Organization of the Luftwaffe ( 1933 – 45 ) Between 1933 and 1945 , the organization of the Luftwaffe underwent several changes . Originally , the German military high command decided to use an organizational structure similar to the army and navy , treating the branch as a strategic weapon of war . Later on , during the period of rapid rearmament , the Luftwaffe was organized more in a geographical fashion . Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles ( 1919 ) , Germany was prohibited from having an air force , with the former German Empire ' s " Luftstreitkräfte " disbandment in 1920 . German pilots were secretly trained for military aviation , first in the Soviet Union during late 1920s , and then in Germany in the early 1930s . In Germany , the training was done under the guise of the German Air Sports Association ( ( DLV ) ) at the Central Commercial Pilots School ( ( ZVF ) ) . The formation of the German air arm was openly announced in February 1935 , with Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring as its Commander - in - Chief ( ) , in blatant defiance of the Versailles Treaty . Initial plans were for long - term growth of the Luftwaffe over a period of five years with the intention of using the Luftwaffe as a strategic force . These plans were changed several times , especially after the death of Walter Wever and the succession of Ernst Udet . The focus and role of the Luftwaffe became one of ground support for the German Army during its Lightning War ( ) campaigns . Göring , using his political capital , was able to get significant resources allocated to the Luftwaffe , more so than the army ( ) or the navy ( ) . This made the Luftwaffe one of the most powerful force in Europe during its initial years . Partly due to its ground support role , the Luftwaffe was reorganized in a fashion similar to the army units , with one unit controlling a specific area . Each Luftwaffe unit was self - contained and had complete control over all aspects of Luftwaffe forces in that area . Before becoming head of the Luftwaffe , Göring was Interior Minister of Prussia . In this position he had formed his own army , starting from a 400 men police department to regiment size . When Göring took over the Luftwaffe , he brought the regiment along with him to the Luftwaffe and created his own ground forces in the form of Luftwaffe Field Division s and Paratrooper Regiments ( ) under the Luftwaffe . He eventually included a tank regiment ( Fallschirm - Panzer Division ) , " Flak " units and a signals regiment ( ) under the Luftwaffe umbrella . Formation and expansion . During the 1930s and 1940s , air power had not matured enough to be considered a dominant weapon of war . Unlike the other two forces , air power did not have past experience to draw upon . This resulted in the air force having to learn from experience rather than the classroom . There were no cohesive ideas for the organization of a structured , modern air force . One train of thought subordinated the air force to the army in support of land operations and to the navy for maritime tasks . It would be staffed by soldiers or sailors trained to fly . The second theory envisioned a centralized , well organized air force to be used as a weapon of war , like the army and navy . German aviators from World War I , followed this thought process . Since they had the backing of the German political leadership , this is how the Luftwaffe was originally conceived and formed . Following the tradition of putting a soldier in charge of the army and a sailor in charge of the navy , an aviator was designated to lead the Luftwaffe : " Reichsmarschall " Herman Göring , also the cabinet minister for aviation . Göring formed a Luftwaffe high Command ( ) for operational management . Within the German air force leadership , the general opinion was that the Luftwaffe was a tactical rather than a strategic air force . Hence , in order to support the various army groups , the Luftwaffe was organized in similar fashion to the army . Its units had a flexible composition with sub - units being added or removed when necessary . These sub - units tended to be semi - autonomous and highly mobile . This offered the flexibility required to support the ground units . From the start of the Spanish Civil War , the Luftwaffe was in action continuously without the time for rest or training . Multiple political acts and the consequent need for a show of strength forced the Luftwaffe to be in a perpetual state of readiness . This did not allow time for organizational strategy . Göring complicated the hierarchy by bringing the paratrooper ( ) and Flak corps ( anti - aircraft units ) under his command . Due to his political differences with the army leadership , he raised his own police force as Prussian Minister of the Interior . This later became the Paratroop Tank Corps ( ) . By September 1939 , the Luftwaffe had a total of 4 , 000 aircraft and 400 , 000 personnel . This strength had grown to 1 , 700 , 000 by 1941 . In total , 571 , 000 of these were in anti - aircraft units and another 18 percent were in the signals branch . Only 36 percent or 588 , 000 comprised air - crew , but this also included the aircraft maintenance personnel . At the end of the war on 8 May 1945 , more than 97 , 000 air - crew would be reported dead , wounded or