Staffelkapitan vs Staffelfuhrer?

[John Vasco]

From interviewing several of them over the years the following was a rough guide that I was given. Staffelkapitän was an actual appointment carrying with it the responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Staffel. A Staffelführer normally led the Staffel in the air.
Moving it up a level, when Erprobungsgruppe 210 lost Oblt Weymann on 5th October 1940, Wolfgang Schenck led the Gruppe on missions and was therefore the Gruppenführer. When Karl-Heinz Lessmann was posted in as Gruppenkommandeur on 1st November 1940, he took over all the normal work of a Gruppenkommandeur, but flew as No. 2 to Schenck on missions, as he had no experience of using the Bf 110 as a fighter-bomber. So, from 1st November 1940, Lessmann was the Gruppenkommandeur, while Schenck was the Gruppenführer.

Hope this helps.

[Rob Romero]

Thank you John,

Rob