Luftwaffe order of battle August 1940 facts for kids
For its Battle of Britain campaign against Great Britain during World War II, the German Luftwaffe had the following order of battle in the West. Luftflotte 2 was responsible for the bombing of southeast England and the London area and based in the Pas-de-Calais area in France. Luftflotte 3 targeted the West Country, Midlands, and northwest England, from bases a bit further north in France. Luftflotte 5 targeted the north of England and Scotland, from bases in Norway. Luftflotte 1 and Luftflotte 4 were based in Germany, but most of their bomber formations had been reassigned to the three Luftflotten engaged in the Battle of Britain. Some fighters were retained to provide air cover over Germany, however.
Luftflotte 2
Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring, OOB from 13 August 1940.
| Wettererkundungstaffel 26 (Weather reconnaissance unit under direct control of Luftflotte 2 ) | Brussels–Grimbergen | Independent Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Brussels-Grimbergen | Regierungsrat Krug |
| Parent unit | Geschwader Base | Unit (Gruppe/Staffel) | Aircraft Type | Unit Airfield | Commanding Officer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Fliegerkorps (Generaloberst Ulrich Grauert), Beauvais | |||||
| Kampfgeschwader 1 (Major General Karl Angerstein) | |||||
| Rosières-en-Santerre | I. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Montdidier | Major Ludwig Maier | |
| II. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Montdidier | Obstlt. Benno Kosch | ||
| III. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Rosières-en-Santerre | Major Hans Steinwig/ Major Willibald Fanelsa | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 76 (Oberst Stefan Fröhlich) | |||||
| Cormeilles-en-Vexin | Stab. Gruppe | Dornier Do 17 | Cormeilles-en-Vexin | Oberstleutnant Fröhlich | |
| Cormeilles-en-Vexin | I. Gruppe | Dornier Do 17 | Beauvais | Hauptmann Alois Lindmayr | |
| II. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Creil | Major Friedrich Möericke | ||
| III. Gruppe | Dornier Do 17 | Cormeilles-en-Vexin | Major Franz Von Benda | ||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 122 (Long-range reconnaissance) | |||||
| 5. Staffel | Junkers Ju 88, Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 17P | Haute-Fontaine | Hauptmann Bohm | ||
| II. Fliegerkorps (General der Flieger Bruno Lörzer), Ghent. | |||||
| Kampfgeschwader 2 (Major-General Johannes Fink) | |||||
| Arras | I. Gruppe | Dornier Do 17 | Épinoy | Major Martin Gutzmann (POW 26 August), not replaced until 4 September. | |
| II. Gruppe | Dornier Do 17 | Arras | Major Paul Weitkus | ||
| III. Gruppe | Dornier Do 17 | Cambrai | Major Adolph Fuchs | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 3 (Oberstleutnant von Chamier-Glisczinski) | |||||
| Le Culot | I. Gruppe | Dornier Do 17 | Le Culot | Oblt. Gabelmann | |
| II. Gruppe | Dornier Do 17 | Antwerp/Deurne | Hptm. Pilger | ||
| III. Gruppe | Dornier Do 17 | Sint-Truiden | Hptm. Rathmann | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 53 (Oberstleutnant Stahl) | |||||
| Lille-Nord | I. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Lille-Nord | Major Kauffmann | |
| II. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Lille-Nord | Major Winkler | ||
| III. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Lille-Nord | Major Edler von Braun | ||
| Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (Hauptmann Keil) | |||||
| Pas-de-Calais | II. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Pas de Calais | Hptm. A. Keil | |
| IV. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Tramecourt | Hptm. Von Brauchitsch | ||
| Erprobungsgruppe 210 (Hauptmann Rubensdörffer) | |||||
| Calais-Marck | 1. Staffel | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Calais-Marck | Oblt. M. Lutz | |
| 2. Staffel | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Calais-Marck | Oblt. W-R. Rössinger | ||
| 3. Staffel | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Calais-Marck | Oblt. O. Hintze | ||
| Lehrgeschwader 2 | |||||
| 1–4 August: Unknown | I. (Jagd) Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Leeuwarden (to 4 August)/Calais | Hptm Hanns Trübenbach (to 18 August), Hptm Bernhard Mieklke (21–30 August, KIA) | |
| II.(Schlacht) Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Most of the unit was based at Böblingen, elements moved to Calais on 13 August | Hptm Otto Weiß | ||
| 7(F). Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf110 | Ghent/Brussels | Probably Hptm Hans Schäfer | ||
| 9.(H). Gruppe (Pz) | Messerschmitt Bf110/ Henschel Hs 126 | Unknown location in Belgium | Probably an Oblt Wöbbeking | ||
| IX. Fliegerkorps (Generalmajor Joachim Coeler), Soesterberg. | |||||
| Kampfgeschwader 4 (Oberstleutnant Hans-Joachim Rath) | |||||
| Soesterberg | I. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Soesterberg | Hptm. Nikolaus-Wolfgang Meissner | |
| II. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Eindhoven | Major Dr. Gottlieb Wolf | ||