missing . Organizational levels . All aspects of aviation including the Luftwaffe , came under the control of the " Reichsluftfahrtministerium " ( RLM ) , the Reich Air Ministry . Since the Luftwaffe was one of the three armed forces , it came under the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces from a military command point of view ( ) ( OKW ) . Göring was the cabinet minister of aviation ( ) during most of this period . He also served as the Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe ( ) . As a cabinet minister , he was responsible for civil aviation and all aspects of aircraft manufacturing and supply . Operationally , the Luftwaffe command was shared by the Inspector of Combat Flight ( ) and the Inspector of Fighters ( ) along with the Secretary of State for Aviation . The German air force was divided into three operational branches : These three branches were further divided into sub - branches such as Paratroops , air engineering , air medical corps and air - crew . Since the Luftwaffe was organized in a geographical fashion rather than on a strategic functional basis , it had an independent administrative as well as an operational command structures . Each geographical area had its own supply and maintenance corps . For this reason , any aviation units moving within that geographical area did not need to carry its own maintenance staff . This allowed for a great deal of mobility within the Luftwaffe . Strategic . Strategically , all three German military forces were part of a single service called , " The Defensive Power " ( ; from ( Verb ) , to defend ; and , the Power , Might ) controlled by the " " ( OKW ) ; the head of the OKW was part of the Cabinet . Within the OKW , each service was headed by its own operational command : The top levels of control of the Luftwaffe resided with the RLM , the German Air Ministry and its operational branch , the " Oberkommando der Luftwaffe " ( OKL ) , or Air Force High Command . These institutions together were responsible for the direction of research , production and overall maintenance of aircraft . As head of the Luftwaffe , Göring was responsible for the overall war effort and for the resources sent to a particular region . As a cabinet minister , he was able to get significant resources and personnel allocated to the Luftwaffe compared to other branches of the armed forces . In 1945 , close to the end of the war , Robert Ritter von Greim replaced Göring as Commander in Chief . Operational . The OKL , as the operational branch of the RLM , had complete control over unit movements , formation and personnel transfers . It had a strength of 25 , 000 personnel in 1939 . On an operational level , the Luftwaffe was divided into air fleets ( ) . Each air fleet was responsible for a particular geographic region . They were self - contained units equipped with all types of aircraft and their own supply elements , maintenance staff , administration and legal departments . At the start of the war the Luftwaffe had four " Luftflotten " , each responsible for roughly a quarter of Germany . As the war progressed , three more were created as the areas under German rule expanded . " Luftflotte 5 " was created in 1940 to direct operations in Norway and Denmark . The commander of each " Luftflotte " was responsible for all fighter as well as support operations within that region . A fighter leader ( ) ( Jafü ) was responsible for fighter operations within that region and reported to the commander . Each " Luftflotte " in turn was divided into many air districts ( ) and air corps ( ) . The purpose of a " Luftgaue " was to provide administrative and logistical support to each airfield , whereas the " Fliegerkorps " controlled all operational matters . The " Luftgau " headquarters command consisted of one " Generalmajor " and a staff of 50 to 100 officers . Each " Fliegerkorps " would have a number of units under its command . These were usually several wings ( ) , but sometimes also specialized squadrons ( ) and battle groups ( ) . Tactical . Each " Geschwader " within the " Fliegerkorps " was roughly the size of an RAF wing , with about 90 to 120 aircraft under its command . These numbers varied as sub - units were added or removed . Each wing had a particular task ( such as fighter , bomber , or transport duties ) and were mostly equipped with aircraft appropriate to that task . Other types of aircraft were also sometimes attached . A " Geschwader " was commanded by a " Geschwaderkommodore " , with the rank of either a major , lieutenant colonel ( ) or colonel ( ) . The unit also had other staff officers with administrative duties such as the ) , technical and operations officers . These were usually ( although not always ) , experienced aircrew still flying on operations . Other specialist staff were navigation , signals and intelligence personnel . A headquarters flight or ( ) was attached to each " Geschwader " . Strategic level – " Oberkommando der Luftwaffe " . The OKW was the highest in the military command structure . It was responsible for the co - ordinated effort of the three military arms . It was headed by Wilhelm Keitel after he took over from war minister Werner von Blomberg in 1938 . Since the head of the Luftwaffe , Göring , was also a cabinet minister , any Luftwaffe operational orders would come from Hitler