The "Luftwaffe" had a near-complete monopoly on all German military aviation, including naval aviation, a major source of ongoing interservice rivalry with the "Kriegsmarine". Catapult-launched spotter planes like Arado Ar 196 twin-float seaplanes were manned by the so-called "Bordfliegergruppen" (shipboard flying group). In addition, "Trägergeschwader 186" (Carrier Air Wing 186) operated two "Gruppen" ("Trägergruppe I/186" and "Trägergruppe II/186") equipped with navalized Messerschmitt Bf 109T and Junkers Ju 87C Stuka; these units were intended to serve aboard the aircraft carrier which was never completed, yet provided the Kriegsmarine with some air-power from bases on land. Furthermore, five coastal groups ("Küstenfliegergruppen") with reconnaissance aircraft, torpedo bombers, "Minensuch" aerial minesweepers and air-sea rescue seaplanes supported the "Kriegsmarine", although with lesser resources as the war progressed.
Air units
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine | Air units
Trägergeschwader 186 Yes - Luftwaffe Yes, Luftwaffe, Arado Ar 196 and Tragergeschwader The Luftwaffe.
what does gulf stream refer to?
user
It is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current
assistant
where does it originate?
user
It originates in the Gulf of Mexico and stretches to the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean as the North Atlantic Current.
assistant
does it help a cyclone to form?
user
Its presence has led to the development of strong cyclones of all types, both within the atmosphere and within the ocean.
assistant
does it have any specific properties?
user
It is a western-intensified current, driven largely by wind stress.
assistant
did it's origin witness any shipwreck?
user
A ship "Mardi Gras" sank around the early 19th century about off the coast of Louisiana in of water. The German submarine "U-166" was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" during World War II was laid down.
assistant
where does the submarine belong to?
user
The Kriegsmarine, navy of Nazi Germany
assistant
how many ships it has?
user
Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context.
assistant
is there any destroyer a part of it?
user
Yes,  Zerstörer
assistant
how are the navy personnel ranked?
user
Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context.
assistant
is there any air unit they operate?
user
The "Luftwaffe" had a near-complete monopoly on all German military aviation, including naval aviation, a major source of ongoing interservice rivalry with the "Kriegsmarine". Catapult-launched spotter planes like Arado Ar 196 twin-float seaplanes were manned by the so-called "Bordfliegergruppen" (shipboard flying group). In addition, "Trägergeschwader 186" (Carrier Air Wing 186) operated two "Gruppen" ("Trägergruppe I/186" and "Trägergruppe II/186") equipped with navalized Messerschmitt Bf 109T and Junkers Ju 87C Stuka; these units were intended to serve aboard the aircraft carrier which was never completed, yet provided the Kriegsmarine with some air-power from bases on land. Furthermore, five coastal groups ("Küstenfliegergruppen") with reconnaissance aircraft, torpedo bombers, "Minensuch" aerial minesweepers and air-sea rescue seaplanes supported the "Kriegsmarine", although with lesser resources as the war progressed.
Kriegsmarine | Air units
Kriegsmarine naval artillery and anti-aircraft crews were considered as shore personnel and assigned to either the "Marine-Artillerie-Einheiten" (for naval artillery) or "Marine-Flak-Einheiten" (naval anti-aircraft). Artillery units were organized into either regiments or sections while flak units were maintained in brigades and regiments. Both types of units were assigned to various ports and harbors and thus were under the direct operational authority of both the port commanders as well as the commander harbor security forces. During actual invasion of coastal regions by enemy forces, these units became part of the sea defense zones.
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Naval Artillery and Anti-Aircraft
This is a List of aircraft units of the Royal Navy.
List of aircraft units of the Royal Navy | Introduction
The "Kriegsmarine" maintained several dedicated staff units which were maintained as independent units normally attached to a Navy shore command. Members of the staff corps could also be interspersed into regular Navy units, such as ships and shore bases, to serve as part of the regular complement. The following were the four primary staff and support units:
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Staff and support units
The navy's new cruisers and pocket battleships were equipped with catapults designed to launch floatplanes for scouting and defense, and new aircraft were developed in the country to meet this need. As the Navy was rebuilding its fleet, so too was the Air Force building itself. Under the powerful Hermann Göring's Air Ministry (), the Air Force had complete authority over all aircraft, and such was the breadth of this authority that even aircraft aboard Navy ships were to be operated by Air Force pilots, although naval officers served as commander/observer on operational flights. Thus, it fell to the "Luftwaffe" to organize units to provide aircraft for the "Kriegsmarine" ships.
Bordfliegergruppe 196 | History
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, similar to the German Luftwaffe idea of organizing an "all aces" select unit Jagdverband 44 equipped with Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a jet fighters, decided to create an all-ace unit (the 343 Kōkūtai) with Kawanishi N1K2-J fighters towards the end of the conflict; this was commanded by Minoru Genda.
List of Japanese Navy Air Force aces (Mitsubishi A6M) | Famous air units
In the Imperial German Navy and Kriegsmarine the "Korvettenkapitän" was the lowest officer rank of the senior officer's rank group. The rank insignia consisted of shoulder strap and sleeve stripes. Shoulder straps had to be worn on uniform jackets and consisted of twisted silver-braids (without pip/star) on padding in navy blue weapon color. Cuff insignia consisted of three stripes, and a five-point naval star above. The sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs.
Korvettenkapitän | Imperial German Navy and Kriegsmarine
The naval air arm of the German Navy is called the "Marinefliegerkommando". The "Marinefliegerkommando" operates 56 aircraft.
German Navy | Aircraft
"Soldaten", or military personnel in a limited sense, consisted of officers, noncommissioned officers and airmen, belonging to the flying troops, fallschirmjäger, air defense artillery, air signal troops, construction units, and medical units, as well the Luftwaffe ground combat units, such as the Division "Hermann Goering" and the Luftwaffe field divisions. They also included the special career officers such as medical officers and directors of music, and the special troop officers such as supply officers and judge advocates.
Luftwaffe personnel structure | Military personnel
"Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918" Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. , .
