Luftwaffe target codes

[Chris Going]

Bill -I ought to get a reply in to this now, otherwise I never shall manage it what with the log chopping and general Christmas mayhem.

This is an interesting question on a minority topic. Some 1,300 5th Abt UK Targets are known, and for ease of reference, you can see them listed in the Black Dick Tracy Index volumes in NARA (3rd Floor, Cartographic -ask Jerry Luchansky or Ramon or whoever is there -Vol 1).

As you are aware, the Target Class is a two-digit code (eg 10 for airfields, 16 for misc defences, etc), and then there is a unique target number. Some target classes are far commoner than others (eg 10 is commoner than 25 -balloon storage depots, if memory serves). Now. if we look at the 10 targets, we have (eg) 10/1 Abbotsinch; 10/2 Aberdeen/Dyce; 10/4 Abridge (in Essex); 10/5 Acklington; 10/6 Aldergrove, 10/8 Anstey (airstrip in Herts?), 10/12 Bedford, 10/15 Benson; 10/17 Biggin Hill. Thus, it seems that airfields have been allocated on a strictly alphabetical basis. This is so most of the time. There are some number blocks in there: eg Orkneys and Shetlands begin with 9XX, Scotland with 8xx (usually). Eire is 5XX (again most of the time). Obviously there are are airfields begun during the war itself, for example 9th AF and 8th AF bases. These seem to have received numbers in the 400's, which suggests the 5 Abt stopped their initial recording after c 300 airfields, tho' they carried on adding.

Towns etc. The highest Target Class was 99, which was a catch-all: 'Minor towns' I think. There are really only about 40-50 Target Classes with large numbers of targets each. There is some clustering of digits which suggests they started with London/Lower Thames, but otherwise patterning is not by town, and not geographic.

If you want more contact me off board.

best wishes

Chris Going