Transportverbände Unit Histories

Transportverbände

(Transport Formations)

Introduction

General Background

The Luftwaffe’s mobilization plan dated 1 July 1939 called for the following transport formations to be operational by 1 September 1939: 1 Geschwaderstab, 5 Gruppenstäbe and 16 Transportstaffeln. From this humble beginning, the transport arm of the Luftwaffe grew to many units as Hitler’s aggression consumed most of Europe and drove deep into Russia and south into North Africa, thusly placing great strain on the Wehrmacht’s lines of supply. Until 1 May 1943, the principal transport units carried the designation “KG z.b.V.” and “KGr.z.b.V.” (Kampfgeschwader zur besonderen Verwendung = Bomber Geschwader for special employment, and Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung = Bomber Group for special employment). At first glance, this peculiar terminology looks like a crude attempt to disguise or camouflage the true nature of the transport formations, but according to one author (Green) these designations were used to lessen the psychological impact on the personnel serving in them who might have otherwise thought they belonged to a unit or branch of secondary importance. While Green’s hypothesis is highly debatable, it may hold some truth.

The transports units themselves took several different forms depending on their purpose. Aside from KG z.b.V. 1 and a few others that were permanent formations that came directly under the Lufttransportführer in Berlin, the great bulk of the units prior to 1 May 1943 were formed on a provisional or temporary basis for a specific operation using aircraft, instructors and other personnel taken from the multi-engine training schools. Most often these were quickly disbanded on conclusion of the operation and their assets returned to the schools. Other units took the form of individual transport Staffeln that were permanently assigned to a higher command such as a Fliegerkorps or special sea transport units used to fly personnel and supplies between harbors.

In late spring 1941, a type of auxiliary transport formation was set up that was called Luftverkehrsgruppe (Air Traffic Gruppe or Air Service Gruppe) or Luftverkehrsstaffel (Air Traffic Staffel or Air Service Staffel). With two or three exceptions, these were deployed on airfields in and around Berlin to help transport senior government and military personnel, fly special air cargo missions, reinforce the airlift capacity at the front during periods of special need, transport wounded to hospitals back in Germany, and help evacuate special category personnel (wounded, German nurses, female personnel, etc.) back to Germany during large-scale retreats, such as the rapid withdrawal from France in August 1944. The Luftverkehrs formations had Luftwaffe officers and air crew, but the aircraft were primarily serviced and maintained by Deutsche Lufthansa A.G. personnel at their repair facilities at Berlin-Staaken, -Tempelhof and -Rangsdorf.

Tables of Organization and Representative Strengths

Typically, and in accordance with the tables of organization, the Gruppenstab of a transport group consisted of a Gruppenkommandeur in the rank of Major or Oberstleutnant, a deputy group commander in the rank of Hauptmann, a technical (or engineering) officer who also served as the operations officer and was usually an Oberleutnant, a transportation officer in the rank of Oberleutnant who was responsible for the allocation and loading of cargoes, a navigation officer and a communications (signals) officer. Until 24 February 1944, the Gruppenstab had a Stabsstaffel or Stabsschwarm with an allowance of 5 aircraft.

Not all KStN tables survived the mass destruction of Luftwaffe records during the last year of the war, but what is known of the main ones for transport formations follows:

1177 (L)	Transportstaffel eines Fliegerkorps (Mot.) (Air Transport Staffel of a Fliegerkorps (Motorized))
1177b (L)	Transportstaffel (Für Sondereinsatz) (Mot.) (Air Transport Staffel (For Special Operations) (Motorized)
1178 (L)	Transportstaffel eines Fallschirmkorps (Air Transport Staffel of a Paratroop Corps)
1180 (L)	Transportstaffel des Chef des Nachschubwesens (Air Transport Staffel of the Director of Supply)
1181 (L)	Stab eines Transportfliegergeschwaders (Mot) (Staff of an Air Transport Geschwader (Motorized)) 1945 allowance: 6 officers, 44 NCOs and men, 1 liaison aircraft
1182 (L)	Stab einer Transportfliegergruppe (Mot) (Staff of an Air Transport Gruppe (Motorized)) 1945 allowance: 7 officers, 60 NCOs and men, 1 liaison aircraft (prior to 24 Feb 44 had 5 transport aircraft instead of the liaison aircraft)
1182a (L)	Stab einer Transportfliegergruppe (Schl) (Staff of an Air Transport Gruppe (Towing))
1183 (L)	Transportfliegerstaffel (Mot) (Air Transport Staffel (Motorized) 1945 allowance: 6 officers, 121 NCOs and men, 16 transport aircraft (prior to 24 Feb 44 had 12 transport aircraft)
1183a (L)	Transportfliegerstaffel (Schl) (Air Transport Staffel (Towing)
1202 (L)	Stab einer Transportfliegergruppe (Me 323) (Mot) (Staff of an Air Transport Gruppe (Me 323) (Motorized))
1203 (L)	Transportfliegerstaffel (Me 323) (Mot) (Air Transport Staffel (Me 323) (Motorized)) 1945 allowance: 3 officers, 218 NCOs and men, 12 Me 323 transports
1204 (L)	Stabsstaffel einer Transportfliegergruppe (Me 323) (Mot) (Stabsstaffel of an Air Transport Gruppe (Me 323) (Motorized))
(KStN unknown)	Transportfliegerstaffel (Ju 352) (Air Transport Staffel (Ju 352) 1945 allowance: 7 officers, 116 NCOs and men, 12 Ju 352 transports
5112 (L)	Stab einer Luftverkehrsgruppe (Staff of an Air Service Gruppe)
5113 (L)	Luftverkehrsstaffel (Air Service Staffel)

Wartime Organizational Changes

The most significant changes are noted below.

• In November 1942 (approximately), the airfield servicing company (Flughafenbetriebskompanie) that was a component of each transport Gruppe was removed and made independent as 1. – 27. Flughafenbetriebskompanie z.b.V. This measure reduced the personnel strength of each Gruppe from c. 600 to c. 450 while increasing the flexibility and efficiency of transport aircraft maintenance and servicing. The total number of aircraft allotted remained at 53 (5 + 4 x 12).

• On 21 April 1943, the Air Transport Commander (Lufttransportführer) in Berlin issued a wide-sweeping order doing away with the old “KG z.b.V.” designations and renaming and renumbering nearly all of the transport units. The order established 1 May 1943 as the effective date of the change, but units were allowed 15 days following that date to implement the change. Hence, many units were still using their old designations up to 15 May, but not after that date. There were a few exceptions to this rule (see TGr. 10), but only a few. Effective 15 May, all of the renamed and renumbered transport units came under XIV. Fliegerkorps, which was established the same date. The total number of aircraft allotted remained at 53 (5 + 4 x 12).

• On 24 February 1944, orders were issued to reduce the number of transport Staffeln in each Gruppe from 4 to 3 by disbanding 4., 8., 12. and 16.Staffel in TG 1, 2, 3 and 4 and to eliminate the 5 transport aircraft authorized for the Gruppenstäbe. The 12 surplus aircraft and crews from each of the disbanded Staffeln were then distributed to the remaining three Staffeln in each Gruppe raising their total from 12 to 16. The 5 surplus aircraft from the Gruppenstäbe were presumably turned in. The total number of aircraft allotted thus changed to 48 (3 x 16).

Bibliography (Published)

The more worthwhile resources (in approximate order of "substance"):

• "German Air Force Airlift Operations" by Generalmajor Fritz Morzik
• “Transporter-wer kennt sie schon !” by Karl Kössler
• “Geschichte eine transportflieger gruppe im II weltkrieg” by Kameradschaft ehemaliger transportflieger
• "Junkers Ju 52: A History 1930-1945" by Robert Forsyth

• "Le Junkers Ju 52: de la Lufthansa a la Luftwaffe" by Gregory Almeras
• "The Junkers Ju 52 Story" by Jan Forsgren
• "Luftwaffe at War #20: The Junkers Ju 52 – The Luftwaffe's Workhorse" by Morten Jessen
• "Junkers Ju 52 in de Blitzkrieg" by J.H. Schuurman & W. Kaak
• “Transporter - Luftwaffe transport units 1943-1945” by author Martin Pegg
• "Junkers Ju 52" by Waldemar Trojca
• "Aircraft & Legend: Junkers Ju 52" by Heinz Nowarra
• "Die Ju 52 im Zweiten Weltkrieg" by Janusz Piekalkiewicz