Oskar Hennrich | References
[[German Army]] [[German Air Force]] [[German Navy]]
List of military special forces units | Germany
In the Imperial German Navy and Kriegsmarine the "Fregattenkapitän" was the middle officer rank of the senior officers' rank group. The rank insignia consisted of shoulder strap and sleeve stripes. Shoulder straps had to be worn on uniform jackets and consisted of twisted silver-braids with one gold pip (star) on padding in navy blue weapon color. Cuff insignia consisted of three stripes, one half stripe (half stripe between stripe two and three), and a five-point naval star above. The sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs. ⇒ see main article Ranks of the Kriegsmarine
Fregattenkapitän | Imperial German Navy and Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine ground personnel were permanently based at shore assignments, usually due to the nature of their career field. Staff and support personnel typically rotated between shore and sea duty, depending upon the nature of their assignment.
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Ground and staff forces
The basic structure of Kriegsmarine uniforms and insignia was divided into 5 categories of personnel: Naval officers wore blue colored uniforms with rank displayed by both sleeve stripes and epaulets. Regular line officers ("Seeoffiziere") wore sleeve stripes beneath a gold star. Staff officers displayed a unique sleeve emblem in place of the star and also wore this insignia centered on their shoulder epaulets. When writing their rank in correspondence, staff officers would include a staff designator such as "Kapitänleutnant (Ing.)" to indicate their career field. Specialty officers, which included all administrative career fields, wore silver coat buttons instead of gold.
Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine | Basic structure
The smallest special operation units, known as "K-Flottille" oversaw direct operations of the small battle units and submarines, and were numbered according to their parent "Lehrkommano" (i.e. K-Flottille 215, K-Flottille 416, etc.). K-Flottille 311 was specifically designated to oversee deployment of the Hecht miniature submarine while the Seehund submarines were dispersed between K-Flottille 312, 313, and 314.
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Special operations
The original rates of the Kriegsmarine, upon the service's creation from the Reichsmarine in 1935, were Boatswain, Sergeant, Signalman, Helmsman, Carpenter, Firework Maker, Gunner, Engineer, Musician, Machine Operator, and Radioman. By 1939, the rates of Sergeant and Firework Maker had been discontinued with several additional wartime rates added. By the end of the Second World War, there were nineteen established ratings in the German navy as well as a general "non-rated" category for unrated naval personnel. A sailor enlisting into the German Navy was first simply designated as "unrated" and referred to as a "Matrose". After basic training, the sailor would be assigned a rate; if simply completing a single enlistment with no promise or requirement for technical training, the sailor would be rated as a deck seaman and begin wearing a small gold star on their upper left shoulder.
Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine | Kriegsmarine rates
The Kriegsmarine maintained a large ground force, organized along the same lines as the German Army, which was known as the "Marine-Infanterie". There were five active "Marine-Infanterie-Divisionen" as well as two independent Marine Infantry Brigades. Internally, each division and brigade contained a number of regiments which were divided into the following classes: Within each regiment were subordinate "Marine-Bataillone". The Kriegsmarine also maintained two "Divisionskampfgruppen" (Divisional Combat Groups) which were composed of three rifle and two replacement regiments.
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Naval Infantry
The German Navy divided ports into two separate categories with larger ports commanded by a "Hafenkommandanten" (Port Commander) while the remainder of ports were overseen by a Port Captain ("Hafenkapitäne"). Ports in the same geographical area were grouped together into administrative areas known as "Hafenkommandanten im Bereich". Larger ports were commanded by officers ranked "Korvettenkapitän" or "Kapitän zur See", while smaller ports were typically commanded by a "Fregattenkapitän". Naval ports were led by a command staff with lower departments covering maintenance, medical care, supply, as well as personnel administration. Personnel permanently assigned to the port were part of the port's naval garrison, while those assigned to ships and submarines answered to their own commanders.
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Navy Ports
The personnel of the construction units came from the "Reichsarbeitsdienst", and from older, technically trained, conscripts. The manual labor were increasingly performed by prisoners of war and by "Hiwis.
Luftwaffe construction units | Personnel
The Air Forces of the National People's Army (; LSK) was the Air Force of East Germany. As with the "Landstreitkräfte", the "Volksmarine", and the Border Troops, it was a military branch of the National People's Army (NVA). The name "Luftstreitkräfte" applied originally to the air corps of the German Empire between 1910 and the end of World War I in 1918. However, the West German Air Force adopted the name '"Luftwaffe"' as used by the Third Reich's air force from 1935 to the end of World War II. At the end of November 1953, a reorganisation of air units saw air units transferred from the Ministry of the Interior directly to the Deputy Minister and Chief of the People's Police.
Air Forces of the National People's Army | Introduction
The Kriegsmarine rating system was designed to indicate the particular career specialty of enlisted sailors, petty officers, and chief petty officers. Officers did not use rates, but were divided between staff and line officers. Line officers wore a large gold star above their sleeve stripe insignia while staff officers wore a career specific emblem in place of the star. The rating system had been developed during the 19th century by the Imperial German Navy and had carried over into the Reichsmarine and Kriegsmarine. German naval rates were differentiated between career fields in deck, engineering, weapons systems, medical rates, and technical specialties.
Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine | Kriegsmarine rates
Other major subordinates to the regional command were the "Befehlshaber der Sicherung" (Commander of Security), "Inspektion des Schiffsmaschinewesens" (Naval engineering inspector), "Artilleriearsenalinspektionen" (Inspector of arsenals and artillery), and the "Sanitätsamt der Marinestation" (Medical department). A regional signals detachment ("Marine–Nachrichten–Abteilung") also existed to coordinate orders and messages between the various subordinate commands. All naval regions were permanently assigned at least one navy shore combat unit. In most cases this was known as the "Marine–Schützen–Bataillon"; a larger formation known as a "Marine–Bordflak–Brigade" also existed. Engineering and pioneer naval units were typically grouped into a "Marine–Festungspionier–Bataillon". Regional commands were also responsible for the operation of all naval prisons.
