Luftwaffe Staffel colors/letters – an attempt to reorganize
 

Hi all,

I’ve worked to order/organize the system of Luftwaffe’s Staffel colors/letters and this is the result.
No problems with the tables 1, 2 and 4; some doubts regarding the Geschwader with 4 Gruppen and 4 Staffeln each, so I suggest two options. Let me know, please, your opinion and feel free to modify and amend.

HTH

Giampiero

Re: Luftwaffe Staffel colors/letters – an attempt to reorganize
 

In your left-hand tables, 4. & 8. Staffeln have mysteriously disappeared...

Also, it doesn't hold true for some Battle of Britain Bf 110 units, who retained their old (previous unit) fourth character Staffel letter. Examples: V.(Z)/LG 1 (H, K & L), II./ZG 2 (H, K & L), and III./ZG 76 (M, N & P).

Re: Luftwaffe Staffel colors/letters – an attempt to reorganize
 

Sorry,
the first table has an error; the following is correct

Giampiero

Re: Luftwaffe Staffel colors/letters – an attempt to reorganize
 

Thanks John,

4 eyes are better than 2 !

My tables are general, I'm interested to know if the color/letter combinations era correct or not, without regard to single units.

Giampiero

Re: Luftwaffe Staffel colors/letters – an attempt to reorganize
 

There was also a change at some point in 1940 for 2., 5. & 8. Staffeln from red to black. I cannot say this applied to all units, but 2./Erpr. Gr. 210 definitely had black third character letters, as evidence by the well-known S9+CK, shot down on 15th August 1940.

Unfortunately, it is well nigh impossible taking a broad brush approach to matters Luftwaffe...

Re: Luftwaffe Staffel colors/letters – an attempt to reorganize
 

Even if we consider only the formal nominal coding, there are a few errors in your tables:

1. The Staffelletter of the IV. Gruppe was F, not E. According Rosch E was never used.
2. The Staffelletter was always the same for a certain Staffel-number, irrespective of the 3 or 4-Staffel Gruppe-size. So e.g. Z was always 15. Staffel, not 12. as in your table
3. In the 3 Staffel/Gruppe units the Staffelcolours were white-red-yellow, in 4 Staffel/Gruppe white-red-yellow-blue. Indeed red rather quickly changed to black after outbreak of war, although first on fighters.
4. After 9 comes 10-11-12 with letters U-V-W

As already mentioned there were exceptions, but then mostly units retaining their old coding scheme after obtaining a different Gruppe-name. But even then the codes were always unique and used consistently.

Reagrds, Pieter

Re: Luftwaffe Staffel colors/letters – an attempt to reorganize
 

Hi Pieter,
thanks for your answer, but...

1 - I have the maximum respect for Mr.Rosch and his work, but I think that in 2010 it appears slightly old. If the letter E was never used, how we can explain e.g. Ju88C-6 'C9+AE' and 'C9+DE' from Stab IV/NJG 5 ?

2 - 3 - 4 - You are probably right

Best Regards

Giampiero

Re: Luftwaffe Staffel colors/letters – an attempt to reorganize
 

Rosch's book is dated now, but at the time of publication it was based on the best info available. His book is at least 10 years old now, but the information that's come out since then is mind-boggling, especially if you are a geezer like me who spent the 70s-80s trying to make sense of this stuff with just the books from Karl Ries, Werner Held and the little-bitty bits and pieces from other sources.