[AndreasB]

Note however that this seems to not always have been applied religiously.

On 25/11/41 C.in.C. GAF General Staff Sept. 6(III) sent the following document to Fliegerkorps X:-
“Re. units re-equipping. Units re-equipping are provided with new a/c by the General Staff, Dept.6, according to their normal establishment (Plansoll) or to any special establishment ordered. In repeated cases, the Geschwader, Fliegerkorps, etc., engaged in operations have fallen back on the a/c stocks of the Gruppen in process of re-equipping, and have allocated a/c, partly with and partly without crews, to the Gruppen engaged in operations. Since this procedure does not allow of proper checks to be kept on particular a/c and on operational readiness, such practices must be discontinued. In specially urgent exceptional cases, additions to the strength from Gruppen engaged in re-equipping are to be applied for to the GAF Operational Staff. The Chief of the General Staff reserves to himself the right of decision on such inroads.

All the best

Andreas