Luftwaffe Executive Positions

[Andy Fletcher]

In Luftwaffe flying units with aircraft with multiple crew positions (ie Kampfgeschwader, Fernaufklärungsgruppe) were all the executive posts ie Gruppen Kommandeur, Adjutant, T.O., Staffelkapitan etc always filled by pilots or could these positions be filled by officers from other branches (ie Beobachter etc.).

Regards

Andy Fletcher

[Andy Fletcher]

For anyone who is interested, I received the follow answer to me question from Werner.

the chief of a crew was not always the pilot in the LW ( the pilot was the "Kutscher" the coachman, driver ), this changed with the Ju88 => divebomber, here the pilot was the one who brought the bombs into the target and here usually the pilot was the chief.

But usually the LW was tending towards that only pilots should be the leading officers of a unit .
AFAIK from BoB onwards this was nearly 100%, before that many Kommodore´s und Komandeur´s had their pilot wings but to command their unit in the air they had their own pilots to fly them, or they flew in/with various crews - good example was Oberst Raithel - he only flew with Peltz for a longer period in 40/41, also after Peltz became Kommandeur II/KG 77

also many "Beobachter" observer had their pilot wings ( at least at the begin of war around 80+ percent ).

A TO "technischer Offizier" was not always a pilot; the same for NO "Nachrichten Offizier"
the Adjudant was always a pilot.
Ic was very often not a pilot
the "Funk- und Navigations Offizier" ( radio transmission and navuigation ) was had usually wings.

hope that helps
Werner

Regards

Andy Fletcher