| III. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Amsterdam/Schiphol | Hptm. Erich Bloedorn | ||
| Kampfgruppe 100 (Pathfinder bombers) | Autonomous Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Vannes | Hauptmann Aschenbrenner | |
| Küstengruppe 126 (Minelaying) | Various | Autonomous Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | ||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 122 | 3. Staffel | Junkers Ju 88, Heinkel He 100 | Eindhoven | Oberstleutnant Koehler | |
| Jagdfliegerführer 2 (Generalmajor Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp), Wissant | |||||
| Jagdgeschwader 3 (Oberstleutnant Viek) | |||||
| Samer | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Colembert | Hptm. Hans von Hahn | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Samer | Hptm. Erich von Selle | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Desvres | Hptm. W. Kienitz | ||
| Jagdgeschwader 26 (Major Handrick) | |||||
| Audembert | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Audenbert | Hptm. K. Fischer | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Marquise | Hptm. K. Ebbighausen | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Caffiers | Major Adolf Galland | ||
| Jagdgeschwader 51 (Major Werner Mölders) | |||||
| Wissant | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Wissant | Hptm. Brustellin | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Wissant | Hptm. G. Matthes | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | St.Omer | Major Hannes Trautloft | ||
| Jagdgeschwader 52 (Major von Bernegg) | |||||
| Coquelles | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Coquelles | Hptm. S. von Eschwege | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Peuplingne | Hptm. Von Kornatzki | ||
| Jagdgeschwader 54 (Major Mettig) | |||||
| Campagne | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Guînes | Hptm. Hubertus von Bonin | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Hermalinghen | Hptm. Winterer | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Guînes | Hptm. Ultsch | ||
| Lehrgeschwader 2 | |||||
| Calais-Marck | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Calais-Marck | Major Hans Trubenbach | |
| Zerstörergeschwader 26 (Oberstleutnant Joachim-Friedrich Huth) | |||||
| Lille | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Lille | Oberstleutnant Huth | |
| Lille | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Yvrench | Hptm. Wilhelm Makrocki | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Crécy | Hptm. Ralph von Rettberg | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Barley | Hptm. Johann Schalk | ||
| Zerstörergeschwader 76 (Major Walter Grabmann) | |||||
| Laval | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Laval | Major Grabmann | |
| Laval | II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Abbeville | Maj Erich Groth | |
| Laval | III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Laval | Hptm. Friedrich-Karl Dickoré |
Luftflotte 3
Headquarters in Paris, France, under Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Sperrle. OOB from 13 August 1940.
| Wettererkundungstaffel 51 (Weather reconnaissance unit under direct control of Luftflotte 3 ) | Versailles–Buc | Independent Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111, | Versailles-Buc | Regierungsrat Dr. Felber |
| Parent unit | Geshwader Base | Unit (Gruppe/Staffel) | Aircraft Type | Unit Airfield | Commanding Officer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV. Fliegerkorps (Generalleutnant Kurt Pflugbeil), Dinard | |||||
| Lehrgeschwader 1 (Oberstleutnant Alfred Bülowius) | |||||
| Orléans/Bricy | I. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Orléans/Bricy | Hptm. W. Kern | |
| II. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Orléans/Bricy | Major Debratz | ||
| III. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Châteaudun | Major Dr. Ing. Ernst Bormann | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 27 (Oberst Gerhard Conrad) | |||||
| Tours | I. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Tours | Major Gerhard Ulbricht | |
| II. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Dinard | Major Friedrich-Karl Schlichting | ||
| III. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Rennes | Major Manfred Freiherr von Sternberg | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 40 (Long range reconnaissance) Oberst Ernst-August Roth (as of 1 August) | |||||
| Stabschwarme | Junkers Ju 88 | Brest-Guipavas | Oberst Ernst-August Roth | ||
| I. Gruppe | Focke-Wulf Fw 200 | Brest-Guipavas | Hptm Edmund Daser | ||
| Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 (Oberst Angerstein) | |||||
| Stabschwarme | Junkers Ju 87 and Dornier Do 17 | Caen | |||
| Kampfgruppe 806 (Maritime bombers) (Oberst) | |||||
| Junkers Ju 88 | Nantes | Hptm. W. Siegel | |||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 31 (Long-range reconnaissance) | 3. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Rennes | Hauptmann Sieckemus | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe 121 (Long-range reconnaissance) | 3. Staffel | Junkers Ju 88, | North-West France | Hauptmann Kerber | |