to him , who would pass them on to Luftwaffe leaders , bypassing the OKW . On 5 February 1944 , through the efforts of Günther Korten and Karl Koller , the Luftwaffe High Command ( ) ( OKL ) , was formed . Colonel General ( ) Hans Jeschonnek was appointed Chief of Staff of the OKL . This created a military command out of the all encompassing Reich Air Ministry ( RLM ) , controlling all aspects of aviation . The OKL covered general as well as operational staff of the Luftwaffe . The following parts of the Luftwaffe were under its command : The other components , such as armament and aircraft manufacturing remained under the control of the RLM . The OKL was led by the Chief of the General Staff . It was strategically divided into eight directorates ( ) numbered consecutively . The directorates were : There were also 17 Inspectorates : Operational level – " Luftflotten " and " Fliegerdivisionen " . Six " Luftkreise " ( Air Service Commands ) were established on 1 April 1934 . These were each the size of an Air Corps and were basic territorial units of the Luftwaffe following its geographical organization . Their headquarters were as given in the table : Each " Luftkreis " was led by a " Höherer Fliegerkommandeur " ( Senior Air Commander ) in charge of all aviation units within its area . These included , two or three " Luftgaukommandos " ( administrative commands ) , a signals command , a medical battalion and a procurement and supply group . Their area of operations also included civilian airfields and Civil Air Defense . The following year , all the replacement battalions in that area also came under their control . In 1936 , these were extended to regiment size or " Fliegerersatzregimente " . From 1935 – 36 , Flak units in the area also came under their command . Hermann Göring and Erhard Milch appointed retired army lieutenant generals to lead each " Luftkreis " . These were Hans Halm , Edmund Wachenfeld and Leonhard Kaupisch . They were promoted to " General der Flieger " . A retired navy officer , Konrad Zander , was similarly promoted and put in charge of " Luftkreis " VI supporting the naval units . Two Luftwaffe officers , Colonel Hugo Sperrle and Major General Karl Schweickhard were put in charge of the remaining two " Luftkreise " without being promoted . Operationally , the Luftwaffe organization underwent changes in July 1938 . " Luftkreise " were consolidated into three Luftwaffengruppenkommandos ( Airforce Group Commands ) . As a result , on 1 August 1938 , " Luftwaffenkommando Ostpreußen " ( Airforce Command East Prussia ) replaced " Luftkreis " 1 . This change also rendered the three digit " Geschwader " identifiers meaningless . From 1 November 1938 , " Geschwader " identifiers were changed universally . The third digit of the Unit Identifier was replaced with the same digit as its parent " Luftwaffengruppenkommando " . For example , all units under " Luftwaffengruppenkommando 1 " ( headquartered in Berlin ) , had the third digit of their identifiers replaced with a ' 1 ' . For units under " Luftwaffengruppenkommando Ostpreußen " , the third digit was replaced with a zero . By the end of April 1939 , another " Luftwaffengruppenkommando " was added . All four " Luftwaffengruppenkommando " were renamed " Luftflotte " ( Air Fleets ) . Geschwaders under each " Luftflotte " , were re - numbered sequentially . Each " Luftflotte " received a batch of 25 . For example " Luftflotte 1 " Geschwaders were numbered 0 – 25 , " Luftflotte 2 " Geschwaders became 26 – 50 and so on . " Luftgaue " . Within the Air Ministry , for administration purposes , the Luftwaffe was organized into " Luftgaue " ( Air Districts ) . It was led by a person of " Generalmajor " or air commodore rank and a staff of 50 to 150 Officers and enlisted personnel . A " Luftgau " was responsible for all administrative activities , such as training , administration , maintenance , air defense , signals , recruitment and reserve personnel . The " Generalmajor " leading each " Luftgau " reported to the Air Ministry . Those " Luftgaue " established within Germany were numbered non - consecutively with roman numerals . " Luftgaue " established in occupied Europe were named after their location . Each " Luftgau " had its own section for the following areas : These sections were numbered in Arabic numerals followed by a " Luftgau " designator . For example , section 3 of " Luftgau VI " would be designated ' 3 / VI ' . Flying units used the services of a " Luftgau through " " Flughafenbereichkommandanturen " ( Airfield Regional Commands ) . Each " Luftgau " usually had five such commands . Each regional command was divided into five or more " Einsatzhafenkommandanturen " ( Operational Airfield Commands ) . The operational commands were located at the airfields where it serviced the flying units . " Luftflotte " . Operationally under the OKL , all Luftwaffe units were organized into " Luftflotte " , which were equivalent to an army group . Its size and number of subordinated units , was flexible and changed depending on need . The " Luftflotten " were created according to the geographical area . As new territories came under occupation , new " Luftflotten " were created . Each " Luftflotte " , had an adjutant or staff officer assisting the commanding officer . Although a " Luftflotte " could be moved from one