Naval regions and districts of the Kriegsmarine | Naval regions
The German "Bundeswehr" modern-day equivalent of the private rank (NATO-standard code OR-2) is Gefreiter. The equivalent of the lowest rank (NATO-standard code OR-1) is either "Schütze" (rifleman), "Kanonier" (gunner) or "Jäger" (light-infantryman otherwise ranger), and sometimes in general simply "Soldat" (soldier), as well as other unit-specific distinctions. Up until 1918 it was "Gemeine" (Ordinary [soldier]) as well as unit-specific distinctions such as "Musketier" (musketeer), "Infanterist" (infantryman), "Kürassier" (cuirassier), "Jäger" (light-infantryman otherwise ranger), "Füsilier" (fusilier) etc., until 1945 "Soldat" (soldier) and unit-specific distinctions such as "Schütze" (rifleman), "Grenadier" (grenadier) etc. The navy equivalent of the OR-1 rank is known as "Matrose" (sailor or seaman), and the German Air Force equivalent is "Flieger" (aviator or airman) which is also used by army aviators.
Private (rank) | Germany
If the "Kriegsmarine" was to be effective it required aerial striking power. The arguments over the control of naval aviation ended temporarily, until 1937, when the German Defence Ministry () stated naval aviation would be the domain of the "Luftwaffe" but specialised units would be placed under the operational control of the "Kriegsmarine". On 4 February 1937 Göring invited Raeder to a private conference with the aim of sidelining the proposals. At the meeting, held on 11 March, Raeder handed Göring a detailed memorandum asking for naval aviation to be seconded, permanently, to the navy as it was in the best position to understand naval–air requirements.
Fliegerführer Atlantik | Göring and Raeder
The direct authority for this "housekeeping crew" was vague and those assigned to "Graf Zeppelin" appeared to have rotated between various higher commands depending upon the location and status of the aircraft carrier
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Independent operations
The primary units assigned to the base are branch offices of the European Office of Aerospace Research and Development; the Office of Naval Research Global, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Joint NATO National Support Element, and the Defense Energy Support Center and the Fleet Industrial Supply Center. It administratively falls under the direction of the 422d Air Base Group based out of RAF Croughton, but consists of a collection of multiple Field Operating Agencies and Direct Reporting Units. It was on long term lease to the United States Navy until 30 September 2007. Control was passed to the United States Air Force on 1 October 2007.
RAF Blenheim Crescent | Units
Naval prisoner-of-war camps were under the jurisdiction of a senior officer known as the "Kommandantur des Marine–Kriegsgefangenen– und Interniertenlagers".
Naval regions and districts of the Kriegsmarine | Naval regions
A number of military units and formations were under direct control of the "Kommando" LSK/LV, the Air Force Staff, and the Air Force Command of the NPA, with its HQ in Strausberg.
Air Forces of the National People's Army | "Kommando Luftstreitkraefte/Luftverteidigung" (Kdo LSK/LV)
In the Imperial German Navy and "Kriegsmarine", "Kapitän zur See" was the highest officer rank of the senior officer´s rank group. The rank insignia consisted of shoulder strap and sleeve stripes. Shoulder straps had to be worn on uniform jackets and consisted of twisted silver braids with two gold pips (stars) on padding in navy blue colour. Cuff insignia consisted of four stripes, and a five-point naval star above. The sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs.
Captain at sea | Imperial German Navy and "Kriegsmarine"
Instead, fighter units protecting the coast were held there, with "Kriegsmarine" "FlaK" units, while the Hamburg air defence artillery was held too far inland. The "Luftwaffe" fighters and "FlaK" units were located too far apart to coordinate. Coordination was not helped by the poor relations between the "Luftwaffe" and "Kriegsmarine" Commanders-in-Chief, "Reichsmarschall" Hermann Göring and "Großadmiral" (Grand Admiral) Erich Raeder. The system required both services to work together but it produced co-operation difficulties. A solution to the problem was twofold. Fighter units defending the North Sea coast were subordinated to "Luftgaukommando" XI (Air District Command 11) in Hanover. These fighter units would function as an autonomous fighter command or "Jagdfliegerführer" (Fighter Flyer Leaders).
Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939) | German defences
"Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918" Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. , .
Franz Schleiff | References
The rank insignia consisted of shoulder strap and sleeve lace. Shoulder straps, corresponding to those of "Kapitän zur See", had to be worn on uniform jackets and consisted of twisted silver braids with two gold pips (stars) on padding in navy blue "Waffenfarbe". Cuff insignia consisted of one five-pointed star above a big gold lace. The sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs. The sequence of ranks in decreasing order of seniority was:
Kommodore | "Kriegsmarine" rank insignia
Obermaat (OMaat or in lists OMT) is a rank of the German Navy. It belongs to the particular rank group NCO's without portepee. According to the salary class it is equivalent to the Stabsunteroffizier of Heer or Luftwaffe. It is grouped as OR5 in NATO, equivalent to Petty officer, second class, Sergeant, or Staff Sergeant in Anglophone armed forces. In navy context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as "Herr/ Frau Obermaat" also informally / short "Obermaat". The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group is as follows: "Unteroffizier ohne Portepee"
Obermaat | Bundeswehr
The ultimate command authority for the Kriegsmarine was the "Oberkommando der Marine" (OKM), which was headed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Germany Navy ("Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine"). OKM in turn answered to the "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht"; naval affairs were often run independently from the wishes of the Army, under the authority of the "Oberkommando des Heeres". The Navy and the Luftwaffe (Air Force) further had little coordination, leading to serious delays in the development of naval aviation. The following personnel served as commander-in-chief of the German Navy from the inception of the Kriegsmarine in 1935 until the downfall of Nazi Germany ten years later.
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Navy High Command
The German "Luftwaffe" (Air Force), "Heer" (Army), "Kriegsmarine" (Navy) and the Waffen-SS used Arabic numerals as well as Roman numerals to distinguish between the different units, sub-units and organization levels of their respective military branch.
Nomenclature used by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS | Introduction
Each antenna array consisted of sixteen horizontally polarised dipoles, mounted in four groups of four in a vertical stack. A variant of the Hohentwiel the Tiefentwiel (FuMG407); was tried as an Air Surveillance radar on the coast to try and detect low flying aircraft.
German Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine Radar Equipment of World War II | Air to Surface Search
The "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht" kept separate Knight's Cross lists, one for each of the three military branches, "Heer" (Army), "Kriegsmarine" (Navy), "Luftwaffe" (Air force) and for the "Waffen-SS". In each of these lists a unique sequential number was assigned to each recipient. The same numbering paradigm was applied to the higher grades of the Knight's Cross, one list per grade.
