THE LUFTWAFFE IN BELGIUM. VOLUME II - Escalating Combat and Withdrawal

In 1941–1942, setting aside Bomber Command's night operations, the air war ultimately had little impact on Belgium. 1943, the pivotal year of the Second World War, was nonetheless marked for that country by the growing incursions of the US 8th Air Force's heavy bombers, which until then had made little showing in Belgian airspace. From 6 April 1943, the civilian population discovered the lethal power of the 'Flying Fortresses' during the bloody bombing of Mortsel. On that occasion, the local weakness of the Tagjagd (day fighter force) became apparent. Despite regular calls on fighters based in the surrounding area and temporary transfers of portions of Jagdgeschwader, the German fighter arm (supported by the Flak) could only with great difficulty contain the USAAF's assaults.

During the first quarter of 1944, as American fighters now had the range to fly over Reich territory, the daytime defence of the Belgian defensive glacis collapsed, and aerial combat over Belgian skies more often than not turned into bloody reverses for a Tagjagd still present but numerically outmatched.

Despite its considerable successes and the reinforcement of its structures (such as the entry into service of Florennes airfield at the start of 1943), the Nachtjagd in turn came up against the law of numbers, and it was probably during the last quarter of 1943 that its aircraft began to lose the contest. Although fighting tooth and nail, the Nachtjäger could no longer mount a serious barrier against the fleets of British four-engined bombers heading to bomb the Reich.

The Luftwaffe's ordeal in Belgium continued in 1944 until the country's evacuation in September 1944. Aerial combat nonetheless continued sporadically in the east of the country, culminating in December 1944 with the launching of the 'Battle of the Bulge'. But, despite the efforts and sacrifices made, the Luftwaffe was no longer capable of achieving any decisive outcome (as was the case on 1 January 1945 during Operation 'Bodenplatte').

In 1945, pushed back eastward, German aircraft appeared over Belgium only very rarely, the last of them seemingly having been lost on 30 March at Saint-Géry.