[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by AndreasB

I am afraid I have to disagree with Larry here. Kampfgruppen never had standard KSTNs as far as I am aware, and I would like to see one if I am wrong. They were always ad-hoc, and based on whatever was available/needed. Furthermore, there were units with normal names that had special KSTNs (e.g. 90. leichte Afrika-Division, originally Division z.b.V. Afrika). On the other hand, my understanding, weak as it is, is that the transport units had a standard KSTN, even though they were called z.b.V.?

If you however look e.g. on WW2daybyday (Christoph Awender's site), you find a lot of z.b.V. in the KSTNs. For example in a Zugtrupp (platoon command section) there was a NCO (Uffz) z.b.V. That just means he was available as a floating resource to the platoon commander, but there was nothing special about him, other than that he did not have a permanent job allocated to him. So if e.g. a section commander became a casualty, the Uffz. z.b.V. could take over the section. Or if a special mission was necessary with some volunteers, the Uffz. z.b.V. could lead this.

All the best

Andreas

Hi Andreas,

Kampfgeschwader, Kampfgruppen and all their components had standarized KStNs. See below.

1161 (L) Stab eines Kampfgeschwaders (HQ and Staff of a Bomber Geschwader)
1 Oct 38: 6 officers, 2 officials and 8 enlisted
c 1943: 4 officers and 23 enlisted
1162 (L) Stab einer Kampfgruppe (HQ and Staff of a Bomber Gruppe)
1 Nov 38: 7 officers, 2 officials and 30 enlisted; 5 aircraft
c 1943: 7 officers, 5 officials and 213 enlisted; 4 aircraft
1162c (L) Stab einer Kampfgruppe (LT) (HQ and Staff of a Bomber Gruppe (Aerial Torpedo))
1163 (L) Kampfstaffel (Bomber Staffel)
1 Nov 38: 16 officers and 60 enlisted; 14 aircraft (incl. 2 transports)
c 1943: 14 officers and 117 enlisted; 12 aircraft
1163c (L) Kampfstaffel (LT) (Bomber Staffel (Aerial Torpedo))
1164 (L) Stabsstaffel eines Kampfgeschwaders (HQ Staffel of a Bomber Geschwader)
1 Oct 38: 17 officers and 102 enlisted; 15 aircraft
1171 (L) Stab eines Fernkampfgeschwaders (HQ and Staff of a Long-Range Bomber
Geschwader
1172 (L) Stab einer Fernkampfgruppe (HQ and Staff of a Long-Range Bomber Gruppe)
1173 (L) Fernkampfstaffel (Long-Range Bomber Staffel)
1174 (L) Stabskompanie einer Fernkampfgruppe (HQ Company of a Long-Range Bomber
Gruppe
1220 (L) Eisenbahn-Bekämpfungsstaffel (v) (Railway Attack Staffel (transferable))
1462 (L) Stab d. IV. Gruppe eines Kampfgeschwaders (HQ and Staff of a IV Gruppe of a
Bomber Geschwader)
1463 (L) Kampfstaffel d. IV. Gruppe eines Kampfgeschwaders (Bomber Staffel of the IV Gruppe
of a Bomber Geschwader)
1472 (L) Stab d. IV. Gruppe einer Fernkampfgruppe (HQ and Staff of the IV Gruppe of a
Long-Range Bomber Gruppe)
1473 (L) Fernkampfstaffel d. IV. Gruppe eines Fernkampfgeschwaders (Long-Range Bomber
Staffel of the IV Gruppe of a Long-Range Bomber Geschwader)
1474 (L) Stabskompanie d. IV. Gruppe eines Fernkampfgeschwaders (HQ Company of the IV
Gruppe of a Long-Range Bomber Geschwader)
3383 (L) Luftnachrichten-Kompanie (Mot) eines Kampfgeschwaders (Air Force Signals
Company (Motorized) of a Bomber Geschwader)
1 Oct 43: 6 officers and 324 enlisted; 80 motor vehicles


Larry