Quote:
Originally Posted by sidney
I am aware that Oblt. Kraft Eberhardt did command the whole flight/squadron/staffel of six Heinkel 51´s (two Kettes) flown by Germans (Sonderstab W) during the late summer/early autumn 1936. In his book, Luftwaffe at War – Gathering Storm 1933 – 1939, page 51, E.R. Hooton referred to this Staffel-strong unit as Gruppe Eberhardt - have you ever come across this designation in any other book on the subject?
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So far the
Eberhardt Gruppe is unknown definition to me and I have not encountered it earlier. German sources (= Herwig Knüppel) refer the German Heinkel 51 unit led by Eberhardt as
Jagdstaffel Eberhardt and Eberhardt as
Staffelführer.
I do not know how official definition
Jagdstaffel Eberhardt actually was. Anyway after Eberhardt´s command Herwig Knüppel became the new
Staffelführer until the Legion Condor and
Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88) were formed in late November 1936 (the date of this reorganization is probably 18.11.1936). The "veterans" (first batch of German He 51 pilots in Spain) were organized into 4th Staffel of J/88 led by Herwig Knüppel.