Some biographies:

• "Meine Erlebnisse als Ju 52 Transportflieger 1940-1944" by Horst Dinter
• "Meine Liebe zur Ju 52: Erlebnisse mit der Legendaren Ju 52 1939-45" by Joachim Eisermann

And many magazine-format references:

• "AirDOC WWII Photo Archive #1: Ju 52/3M" by AirDOC
• "Model Fan Encyclopedia #4: Junkers Ju 52" by AJaKS Miltary Books
• "Warpaint Series #81: Junkers Ju 52" by Hall Park Books
• "Luftwaffe Profile Series #14: Junkers Ju 52" by Schiffer Pubs
• "Waffen-Arsenal S-65: Ju 52 an alle Fronten im Einsatz" by Podzun-Pallas-Verlag
• "Flugzeug Profile #24: Ju 52" by Flugzeug Publikations
• "Junkers Ju 52 in Action" by Squadron-Signal

© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2022).

(1st Draft 2022)

Unit Histories

Below are to be found links to all of the Transportverbände Unit Histories held on this wiki. In some instances there will be an "Index" page in the left-hand column and links to individual unit histories in the right-hand column.

Exceptions to this are units covered by one individual page - they are listed in the left-hand column.

Index Page	Unit/History
KG.z.b.V 1	Stab/KG.z.b.V 1
	I./KG.z.b.V 1
	II./KG.z.b.V 1
	III./KG.z.b.V 1
	IV./KG.z.b.V 1
KG.z.b.V 2	Stab./KG.z.b.V 2
	I./KG.z.b.V 2
	II./KG.z.b.V 2
	III./KG.z.b.V 2
	IV./KG.z.b.V 2
KG z.b.V. 3	Stab/KG z.b.V. 3
KG z.b.V. 172	Stab./KG z.b.V. 172
	I./KG z.b.V. 172
	II./KG z.b.V. 172
	III./KG z.b.V. 172
	10(Sonderstaffel)/KG z.b.V. 172
KG z.b.V. 323	Stab/KG z.b.V. 323
	I./KG z.b.V. 323
	II./KG z.b.V. 323
	III./KG z.b.V. 323
KGr.z.b.V. 1
KGr.z.b.V. 2
KGr.z.b.V. 4/I
KGr.z.b.V. 4
KGr.z.b.V. 5
KGr.z.b.V. 6
KGr.z.b.V. 7
KGr.z.b.V. 8
KGr.z.b.V. 9
KGr.z.b.V. 10
KGr.z.b.V. 11
KGr.z.b.V. 12
KGr.z.b.V. 13
KGr.z.b.V. 20
KGr.z.b.V. 21
KGr.z.b.V. 22
KGr.z.b.V. 23
KGr.z.b.V. 24
KGr.z.b.V. 25 (1st Formation)
KGr.z.b.V. 25 (2nd Formation)
KGr.z.b.V. 40
KGr.z.b.V. 50
KGr.z.b.V. 60
KGr.z.b.V. 101
KGr.z.b.V. 102
KGr.z.b.V. 103
KGr.z.b.V. 104
KGr.z.b.V. 105
KGr.z.b.V. 106
KGr.z.b.V. 107
KGr.z.b.V. 108
KGr.z.b.V. 111
KGr.z.b.V. 172
KGr.z.b.V. 200
KGr.z.b.V. 211
KGr.z.b.V. 300
KGr.z.b.V. 323
KGr.z.b.V. 400
KGr.z.b.V. 500
KGr.z.b.V. 600
KGr.z.b.V. 700
KGr.z.b.V. 800
KGr.z.b.V. 900
KGr.z.b.V. 999
KG z.b.V. N (Naples)
KG z.b.V. S (Sizilien)
KGr.z.b.V. S-7
KGr.z.b.V. S-11
KGr.z.b.V. 4-I
KGr.z.b.V. Frankfurt
KGr.z.b.V. O.B.S.
KGr.z.b.V. Oels
KGr.z.b.V. Posen
KGr.z.b.V. Wittstock
TG 1	Stab./TG 1
	I./TG 1
	II./TG 1
	III./TG 1
	IV./TG 1
TG 2	Stab./TG 2
	I./TG 2
	II./TG 2
	III./TG 2
TG 3	Stab./TG 3
	I./TG 3
	II./TG 3
	III./TG 3
	IV./TG 3
TG 4	Stab./TG 4
	I./TG 4
