaffel of JG 400 was enlarged to a third Gruppe(III./JG400) of the sole rocket fighter gerschwader.It was ordered by the OKL to set up 2 more Staffeln,the units were transferred to Udetfeld.Pilot training was concentrated near Gelnhaussen where all available Me 163 A's,some Me 163 gliders and a few fully equipped me 163B-1 fighters were gathered.During the final stages of flight training the men were suppose to fly some 15 hours with the rocket fighter before moving on to the combat formations of JG 400.During that time the lack of fuel hindered the secong gruppe of JG 400 and only a limited number of intercept missions were attempted.
On 20 and 30 November 1944 heavy bombers of the 8th Army airforce headed to Brandis and industrial targets around this Luftwaffe base.During that time I./JG400 had 31 Me 163's with 9 ready for action.Parts of the unit were sent to Stargard near Settin to protect an important refinery.There were nine rocket fighters stationed there,of which four were operational.On 12 december 1944 the units based near Stettin were redesignated 5. and 6./JG400 and formed the nucleus of II./JG 400.At the end of 1944 major Wolfgang Spate returned from Russia and started to form the geschwaderstab of JG 400.Spate became the first geschwaderkommondore of the sole rocket fighter Gerscwader comprising 3 gruppen each planned to be a four Staffeln.
Due too the russian advance in janurary 1945 Udetfeld was evacuated and the III. Gruppe was moved to sprottau,then to Brandis where some 100 Me 163's were dispersed in the woods surrounding the fighter base.the II. Gruppe was far from any noteworthy activity in the air.Only a few interception missions were carried out from Zwischenahn and from Brandis.But in march 1945 the JG 400 pilots claimed 3- b-17's downed,but those kills were credited to 262 pilots.
After it became obvious that the Allied ground command forces would shortly reach Brandis it was evacuated.On 16 April 1945 the base was captured by the 60th Armoured Infantry battlion which found some 300 aircraft,mostly destroyed,standing in formerly well camoflaged boxes standing near by.
The production of the Me 163 was considered to be a total of some 360 of 454 projected aircraft,of which more than 433 were estimated to be ready for delivery before janurary 1945.Between may and september 1944 no more than 55 to 65 Me 163B's were manufactured by messerschmitt and under licence by Klemmworks at Boblingen.During the last month it proved impossible to deliver enough me 163's as ordered.Due to the lack of both engineer's and workers,the number of the Me 163's produced were small.By 27 September only 16 rocket fighters had been handed over too the Luftwaffe.By October 1944 some 61 aircraft were completed.In November only 22 were handed over.Due to the concentration of manpower and more specialists being engaged in me 163 production some 89 Me 163b's were produced.In Janurary 195 only 30 were completed with only 3 in feburary 1945 and only 4 were completed in march 1945.
This is somewhat a tally of 163 flight.there were not near as many 262 flights,any way this is a sample of what i have in my library,i hope it helps.
