Request for info on LW Staffel colour markings for Bodenplatte

[TP_Silk]

Hi guys,

 

I am trying to put together a list of units that took part in the fight on January 1 1945 along with which colour the various Staffel Number markings were. I've managed to get a fair amount together already from the books Battle of the Airfields by Norman Franks and Bodenplatte by John Manrho and Ron Pütz.

 

If anyone is able to maybe help shed a little light on this I would welcome any info you may have. My intention is to make this info available to mission builders later on once complete.

 

So the units I am interested in are:

JG1

JG2

JG3

JG4    Info supplied below

JG6

JG11

JG26

JG27

JG53

JG54

JG77

SG4

KG51 (Me-262s)

JG7 (Me-262s)

 

 

Edited April 10, 2018 by TP_Silk

[JG4_dingsda]

JG4:

Stab - black numbers

1./JG4 - white numbers
2./JG4 - black numbers
3./JG4 - yellow numbers
4./JG4 - blue numbers

...

 

[MiloMorai]

Staffel color assignment when there were three Staffeln composing a Gruppe

Staffel	Gruppe	Color
1.	I.	White
2.	I.	Black or Red
3.	I.	Yellow
-	-	-
4.	II.	White
5.	II.	Black or Red
6.	II.	Yellow
-	-	-
7.	III.	White
8.	III.	Black or Red
9.	III.	Yellow
-	-	-
10.	IV.	White
11.	IV.	Black or Red
12.	IV.	Yellow

 

Staffel color assignment when there were four Staffeln composing a Gruppe

Staffel	Gruppe	Color
1.	I.	White
2.	I.	Black or Red
3.	I.	Yellow
4.	I.	Blue
-	-	-
5.	II.	White
6.	II.	Black or Red
7.	II.	Yellow
8.	II.	Blue
-	-	-
9.	III.	White
10.	III.	Black or Red
11.	III.	Yellow
12.	III.	Blue
-	-	-
13.	IV.	White
14.	IV.	Black or Red
15.	IV.	Yellow
16.	IV.	Blue

 

[TP_Silk]

@miloMorai - yes, I know what the accepted standard was, but thanks for posting it anyway. 

 

Having done some research already then Staffel numbers in Brown, Green, Red, Yellow, Blue, Grey, Black and White can all be found on aircraft recorded as lost during the Bodenplatte action, and often I've found that not even every Gruppe within a Geschwader will have the same colour coding sequence for its Staffeln, which is why I was asking for specifics for the various units listed. If all else fails then I will make educated guesses based on the standardised sequence as you have linked 

 

Here's a link to the document as it stands to illustrate what I mean https://1drv.ms/x/s!AumCbU9W2zRegga-SPPCDT8x9UDb

 

[MiloMorai]

It was more for others who might read the thread.

[LukeFF]

JG7 was not a participant in Bodenplatte.

[TP_Silk]

Luke - yeah, this is one of those things that I stumbled across and was unsure whether to include, but in the end decided to. I found two (admittedly not totally reliable) sources that claimed that elements of JG7 were involved. I'm having trouble re-finding the first (it was late last night that I found it), but the second is included here

Source = https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=83729

Quote

Operation Bodenplatte was carried out on 1 January 1945 by fourteen Luftwaffe units in an attempt to destroy the Allied air supremacy in NW Europe by attacking 18 Allied airfields. It was a disaster for the Luftwaffe and here are some figures. The German units involved were: 

JG 1, I. II. and III. 18 KIA and 6 POW and 1 WIA with 25 aircraft lost 
JG 2, I. II. and III. 23 KIA and 10 POW and 4 WIA with 37 aircraft lost 
JG 3, I. III. and IV. 11 KIA and 6 POW and 2 WIA with 19 aircraft lost 
JG 4, I. II. and IV. 17 KIA and 5 POW and 1 WIA with 23 aircraft lost 
JG 6, I. II. and III. 17 KIA and 6 POW and 6 WIA with 23 aircraft lost 
JG 7 Me-262 1 KIA and 0 POW and 0 WIA with 21 aircraft lost 
JG 11, I. II. and III. 23 KIA and 2 POW and 0 WIA with 25 aircraft lost 
JG 26, I. II. and III. 12 KIA and 8 POW and 4 WIA with 27 aircraft lost 
JG 27, I. II., III and IV. 11 KIA and 3 POW and 1 WIA with 15 aircraft lost 
JG 53, II. III. and IV. 11 KIA and 1 POW and 4 WIA with 27 aircraft lost 
JG 54, III. and IV. 7 KIA and 5 POW and 1 WIA with 13 aircraft lost 
JG 77, I. II. and III. 7 KIA and 3 POW and 0 WIA with 10 aircraft lost 
SchG 4, III. 3 KIA and 1 POW and 0 WIA with 4 aircraft lost 
KG 51, Me262As 0 KIA and 0 POW and 0 WIA with 0 aircraft lost 

 

 

Now I guess that JG7 may be included there by mistake or as part of the backlash by the Allies after the original raid. I really must learn to annotate my sources.

 

 

EDIT:

OK - I found the other reference. Among the list of Luftwaffe losses on page 210 of his book Battle of the Airfields, Norman Franks lists the following:

 

Jagdgeschwader Nr 7
Ltn Heinrich Lonnicker of 9 Staffel in Me262 A-1 with code 500021

Brought down near Fassburg and Killed

Edited April 10, 2018 by TP_Silk