I think I've got the German LW for North Africa right. Could anyone double check it for me?
1. Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2)
a. Fliegerführer Afrika [Generalmajor Stefan Fröhlich 24 Feb, 1941 ~ April 1942] Lead German air support to Rommel.
- One HE111P-4 (VG+ES) fully equipped is assigned to these Commanders. (Ref 12)
JAGDGESCHWADER "hunting wing"
Notes:
1) Ref 13 (babel fish translation) show Staffel 7./JG 26 in Africa along with Gruppe I/JG 27.
2) Ref 13 (babel fish translation) Dec 1941 Stab, I, II, and II/JG 27 are assigned to Liking fish and Arco with BF109F-4 Trop
3) 10-16 aircraft per Staffel
4) Trop is tropennotausrüstung which is sand filters and sun blinds
5) Ref 10a is an English listing of JG 27 pilots who are listed as MIA.
6) Ref 10a also lists a Staffel 15./JG 27 that was fighting around Istra and Jachroma , Russia and lost 3 BF109E-7's around Nov~Dec 1941.
7) 10.(J)/JG 27 formed 05 May 1942.
8) Gruppe IV/JG 27 (Staffels 10-12) forms in May 1943 and disbanded 31 Mar 1945.
9) On 12 June 1944 Staffel 15./JG 27 was formed and added to Gruppe IV.
10) Wikipedia list 7./JG 26 as working from bases in Sicily around Feb 1941 then a brief stint in Ain el Gazala.
11) 4 aircraft per Schwarm in finger four formation. 2 aircraft per Rotte
JG 26 Schlageter [Geschwasder Kommodore Adolf Galland 22 Aug 1940-05 Dec 1941]
- Staffel 7./JG 26 [Hpt Joachim Munchnberg] BF109E-7 (assigned to Ain el Gazala in Jun~ Jul 1941)
JG 27 Afrika (Staff, 3 Gruppe's, 10.(J) and 15.) [Geschwasder Kommodore Major Bernhard Woldenga 21 Jun 1941-10 Jun 1942]
- Gruppenstab JG 27 (<< und <0) BF109E-3 trop/BF109F-4 Trop
- Gruppe I/JG 27 [Major Eduard "Edu" Neumann 21 Jul 1940-07 Jun 1942] deployed to Ain-el-Gazala for first 8 months with BF109E-7 Trop.
Staffel 1./JG 27 "weiss" [Oberleutnant's Karl Wolfgang Redlich/Ludwig "Ziskus" Franzisket] 15 pilots
Staffel 2./JG 27
Staffel 3./JG 27 includes Oblt Franzisket, Ltn Marseille
- Gruppe II/JG 27 [Hauptmann Wolfgang Lippert 04 Sep 1940-23 Nov 1941] [23 Nov -25 Dec 1941 Oberleutnant Gustav Rödel] Formed Jan 1940
Staffel 4./JG 27
Staffel 5./JG 27 (5 staffel deployed to Ain-el-Gazala) Ref 15 has a photo of them rolling with drop tanks
Staffel 6./JG 27
- Gruppe III/JG 27 {Hauptmann Max Dobislov/Hauptmann Erhard Braune] Formed Jul 1940 from I./JG 1
Staffel 7./JG 27 "arrow through an apple in gun sight"
Staffel 8./JG 27 "black hand in red circle"
Staffel 9./JG 27 (Ref 15 doesn't show a Staffel 9 as existing, but Ref 10a shows Staffel 9 aircraft that have crashed in Minsk in 1941.
- JABO 10.(J)/JG 27 May 1942 BF109F-4/B based out of Martuba. In June 1942 they are still somewhere in Africa .
- Staffel 15./JG 27 Formed Jul 1941 a Spanish contingent flying with the Gerschwader
JG 53
- Gruppe III/JG 53 As of June 1942 flying somewhere in North Africa
Staffel 7./JG 53 BF109F-4
Staffel 8./JG 53 BF109F-4
Staffel 9./JG 53 BF109F-4
- JABO 10.(J)/JG 53 BF109F-4/B
STURZKAMPFGESCHWADER
Notes:
1) Confusion! I'm starting to thing that Gruppe I/StG1 was in Africa in 1941, another Gruppe from StG2 was in Africa in 1941
and that Gruppe II and III/StG3 arrive in 1942.
