In Aces High my squad is
3rd Staffel Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen"
3./JG 2
The nominal strength of a staffel was 12 aircraft. A Staffel formation comprised of three Schwärme.
http://www.luftarchiv.de/luftwaffe/jagd.htmhttp://www.xs4all.nl/~rhorta/jgstruc.htmThe staffel was the lowest grade of formation within the organisation. Commanded by a Staffelkapitän usually an Oberleutnant or Hauptmann, members of it's flying personnel would supervise the technical and signals branches as secondary duties. Late in the war some Staffeln had their numbers raised to 16 aircraft on strength nominally.
Staffel color assignment when there were three Staffeln composing a Gruppe
Staffel / Gruppe / Color
1. I. White
2. I. Black or Red
3. I. Yellow (gelbe)
- - -
4. II. White
5. II. Black or Red
6. II. Yellow
- - -
7. III. White
8. III. Black or Red
9. III. Yellow
- - -
10. IV. White
11. IV. Black or Red
12. IV. Yellow
Staffel color assignment when there were four Staffeln composing a Gruppe
Staffel Gruppe Color
1. I. White
2. I. Black or Red
3. I. Yellow (gelbe)
4. I. Blue
- - -
5. II. White
6. II. Black or Red
7. II. Yellow
8. II. Blue
- - -
9. III. White
10. III. Black or Red
11. III. Yellow
12. III. Blue
- - -
13. IV. White
14. IV. Black or Red
15. IV. Yellow
16. IV. Blue
My squad would be a part of I. Gruppen Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen"
I./JG 2
Group designations are indicated with Roman numerals.
Gruppen would be identified as follows starting with 1st group
Gruppen were made up of 3 to 4 staffeln and a Stab of 3 to 4 ac
A Geschwader would be made up of 3 to 4 Gruppen and a Stab
- Stab/JG 2
- I./JG 2
- II./JG 2
- III./JG 2
- IV.JG 2
Number of Aircraft in a Jagdgeschwader
Stab (±4 a/c)
3-4 Gruppen (each Gruppe also a Stab flight of 4 a/c)
3-4 Staffeln in each Gruppe
12-16 aircraft in each Staffel
Early
Geschwader Stab 4 a/c
I. Gruppe + Stab = 36 + 4 a/c
II. Gruppe + Stab = 36 + 4 a/c
III. Gruppe + Stab = 36 + 4 a/c
Total of 112 a/c
Middle
Geschwader Stab 4 a/c
I. Gruppe + Stab = 36 + 4 a/c
II. Gruppe + Stab = 36 + 4 a/c
III. Gruppe + Stab = 36 + 4 a/c
IV. Gruppe + Stab = 36 + 4 a/c
Total of 164 a/c
Late
Geschwader Stab 4 a/c
I. Gruppe + Stab = 64 + 4 a/c
II. Gruppe + Stab = 64 + 4 a/c
III. Gruppe + Stab = 64 + 4 a/c
IV. Gruppe + Stab = 64 + 4 a/c
Total of 276 a/c
The Geschwader commander held the title of Kommodore (Kdore), and was usaully a Major, Oberstleutnant or Oberst. His Staff included and adjudant, an operations officer, an intelligence officer, a navigation officer, technical officers, a signal officer and such other specialist officers as the nature of the unit and task might dictate.
Individaul Staffels would be designated as follows
I group would be
- Stab I./JG 2
- 1./JG 2
- 2./JG 2
- 3./JG 2
- 4./JG 2 (mid to late war)
II group would be
- Stab II./JG 2
- 5./JG 2
- 6./JG 2
- 7./JG 2
- 8./JG 2 (mid to late war)
III group would be
- Stab III./JG 2
- 9./JG 2
- 10./JG 2
- 11./JG 2
- 12./JG 2 (mid to late war)
IV group would be
- Stab IV./JG 2
- 13./JG 2
- 14./JG 2
- 15./JG 2
- 16./JG 2 (mid to late war)
3./JG 2 Started out in 109s during the Battle of France and through out the Battle of Britain. Then converted to 190s. JG 2 along with JG 26 were only dayfighters assigned to luftflotte 3 after the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Helmut Wick was promoted to Staffelkapitan 3. Staffel/JG 2 on June 9, 1940 became the leading ace of the Richthofen Geschwader with his 12th air victory.
Promoted to Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I Gruppe/JG 2 on Sept. 9, 1940. With his score to 41 air victories, Wick was awarded the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub (Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves) on Oct. 5, 1940 and then promoted Major and Kommodore of JG 2 "Richthofen" .
Wick shot down his 55th victory during an early sortie on Nov. 28, 1940 to become the leading fighter ace in the world. Later in the day, on a "Freie Jagd" over the English Channel, Wick scored his 56th victory, a Spitfire. In turn his aircraft was shot down by Battle of Britain ace Flt. Lt. John Dundas of 609 Squadron, RAF. Wick was seen to bale out over the Channel, his "Geschwaderstab Schwarm" mate Hptm. Rudi Pflanz circled the area calling over the radio that a "Spitfire was down" hoping to attract British air/sea rescue. Pflanz continued to circle until his fuel was almost empty, crash-landing at landfall on his return over the Channel but Wick was never found.
Pflanz shot down Dundas right after Dundas got Wick.
Heres what planes I flew last sortie, and every tour since I joined a LW squad looks the same.
The 1st lw squad I joined in AH was Jagdverband 44 "Platzschutzstaffel" later we became JV44 "The Wurger Staffel".
If you are interested in what Jagdverband 44 "Platzschutzstaffel" was let me know.
