22.08.2017

Research notes - Unit strength reports part III

As I have described the weekly and later on in the war strength reports from the Generalquartiermeister 6 Abt I thought I should present how these looked at Luftflotte level.

I have been fortunate to locate some examples of such strength reports from Luftflotte 5 - the center of my research interest - in the attachments to the war diary of said unit for October 1943.

These were collected daily and as you see they contained not only the number of aircraft and crews - but also the location of the unit.

Details on detachments were also included as shown in the below examples for II. and III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 5, which both had a detachment (Kommando - abbreviated Kdo.) in Alta and at Pontsalenjoki respectively.

I am always interested in the columns of such reports - what do they represent -  and what can we thus expect to find in more cryptic versions of these documents? By cryptic I refer to the teleprinted versions of these reports which would be sent to higher commands in abbreviated and shortened form - often as numbers with the letter x as divider.





For these reports we have the following columns:


  • Verband
  • Ort
  • Flugzeuge
    • Muster
    • Soll
    • Ist
    • Dazu zugewiesen, nicht übernommen
    • Klar
      • Einsatzhafen
      • Ausserhalb
  • Besatzungen
    • Ist
    • Einsatzbereit
      • voll
      • eingeschränkt
  • Einsatzfähig
  • Vortag
Translated this would read:

  • Unit
  • Location of the unit - airfield, landing ground or station
  • Aircraft
    • Aircraft model and subtype
    • Established strength (number of aircraft)
    • Current strength (number of aircraft)
    • Additional number of aircraft allotted but not yet taken on strength
    • Number of aircraft ready for operations
      • At the reported airfield, landing ground or station
      • In other locations
  • Aircrew
    • Current strength (number of complete crews)
    • Number of aircrew ready for operations
      • Fully ready
      • Limited readiness state
  • Summary - count of aircraft and crew to use for the tactical operational state of the unit on this date
  • Summary - count of aircraft and crew to use for the tactical operational state of the unit  on the previous day

And as always I check the Verteiler - the list of units which this document was distributed to in copy. As you can see here this copy is the one that was distributed to the Ia - the head of operations. In addition copies of this document was distributed to:
  • Chef der Generalstab
  • Two copies to different offices of the Oberquartiermeister
  • One to the Gefechtsstab located in Kemi, Finland
  • One copy to the chief engineer, Chef - Ing. 
  • The last copy to the Luftgaukommando Norwegen.
In following the paper trail one can expect to find copies of these in all the above mentioned archives or war diaries - and although most of the Luftwaffe archives was destroyed you can get lucky!

Enjoy and have a nice day!    

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