2) Ref 13 (babel fish translation) shows I/StG 1 assigned to Derna and II/StG 2 assigned to Tmimi in June 1941
3) Ref 13 shows Stab/StG3, I/StG1, and II/StG2 Stationed in Trapani with JU87G-1 Stukas.
4) Ref 16 shows the loss of two JU87D-3 Trop stukas assigned to II/StG3 on 30 Dec 1942.
5) I/StG 1, Stab/StG3, and I./StG3 are assigned to Lybien in Dec 1941 with JU87B-1 stukas
6) Ref 13 (babel fish translation) shows Stab, I~III/JG 53 in Lybien on Jan 1942 flying BF109F-4. By Jan 1942 a significant
number of aircraft are flying missions out of Sicily , Greece , and Crete .
7) Ref 13 (babel fish translation) June 1942 Stub, I~III/StG3 are based somewhere in North Africa flying JU87D-1stukas
8 ) An StG Kette is usually 3 aircraft flying in a V formation
StG 1
- Gruppe I/StG 1 JU87B-1 assigned to Derna June 1941 assigned to Lybien in Dec 1941 with JU87B-1 Stukas
StG 3 [Oberstleutnant Karl Christ /Oberleutnant Walter Siegel] (JU-87D-1/Trop stuka) Based in Derna
- Gruppenstab StG 3 - JU87D-3 und JU87R-4
- Gruppe I/StG 3 JU87D-3
Staffel 1./StG 3
Staffel 2./StG 3
Staffel 3./StG 3 JU87B-2/Trop
- Gruppe II/StG 3 JU87B-1 (assigned to Tmimi in June 1941)
Staffel 4./StG 3
Staffel 5./StG 3
Staffel 6./StG 3
- Gruppe III/StG 3 JU87D-1 und JU87D-3 Trop
Staffel 7./StG 3 JU87R (S2 + MR)
Staffel 8./StG 3
Staffel 9./StG 3
ZERSTORERGESCHWADER
Notes:
1) Ref 13 shows III/ZG 26 assigned to Palermo in Jan 1941 with BF110D-3
2) Ref 13 shows III/ZG 26 assigned to Trapani from Jan 1941 to 24 May 1942. Assigned to Derna 24 May - 30 Jun 1942.
3) Staffel 10./ZG 26 reformed Apr 1942 in Derna. Disbanded Nov 1943 to become 7./ZG 76
4) Staffel 10./ZG 26 adds JU88C aircraft to their inventory of BF110C.
ZG 26 "Horst wessel"
Gruppenkommodore - Hptm Thomas Steinberger, 12 Apr - 24 Dec 1941 - Hptm Georg Christl, 25 Dec 1941 - 12 Jul 1943
- Gruppe III/ZG 26
Gruppestab/ZG 26 BF110C
Staffel 7./ZG 26 [ ] BF110C Moved to Derna Dec 1941 replacing Staffel 8./ZG 26. 24 Dec 1941 moves to Sirte. Feb 1942 returns to Derna. Later is absorbed by JG76.
Staffel 8./ZG 26 [ ] BF110C Detached at Derna Aug - Nov 1942
Staffel 9./ZG 26 [ ] BF110C Nov 1941 goes to Malemes, Crete then on 21 Mar 1942 moves to Trapani .
Staffel 10./ZG 26 [ ] BF110C In Derna Apr~Aug 1942. In Barce Aug~Sep 1942. In Kastelli Sep~Nov 1942. In Trapani Nov 1942~Jun 1943.
LEHRGESCHWADER
Notes:
1) LG was a Geschwader initially set up to test new equipment under operational conditions and try new tactics. These could fly several types of different aircraft.