| V. Fliegerkorps (General der Flieger Robert Ritter von Greim) Villacoublay | |||||
| Kampfgeschwader 51 (Major Schulz-Heyn) | |||||
| Orly | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Melun | Major Schulz-Hein | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Orly | Major Winkler | ||
| III Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Étampes | Major W. Marienfeld | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 54 (Oberstleutnant Otto Höhne) | |||||
| Évreux | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Évreux | Hptm. Jobst-Heinrich von Heydebrock | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | St. Andre-de-L’Eure | Major Kurt Leonhardy (MIA 11 August). Replaced by Hptm Karl-Bernhard Schlaeger (acting). Replaced by Htpm Hans Widmann. | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 55 (Oberstleutnant Alois Stoeckl - KIA 14 August). Replaced by Obstlt Hans Korte 15 August | |||||
| Villacoublay | I Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Dreux | Major Joachim Roeber | |
| II Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Chartres | Major Friedrich Kless | ||
| III Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Villacoublay | Hptm Hans Schlemell | ||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 14 (Long-range reconnaissance) | 4. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Cherbourg | Hauptmann von Dewitz | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe 121 (Long-range reconnaissance) | 4. Staffel | Dornier Do 17,Junkers Ju 88 | Villacoublay | Hauptmann Kerber (?) | |
| VIII. Fliegerkorps (General der Flieger Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, Deauville | |||||
| Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (Major Hagen) | |||||
| Angers | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Angers | Major P. Hozzel | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Angers | Hptm. H. Mahlke | ||
| Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (Major Oskar Dinort) | |||||
| Saint-Malo | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | St. Malo | Hptm. H. Hitschold | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Lannion | Major W. Enneccerus | ||
| Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (Major Graf von Schönborn) | |||||
| Caen | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Caen | Hptm. von D. zu Lichtenfels | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Caen | Hptm. W. Plewig | ||
| III Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Caen | Major H. Bode | ||
| Lehrgeschwader 1 (Oberstleutnant Bülowius) | |||||
| Caen | V. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Caen | Hptm. Horst Liensberger | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe 11 (Long-range reconnaissance) | 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Bernay | ||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 123 (Long-range reconnaissance) | 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 17,Junkers Ju 88 | Paris | ||
| Jagdfliegerführer 3 (Oberst Werner Junck), Deauville | |||||
| Jagdgeschwader 2 (Major von Bülow) | |||||
| Évreux, | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Beaumont-le-Roger | Major von Bülow | |
| Évreux | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Beaumont-le-Roger | Major H. Strumpell | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Beaumont-le-Roger | Major Wolfgang Schellmann | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Le Havre | Major Dr. Erich Mix | ||
| Jagdgeschwader 27 (Oberstleutnant Max Ibel) | |||||
| Cherbourg-West | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Cherbourg-West | Oberstleutnant Max Ibel | |
| Cherbourg-West | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Plumetot | Hptm. Eduard Neumann | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Crépon | Hptm. Lippert | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Carquebut | Hptm. J. Schlichting | ||
| Jagdgeschwader 53 (Major Hans-Jürgen von Cramon-Taubadel) | |||||
| Cherbourg | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Cherbourg | Major von Cramon-Taubadel | |
| Cherbourg | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Rennes | Hptm. Blumensaat | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Dinan | Major Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Sempy & Brest | Hptm. Harro Harder (Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke from 13 August) | ||
| Zerstörergeschwader 2 (Oberstleutnant Friedrich Vollbracht) | |||||
| Toussus-le-Noble | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Toussus-le-Noble | Oberstleutnant Vollbracht | |
| Toussus-le-Noble | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Amiens | Hptm. Heinlein | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Guyancourt | Major Carl |
Luftflotte 5
Headquarters in Stavanger, Norway, led by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff. OOB from 13 August 1940.