List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of the Kriegsmarine | Recipients
The organization of the JMSDF's aviation units is based on that of the US Navy. The main organizational units are "Koku Shudan" (air groups), "Kokugun" (air wings), "Kōkūtai" (air squadrons) and "Hikōtai" (flights). As at mid-2012, the structure of the JMSDF's aviation units was as follows: Fleet Air Force (Atsugi Air Base)
Fleet Air Force (JMSDF) | Current organization
The rank was first introduced by the Kriegsmarine in 1940 and was named Matrosenoberstabsgefreiter. However, in Heer and Luftwaffe it didn't exist.
Oberstabsgefreiter | History
Many different types of uniforms were worn by the Kriegsmarine; here is a list of the main ones:
Kriegsmarine | Ranks and uniforms
The commands were Battleships, Cruisers, Destroyers, Submarines ("Führer der Unterseeboote"), Torpedo Boats, Minesweepers, Reconnaissance Forces, Naval Security Forces, Big Guns and Hand Guns, and Midget Weapons.
Kriegsmarine | Command structure
Rank designations of the Kriegsmarine as to Match 30, 1934, are contained in the table below.
Generaloberstabsarzt | Kriegsmarine
Naval districts were the direct operational forces for all shore units of the Kriegsmarine and were assigned coastal areas of responsibility as well as operational command of any permanently assigned submarine or ship flotillas (although administratively, these units were under the various type commanders). Most naval regions also maintained a staff headquarters unit, signals unit, war correspondence company, as well as a regional medical clinic. Navy districts were operationally subordinated to Navy group commanders and were organized by either geographical region or country of occupation. The "Admiral Deutsche Bucht" was headquartered in Wilhelmshaven and commanded German ports along the North Sea.
Naval regions and districts of the Kriegsmarine | Naval districts
"Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918" Norman L. R. Franks, "et al." Grub Street, 1993. , .
Otto Brauneck | References
Training for the IJNAS are conducted under training unit led directly by the Naval Air Bureau. Such unit could either be an actual combat air group(Kōkūtai) or a proper training unit. For training pilot for carrier operation, light carriers are employed. Such schools and units was named after the place where they were established (cities, towns or Arsenal/Base), or with the carrier name if it is a carrier based unit. A numbering system is also used. For example, the 12th combined air group(training) based at Kure consist of the Ōita, Usa, Hakata and Ōmura training air group.
Imperial Japanese Navy Aviation Bureau | Navy Training Schools and Units
Since 1933 Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" had pressed for the formation of a Naval Air Arm. In January 1938 the Naval Air Arm Inspectorate of the Luftwaffe presented its requirements for a multi-role twin-engined all-metal aircraft that could also conduct maritime operations. On 5 February 1938 it was agreed with the General Staff. The ineffectiveness of horizontal bombing of ship targets had already been noted. At the "Erprobungsstelle Travemünde" military aviation test centre at Greifswald, training units together with a few naval air units practiced bombing the ship "Zähringen" with concrete bombs. The results were a two percent hit rate. Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers repeated the assault with a 40% hit rate.
Dornier Do 217 | Early designs and marine plans
Korvettenkapitän was in the Volksmarine of the GDR the lowest grade of the senior officer's rank group, comparable to NATO-rank code OF-3 as well. It was comparable to "Major" of the NPA Land Force and Air Force. The rank insignia consisted of shoulder strap and sleeve stripes. Shoulder straps had to be worn on uniform jackets and consisted of twisted silver-braids with one gold pip (star) on padding in navy blue weapon color. Cuff insignia consisted of three stripes, and a five-point naval star above. In contradiction to Imperial German Navy tradition, where sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs, the Volksmarine cuff strips formed 40% rings.
Korvettenkapitän | Volksmarine
In 1935, the "Reichsmarine" was renamed the "Kriegsmarine". On 1 May 1935 his naval rank was re-designated to "Oberleutnant" of the Luftwaffe. Hechler was appointed "Ia" (operations officer) in the headquarters unit ("Stab") of the 9th Air Division (Sea) (9. "Fliegerdivision (See)") on 28 August 1939 before taking command of the 2nd squadron of 126th bomber group (2./"Kampfgruppe" 126) on 7 September 1940. The unit was re-designated to 2./Kampfgeschwader 28 in December 1940. In the timeframe September 1940 to March 1941 Hechler flew a total of 62 combat missions on the Heinkel He 111 with this unit. The majority of these missions were mine-laying sorties over coastal waters.
Ernst Hechler | Career
Initially Germany has 6 air units and Italy 2 (i.e. 40 factors), against three British and two French (i.e. 25 factors). By the end of the war 5 German air units (i.e. 25 air factors, assuming some have been transferred to fight Allied bombers) might be facing 5 US, 4 British and 3 Soviet (i.e. 60 air factors). Air units may be voluntarily split up, and single factors may be rebuilt provided they are combined by SR to form a complete air unit. Air units may "stage" (move between bases up to twice their combat range - during staging or SR they may fly across water up to their combat range) and still be used for combat.
Rise and Decline of the Third Reich | Air warfare
"Luftflotten" were also responsible for the training aircraft and schools in their operational areas. A "Geschwader" was commanded by a "Geschwaderkommodore", with the rank of either major, "Oberstleutnant" (lieutenant colonel) or "Oberst" (colonel). Other "staff" officers within the unit with administrative duties included the adjutant, technical officer, and operations officer, who were usually (though not always) experienced aircrew or pilots still flying on operations. Other specialist staff were navigation, signals, and intelligence personnel. A "Stabschwarm" (headquarters flight) was attached to each "Geschwader". A "Jagdgeschwader" (hunting wing) (JG) was a single-seat day fighter "Geschwader", typically equipped with Bf 109 or Fw 190 aircraft flying in the fighter or fighter-bomber roles.
Luftwaffe | Organization and chain of command
Navy special operations, which included the operation of midget submarines and Navy frogman units, were grouped under a single command known as the "Kommando der Kleinkampfverbände". The command was established in April 1944, under "Vizeadmiral" Hellmuth Heye; Heye would hold the position until the end of World War II. Special operations were originally grouped into five command regions: West, South, Holland, Norway, and a special region known as "Skagerak, zugleich z.b.V.". In the spring of 1945, the regions were reconsolidated into the following six special operation divisions: Dispersed through the various special operations divisions were a total of eight " Lehrkommando", numbering from 200 through 800.