area to another by the RLM , the " Luftflotte " had absolute control over all aspects of aviation in that area , including ground operations . This also included legal , administration , signals and supply work . They were essentially divided into operational or administrative commands . The signal services consisted of three " Luft - Nachrichtenregimenter " ( signals regiments ) in a " Luftflotte " . There was also a " Fliegerabwehrkanone " ( Flak ) unit . " Fliegerkorps " and " Fliegerdivision " . A " Luftflotte " was operationally divided into one or more " Fliegerkorps " ( " Air Corps " ) of varying size , depending on its area of operations . They were responsible for all operational matters such as deployment , air traffic , ordnance and maintenance . A " Fliegerkorps " could potentially be loaned out to another " Luftflotte " depending on the nature of the operation . There were a total of 13 " Fliegerkorps " . Similar to the " Luftflotte " , each " Fliegerkorps " had its own geographical area of operations . It consisted of several Geschwader along with Reconnaissance " Gruppen " ( Groups ) . The Geschwader could be either fighter or bomber units . Depending on the nature or purpose of the " Fliegerkorps " , it would have only bomber or fighter units . Similar to the " Luftflotte " , a " Fliegerkorps " also had an adjutant as well as other departments . However , it did depend on the parent " Luftflotte " for administrative and supply purposes . The " Fliegerkorps " were numbered consecutively in Roman numerals . During the initial organization of the " Luftwaffe " , it was divided into " Fliegerdivisionen " . However during later reorganizations , most of these were replaced by the " Fliegerkorps " . Some remained in operation on the Eastern Front . A " Jagdkorps " was a more specialized version of a " Fliegerkorps " with limited responsibility to fighter command only . A " Jagd - Division " was subordinated to a " Jagdkorps " but specialized in fighter operations . Jagd - Divisionen ( fighter divisions ) were active at one point or other during this period . Together the fighter force of Luftwaffe was also called Jagdwaffe . The Luftwaffe also had dedicated divisions for testing new aircraft as well as captured allied machines . It was initially unnumbered and simply called the " Lehrdivision " ( " Instruction division " ) but in the later years several " Erprobungskommandos " were created to test specific new aircraft . Along with the aircraft , it was also responsible for testing anti - aircraft defenses and air signals equipment . The staff of this division was required to have prior combat experience . The " Lehr " units in this division were usually made part of operational units , receiving help from them for testing under combat conditions . This division did not undertake the testing of experimental aircraft . As the war went on , some of the units under its command were used for operational purposes . Tactical level – " Geschwader " , " Gruppe " and " Staffel " . " Geschwader " . In the Luftwaffe the largest mobile and autonomous unit was the " Geschwader " . A " Geschwader " was the equivalent of a Wing in the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) . It would be used for different purposes such as bombing , interception ( both single and twin engine ) , ground attack and reconnaissance . A " Geschwader " would be named , based on its purpose . There were several " Geschwader " with the same purpose . They would be named with an Arabic numeral following the word . It was also customary to give an additional title to a " Geschwader " in honor of a distinguished person . For example " Jagdgeschwader 2 " was named " Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen " in honor of Manfred von Richthofen . Each " Geschwader " was commanded by a " Geschwaderkommodore " . This person usually had the rank of " Oberst " ( equivalent to colonel ) , " Oberstleutnant " ( lieutenant colonel ) or major . He had a small staff along with an adjutant ( Staff Officer ) for operational as well as for administrative purposes . There would be a " Stabschwarm " ( staff flight ) of four aircraft including the Geschwaderkommodore ' s aircraft . Typically there were three " Gruppen " ( groups ) under each " Geschwader " and sometimes a fourth or even a fifth " gruppe " was added to single engine fighter " geschwader " . On several occasions , day fighter " Geschwader " or " Jagdgeschwader " were formed with four " Gruppe " strength from start . As the war progressed , the various sub - units of each numbered " Geschwader " operated separately and often on totally different fronts or theaters of war . " Gruppe " . The " Gruppe " was the basic autonomous unit in the Luftwaffe , in both administration and strategic use , much the same as in the American air forces of that time . Each " Gruppe " would have a " Gruppenstab " ( " Group Staff flight " ) of three aircraft . The " Gruppe " would be commanded by a " Gruppenkommandeur " , that would be a " major " or " Hauptmann " . He would have a small staff including administration , operations , medical and technical officers . A " Gruppe " usually occupied one airfield . " Gruppen " from the same " Geschwader " typically occupied adjacent airfields . Each would have an air signals platoon , mechanical and administrative