Staffelkapitan vs Staffelfuhrer?

[Rob Romero]

Is there a difference between a Staffelkapitan and a Staffelfuhrer?

Thanks,

Rob Romero

[John Vasco]

From interviewing several of them over the years the following was a rough guide that I was given. Staffelkapitän was an actual appointment carrying with it the responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Staffel. A Staffelführer normally led the Staffel in the air.
Moving it up a level, when Erprobungsgruppe 210 lost Oblt Weymann on 5th October 1940, Wolfgang Schenck led the Gruppe on missions and was therefore the Gruppenführer. When Karl-Heinz Lessmann was posted in as Gruppenkommandeur on 1st November 1940, he took over all the normal work of a Gruppenkommandeur, but flew as No. 2 to Schenck on missions, as he had no experience of using the Bf 110 as a fighter-bomber. So, from 1st November 1940, Lessmann was the Gruppenkommandeur, while Schenck was the Gruppenführer.

Hope this helps.

[Rob Romero]

Thank you John,

Rob

[Andy Fletcher]

I thought that a Staffelkapitän was an officer officially assigned to the position, where as a Staffelführer was an individual temporarily leading the staffel in an acting capacity until official sanction came through that he was assigned to the duty position or replaced.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

[robert]

Hi Andy,

I agree with you.

Robert

[FalkeEins]

Andy phrased it much better than I could have. A good example is Ofw. Rudi Zwesken who led 6./JG300 during early 1945, although not appointed StaKa. Gruppenführer was an SS rank - I don't believe it was used in the Luftwaffe - a JG 300 'Gruppenführer' - ie who led the Gruppe in the air - insisted all such references be removed from the JG 300 book. Better term is Verbandsführer..

[John Vasco]

I thought the German word (and I may get the spelling wrong here) Stellvertreter identified the individual who took on the administrative duties when there was no permanent person in charge. The Namentliche Verlustmeldungen that I have seen confirm this.

So, Martin Lutz was Stellv. Gr. Kdr. of Erprobungsgruppe 210 when Rubensdörffer was KIA on 15th August 1940, and Werner Weymann was Stellv. Staka of 1./Erpr. Gr. 210 for a short time when Lutz stepped up to be Stellv. Gr. Kdr. again after the loss of von Boltenstern. Both were confirmed in the posts within a few days.

Or perhaps Wolfgang Schenck, who knew his shit inside out on the Luftwaffe, got it wrong in conversations/discussions with me...

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi, John

I think you have got it mostly right, based on what I have seen of records over the last years

A Staffelkapitän was the person which was given the permanent position to lead a Staffel, the smallest organizational tactical unit in the Luftwaffe system. This was sanctioned by the Personalamt of the Luftwaffe in the RLM.

A Staffelführer was a pilot tasked with leading the unit in the air. In some units and situations you would have the situation where a more seasoned lower-ranking pilot would lead the Staffel in the air due to his experience, while the Staffelkapitän lead another Schwarm, Kette or Rotte.

It was of course not uncommon that a situation were the Staffelführer led the Staffel when a Staffelkapitän was killed, wounded or transferred, until he subsequently was formally tasked with the job as Staffelkapitän.

We also have to take into the account here that the Wehrmacht operated with two kind of officers - the Truppenoffizier - a person that had attended the Kriegsschule and had a formal education as officer, and the Kriegsoffizier - a person which was promoted to officer rank due to his exploits and experience during the war.

From what I have seen it was not uncommon to give seasoned pilots with the rank of Feldwebel or Oberfeldwebel a promotion to Leutnant and at the same time give them the Staffelkapitän position. This was of course a makeshift arrangement due to the war and not a wanted thing by the RLM or Personalamt.

With regards to the term Gruppenführer, I have never seen it used in other than the SS context. However, that former Luftwaffe personnel would insist on this term not being used have more to do with post-war associations with this term and the SS in my opinion.

I think the bottom line should be that the term Staffelkapitän is a formal line of command position with given tasks and responsibilities as shown by the LDV, while the Staffelführer was an appointment given in the field.

The reason for the term Staffelführer appearing in loss lists for example would be for organizational reasons, with regards to what kind of replacements a unit would need at a given time.

Regards,
Andreas B

[John Vasco]

I do agree that the term Gruppenführer has unfortunate connotations. Führer of the Gruppe in the air until a permanent appointment was made might be more apposite.

[VtwinVince]

Right, a Staffelfuehrer could be an NCO with experience, whilst a Staffelkapitaen was always an officer, usually at least Oberleutnant. My uncle was Staffelkapitaen 9. JG 3 as a Hauptmann, but he was also Stellvertretender Gruppenkommandeur of III. JG 3 after the wounding of Balthasar in September, 1940.