World War II German Luftwaffe Unit Badges
Created by Keith Heitmann, Prodigy ID#GVXV90A

IJG27 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 1st GRUPPE of  JG27.
IJG3   - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 1st GRUPPE of  JG3.
IJG400-Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the  1st GRUPPE of JG400. (Me163)
IJG54 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 1st GRUPPE of JG54.
IZG1  - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 1st STAFFEL of ZG1. 
IZG26- Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the  1st GRUPPE of ZG26.
IZG52- Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the  1st GRUPPE of ZG52.
IIJG27- Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the  2nd GRUPPE of JG27.
IIJG3 -  Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the  2nd GRUPPE of JG3.
IIJG400-Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the  2nd GRUPPE of JG400. (Me163)
IIJG54 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 2nd GRUPPE of  JG54. 
IIZG2 -  Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 2nd GRUPPE of ZG2.
IIZG76 - Aircraft wearing this badge also belonged to the 2nd GRUPPE of ZG76.
IIIJG1 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 3rd GRUPPE of JG1.
IIIJG27 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 3rd GRUPPE of JG27.
IIIJG3 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 3rd GRUPPE of JG3.
IIIJG5 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 3rd GRUPPE of JG5.
IIIJG52 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 3rd GRUPPE of JG52.
IIIJG54 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 3rd GRUPPE of JG54.
IIIJG77 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 3rd GRUPPE of JG77.
IVJG27 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 4th GRUPPE of JG27.
IVJG54 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 4th GRUPPE of JG54.
VJG3   - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 5th STAFFEL of JG3.
9.JG54 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 9th STAFFEL of JG54.
9.ZG26 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 9th STAFFEL of ZG26.
JG1 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 1. (Early war)
JG1NO2 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 1. (Late war)
JG2 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 2 "Richtohfen".
JG26 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 26 "Schlagater".
JG5 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 5 "Eismeer".
JG51 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 51 "Molders". 
JG52 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 52.
JG52NO1 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 52 "Legion Kondor".
JG53 -Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 53 "Pik As".
JG54 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 54 "Grunherz".
JG7 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 7. (Me262)
SKG200 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Stukageschwader 210.
STABJG27 Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Jadgeschwader 27. (Staff flight)
ZG26 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to Zerstorergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel".
9.JG2 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the 9th STAFFEL of JG2 "Richtohfen".
KG3  - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the Kampfgeschwader 9.
KG27 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the Kampfgeschwader 27.
SKG1 - Aircraft wearing this badge belonged to the Stukageschwader 1.

Jagdwaffe: Organization and Aircraft Identification Markings

The basic tactical element in the Jagdwaffe (Fighter arm) was the Rotte, 
consisting of two aircraft. Two rotten formed a Schwarm and three or four 
Schwarms made a Staffel. Similarly, three Staffeln formed a Gruppe and 
three or four Gruppen formed the largest mobile, homogneous unit in the 
Jagdwaffe, the Jagdgeschwader. The sizes of gruppen and Jagdgeschwadern 
varied depending upon the tactical objective and the number of aircraft 
and pilots available. Although the Geschwader was under a single command, 
it did not necessarily operate as a unit from the same base, or even from 
the same front. The Jagdwaffe was a verly flexible organization, and th
e subunits of Gruppe and even Staffel were often distributed to various 
assignments hundreds of miles apart, as the tactical situation demanded. 
For identification purposes, each Jagdgeschwader was given an arabic numeral 
preceded by the abbreviation for Jagdgeschwader, JG. Therefore, 
Jagdgeschwader number 51 would be written as JG51. The Gruppen were given 
Roman numerals which appeared before the Jagdgeschwader identification but 
separated from it with a slash. II Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 would be 
writtn as II/JG51. 
An Arabic numeral was given to each Staffel, and it was also written before 
the Jagdgeschwader identification thus: 3/JG51 or 3.JG51 for Staffel 3 of 
JG51. The Staffel is identified relative to the Jagdgeschwader in leiu of the 
Gruppe.The reason that it was not confusing to identify the Staffel in this 
manner is because specific Staffeln are assigned to each Gruppe, and once the 
pattern is memorized, the Staffel written identification tells at a glance 
the Gruppe and Geschwader as well. Stafeln 1,2, and 3 were assigned to Gruppe 
I; Staffeln 4, 5, and 6 to Gruppe II; Staffeln 7, 8, and 9 to Gruppe III, 
Staffeln 10, 11, 12 to Gruppe IV. Therefore 3.JG51 tells us that it refers to 
the 3rd Staffel in the I Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51. With this arrangement, 
it was necessary to really identify the various aircraft in the Staffel and 
a combination of colors and numbers was developed. the planes in each staffel 
were number from 1 to 12. This number appeared on the fuselage side between 
the cockpit and the cross. Staffeln 1, 4, 7, and 10 used white numbers; 2,4, 
8, and 11 used red numbers; 3, 6, 9, and 12 used yellow numbers. Similarly, 
each Gruppe was given an identification symbol located on the fuselage 
between the cross and tail. I Gruppe had no symbol; II Gruppe was assigned a 
horizontal bar; III Gruppe at the onset used a horizontal wavy bar and later 
switched to a vertical bar; IV Gruppe initially used a round dot, but this 
was often confused with the British roundel or corcarde insignia and was 
soon changed to a small latin cross. This system told the viewer at a glance 
the pilot, staffel, and Gruppe; for example a plane sporting a white 3 and a 
vertical bar is aircraft No.3 from Staffel 7 in Gruppe III, because we know 
that Staffels 7, 8, 9 are assigned to Gruppe III, but only Staffel 7 uses 
white numbers. Staffelkapitan generally flew plane No.1 in his Staffel. 
Special symbols were assigned fo the Geschwaderkommodore and his staff, while 
similar, but not identical symbols were used for the Gruppenkommandeur and 
their staffs. Geschwader and Gruppen staff flew in the own Schwarm rather 
than part of an integrated group. Staff markings were black with white 
outlines.

German aircraft in WWII carried a wide variety of markings, but many were
strickly controlled. However personal and unit markings showed great color
and a heraldic tradition. Many aircraft carried the required Luftwaffe
aircraft markings, geschwader badge, gruppe markings, staffel badges and the
personal markings of the pilot all at the same time, while others carried 
very little in the way of colorful markings.

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