Question on Staffelwappen 1./Kü.Fl.Gr 106

[Tim O.]

Hi Merlin

That makes sense but Ketley assigns this Staffelwappen to 1./206 from 1937-38 without the black shield background and then from 1939-40 with the black shield background. I think this is probably incorrect.

Adam Thompson has some very nice images in his book Seeflieger, showing a Heinkel He 115 bearing this Staffelwappen (with the black shield) and M2 codes but here he assigns that aircraft to 1./206 and mentions that this unit was re-designated as 1./106 on 1st September 1942. I guess this may be an erroneous caption on checking further, as in Küstenflieger Thompson shows the same images (of M2+GH) in the section on 106 and in the section on 206 confirms this unit was re-designated 106 in June 1937 and 206 ceased to exist. Apologies for my original reference to the book 'Küstenflieger', which should have been to the book 'Seeflieger'.

There is a well-known photo of an He 115 bearing codes M2+AH (which is the right coding for 1./106) dated to 1941 and this aircraft carries a skull and crossbones on a black shield, which Ketley shows as belonging to 3./106. Soldago illustrates this He 115 in his two volume booklets on the He 115 and assigns it to 1./106. Soldaga also shows an image of M2+GH with the cup and dice on a black shield and also assigns this to 1./106. A number of references seem to have seen the confusing aircraft M2+AH with the skull and crossbones and taken this to be the Staffelwappen of 1./106 - it is all rather confusing.

I know there were a lot of re-designations of units during the war and aircraft swapped units too and ended up carrying the wrong markings so it can be very difficult to untangle these but I think it is certain 1./106 used the cup and dice Staffelwappen in 1938-39 and suggest that any aircraft bearing M2+?H codes and this Staffelwappen belongs to 1./106.

Does this make sense or are there additional complexities that mean this badge was carried by aircraft of other units?

Thanks for helping to untangle this!

[Seaplanes]

The Shield with black background and the text K.A.St. 1/106 is prior to 25. October 1939 when this Staffel changed its designation from Küsten- Aufklärungsstaffel 1./106 to Küsten-Fliegerstaffel 1./106, normally abbreviated to Kü.Fl.St. 1./106.

[Tim O.]

Thanks Seaplanes