Code Letters for St.G 76

[Doolittle81]

I have seen one reference source indicating that the code for St.G 76 was 5M. Can anyone confirm this and/or provide a source?

[Peter D Evans]

Aircraft belonging to St.G.76 were coded F1+?? The code 5M+?? belonged to either Wekusta 26 (later 6(F)./122), Wetterkette Nord or an unknown unit...

Source: "Luftwaffe Codes, Markings and Units 1939-45" by B.Rosch [Shiffer, 1995]

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[Doolittle81]

Thanks very much!!

[Peter Cornwell]

With respect to Peter Evans the unit codes for I./StG76 were actually S1. F1 was carried by the Do17s of KG76.

[Doolittle81]

Originally Posted by Peter Cornwell

With respect to Peter Evans the unit codes for I./StG76 were actually S1. F1 was carried by the Do17s of KG76.

It gets confusing. I have found many references to F1 being the code for St.G 77...and also to the same code used for Stt.G 76. For example http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&r...hen+5M&spell=1 However, I still can't find a reference for 5m being used by St.G76.

So, now I'm leaning towards St.G 76 being F1 until it was redesignated St.G 3 and moved to Bulgaria/Greece using Code S1, then changing to S7 when moved to North Africa/Libya

[Pieter H]

Gents,

an interesting puzzle, let me give it a shot.
To start, I think there is a lot of confusion, misquoting and wrongly copying in all this.

A few facts (I think):

• There are pictures of Stukas in the French campaign carrying the S1 code and the I./StG76 emblem (I have at leadt two of them)
• F1 was during the entire French campaign the code of Do17Z's of KG76
• III./StG77 carried the F1 code + II. Gruppe letters after July 1940
• There were apparently losses of Stukas coded F1 + II.Gruppe letters during the French campaign (see Rosch)

Furthermore Rosch Luftwaffe Codings and Markings gives the codes of I./StG3 (formed 7-1940) as formally S7 but with a lot of S1 used too.

My interpretation is therefore the following:

1. I.StG76 used S1 as mentioned by Peter Cornwell and confirmed by losses and pictures. It used the standard I.Gruppe Staffel letters B,H,K,L.
2. This group was renamed into I./StG3 in July 1940, where the old aircraft continued to use their S1 code until written off. There are further sources confirming that Hptm Sigel of I./StG76 took his crews and took command of I./StG3. All/most new aircraft got the regular S7 code. All S1+ losses mentioned in Rosch carry indeed only I.Gruppe Staffel letters, consistent with point 1. above
3. The F1 code belonged to KG76 during the French campaign. However, halfway the campaign the II. Gruppe was withdrawn and started to convert from Do17Z to another type, probably the Ju87. This is confirmed by the Ju87 Osprey book of John Weal, although he erroneously talks about the I. Gruppe. All Stuka losses in Rosch only use II. Gruppe codings (C,M,N,P). This withdrawal of the II. Gruppe is also made plausible by the loss list in Rosch, which shows a clear gap of II. Gruppe losses during the time it used Do-17Z. [Rosch, by the way, makes his story very complicated by trying to explain how at the same time I./StG76 and II./KG76 were using the F1 code. I think for once Rosch is wrong here.]
4. What is not clear to me is whether this reformed II.(St)/KG76 has operated its Stukas before July 1940 as suggested by the losses in Rosch of Stukas coded F1. This would imply an unusually fast conversion of the crews from heavy bombers to dive bombers. I can only explain such a scenario if fresh crews that had been training on the Stuka took the II.(St)/KG76 unit code while the II./KG76 crew started conversion to probably the Ju88.
5. By July 1940 the II.(St)/KG76 unit became III./StG77, taking the F1 code with them, still only using the Staffelletters C,M,N,P of the original II. Gruppe.
6. The use of 5M by Stukas is not confirmed by any source I have, so I would simpy discard that as an error.

Well, so far my theory.
Hope others can confirm or correct.

Pieter

[Peter D Evans]

So the source I quoted is wrong then Peter? As I'm not by my books, perhaps somebody could double check it for me? Again, without my books I'm unsure as to how correct this link is either...

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[ChrisS]

Hello Peter E & Peter C

I have a photo of an St.G 76 Ju 87 carrying the 5M code. Perhaps 5M was given to Wekusta 26 when St.G 76 was swallowed by St.G 3?

Cheers

Chris

[Doolittle81]

Originally Posted by ChrisS

Hello Peter E & Peter C

I have a photo of an St.G 76 Ju 87 carrying the 5M code. Perhaps 5M was given to Wekusta 26 when St.G 76 was swallowed by St.G 3?

Cheers

Chris

Could you possibly post a link to that photo or EMail it to me? As I mentioned in my earlier post this date, it could be very useful in a project I am working on.

[Peter Cornwell]

Peter,

The S1 unit code on Ju87s of I./StG76 during May - June 1940 is well documented in photographs and was perpetuated on their redesignation as I./StG3 in August 1940.