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Special operations
Air attacks on naval units are now much more effective, and also use a new attack table. Air factors may attack a moving fleet once for each hex it traverses in range, or attack a fleet in combat once before each round of combat (British and German naval factors may stay for a second round of combat after losing the first). Nearby air factors may give air cover (with a +1 DRM as they engage the attacking air factors). Before each round of air attack, the naval units make a defence roll, which may destroy some attacking air factors or cause others to abort (those factors may still attack on the next round of combat).
Advanced Third Reich | Naval warfare
For crews who berthed in shore facilities, instead of on board ship (especially in the case of in-port submarines), these personnel were administratively reportable to the port authorities. Port security was divided into shore security, harbor security, and land defense. Every port maintained its own small security force as part of the "Marine Kustenpolizei" (Navy Shore Police) which was augmented by a larger unit known as the "Landesschützen-Kompanie" which also included naval reservists. Harbor security was maintained by a completely separate command chain and did not operationally involve the port commander. The port commander further did not command the naval land defense units, such as flak batteries and naval coastal artillery, which also answered to their own chains of command.
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Navy Ports
The officers of the several corps were listed in different seniority lists depending on their service conditions: "Ergängzungsoffiziere" were former officers born in 1882 or later, serving in staff and administrative positions. "Offiziere der Beurlaubtenstandes" were reserve officers; consisting of "Reserveoffiziere" (under 35 years of age), and "Landwehroffiziere" (35 years old and older) until 1940, when the two categories were merged. "Kriegsoffiziere" were officers promoted from the ranks and given temporary commissions for the duration of the war. "Offiziere zur Verfügung" were former officers subject to recall at mobilization. Such officers were called "Offiziere zur Dienstleistung" when recalled.
Luftwaffe personnel structure | Commissions
Rank designations of the Kriegsmarine as to Match 30, 1934, are contained in the table below.
Generalarzt | Kriegsmarine
A "Staffel" usually had nine to 12 aircraft. Others had as few as five or six aircraft due to losses. The commanding officer of a "Staffel" was known as a "Staffelkapitän" and had the rank of "Hauptmann", "Oberleutnant" or sometimes "Leutnant". "Staffeln" were numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals within a "Geschwader" irrespective of the "Gruppe" they came under. The "Staffel" designation would be similar to that of the "Gruppe" except for the Arabic numerals. For example, "Staffel 6" of "Jagdgeschwader 27" would be designated 6./JG 27. The "Staffeln" of "Gruppe I" would be numbered 1, 2 and 3. Those of "Gruppe II" would be numbered 4, 5 and 6.
Organization of the Luftwaffe | "Staffel"
The rank has since been used by the "Reichsmarine", "Kriegsmarine", and "Bundesmarine". In the "Volksmarine" the rank was originally used in the same way until the suffix "zur See" was dropped. In the "Kriegsmarine" engineers ("Ingenieur – Ing.") of the same rank were distinguished as "Oberleutnant (Ing.)". See also:
Oberleutnant zur See | Introduction
In the army and air force, a "Gefreiter" corresponds to the NATO rank OR-2 and "Obergefreiter" as well as "Hauptgefreiter" to OR-3, while OR-4 stands for "Stabsgefreiter" and "Oberstabsgefreiter". An "Unteroffizier" is the lowest-ranking sergeant (OR-5), followed by "Stabsunteroffizier" (also OR-5), "Feldwebel" and "Oberfeldwebel" (OR-6), "Hauptfeldwebel" (OR-7/8), "Stabsfeldwebel" (OR-8) and "Oberstabsfeldwebel" (OR-9). Ranks of army and air force enlisted personnel are designated by stripes, chevrons, and "sword knots" worn on rank slides. Naval enlisted rank designations are worn on the upper (OR 1–5) or lower (OR-6 and above) sleeve along with a symbol based on an anchor for the service specialization (rating).
Bundeswehr | Ranks
This was continued for the rest of the"Gruppen". When a "Staffel" was transferred from one group to another or from one "Geschwader" to another, it would be re-numbered accordingly. For example, "Gruppe II" of "Jagdgeschwader 3", II./JG 3 was transferred to "Jagdgeschwader 1", as "Gruppe I" and was re-designated I./JG 1., this caused its three "Staffeln" originally named 4./JG 3, 5./JG 3, 6./JG 3 to be renumbered to 1./JG 1, 2./JG 1 and 3./JG 1. The "Staffel" usually had a few vehicles allocated to it, and a mobile "Fliegerhorstkompanie" (air station company) to carry out minor repairs. These were usually named after and attached to a "Geschwader".
Organization of the Luftwaffe | "Staffel"
"Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918" Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. , .
Franz Brandt | References
Naval Special Forces Command, also called the "Kampfschwimmer" ("Combat Swimmers", abbreviated "KSM") or "Verwendungsgruppe 3402" (Deployment Group 3402) are an elite special forces unit of the Germany Navy, specializing in commando and amphibious warfare operations. They are the only special-purpose force of the German Navy. The Kampfschwimmer were set up when Germany joined NATO in 1955.They serve a similar role to Americas top tier [DEVGRU] unit. They are frequently asked to conduct operations with their counter parts. Such as Americas [DEVGRU] the French [Hubert commandos] and Polands [JW GROM] During the existence of the GDR (East Germany), the People's Navy (Volksmarine) of the GDR also had a commando frogman force, which was stationed in Kühlungsborn.
Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine | Introduction
Air Force
List of commando units | India
In the Austro-Hungarian "K.u.K. Kriegsmarine" (1849 to 1918) there were the flag-officer ranks "Kontreadmiral" (also spelled "Konterdmiral" in the 20th century), "Viceadmiral" , and "Admiral", as well as "Großadmiral".
