Luftwaffe target codes
 

Does anyone know where I can get a list of the Luftwaffe's code numbers for individual targets (ie specific towns and/or specific industrial installations) in the UK. I am especially interested in North East England? I already have a list of the Luftwaffe's codes for generic targets (ie classes of target). Any help appreciated.

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Presume you have seen the codename list in Balke's KG 2 history Vol 1?

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Chris. Yes, I have Balke's list. I am now seeking a list of code numbers for specific targets. I have the numbers (stated on Luftwaffe documents in my possession) but without such a list, I can't interpret them - and best wishes for 2006. B

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Hi bill,
This might help.
bregds
SES

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Thanks SES, but I already had the list. I believe that the Luftwaffe assigned specific numbers to towns in UK and numbers also to particular targets within those towns. That is the list I am trying to find. Best wishes for 2006. BN

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Bill -I ought to get a reply in to this now, otherwise I never shall manage it what with the log chopping and general Christmas mayhem.

This is an interesting question on a minority topic. Some 1,300 5th Abt UK Targets are known, and for ease of reference, you can see them listed in the Black Dick Tracy Index volumes in NARA (3rd Floor, Cartographic -ask Jerry Luchansky or Ramon or whoever is there -Vol 1).

As you are aware, the Target Class is a two-digit code (eg 10 for airfields, 16 for misc defences, etc), and then there is a unique target number. Some target classes are far commoner than others (eg 10 is commoner than 25 -balloon storage depots, if memory serves). Now. if we look at the 10 targets, we have (eg) 10/1 Abbotsinch; 10/2 Aberdeen/Dyce; 10/4 Abridge (in Essex); 10/5 Acklington; 10/6 Aldergrove, 10/8 Anstey (airstrip in Herts?), 10/12 Bedford, 10/15 Benson; 10/17 Biggin Hill. Thus, it seems that airfields have been allocated on a strictly alphabetical basis. This is so most of the time. There are some number blocks in there: eg Orkneys and Shetlands begin with 9XX, Scotland with 8xx (usually). Eire is 5XX (again most of the time). Obviously there are are airfields begun during the war itself, for example 9th AF and 8th AF bases. These seem to have received numbers in the 400's, which suggests the 5 Abt stopped their initial recording after c 300 airfields, tho' they carried on adding.

Towns etc. The highest Target Class was 99, which was a catch-all: 'Minor towns' I think. There are really only about 40-50 Target Classes with large numbers of targets each. There is some clustering of digits which suggests they started with London/Lower Thames, but otherwise patterning is not by town, and not geographic.

If you want more contact me off board.

best wishes

Chris Going

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Chris. Glad you took the break from log chopping! I'll get in touch with NARA - their list could be just what I'm looking for. Thanks for that. Excellent.

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Dear Bill

I have come across a list of targets for Middlesborough. Will post them later this weekend.

Chris Going

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Later this weekend came faster than I expected...

The known Middlesborough targets comprise:

Cat 45/10 Harbour installations
Cat 50/39 Power station
Cat 52/10: Waterworks
Cat 61/1: Tar distillation works
Cat 61/3; Chemical works
Cat 61/10; Chemical works
Cat 70/1: Rolling mills
Cat 70/3: Blast furnaces and rolling mills
Cat 70/6; Blast furnaces and steelworks
Cat 70/36: Ironworks and steelworks
Cat 70/37: Steelworks
Cat 70/38; Blast furnaces
Cat 70/39; Blast furnaces
Cat 83/8; Shipyards
Cat 83/18; Shipyard

This is not likely to be definitive, but not a bad representative list.

I may have a xerox of one or two of these somewhere about the house...

Chris Going

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Later this weekend came faster than I expected...

The known Middlesborough targets comprise:

Cat 45/10 Harbour installations
Cat 50/39 Power station
Cat 52/10: Waterworks
Cat 61/1: Tar distillation works
Cat 61/3; Chemical works
Cat 61/10; Chemical works
Cat 70/1: Rolling mills
Cat 70/3: Blast furnaces and rolling mills
Cat 70/6; Blast furnaces and steelworks
Cat 70/36: Ironworks and steelworks
Cat 70/37: Steelworks
Cat 70/38; Blast furnaces
Cat 70/39; Blast furnaces
Cat 83/8; Shipyards
Cat 83/18; Shipyard

This is not likely to be definitive, but not a bad representative list.

I may have a xerox of one or two of these somewhere about the house...

Chris Going

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Chris,
Thanks for the list. Fortuitous - I live 6 miles from Middlesbrough! I assume that the prefix is generic and that the suffix corresponds to, say, a specific industrial installation that is also identified by its commercial name. If that is so, in the national scheme of things each suffix must be unique to a particular installation. Is that right? If that is correct, presumably there must have been a Luftwaffe list of specific installations, the names of which each corresponded to a unique suffix. I seem to be labouring this a bit but I hope that you get the drift. Does anyone know of such a Luftwaffe list? Bill

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Bill

You are quite right. The first two digit code is for the class, the second is the Unique target identifier. Not all targets have original target document sets surviving though -many can only be identified if they appear on annotated prints distributed with intel reports of one kind or another. Much of the Dick Tracy TM-3 class consists of these annotated prints. The giveaway that this is not an original target doc is the picture citation, which usually appears as (for example) Bild 2468 z 10, or Bild 2336 z 45, or some such. After later 1941/2 even original target documents started to carry this kind of descriptor whioch is a puzzle. Anyway to cut a long story short you should be able to identify all of the targets from surviving annotated prints of Middlesborough, but there is no list, to my knowledge.

Best

Chris G

Re: Luftwaffe target codes
 

Thanks, Chris. You're in the Acknowledgements already! (ww.billnorman.co.uk). Bill