Luftwaffe: Colour schemes and markings 1935-1945 (Aircam Aviation Series)

The book presents the story about colour schemes and markings of Luftwaffe 1935-1945. The most frequently encountered German words in the pages of this book will be Geschwader, Gruppe, and Staffel — the basic tactical units of the Luftwaffe. The Geschwader, very roughly corresponding to the British “Wing“, was prefixed by a term indicating its function: eg., Jagdgeschwader, abbreviated to JG, may be translated as “Fighter Wing”.

Each Geschwader was divided into a Staff flight and three or more Gruppen; each Gruppe was divided into a Staff flight and three or more Staffeln. The strengths of these sub-units varied widely, according to branch of service, and depending on the supply and replacement rate of machines and pilots in any given instance. Very generally it may be said that the Staffel usually mustered between twelve and sixteen aircraft, giving the Gruppe an establishment of 40 to 5° aircraft, and the Geschwader, 100 to 120 aircraft.