Pre-war training unit codes

[Doug Stankey]

From photos and various book references I have collected a number of pre-war school unit codes. It appears that the first three digits are associated with the unit, although more than one combination can apply to a gived school, with the third digit being a variable. The last part consisting of numbers appears to be the individual aircraft identifier. Here’s what I think these unit codes amount to:

S1+A - FS (S) Posen.
S2+M - Erg (S) 1
S2+N – unit unknown.
S2+J – JFS Werneuchen.
S2+O – unit unknown.
S2+K – KFS Tutow.
S3+K – LKS Dresden
S4+K – Fl.WS (E) Krefeld.
S5+C – KFS Lechfeld.
S6+C – Fl.WS (See) Parow.
S6+D – Fl.WS (See Parow.
S6+X – unit unknown.
S7+K - KFS Fassberg.
S7+C – KFS Lechfeld.
S7+Y – FFS Halberstadt or FFS B Salzwedel.
S13+C – FFS C Wiener Neustadt.
S17+A - FAR 14.
S17+B – schule at Parndorf.
S17+M – LNS 2.

Its incomplete and somewhat confusing, but I think that it clarifies the situation a bit. I collect prewar codes and this is the pattern that emerges.

[Dénes Bernád]

A Ju 86 sporting a double yellow fuselage ring was photographed at the end of the war (!) at an Austrian airfield sporting the following code: S17+M05 (the 'S17' being painted on in small size letters, according to the late-war standard).

[obdl3945]

Doug...

Thanks for sharing your information. I appreciate that it's not a complete listing, but it certainly goes a long way to clarifying matter for me. I notice too, that up to and including the 'S7' code, they all seem - my sense of geography permitting - to fall within the pre-war Luftkreis areas, ie S1 (Posen) - Luftkreis 1 = HQ Königsberg, S3 (Dresden) - Luftkreis 3 = HQ Dresden etc. Only the 'S13' and 'S17' codings fall outwith this rule, seemingly.

Dénes...

Thanks, too, for your input. That must've been quite a survivor, that Ju86, if it was still sporting those markings in 1945... . I believe the double yellow fuselage bands eventually became specific to Blindflugschulen aircraft.

A big thank you to all who posted to this thread. Best wishes...

Paul

[Dénes Bernád]

Not quite a pre-war training code, nevertheless interesting:


[Source: eBay]

The Do 17 in the background sports the Vkz. 80+B14, while the one in the foreground 80+B3K (the first two digits are assumed).

Any plausible explanation for this apparent discrepancy?

[Doug Stankey]

Thanks for the obscure image!

The A/c with "B14" code is from 4.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 18. There is another example of this code (80+F14) on page 71 of Aufklärer und Aufklärungsverbände der deutschen Luftwaffe 1935-1945 by Wadman et al.
On the other hand, the one "B3K" code is a bit tougher since the "K" means that it is from the post strike recon flight of the staff flight of the third gruppe of a bomber unit. Therefore I expect that it does NOT have "80" as the first part of the code.

This is all part of the fun of prewar codes!

Doug

[Stig Jarlevik]

Guys

Jet & Prop issue 2/2003 had an article about this.
I take it that neither you Paul or Doug has that article?

If you send me hagel.jarlevik@bredband.net your e-mails I will scan the article for you. Basically it seems to confirm what Doug is saying, but gives a lot more schools depending on the letter after the cross.

Cheers
Stig

[obdl3945]

Stig...

Thank you... PM with address on its way to you...

Regards