	II./TG 4
	III./TG 4
	IV./TG 4
TG 5	Stab./TG 5
	I./TG 5
	II./TG 5
	III./TG 5
TGr 10
TGr 20
TGr 30
TGr 10(Ital.)
TGr 110(Ital.)
TGr Lw.Kdo. Don
TGr z.b.V
Einsatzgruppe Uhl
Grossraumtransportgruppe
Transportfliegerstaffel 4
Transportfliegerstaffel 5
Lufttransportstaffel 40
Lufttransportstaffel 200
Lufttransportstaffel 290
Savoia-Staffel
Regierungsstaffel
Grossraumtransportstaffel Ju 352
Fliegerstaffel des Führers
Transportfliegerstaffel Hansa
Transportkette Fliegerführer 4
Transportkette Fliegerführer 5
Transportstaffel 1/I
Transportstaffel 1/II
Transportstaffel 1/V
Transportstaffel 1/VII
Transportstaffel 1. Fallschirmjägerdivision
Transportstaffel 2. Fallschirmjägerdivision
Transportstaffel 5. Fliegerdivision
Transportstaffel 7. Fliegerdivision
Transportstaffel Fliegerführer Nord (Ost)
Transportstaffel Fliegerführer 3
Transportstaffel Condor
Transportstaffel 25
Transportstaffel Luftflotte 6
Transportstaffel Kommandierender General der deutschen Luftwaffe Nordbalkan
Transportstaffel I. Fliegerkorps
Transportstaffel II. Fliegerkorps
Transportstaffel IV. Fliegerkorps
Transportstaffel V. Fliegerkorps
Transportstaffel VIII. Fliegerkorps
Transportstaffel IX. Fliegerkorps
Transportstaffel X. Fliegerkorps
Transportstaffel XI. Fliegerkorps
Transportstaffel Südost
Transportstaffel Ob.d.M.
Transportstaffel Luftwaffenkommando Ost
Transportstaffel z.b.V.
Seekommando He 115
LTS (See) 222
LTS (See) 222 V3
1. Seetransportstaffel Sewastopol
2. Seetransportstaffel Sewastopol
Transportstaffel (See) Kiel
Sonderstaffel Transozean
See-Transportstaffel 1
See-Transportstaffel 2
See-Transportstaffel 3
Erg. TG	Stab/Erg. TG
	I./Erg. TG
	II./Erg. TG
Luftverkehrsgruppe Berlin	Luftverkehrsstaffel Tempelhof
	Luftverkehrsstaffel Adler
	Luftverkehrsstaffel (See)
	Luftverkehrsstaffel Staaken
Luftverkehrsgruppe Rangsdorf
Luftverkehrsgruppe Ludwigslust
Luftverkehrsstaffel Falke
Luftverkehrsstaffel Habicht
Luftlandgeschwader 1	Stab/LLG 1
	I./LLG 1
	II./LLG 1
	III./LLG 1
	IV./LLG 1
	17./LLG 1
	Sondergruppe LLG 1
Luftlandgeschwader 2	Stab/LLG 2
	I./LLG 2
	II./LLG 2
Verb.Kdo. (S) 4
Verb.Kdo. (S) V
Grossraumlastenseglergruppe Me 321	Sonderstaffel (G.S.) 1
	Sonderstaffel (G.S.) 2
	Sonderstaffel (G.S.) 4
	Sonderstaffel (G.S.) 22
1. (DFS) Lw.-Kdo. Don
1. (Go) Lw.-Kdo. Don
1. (DFS) VIII. Fliegerkorps
17. KGr. z.b.V. 5
DFS-Staffel 23
Go-Kdo. X. Fliegerkorps
Staffel z.b.V. Reich
Schleppschwarm Afrika
Luftwaffenkommando Südost (gliders)
List of Glider Staffeln
VK(S) 1
VK(S) 2
Schleppgruppe 1
Schleppgruppe 2
Schleppgruppe 3
Ergänzungsgruppe (S) 1
Ergänzungsgruppe (S) 2