Unknown LW Staffel emblem - Russland

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Dear all,

Does someone knows the origin or positive identification of this Staffeln shield ?

It seems to be related to Go 242 gliders or moto-gliders (the engined version), so probably a Schellepengruppen...maybe related to the Krim evacuation (Luftwaffekommando Don), in late 1942.

Any idea of the meaning or unit is most welcomed.

A.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Adriano Baumgartner

Schellepengruppen

A.

Did you mean a Schleppgruppe (towing Gruppe)?

[Chris Goss]

Ketley says 2./KGrzbV 323 but the description doesn't match the badge

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Yes Nick....by memory things do not seems to work for me nowadays....I miswrote the German word indeed. Thank you for correcting me....indeed towing gruppe. There seems to be a Go 242 on the badge with the two forked tails...at least it looks like for me.

Chris, do not know this book...you mean ths book about the Luftwaffe unit badges > https://www.amazon.com/Luftwaffe-Emb.../dp/0955426839

I have seen a LW Collector site, who have a Wherpass for a glider pilot from the Schleppgruppe 2 and that flew over Russia (Don), in 1942...sadly there is no badge associated, but I thought that maybe this Staffel could be this one mentioned.

A

[Andy Mitchell]

Adriano,

Ketley has No 526 "I.(Go)Verbskdo (S)V - A yellow shield carrying the letters "Go" surrounding a sharkmouthed Go 242 glider holding onto the tail of a black cat. Russia, winter 1942/3 He 111, Go 242."

Hope that this helps

[Andy Mitchell]

Adriano,

Rosch "Luftwaffe Codes, Markings and Units 1939-45 " has the following

Attached to Lw Kdo Ost.

Stab later Stab/Schleppgruppe 3 (10-43)
1(DFS) formed from DFS 230 Staffel 7 (9-42)
1 (DFS) later 1(DFS)/Schleppgruppe 3 (10-43)
1 (Go) formed from Go-Kdo/Lw.Kdo.Ost and Go 242 Staffel 4 (7-42)
1 (Go) later 2 (Go)/Schleppgruppe 3 (10-43)
5./LLG 2 subordinated (1-43)

Aircraft used - -DFS 230, Do 17, Go 242, He 111, Hs 126, Ju 52

[Chris Goss]

..and Ketley has the same at 506...

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Andy and Chris,

Thank you for the enlightning and clarifying too....one do always learn here...I did not know the LW did have so many glider units, towing glider units, and special glider units!

And...it took me some time to dig out the meaning of what you wrote Andy....I mean the full transcription of the unit.

I (Gotha) Verbindungskommando (S)V

I understand that it was formed from the 3 (Gotha)-Staffel der Luftwaffe (at Riga)...so that shield may be from that Staffel indeed...and your description (from the book) seems to match the image depicted.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge...I learned a lot today!

A.

[Andy Mitchell]

Adriano,

See also - Michael Holm's site

[Larry deZeng]

Adriano -

Here is the book with the history of all the Luftwaffe glider units during the war:

Schlaug, Georg. Die deutschen Lastensegler-Verbände 1937-1945: Eine Chronik aus Berichten, Tagebüchern, Dokumenten. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag, 1985. ISBN: 3-613-01065-8. Hb. Dj. 296p. Illus. Maps. Appendices. Glossary of abbreviations. Bibliography.

L.