2) Ref 13 (babel fish translation) show III/LG 1 assigned to Derna with JU88A-4 Trop in June 1941. By Jan 1942 they will be flying out of Greece and Crete .
LG 1
- Gruppe III/LG 1
Staffel 7./LG 1
Staffel 8./LG 1
Staffel 9./LG 1
Staffel 12./LG 1 JU88A-4 flying out of Berca in June 1942
NAHAUFKLARER (Main tactical air recon for Rommel in North Africa )
Notes:
1) There is or was a 196 page hard cover book with 400 b&w and color photos covering the air recon in NA. (60 Euros)
2) Aufkl 14 had 6 Staffels assigned. No know Gruppenkommandeure or Gruppenstab after 1938.
3) Ref 21. Aufkl 14 flew a variety of planes. Somewhere between May ~ Sep 1942 they appear to have transitioned to a mixture of BF109E-7, F4/R3, G-2Trop, G4/R3, F4/G3, G4, and even
G6 (Jun 43)
Aufklärungsgruppe 12
- Staffel 4.H/12 "Heer" BF110C-4 flying somewhere in North Africa in Jan 1942
Aufklärungsgruppe 14
- Staffel 2.H/14 BF110E-2 3 4/BF109E-7/HS 126 assigned to Ain-el-Gazala from Mar 1941 ~ Nov 1941. Assigned to Bir el Gabr Nov 1941. Assigned to Martuba and Benina in Dec 1941. Assigned to Arco Philaenorum Dec 1941~Jan 1942. Assigned to Agedabia Feb 1942. Assigned to Martuba Mar~Apr 1942. Rotate back to Germany Apr~Nov 1942 then return to Trapani then Tunis from Nov 1942 ~ Apr 1943 where they would deploy out to some forward staging bases.
AUFKLARUNGSGRUPPE
Notes:
1) The JU88D-1/Trop was a D-1 with sand filters and sun blinds later redesignated D-4.
2) Skinners - See color photo of a D-1 here:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Ju-88_D-1_Trop_2.jpg3) the Gruppestab for Aufkl 121 was disbanded in June 1940. Prior to 1940 the Gruppe flew DO17P and HE111H.
Aufklarungsgruppe 121 (comprised of 1~4.(F)/121) No listing of a Gruppenkommandeur after Jan 1940.
- 1.(F)/121 JU88D-1 assigned in Derna Dec 1940~Jul 1942 as a detachment from Catania
Aufklarungsgruppe 122
- 2.(F)/122 JU88D-1 assigned to Trapani in June 1942
Aufklarungsgruppe 123 [Gruppenkommandeur Maj Gerhard Kopper, 30 Aug 1940 - 17 May 1943] Gruppe 1-6 existed.
- 2.(F)/123 JU88D-1 (4U + FK) assigned to Trapani Feb ~ June 1941
TRANSPORTGESCHWADER (Transportation aircraft)
Notes:
1) Ref 16 lists the loss of two JU 52 (26 Dec 1942) and an ME 323 (05 Jan 1943) under (Einsatz Mittelmeer - Afrika)
2) Ref 13 (babel fish translation) list several transport squadrons assigned as of Jan 1942
3) I/F JR 3 moved from Crete to El Dab'a on 12 Aug 1942 for a planned assault on Tobruk. Evacuated on 02 Nov, 1942 for fear of encirclement.
4) The ME323 is briefly mentioned in a few references associated with North Africa . Ref 23 discusses this transport plane.
KAMPFGESCHWADER Zur Besonderen Verwendung (KGzbV)
- Gruppe III/KG e.g. Vth 1 JU52/3m, Jan 1942, location assigned unknown
- KGr e.g Vth 323 ME323, Set up in Aug 1942. Employed in the Mediterranean area for supply of troops in Africa .
- KGr e.g Vth 400 JU52/3m, Jan 1942, location assigned unknown
- Tr.Gr 111 JU52/3m, Jan 1942, location assigned unknown
- I/F JR 3 First Batallion Parachute troops