| Parent unit | Geshwader Base | Unit (Gruppe/Staffel) | Aircraft Type | Unit Airfield | Commanding Officer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X. Fliegerkorps (Generalleutnant Hans Geisler) Stavanger | |||||
| Wettererkundungskette X. Fl.Korps (Weather reconnaissance) | Unit under direct control of X. Fliegerkorps | Heinkel He 111 | Stavanger | Regierungsrat Dr. Müller | |
| Kampfgeschwader 26 (Oberstleutnant Karl Frieherr von Wechmar) | |||||
| Stavanger | Stabschwarme | Heinkel He 111 | Stavanger | Oberstleutnant Fuchs | |
| I. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Stavanger | Major Hermann Busch | ||
| III. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Stavanger | Major Waldemar Lerche | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 30 (Oberstleutnant Walter Loebel, to 16 August. Replaced by Oberst Herbert Rieckhoff on 17 August.) | |||||
| Aalborg | Stabschwarme | Junkers Ju 88 | Aalborg | Oberstleutnant Loebel/Oberst Rieckhoff | |
| I. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Aalborg | Major Fritz Doensch | ||
| II. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Aalborg | Hptm. Karl-Joachim von Symonski | ||
| III. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Aalborg-West | Hptm. Gerhard Kollewe | ||
| Zerstörergeschwader 76 (Major Walter Grabmann) | |||||
| Stavanger | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Stavanger | Hptm. W. Restemeyer | |
| Jagdgeschwader 77 (Hauptmann Hentschel) | |||||
| Stavanger | II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Stavanger/Trondheim | Hptm. Hentschel | |
| Kustenfliegergruppe 506 (Major Eisenbach) | |||||
| Stavanger | 1. Staffel | Heinkel He 115 | Stavanger | - | |
| 2. Staffel | Heinkel He 115 | Trondheim, Tromsø | |||
| 3. Staffel | Heinkel He 115 | List | - | ||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 22 (Long-range reconnaissance) (Oberstleutnant Thomas) | 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, | Stavanger | ||
| 3. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, | Stavanger | |||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 120 (Long-range reconnaissance) | 1. Staffel | Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 88 | Stavanger | Major Schub | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe 121 (Long-range reconnaissance) | 1. Staffel | Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 88 | Stavanger | Hauptmann Klinkicht | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe Ob.d.L (Long-range reconnaissance) | 1. Staffel | Dornier Do 215, Heinkel He 111, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Stavanger | ||
| Seenotdienst (Air-sea rescue unit) | Heinkel He 59 | Sola, Bergen, Trondheim |
Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe
Headquarters in Berlin, Germany, led by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. OOB from 13 August 1940.
| Parent unit | Geshwader Base | Unit (Gruppe/Staffel) | Aircraft Type | Unit Airfield | Commanding Officer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aufklärungsgruppe Ob.d.L (Oberstleutnant Theodor Rowehl) Berlin | |||||
| Various | 1. Staffel | Blohm & Voss BV 142, Dornier Do 215, Dornier Do 217, Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 86P, Junkers Ju 88, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Autonomous, no fixed location | ||
| 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 215, Heinkel He 111 | Autonomous, no fixed location | |||
| Wettererkundungskette Ob.d.L (Weather reconnaissance) Berlin | |||||
| Oldenburg | 1. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111 | Oldenburg | ||
| 2. Staffel | Heinkel He 111 | Brest | |||
| Seefliegerverbände (Maritime Patrol) (Generalmajor Ritter) Berlin | |||||
| Küstenfliegergruppe 406 (Major Stockmann) | |||||
| Hörnum | 3. Staffel | Dornier Do 18 | Hörnum | ||
| 2./106 | Dornier Do 18 | Rantum | |||
| 2./906 | Dornier Do 18 | Hörnum | |||
| Küstenfliegergruppe 706 (Major Lessing) | |||||
| Stavanger | 1./406 | Dornier Do 18 | Stavanger | ||
| 2./406 | Dornier Do 18 | Stavanger | |||
| Küstenfliegergruppe 606 (Major Hahn) | |||||
| Brest | 1. Staffel | Dornier Do 17 | Brest | ||
| 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 17 | Brest | |||
| 3. Staffel | Dornier Do 17 | Brest | |||
| Küstenfliegergruppe 106 (Major Hahn) | |||||
| Norderney | 1. Staffel | Heinkel He 115 | Nordeney |
See also
- German Air Fleets in World War II
- Luftwaffe Organization
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Luftwaffe order of battle August 1940 Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.