Vizeadmiral | "K.u.K. Kriegsmarine"
In addition to the three major branches, flying troops, air defense artillery, and air signal troops, the Luftwaffe had several other branches. In existence at the beginning of the war was the medical troops "(Sanitätstruppen)", and the "Reichsluftaufsicht" or the National Flying Safety Service, which was staffed both by military personnel and a special group of "Beamten" (see below). During the war special Luftwaffe construction units "(Luftwaffen-Bauverbände)" were added. A special ground-combat unit "General Göring" existed since 1935, and airborne "Fallschirmjäger" units since 1938; during the war both expanded into army corps, with the same complement of ground-combat branches that existed in the army.
Luftwaffe personnel structure | Other branches
A further classification for officers was that of "Sonderführer". These officers were either technical or administrative specialists, in highly specific career fields, who wore the uniforms and insignia of line officers. One of the more recognizable special fields was that of "Marinekriegsberichter" (Naval war correspondent) whose members were dispatched with various naval ships and submarines in order to report on naval life and victories during the war. One such correspondent, Lothar-Günther Buchheim, later published a novel based on his war experiences which was then made into the submarine action film "Das Boot". Seaman displayed rank through the use of sleeve chevrons and badges.
Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine | Basic structure
Rank designations of the Kriegsmarine as to Match 30, 1934, are contained in the table below.
Generalstabsarzt | Kriegsmarine
In larger Naval regions, an intermediary command between the regions and local forces was the "Navy Area" ("Marine–Abschnitt") of which the Kriegsmarine established seventeen such areas during the Second World War. In occupied territories, as well as some major German ports, these areas were known as "Kriegsmarinedienststellen" (Navy War Service Areas) with fourteen established between 1941 and 1945. Navy areas were typically commanded by a senior naval officer, most often a "Kapitän zur See" or "Korvettenkapitän", who was known as "Der Kommandant im Abschnitt".
Naval regions and districts of the Kriegsmarine | Naval areas
During the early stages of World War I in France and Germany, the respective aviation services formed "groupes" and "Gruppen". Beneath the level of the group was a unit of six to 16 aircraft: an "escadrille" or "Staffel". Immediately above the French and German groups was the "escadron" or Geschwader. In the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), a squadron was usually composed of 18–24 aircraft. When the Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed in 1918 from a merger of the RFC and RNAS, an officer with the rank of colonel typically commanded a group. The following year, when the RAF introduced its own rank system, RAF colonels became group captains, reflecting both the level of command responsibility and the seniority of naval captains (the equivalent Royal Navy rank).
Group (military unit) | Historical overview
On 1 September 1939 German forces invaded Poland beginning World War II in Europe. The "Kriegsmarine" was immediately engaged in operations against the British Royal Navy in the North Sea. The inadequacy of naval–air operations was brought to Hitler's attention to Raeder on 23 October 1939. The admiral urged closer cooperation by both sea and air services. On 30 October 1939 Naval Group West, under the command of Admiral Alfred Saalwächter, submitted a memorandum to the Naval Staff entitled "Air Units under the Commander, Naval Air West". Saalwächter noted the forces at his disposal were too weak to support operations over vast distances and current operations exhausted the tiny forces at his disposal rendering them unfit for operations for extended periods.
Fliegerführer Atlantik | World War II
In 1956, with West Germany's accession to NATO, a new navy was established and was referred to as the "Bundesmarine" (Federal Navy). Some "Kriegsmarine" commanders like Erich Topp and Otto Kretschmer went on to serve in the "Bundesmarine". In East Germany the "Volksmarine" (People's Navy) was established in 1956. With the reunification of Germany in 1990, it was decided to use the name "Deutsche Marine" (German Navy).
Kriegsmarine | Post-war division
Rank designations of the Kriegsmarine as to Match 30, 1934, are contained in the table below.
Stabsarzt | Kriegsmarine
Overseas Aircraft Despatch Overseas Aircraft Preparation Aircraft Preparation
List of Royal Air Force units &amp; establishments | Aircraft units
"Geschwader" combat wings, other than day fighters, during the war usually bore a four-character identification code, starting with a two-character alphanumeric "" ("wing code", a code unique to each "Geschwader") to the left of the national "Balkenkreuz" marking and two letters to the right, signifying the individual aircraft's letter within its "Staffel" as the third letter and the "Staffel"-designating letter within the "Geschwader" as the fourth and last letter. The full four-character code was usually shown on the fuselage sides, sometimes with the individual aircraft letter repeated under the wings. "Gruppe" and "Staffel"-sized units could also have their own unique codes of this type, most often used for reconnaissance and maritime aviation"Gruppen" and "Wekusta" weather observation "Staffeln", with "Staffel" sized units using the four-character alphanumeric code almost always using an "H" as the fourth and last character.
Organization of the Luftwaffe | Remaining units
All of this contributed to the reluctance to undertake an examination of naval air operations. By 1921 the "Reichsmarine" had not made much progress in building a new air service. It possessed only 15 pilots. Inter-service rivalry also hampered the development of German naval air doctrine. The Navy was unwilling to cooperate too closely with the army in aerial manoeuvres. The former "Luftstreitkräfte" (Air Service) officers, now employed in the army, knew that the naval staff had been the main opponents of the creation of an independent air arm and viewed the German Admiralty with suspicion. The navy resented the "Luftstreitkräfte" men in turn for their control of production and development of aircraft during the war.
Fliegerführer Atlantik | Background
Petty officers also wore a large rating badge on their left sleeve, beneath which were displayed authorized trade badges. Shore uniforms were worn with a Germany Army style sergeant's shoulder boards and golden collar trim.
Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine | Petty officer ranks
FuMO 52: Naval designation for the FuMG 401 Mammut C. FuMO 64 : A version of the Hohentwiel L ASV radar modifier for coastal air search - different from the unsuccessful xxx FuMO 221: Naval designation for the FuMG 64 Mannheim.
German Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine Radar Equipment of World War II | Naval Air Search - Land Based - "Flugmeldung"
At the start of the war the "Luftwaffe" had four "Luftflotten" (air fleets), each responsible for roughly a quarter of Germany. As the war progressed more air fleets were created as the areas under German rule expanded. As one example, "Luftflotte" 5 was created in 1940 to direct operations in Norway and Denmark, and other "Luftflotten" were created as necessary. Each "Luftflotte" would contain several "Fliegerkorps" (Air Corps), "Fliegerdivision" (Air Division), "Jagdkorps" (Fighter Corps),"Jagddivision" (Air Division) or "Jagdfliegerführer" (Fighter Air Command). Each formations would have attached to it a number of units, usually several "Geschwader", but also independent "Staffeln" and "Kampfgruppen".
