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[AndreasB]

I never claimed the Luftwaffe was precise in its use!

Seriously though, I think the meaning of besondere Verwendung and vorlaeufig/Behelf is so different that I really can not see this being a good way to translate it. Since there is a lack of clarity, I would go with the literal translation (special purpose), keeping in mind that a special purpose could of course have been carried out by a provisional formation.

All the best

Andreas

[SES]

Re post # 40.

SES

[byron-]

Hello Forum, dear Larry

in the german military abriviation, war department, military war service of 12.04.43, special series Nr. 12, it is refered
"for special use".

An other aspect of the definition "zur besonderen Verwendung"; it was a unit designation in order to deceive the enemy as to the actual role of the unit.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

Thanks, SES.

I am looking at my copy of TM 30-506: German Military Dictionary (War Department, May 1944) right now. Evidently these two terms puzzled the compilers of the dictionary and they provided no translation into German.

Larry

My facsimile of the US War Department 1944 dictionary has it under the entry for "Verwendung", translated as "on special assignment." Odd though that "z.b.V." isn't among the abbreviations covered.

[Larry deZeng]

Great contributions, Byron and Nick! That adds two more to the "pot": "for special use" and "on special assignment"!

For Byron: "deceive the enemy" as one of its uses was probably true in some cases, but not all.

For Nick: I first checked under "zur", found nothing, then moved on to "besonderer" and found what I reported above. I did not check "Verwendung".

Here's another possibility on why "z.b.V." was used. The various branches of the Wehrmacht were very meticulous about developing KStNs and KANs for all units down to the size of a Trupp. There is some evidence to suggest that "z.b.V." was used as a suffix for units that did not have standard KStNs and KANs but rather deviated from the standard and the "z.b.V." suffix was used to indicated that fact. For example, a Kampfgruppe z.b.V. had a KStN and KAN that differed from that of the standard Kampfgruppe.

It was also used to designate units that could be assigned and employed independently as opposed to those that were part of an Abteilung, Regiment or Geschwader. That independent mobility also gave them a somewhat different KStN and KAN out of necessity, such as a beefed-up Stabskompanie or Stabszug to handle personnel paperwork.

L.

[SES]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

Here's another possibility on why "z.b.V." was used. The various branches of the Wehrmacht were very meticulous about developing KStNs and KANs for all units down to the size of a Trupp. There is some evidence to suggest that "z.b.V." was used as a suffix for units that did not have standard KStNs and KANs but rather deviated from the standard and the "z.b.V." suffix was used to indicated that fact. For example, a Kampfgruppe z.b.V. had a KStN and KAN that differed from that of the standard Kampfgruppe.

L.

Larry IMHO that is bang on. If a unit was "special" the Germans used the expression "Sonder".
bregds
SES

[AndreasB]

I am afraid I have to disagree with Larry here. Kampfgruppen never had standard KSTNs as far as I am aware, and I would like to see one if I am wrong. They were always ad-hoc, and based on whatever was available/needed. Furthermore, there were units with normal names that had special KSTNs (e.g. 90. leichte Afrika-Division, originally Division z.b.V. Afrika). On the other hand, my understanding, weak as it is, is that the transport units had a standard KSTN, even though they were called z.b.V.?

If you however look e.g. on WW2daybyday (Christoph Awender's site), you find a lot of z.b.V. in the KSTNs. For example in a Zugtrupp (platoon command section) there was a NCO (Uffz) z.b.V. That just means he was available as a floating resource to the platoon commander, but there was nothing special about him, other than that he did not have a permanent job allocated to him. So if e.g. a section commander became a casualty, the Uffz. z.b.V. could take over the section. Or if a special mission was necessary with some volunteers, the Uffz. z.b.V. could lead this.

All the best

Andreas

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

For Nick: I first checked under "zur", found nothing, then moved on to "besonderer" and found what I reported above. I did not check "Verwendung".
L.

And here we enter the minefield that is German grammar … I fully expect to be corrected by our German colleagues but here's what I remember from school:

"zur" is a contraction of "zu der." "zu" takes the dative, so the "der" is feminine dative, not masculine nominative, and the presence of the definite article affects the declension of the ensuing adjective. So the phrase is either "zu besonderer Verwendung" or "zur besonderen Verwendung" but NOT "zur besonderer ..." or "zu besonderen …"

[AndreasB]

I think that's pretty much spot on. Your German grammar beats mine anyday.

Verwendung is female (die Verwendung).

Alles Gute

Andreas

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by AndreasB

Verwendung is female (die Verwendung).

Andreas

As is anything ending in "...ung", or "... schaft" I think. But the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine and SS are feminine while the Heer is neuter! And Geschwader is neuter (as are all collective nouns) while Gruppe, Staffel, Kette and Rotte are feminine and Schwarm is masculine.

It would help if they could come to a historic agreement with their French neighbours as well. At the moment they even disagree over the gender of Sun, the Moon and the World.