personnel . There was also a trained fire - fighting crew doubling as police officers and staffed by the SS . As with the " Geschwader " combat wing formation , the " Gruppe " included staff officers tasked with additional administrative duties , usually an adjutant , technical , medical and operations officers . These officers were usually ( though not always ) , experienced aircrew or pilots appointed from the operational cadre within the unit . " Gruppen " organized within a combat wing were designated with Roman numerals : I , II , III and IV . This would be combined with the abbreviated " Geschwader " designation – for example , the second " Gruppe " of " Jagdgeschwader " 11 would be designated II . / JG 11 . Each " Gruppe " in turn consisted of three " Staffeln " ( squadrons ) . In total , each group had thirty to forty aircraft including the " Gruppenstab " . A " Gruppe " was often transferred from one " Geschwader " to another . After a transfer they would be re - designated . 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 . In the case of bomber Geschwaders , an " Ergänzungsgruppen " ( training group ) might be attached to a " Geschwader " as the fifth " Gruppe " and designated ' V ' ( Roman numeral 5 ) . Although all " Gruppen " in a " Geschwader " performed the same role , they were not always equipped with the same aircraft . This was more prevalent in fighter " Geschwader " , but did occur in bomber units as well . Some groups of a fighter " Geschwader " would be equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109s , while others would be equipped with Focke - Wulf Fw 190s . Among the bomber " Geschwaders " , some " Gruppen " would be equipped with Dornier Do 17 s while others would have either Heinkel He 111s or Junkers Ju 88s . There were several " Gruppen " acting in specialized autonomous roles . They were : Each " Gruppe " comprised three or four " Staffeln " , but by late 1944 a fourth " Staffel " was usually added to fighter units , making the established strength of the unit approximately 65 to 70 aircraft , although during the war years operational strength tended to fluctuate greatly . Personnel strength varied between 35 to 150 aircrew , and 300 to 500 ground personnel . During the mid - war years a fourth " Gruppe " was introduced in many " Geschwader " , initially as an operational training unit for new aircrew . However , these " Gruppen " soon became additional front - line units , performing the same tasks as their sister formations , while new " Ergänzungseinheiten " , or operational training units , were formed and took up their tasks . " Staffel " . A " Staffel " was the equivalent of a squadron . It usually had twelve aircraft but some had as few as five or six aircraft due to losses , while others had as many as 16 . It would be led by a " Staffelkapitän " ranking 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 . This was continued for the rest of the groups . When a " Staffel " was transferred from one group to another or from one " Geschwader " to another , it would be re - designated 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 " . The number of ground staff varied depending on its type , with about 150 for a fighter unit and 80 in a bomber unit – a smaller number of personnel were required in the bomber units as many of the servicing functions were carried out by attached units provided by the local " Luftgau " or " Air District " . After the mid 1942 successes of Operation Barbarossa , Soviet VVS nocturnal harassment bomber units such as the Night Witches , used obsolete Polikarpov Po - 2 biplanes against the invading Germans . The Luftwaffe began to set up their own nocturnal harassment Staffel - sized forces known as " Störkampfstaffeln " . Eventually " Gruppe " - sized " Nachtschlachtgruppen " were used for the same general purpose as the Soviet units . The Luftwaffe ' s own harassment aviation units also used similarly obsolete aircraft , but of German design . The Heinkel He 46 , Arado Ar 66 , Focke - Wulf Fw 56 and even the standard training biplane , the Gotha Go 145 , were all deployed in their efforts at attempting to emulate the success of the Soviets . A few specialized " Staffel " sized units existed within the Luftwaffe for such specialized tasks as weather observation " Wettererkundungsstaffeln " , ( contracted to " Wekusta " ) , specialized weaponry ( a so - called " Staffel 92 " was meant to be equipped with the cannon - armed Ju 88P - series of bomber destroyer fighters ) and even outside the actual Luftwaffe , such as aircraft factory - operated defense " Staffeln " . " Schwarm " , " Rotte " and " Kette " . A ' was divided into three ' ( Plural ; Singular , literally " the swarm " ) ( or flight s ) consisting of four to six aircraft . A fighter ' was divided into two ' ( Plural ; Singular ) which was a pair of aircraft . The " " was the basic fighting unit , consisting of a leader and a wingman . A bomber ' was divided into a ' ( , Singular , lit . " chain " , Plural ) of three aircraft flying in a " V " formation . Air Combat Tactics " Finger - four " formation . During the Spanish Civil War , Luftwaffe aces Werner Mölders and Günther Lützow created a new formation strategy for fighter wings ( ) . It had two aircraft flying in a loose pair called a ' Pack ' ( ) . Two pairs constituted a