Luftwaffe | Organization and chain of command
Special grades existed for those sailors with six and eight years of service, denoted by embroidered sleeve chevrons. A further classification for Seaman was that of "Unteroffizier Aspirant". Such seaman were recognized as in training to become Petty officers and wore a silver grey bar beneath their sleeve chevron while in training and a "nested" chevron bar once training was complete. All seaman in petty officer training were denoted in correspondence as "(UA)" after their name and standard rank. Petty officers in the Kriegsmarine were known by the title "Maat". Once advanced to the grade of petty officer, sailors were addressed, both verbally and in correspondence, by their rate followed by the term "Maat".
Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine | Basic structure
Besides the experienced pilots transferred in from "Abwehr Kommando Nord/Kampfeinsitzerstaffel B", other two-seater pilots under "1. Armee" were also posted to the fledgling unit. Among the 18 aces in the World War I ranks were Hans von Keudell, Kurt Wintgens, balloon buster Hans von Freden, Gustav Leffers, Walter Höhndorf, and Leopold Reimann. The squadron's casualties for the war were twelve killed in action, one killed in a flying accident, four wounded in action, and one captured.
Jagdstaffel 1 | Personnel
The senior command was the Eleventh Naval Air Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Nishizō Tsukahara. Land based aircraft provided the bulk of Japan's naval aviation up to the eve of World War II. Each naval air fleet contained one or more naval air flotillas (commanded by Rear Admirals) each with two or more naval air groups. Each naval air group consisted of a base unit and 12 to 36 aircraft, plus four to 12 aircraft in reserve. Each naval air group consisted of several of nine, 12 or 16 aircraft; this was the main IJN Air Service combat unit and was equivalent to a in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service.
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service | Organization
In the Volksmarine of the GDR Fregattenkapitän was the middle grade of the senior officers' rank group, also comparable to NATO-rank code OF-4. It was comparable to the "Oberstleutnant" of the NPA Land Force and Air Force. The rank insignia consisted of a shoulder strap and sleeve stripes. Shoulder straps had to be worn on uniform jackets and consisted of twisted of silver-braids with two gold pips (stars) on padding in navy blue weapon color. Cuff insignia consisted of four stripes, and a five-point naval star above. In contradiction to Imperial-German Navy tradition, where sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs, the Volksmarine cuff strips formed 40% rings.
Fregattenkapitän | Volksmarine
However, as by the time they were ready the Germans were jamming GEE it is not clear whether any were ever deployed.
German Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine Radar Equipment of World War II | Freya & similar units
Enlisted sailors, who wore no insignia, were known by the generic term "Matrose" and used a rating system similar to other European navies of the day. Rating badges in the form of a small patch were worn on the upper left sleeve and indicated the particular specialty of the sailor in question. The enlistment system of the Kriegsmarine was designed to differentiate between those sailors wishing to make the navy a career and those simply completing a standard tour of enlistment. Those who were drafted, or who had no aspirations to become Petty Officers, could advance to become Matrosengefreiter (literally "Seaman Corporals").
Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine | Basic structure
Kriegsmarine personnel permanently assigned to shore stations, to include coastal artillery, wore a grey green uniform in the same style as the German Army. The uniform was worn with closed collar with collar tabs and shoulder rank epaulets. Officers wore standard epaulets while chiefs wore shoulder straps with rank pips and a centered anchor crest. Enlisted seaman wore dark green chevrons and a bare shoulder strap while petty officers wore a rank strap similar to that of an army "Unteroffizier".
Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine | Service Duty uniforms
The rank has never been used before by the Reichsmarine, the Kriegsmarine as well as in the GDR Volksmarine.
Oberstabsbootsmann | Germany
The "Nautikerkorps der Luftwaffe" was founded in 1938, for air surveying and non-combat navigation duties; all members were military officials of the elevated career recruited as "Militäranwärter" from former sergeant-navigators. New appointments in the corps ended in 1941. Suitable and willing navigators where then transferred to the officer corps of the flying troops. Of the 295 officials in the navigator corps, 81 had transferred to the officer corps at the beginning of 1942.
Luftwaffe personnel structure | Air Navigator Corps
"Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918" Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. , .
Justus Grassmann | References
During tactical operations, the Navy group commanders served in the same capacity as an operational fleet commander. Units under their command were organized into naval task forces, groups, as well as independently assigned units. The commanders of the task forces and groups were temporarily assigned, most often from the ranks of the naval type and flotilla commanders. One of the largest naval operations of the Kriegsmarine, the invasion of Norway, saw a naval order of battle consisting of a battleship force, six warship groups, as well as numerous other combat and support craft grouped into "objective groups" as well as temporary at-sea flotillas.
Organization of the Kriegsmarine | Tactical operations
These units were divided in the following form, for the fourth and last character normally used to distinguish individual "Staffeln" (squadrons) from the letter "H" onwards in Luftwaffe wing codes: On some occasions they also used letters G, Q, I, J, W and others, or numbers, but these were used less commonly. As day fighter Jagdgeschwader combat wings did not use the "Geschwaderkennung" four-character alphanumeric code system for aircraft identification, as one example, the all-jet Jagdgeschwader 7 "Nowotny" and piston-engined Jagdgeschwader 300 "Wilde Sau" fighter wings, these used the red-blue or blue-white-blue Reich Defense (German Reich metropolitan defense) rear fuselage bands of 90 cm total width respectively, for their "Stabsschwarm" units.
Stab (Luftwaffe designation) | Introduction
These were usually (although not always), experienced aircrew still flying on operations. Other specialist staff were navigation, signals and intelligence personnel. A "Gruppe" (plural "Gruppen") was the basic autonomous unit in the "Luftwaffe". It had no exact equivalent in the Allied forces, since it was smaller than a USAAF group or an RAF wing, but was also larger than an Allied squadron. A "Gruppe was usually commanded by a "Major" or "Hauptmann". Each "Staffel" (plural "Staffeln") usually had nine to 12 aircraft and was commanded by a "Hauptmann" or "Oberleutnant" . As such it was slightly smaller than a British, Soviet or US squadron.
