Can someone make sense of Luftwaffe markings?

[PatrickAWlson]

First there were no fuselage bands,  Then there were theatre bands - red and yellow for us.  Then JGs each had their own color, except those who didn't.

Nose markings were yellow at first  then went all over the map.\

Unit  markings- Geschwader, Gruppe, Staffel sometimes one, sometimes another, sometimes more than one, sometimes none at all?

 

If I put red bands on western front planes and yellow bands on eastern front planes from 1941 until 1944 and then put JG color bands after that - if the JG had a colored band, would that be about right?

 

Did Germans put both Geschwader and Gruppe emblems on their planes?

 

Nose markings I can probably come up with something reasonable but if anybody has anything definitive it is appreciated.

[Stonehouse]

May help you but I get the impression - particularly towards the end of the war - things became less and less standardised

 

https://www.asisbiz.com/Battles/camouflage.html

 

In my notes I have this for KGs - sorry cannot remember where I got the quote from

Spoiler

For bombers, I could only find the following regarding the system that was used immediately preceding the war. The markings changed, but perhaps the colour system was kept?

 

"------ - -- --- -- - Staffel Colour White Red Yellow Blue Green Colour ------ ----- --- ------ ---- ----- -------

Staffel 1 4 7 10 13 White

Last Letter H M R U X

Staffel 2 5 8 11 14 Red

Last Letter K N S V Y

Staffel 3 6 9 12 15 Yellow

Last Letter L P T W Z"

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2022 by Stonehouse

[PatrickAWlson]

@Stonehouse It answered the squadron emblem question.  Looks like the JG emblem went on the nose.  The Gruppe emblem was a bit in front of the cockpit.  Personal markings were below the cockpit.    

 

 

[Stonehouse]

On 10/27/2022 at 12:49 AM, PatrickAWlson said:

@Stonehouse It answered the squadron emblem question.  Looks like the JG emblem went on the nose.  The Gruppe emblem was a bit in front of the cockpit.  Personal markings were below the cockpit.    

 

 

This one talks about the fuselage bands as well. As you can see it mentions how compliance with the official standard became less and less as the situation deteriorated for the Luftwaffe. The article below mentions mid 1943 at the time large day and night bombers raids began to happen for the white rudder and then 1944 for defense bands. Doesn't mention the Eastern front though.

 

Asisbiz Art Luftwaffe Reich Defence Bands Reichsverteidigung mark variations

Edited October 28, 2022 by Stonehouse