flight ( ) . The four aircraft were flown in what was called the " Finger - four " formation . These aircraft were spread apart so that each pilot was offered maximum visibility . This arrangement was so successful that Soviet pilots in the Spanish Civil War followed the same technique . However , on returning home , they had to revert to the standard " V " formation . Douglas Bader , the British pilot , was the first RAF leader to adopt the " Finger four " formation in 1940 . Japan also adopted the " Finger four " in World War II . In this formation , where each aircraft flew in positions similar to the fingers of an open hand ( hence the name ) , the leader ( ) was at the front , while on his left wingtip was his partner from the " Rotte " . The other " Rotte " was on the right wingtip of the leader . The partner in the second " Rotte " being on the right wingtip of his partner . The " Rotte " fighting pair also added to its flexibility , as a " Schwarm " could easily break into two " Rotte " pairs without losing its fighting ability . The " Rottenführer " could attack enemy aircraft , leaving his wingman to watch for the enemy . It was much more flexible than the rigid three - aircraft " Vic " formation the RAF used at the start of the war . In the " Schwarm " the aircraft had plenty of space to maneuver , so they were free to scan the horizon for enemy aircraft rather than focusing on maintaining a close formation . This flexibility became apparent to the RAF during the Battle of Britain . Ground combat forces . Anti - aircraft units . Luftwaffe controlled the bulk of German anti - aircraft artillery ( commonly called " Flak " ) since 1930s . The smallest tactical unit of anti - aircraft artillery was a battery ( ) . Battery usually had four to six guns . The larger unit was a battalion ( " Flak - Abteilung " ) , composed of three to five gun batteries and a searchlight battery . Battalions would be " light " ( " leichte " ) , " mixed " ( " gemischte " ) , or " heavy " ( " schwere " ) , referring to the size of guns in their batteries . Flak guns in use were in two light calibers and three heavy calibers – light 20 mm and 37 mm ; and the heavy 88 mm , 105 mm , and 128 mm . The battalions were variously organized into regiment s ( " Flak - Regimenter " ) , brigade s ( " Flak - Brigaden " e . g . " Flak - Brigade XIX " ) , division s ( " Flak - Divisionen " , e . g . " 27 . Flak - Division " ) and flak corps ( " Flakkorps " ) , although the hierarchy was neither very strict or very stable throughout the history . Over the course of the war , the continuous attacks by first RAF , then USAAF bombers on German cities led to increases in the number of flak units deployed in Germany . Late in the war , AA units were bolstered by the use of foreigners and German youths . There were a total of 29 flak divisions . Each division generally consisted of five flak regiments , one searchlight regiment , three motorized flak transport battalions , one communications battalion , and supply troops . The number of transport battalions varied depending on location and need of transport of the divisions . The first of these was formed in Berlin on 1 July 1938 as the Air Defense Command ( " Luftverteidigungskommando " ) but later renamed as 1st . Flak Division . Paratroops . One of the unique characteristics of the Luftwaffe ( as opposed to independent air forces of other nations ) , was the possession of an organic paratrooper force ; the " Fallschirmjäger " . These were established in 1938 . They saw action in their proper role during 1940 – 1941 , most notably in the capture of the Belgian Army fortress at Eben – Emael and the Battle of the Netherlands in May 1940 . They also took part in the invasion of Crete in May 1941 . More than 4 , 000 " Fallschirmjäger " were killed during the Crete operation . Consequently , these forces were only used for smaller - scale operations , such as the successful rescue of Benito Mussolini , the then - deposed dictator of Italy , in 1943 . Fallschirmjäger formations were used as standard infantry in all theaters of the war . Armored Paratroop Division . As the Prussian Minister of the Interior , Göring formed an elite police force in early 1933 . It consisted of 400 men with its headquarters in Berlin . After several name changes within the following six months , it was named the " Landespolizeigruppe General Göring " . During the next two years , it grew to become the " Regiment General Göring " . After the formation of the Luftwaffe was announced , Göring transferred this unit to the German air arm . At that time , it consisted of the following units : In late 1937 , volunteers for the Paratroop Corps were combined in the " I . Jäger – Battalion " . This along with the " 15 . Pionier - Kompanie " formed the " IV . Fallschirmschützen - Battalion " . They still remained part of the " Regiment Hermann Göring " until March 1938 . In March they were renamed " I . / FallschirmJäger - Regiment 1 " . In late 1939 , the regiment had expanded even further and consisted of the following units : On 1 October 1944 , the division was expanded to become the " FallschirmPanzerkorps Hermann Göring " . In order to achieve this , another division called " Fallschirm - Panzergrenadier Division 2 Hermann Göring " was formed . This was staffed by fresh recruits from both the army and the Luftwaffe . Field Division . In early 1942 , in the east , the Luftwaffe formed seven " Feldregimenter der Luftwaffe " ( " Luftwaffe Field Regiments " ) . These were predominantly formed from volunteer or surplus Luftwaffe personnel . Their goal was to maintain airfield security against Soviet Partisan activity . Each regiment consisted of four battalions . Each battalion consisted of three light companies and one heavy company . They also had a headquarters company and one signals platoon . The heavy company operated twelve 20 mm cannon and four 88 mm dual - purpose guns . There was also an anti - tank battalion . It had two companies equipped with nine 5 cm PaK 38 and one company equipped with captured Russian 7 . 