Organization of the Luftwaffe | Tactical
The unit (Kōkūtai—"air group") with most air aces, was the Tainan Kōkūtai (in Formosa), the most famous group. They operated from Rabaul, New Britain and acquired their legendary fame over Taihoku (The Philippines), the Dutch East Indies, Lae and Buna (New Guinea) and, in the last stages of war, in defense of mainland Japan. Saburō Sakai was another member in this unit after Dutch Indies operations, from the Denpasar base on Bali. Others famous units with air aces were 3rd Air Corps (including Yoshiro Hashiguchi), 253rd Air Corps (with Tetsuzo Iwamoto and Hiroyoshi Nishizawa among its members), Genzan Air Group, and other groups.
List of Japanese Navy Air Force aces (Mitsubishi A6M) | Famous air units
Schniewind noted only 14 "Staffeln" (Squadrons) were at the disposal of the navy. Schniewind wanted X. "Fliegerkorps" be given responsibility for all air-sea operations and to assist naval–controlled units when required. He also asked for an allocation of the new Dornier Do 217 bomber, then under development, for naval use. Göring was limited naval squadrons to nine multi-purpose and six reconnaissance units but did not resist the suggestion X. "Fliegerkorps" be the main weapon in anti-shipping operations, but he refused to allow the navy's use of the Do 217 and insisted the He 115 would have to remain sufficient. He assured the navy the new type would go to X.
Fliegerführer Atlantik | World War II
German motorboats and inland waterway craft were placed under Kriegsmarine naval control in 1941 and formed into three flotillas. The original units were the "Donauflottille", "Rheinflottille", and the "Flußräumflottille Niederlande". These units administrated German motorboats on the Danube, the Rhine and within the territorial waters of the Netherlands. The units were slightly reorganized in 1942 when the Danube flotilla was renamed as the "Maasflottille". The standard rank for a service craft flotilla commander was "Kapitänleutnant" with the flotilla commanders answering to the Leader of Motorboats.
Surface flotillas of the Kriegsmarine | Service craft flotillas
Although not keen on a staff position, soon after Galland's appointment, he planned and executed the German air superiority plan (Operation Donnerkeil) for the "Kriegsmarine"s (German navy, or War Marine) Operation Cerberus, from his headquarters at Jever. The German battleships , and heavy cruiser sailed from Brest, France, up the English Channel to Kiel, Germany. The operation caught the British off guard. The RAF attempted to intercept with the forces available, but the German fighter defences were able to shoot down 43 RAF aircraft with 247 British casualties. The Luftwaffe had prevented any damage on the ships by air attack.
Adolf Galland | High command (1941–45)
German artillery craft, which were essentially manned artillery and anti-aircraft guns mounted on ocean and river barges, were grouped into eight separate flotillas ("Artillerieträger-Flottillen") during the Second World War. These units had originally been formed in 1940 as two separate "Flakjäger-Gruppe" before being re-designated as "Flakjäger-Flottille" in 1941. The following year, the units were again reorganized into artillery barge flotillas. The standard rank for an artillery barge flotilla commander was "Kapitänleutnant" with the flotilla command administrative in nature and operating from shore offices. The standard complement of an artillery barge flotilla was between fifteen and eighteen vessels, designated as "AF" craft.
Surface flotillas of the Kriegsmarine | Artillery barge flotillas
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches (Imperial German Flying Corps) abbreviated to Die Fliegertruppe—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, although that is not a literal translation of either name. German naval aviators of the were an integral part of the Imperial German Navy (). Both military branches operated aeroplanes, observation balloons and airships.
Luftstreitkräfte | Introduction
The use of aircraft as a tactical reconnaissance tool, to serve within the "Deutsches Heer"'s "Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches" air service formed in 1910, was established by the German Army in its annual exercise in June 1911. Early usage was limited to providing post-flight situation reports. At the start of World War I, there were thirty-three units, comprising one allocated to each of the eight Army Headquarters and one to each of the twenty-five regular Corps Headquarters. Each unit, having a designation number usually matching that of the army group it was assigned to, was equipped with either six Idflieg Category A (unarmed monoplane) or Category B (unarmed biplane) two-seater aircraft.
Feldflieger Abteilung | Composition
Following his return from Japan, Losigkeit joined the staff with the "General der Jagdflieger" (Inspector of Fighters), an office held by "Oberst" Adolf Galland. Fearing a British invasion of Norway, Adolf Hitler had ordered the "Oberkommando der Marine" (OKM—German Navy high-command) to return the German battleships and and the heavy cruiser from their current location in Brest in Brittany to German bases. The "Kriegsmarine" successfully transferred the ships on 11–13 February 1942 in Operation Cerberus, also known as the "Channel Dash". Further "Kriegsmarine" vessels were ordered to Norway to combat the convoys heading to the Soviet Union. To protect these naval units from aerial attacks, Galland instructed Losigkeit with the creation of a fighter unit on 14 February.
Fritz Losigkeit | "Jagdgruppe Losigkeit"
The "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht" kept separate Knight's Cross lists, one for each of the three military branches, "Heer" (Army), "Kriegsmarine" (Navy), "Luftwaffe" (Air force) and for the "Waffen-SS". Within each of these lists a unique sequential number was assigned to each recipient. The same numbering paradigm was applied to the higher grades of the Knight's Cross, one list per grade.
List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of the U-boat service | Recipients
The commissioned officers of the Luftwaffe could either be non-restricted or restricted line officers, or non-line officers. Non-restricted officers were "Truppenoffiziere", troop officers, and "Generalstabsoffiziere", general staff officers. Resttricted line officers were ordnance officers and engineering officers. Non-line officers were of two kinds, special career officers, "Offiziere der Sonderlaufbahnen," contained medical officers and directors of music, while "Truppensonderdienst", the special troop officers, were created in 1944 by the transfer of supply officers and judge advocates from the military officials class. The Air force engineer officers were to replace the Air engineers of the military officials class, but only a very limited number of such officers were trained before the end of the war.
Luftwaffe personnel structure | Corps