| OB | Order of Battle | Recon | Reconnaissance |
| Abb. | Meaning | Translation | Abb. | Meaning | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFS | Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug | German Glider Institute | L | Lehr | Instruction |
| Eis | Eisenbahn | Railroad | L | Luft | Air |
| E or Erg | Ergänzungs | Operational training | LL | Luftlande | Glider |
| Erp | Erprobungs | Proving or testing | N | Nacht | Night |
| FA | Fernaufklärungs | Long-range Recon | NA | Nahaufklärungs | Short-range Recon |
| FD | Fliegerdivision | Air Division | S or Sch | Schlacht | Attack |
| G | Geschwader | Wing | SF | Schlachtflieger | Aerial Attack |
| Go | Gothaer Waggonfabrik | Company Name | SK | Schnellkampf | Fast-bomber |
| Gr | Gruppe | Group | sJ | schwere Jagd | Heavy fighter |
| GS | Grossraum-lastensegler | Large glider | St | Stuka | Dive-bomber |
| J | Jagd | Fighter | T | Transport | |
| Jabo | Jagdbomber | Fighter-bomber | Tr | Träger | Carrier |
| K | Kampf | Bomber or Battle | VK (S) | Verbindungs-kommando (Schlepp) | Communications unit (towed) |
| Kdo | Kommando | Command | Z | Zerstörer | Destroyer (twin-engined fighter) |
| KüFl | Küstenflieger | Coastal | z.b.V. | zur besonderen Verwendung | For special purposes |
| Abb. | Meaning | Translation | Abb. | Meaning | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS | Aerosilurante | Torpedo-bomber | Gr | Gruppo | Group | |
| Assalto | Ground-attack | Int | Intercettori | Interceptor | ||
| Aut | Autonomo | Independent | Not | Notturno | Night | |
| Ba'T | Bombardamento a'Tuffo | Dive-bomber | OA | Osservazione Aerea | Army Reconnaissance | |
| BGR | Bombardamento a Grande Raggio | Long-range bomber | RST | Ricognizione Strategica | Strategic recon | |
| BT | Bombardamento Terrestre | Land-based bomber | RST | Ricognizione Strategica Terrestre | Land-based strategic recon | |
| CB | Caccia Bombardamento | Fighter-bomber | Sq | Squadriglie | Squadron | |
| Comb | Combattimento | Ground-attack | T | Trasporto | Transport | |
| CT | Caccia Terrestre | Land-based fighter | Tuf | Tuffatori | Dive-bomber |
| Abb. | Meaning | Translation | Abb. | Meaning | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | Hävittäjä | Fighter | P | Pommitus | Bomber |
| LeR | Lentorykmentti | Air Regiment | T | Tiedustelu | Attack and Recon |
| LeLv | Lentolaivue | Squadron |
| Meaning | Translation | Meaning | Translation | Meaning | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombázó | Bomber | Osztaly | Group | Század | Squadron |
| Vádasz | Fighter | Zuhanó | Fast |
| Abb. | Meaning | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Fkp | Fliegerkompanie | Squadron |
The suffix zbV was often used for ad-hoc units, but when used in conjunction with KG, like II/KG zbV 172, it designated a transport unit. German uses a period after the number to show ordinal numbers i.e. 5. for 5th, but I've generally omitted them here for the sake of brevity. Arabic numbers referred to staffeln and geschwaders, Roman numerals to gruppen. These were always separated by a slash. Thus 9/KG 152 is read as the 9th Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 152 and IV/JG 26 is read as the 4th Gruppen of Jagdgeschwader 26 while NSGr 20 was the designation of Nachtschlachtgruppe 20.
Before 1939 the Germans used a system that assigned a meaning to each number within a geschwader's designation. The first digit numbered the geschwader among the other units of its type within a Luftkreis (Air District); The second depended on the mission of the unit, e.g. fighter or bomber, and is explained below; and the third digit was that of the lufkreis in which the unit resided. Units that transferred between Luftkreise were redesignated.
0=patrolMany units were redesignated in November '38, only to again be redesignated 6 months later. The only lasting legacy of the November change was the division of the fighter gruppen into light and heavy in anticipation of the entry into service of the Me 110 zerstörer. The Luftwaffe used the system from May 1939, with some changes, throughout the war. This renumbered most units on the basis the Luftlotten to which it was assigned. Each Luftlotte was allotted a block of 25 numbers to use, starting with Luftlotte 1's 1-25, and so on. The heavy fighter units that had yet to receive Me 110s were designated as per ordinary Jagdgruppen, but had 100 added to their number.
1=short-range reconnaissance
2=long-range reconnaissance
3=fighter
4=zerstörer (twin-engined fighter)
5=bomber
6=Stuka
7=transport
8=naval
9=shipboard observation
There were any number of exceptions to this rule, both before and after war broke out (transport, night fighter, reconnaissance, and maritime patrol formations being subject to their own rules throught out the war) of which I only propose to discuss a few. The number 5 seems to have been reserved for units serving in the Arctic, that theater being under the command of Luftflotte 5. A geschwader formed from another would often double the original's number. Examples include JG 11, formed from JG 1 and KG 66, from KG 6. Other than this new units most often were numbered in sequence starting from 1.
On two occasions the Germans redesignated and renumbered entire categories of units to simplify a complex situation. All ground-attack units were redesignated as Schlachtgruppen in October '43 to reduce the bewildering array of Schnellkampfgruppen, Stukagruppen and Schlachtgruppen, existing numbers were retained as much as possible for the sake of tradition. Similiarly Transportgeschwader was substituted for the clumsy Kampfgeschwader zbV.
The Gruppe (plural gruppen) was the smallest autonomous formation, although individual staffeln were often detached for short amounts of time. It usually comprised three staffeln, plus a small stab (headquarters flight) of three to six planes which totaled about 40 aircraft. As was their habit the Germans made many exceptions to this. Some examples include Ju 52 transport gruppen which had 4 staffeln plus a 5 aircraft stab for a total of 53 and Me 323 gruppen totaled around 15 aircraft. From mid-1944 onwards many fighter gruppen were expanded to 4 staffeln with a total of 68 aircraft. Many bomber geschwader had a fourth gruppe that acted as the operational training unit for the geschwader.
Between three and four gruppen and a small stab would make up a geschwader (wing). This was often more of a nominal association than a real echelon of command as the gruppen of a given geschwader were often scattered between multiple fronts.
Fliegerdivisionen (Flight Divisions) were the next higher step up the chain of command, but were often skipped. Late in the war Jagddivisionen were formed to control all fighters deployed in a area, such as northern France.
The Fliegerkorps (Flight Corps) was the next highest echelon in the early part of the war. This was a very flexible organization that usually controlled all air units in a particular sector. Some Fliegerkorps specialized in given tasks, but this wasn't a constant. Examples were VIII Fliegerkorps in close-support missions and X Fliegerkorps in anti-shipping missions. Late in the war Jagdkorps were formed to control all fighters deployed in a large area, such as western Europe.
The highest echelon of command was that of Luftflotte (Air Fleet). This was equivalent to an Allied Air Force, but did not specialize in any one task, unlike the Allied practice.
On occasion a Fliegerführer (Flight Leader) would be appointed to control all the aircraft of a given type in a sector. This seems to have been most often done with fighters, in this case known as Jafü, a contraction of Jagdfliegerführer.
The highest level of command was the squadra or zona aerea territoriale as it was known early in the war, and these controlled all operations within their area or responsibility, much like a German luftflotte. These directly controlled the stormi and independent units under their command without any intervening command echelons, unlike most other airforces of the period.