62 cm guns . Due to a lack of training in ground combat skills , these regiments were limited to defensive operations . Although intended to act as a single unit , the divisions were separated and served with army or with " Fallschirmjäger " units . While in the field , these units were tactically under the command of the army but administratively still under Luftwaffe control . Within the Luftwaffe , they came under the control of " XIII . Fliegerkorps " . Administratively , these units came under the control of four Luftwaffe Field Corps numbered I , II , III and IV . Each was commanded by " General Der Luftwaffe " ( " General of the Airforce " ) Headquarters . The strength of a Luftwaffe Field Division was half that of an army infantry division . It did have a mixed Flak battalion and an artillery battalion . The composition of the artillery battalion varied . The mixed flak battalion ( ) was formed as a part of the Luftwaffe Field Division . It had one heavy battery with three 20 mm cannons and four 88 mm guns along with twenty - seven 20 mm anti - aircraft guns . It had a headquarters staff as well as signals support troops . The Luftwaffe Field Division had a minimal administrative staff along with logistical support personnel in pioneer , medical and supply companies along with maintenance and other staff . Although the division gave the impression of strength , the reality was that it was barely the size of an army brigade . As of 28 October 1943 , the 1 . Luftwaffe Field Division reported an effective strength of 6 , 429 consisting of Officers , NCOs and enlisted men . But the fighting strength was only 2 , 779 . Although the army was short of manpower , Göring blocked the transfer of surplus Luftwaffe personnel to be trained for the army and instead increased the number of field divisions . Besides the lack of training and combat experience of the Luftwaffe commanders , the army had to supply equipment to these units . Instead of being used on quieter sections of the various fronts to relieve army units for use elsewhere , they were put into action where the Germans were hard pressed and suffered accordingly . Aircraft identification markings and camouflage schemes . Identification markings . Aircraft markings were used to distinguish friend from foe . There were several changes in identification markings from 1935 until the end of the war in 1945 . From 1933 to 1935 , civilian aircraft were painted with a bright red band with a black " Hakenkreuz " ( swastika ) in a white circle superimposed , shown only on the vertical stabilizer . From 1936 , the " Balkenkreuz " ( national cross with four equal arms ) , basically inherited from the early spring 1918 period of " Luftstreitkräfte " service when it first appeared in World War I , was applied in black and white , with somewhat different proportions ( one - quarter as wide as its length from end - to - end ) than the WW I - period insignia , and without the white border outlining the " ends " of the cross , the white borders forming four right - angled " flanks " around the central black core cross . It was painted on the fuselage about halfway between the wing and the tail and on the upper and lower sides of each wing . This helped in immediate identification . During the Spanish Civil War , where the Luftwaffe participated through the Condor Legion , aircraft were repainted with a white Andrea ' s Cross in a black circle . The tail was all white with Andrea ' s Cross on the rudder . In Germany itself , the " Balkenkreuz " was once again used as the national insignia on the fuselage and wings in six locations , initially with a very narrow set of four white " flanks " , which were widened around 1938 – 39 , with the usual " Hakenkreuz " on the vertical tail surfaces , usually on the fixed fin , but sometimes instead on the rudder ( as done on some Arado - designed aircraft ) and on airframe designs that either had a small fin or one braced with struts . Medical aircraft were painted with a red cross on a white circular background . Later on in the war when camouflage was more necessary , the " Balkenkreuz " had only a white or black outline in a " low - visibility " format , consisting only of the four right - angle " flanks " that had previously bordered the now - absent central black core cross of the " Balkenkreuz " , with the " Hakenkreuz " also frequently being done with a white or black border only , omitting the central black shape . Until 1935 , civilian aircraft only had a registration painted on . This was usually the letter D ( for " Deutschland " ) followed by three or four numbers . After 1935 , military planes carried , on the fuselage , an alphanumeric four - character " Geschwaderkennung " code with the " Balkenkreuz " after the first two characters , always consisting of one letter and one number in a unique combination for a specific " Geschwader " or " Gruppe " . The third letter always designated the individual aircraft ID within a " Staffel " , while the fourth letter designated the " Staffel " itself within the larger " Geschwader " or " Gruppe " unit it belonged to . Camouflage schemes . In the Luftwaffe , there were centralized regulations on field camouflage patterns . In practice , these were either amended or ignored . Units in various areas used their own way of painting the aircraft excepting the " Geschwaderkennung " alphanumeric unit identifiers . Units in the very northern parts of Europe used pale blue wavy lines on a gray background . Night units of both fighters and bombers , tended to color their aircraft completely black with a light brown or light gray pattern . which changed after 1942 After the beginning of 1942 , night fighters would normally be painted light gray on the upper surfaces and fuselage / nacelle sides , with light blue undersides , oversprayed with either irregular dark gray spots or irregular dark gray lines over all their upper surfaces , with the irregular lines meant to match the intricate patterns of ocean waves ( usually called " wave - mirror " camouflage ) as seen from the air , especially for interceptions of RAF night bombers over the North Sea . The nighttime skies over Germany usually had some light from either moonlight or even from city lights reflecting upwards into the skies , making a light base color effective for night fighters against sometimes cloudy or foggy skies below the night fighters ' usual combat altitudes . Reconnaissance and maritime aircraft operating over the North Sea tended to paint the underside light blue and the top side in a dark gray or dark green to resemble the sea . By 1943 , as economic conditions tightened , front line units used captured allied paint where available . Central control over camouflage relaxed even further . Later - deployed examples of both night fighters defending the Reich , and Heinkel He 177 heavy bombers used for night raids over England such as with Operation Steinbock , often returned to using flat black undersurfaces replacing the light blue previously used during the mid - war years . With units disbanding and reforming frequently , intricate patterns became less common . Dark green became more or less the standard . With deteriorating conditions and scarce supplies , various motley color schemes were used . This changed only for those day fighter and " destroyer " units that flew as part of the Defense of the Reich ( " Reichsverteidigung " ) campaign . Later in 1944 these units adopted the pattern of a distinct color band , or two - colored bands , around the aft fuselage , with each " Geschwader " usually having their own unique combination . Day fighter units . Single engine fighter units used chevron s to represent the pilot ' s rank or seniority . Bars , points or crosses to represent the " Gruppe " to which it belonged , and a number representing the " Jagdgeschwader " were also utilized . The " Geschwaderkommodore " of a fighter wing was represented by two chevrons and a vertical bar . The " Gruppenkommandeur " was represented by two chevrons ; while a " Gruppe " Technical Officer would have a single chevron and a circle . The " Geschwader " abbreviation such as JG 11 , ZG 110 was also applied . For a staff pilot , there would be a thick black line all around the aircraft . Some day fighter units also used geometric patterns of alternating black and white horizontal stripes on the engine cowling , or checkerboard patterns , also on the cowling . During the Defense of the Reich campaign , there was a general adoption of a system of colored rear fuselage bands , with unique combinations assigned to each " Jagdgeschwader " engaged in the campaign . Use of these colored fuselage bands was generally abandoned by mid - 1944 . At one point , a color scheme that painted the rudder in white , similar to what had been done during the North African Campaign , was trialled for units dedicated to Defense of the Reich duties . The unofficial way to represent one ' s unit was the unit badge . These were solely at the discretion of the commanding officer , so badges of all shapes , sizes and subjects appeared . On the Eastern Front , they were officially banned in later years as they provided intelligence to the enemy . Remaining units . " Geschwaders " , other than day fighters , during the war usually bore a four - character identification code , starting with a two - character alphanumeric " Geschwaderkennung " ( 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 groups and " Wekusta " weather observation squadrons , with " Staffel " sized units using the four - character alphanumeric code almost always using an " H " as the fourth and last character . Late in the war , the first two characters of the " Geschwaderkennung " code ( designating the " geschwader " ) were depicted on the fuselage sides in a much reduced size , possibly as a " low - visibility " security measure . The code tended ( though not always ) , to be omitted altogether by 1945 .