He 111 S3+EM at Mönchengladbach

[obdl3945]

Hi, Christian...

In answer to your question about colours, transport units often had four Staffeln per Gruppe, a departure from the normal three. Consequently, the fourth staffel was assigned an I/D colour, and I believe this was often the same medium blue shade normally associated with Geschwaderstab machines, so 1., 2. and 3.Staffeln would have the standard white, red and yellow I/D colour, and the fourth staffel would assume the medium blue, and in a transport unit, they would all fall within I.Gruppe; 5., 6 & 7. Staffeln would again take the standard white, red and yellow colours, with 8.Staffel added into II.Gruppe and allocated medium blue as its I/D colour, and so on.

Page 103 of Barry Rosch's Luftwaffe Codes... devotes a chapter to transport units and explains that the reason for four Staffeln per Gruppe was because transport units were formed to provide an airborne infantry batallion comprising staff and four companies.

Hope this is helpful.

Regards...

Paul