(42-3316) and Roundtrip Ticket (42-30285) and all three went down west of Sylt. Allied records attributed the loss of 42-30257 to a flak hit and other sources credit the bomber to underwing rockets of Erprobungskommando 25 attached to I./JG 1 at the time. III./JG 11 claimed two more bombers over Hanover, while a refueled II./JG 1 and Jasta Helgoland claimed three more on the bomber's return journey. The following day the Eighth Air Force targeted Kiel's U-Boat yards and the Heinkel factory in Warnemünde. Elements of JG 11 with JG 1 used Werfer-Granate 21 (Wfr. Gr. or WGr prefix, also known as the Bordrakete 21/BR 21 in official Luftwaffe manuals) underwing rockets for the first time. The American bomber crews dubbed these "flaming baseballs". While being wildly inaccurate these rockets, containing of explosive, could be launched from well outside the range of the bomber's defensive fire and were intended to break up the bomber formations. The launchers did however seriously reduce the performance of the fighters, making them easy prey to any Allied fighter escort. II. and III./JG 11 engaged the bombers on their return route near Heligoland, JG 11 claiming eight B-17s destroyed (III./JG 11 was credited with three aircraft). One III./JG 11 pilot was injured. On the last day of Blitz Week (30 July) VIII Bomber Command targeted the Fieseler Works in Kassel. III./JG 11 and III./JG 1 were not scrambled until after the bombers crossed into Germany over Eifel. By the time they were in the air the bombers were near Emmerich am Rhein before they were intercepted. The Bf 109s were surprised by some 100 P-47 Thunderbolts escorts, newly equipped with drop tanks. III./JG 11 shot down two bombers but in the first major fighter combat of the Defense of the Reich lost four aircraft, with one pilot wounded and one dead. At the end of Blitz Week JG 11 had claimed some 49 bombers for six pilots injured and one killed. August – December 1943 VIII Bomber command only had one mission in September 1943 bombing Emden on 27 September. It saw the introduction of H2X radar on four of the bombers and the introduction of larger 108 U.S. gallon single-use, paper-mache drop tanks on the P-47. II./JG 11 intercepted the bombers from the south and Knoke's 5./JG 11 made a pass firing BR 21 under-wing rockets, shooting down two bombers. Despite the escort II./JG