A History of Nachtschlachtgruppe 7 in World War II For the first time, the history of one of the most significant and longest-lasting Luftwaffe combat units is presented. Operating against Tito and his partisans in Yugoslavia, Nachtschlachtgruppe 7, and its predecessor units Storkampfstaffel Kroatien and Sudost, fought an extraordinary war?one that was different from any other Nachtschlachtgruppe in existence on either the eastern or western fronts. The history of Nachtschlachtgruppe 7 is unbreakably cross-linked with its "sister" unit Nahaufklarungsstaffel Kroatien, who eventually became its 2.Staffel in Autumn 1943. Despite their obsolete equipment?flying the Hs 126, Do 17 and He 46?they fought courageously against Tito's forces until the end of the war. AUTHOR: Lovro Persen, age 43, is a Croatian who lives and works in Lyon, France. As a child he started aircraft modelling with his father. This led to research on aviation history with a special interest in the Croatian territory from its very beginning to 1945. He is very interested in the stories about forgotten aviators and units, and is a passionate collector of aviation related photos, badges and memorabilia. He has published several aviation history related articles around the world and is a member of the Initiative for the Preservation of Croatian Aviation Heritage. He lives with his wife Monica, and has a daughter, Dora. 163 photographs
