Rotte - 2, 3 or 4 aircraft?

[Recceswind]

Hello,

As far as I know, Rotte is a German name of a pair of aircraft. Some time ago I noticed such sentence told by former Luftwaffe pilot:
"Um 10 Uhr sollten zwei Rotten mit jeweils vier Maschinen starten."

How to understand it? Is it possible that "Rotte" was also used to name a formation of 4 aircraft (Schwarm)?

Thanks!

[Nick Beale]

I think the pilot's memory was at fault. Everywhere else I've seen, the terms seem to be used consistently:

Rotte = 2
Schwarm = 4

[Recceswind]

I think so too...

[udf_00]

...zwei rotten ... vier maschinen : 2x2=4 ?

[Recceswind]

Yes, but the sentence is: "zwei Rotten mit jeweils vier Maschinen" (two Rotten with four aircraft each).

[JohnnyB]

Hi Recceswind,

the tactical unit in the Luftwaffe was the Rotte with 2 aircraft. 2 Rotten (4 aircraft) formed the Schwarm and 3 up to 4 Schwärme the Staffel. According to the triple system 3 Staffeln are 1 Gruppe and 3-4 Gruppen the largest deployable, under a single management standing association: the Geschwader.

Cheers - Rainer

@edit

"zwei Rotten mit jeweils vier Maschinen starten"

2 Rotten, each with 4 aircraft, exactly that´s the meaning of this words, Recceswind

[Crimea River]

3 aircraft would have been a kette

[RolandF]

Is it a written sentence or a spoken one?
Certainly the pilot wanted to say initially:"Um zehn Uhr sollten zwei Rotten mit vier Maschinen starten". To state more precisely when speaking he chose to change it to "Um zehn Uhr sollten zwei Rotten mit jeweils zwei Maschinen starten."
And then he mixed it up...

Regards

Roland