German is a West Germanic language that is mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, South Tyrol in Italy, the German-speaking Community of Belgium, and Liechtenstein. It is also one of the three official languages of Luxembourg and a co-official language in the Opole Voivodeship in Poland. The languages which are most similar to German are the other members of the West Germanic language branch: Afrikaans, Dutch, English, the Frisian languages, Low German/Low Saxon, Luxembourgish, and Yiddish. There are also strong similarities in vocabulary with Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, although those belong to the North Germanic group. German is the second most widely spoken Germanic language, after English.
The Luftwaffe was the aerial warfare branch of the combined German Wehrmacht military forces during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the Luftstreitkräfte of the Army and the Marine-Fliegerabteilung of the Navy, had been disbanded in May 1920 as a result of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which stated that Germany was forbidden to have any air force.
The German language term Stab was used during World War II to designate a headquarters unit of the German Luftwaffe. There were Stab units at the level of a Gruppe or Geschwader – units that were equivalent to wings and groups in the air forces of the English speaking world. Stab units directly controlled aircraft as well as controlling those belonging to subordinate units.
During World War I, the German Navy had maintained its own aviation service, the Naval Air Unit (German: Marine-Fliegerabteilung), but this was disbanded upon the signing of the Versailles Treaty, which banned all military aviation in the country as a way of preventing Germany from again becoming a threat to make war on the victorious Allies. Technological developments in naval aviation after the war made it clear that incorporating aircraft into naval operations would be an important part of becoming a credible world-class navy. After the rise to power of the Nazi Party, Germany began a major re-armament effort, forgoing the previous limitations on its military armaments. The navy's new cruisers and pocket battleships were equipped with catapults designed to launch floatplanes for scouting and defense, and new aircraft were developed in the country to meet this need.
World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as, "the war to end all wars," it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the resulting 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
As the Navy was rebuilding its fleet, so too was the Air Force building itself. Under the powerful Hermann Göring's Air Ministry (German: Reichsluftfahrtministerium), the Air Force had complete authority over all aircraft, and such was the breadth of this authority that even aircraft aboard Navy ships were to be operated by Air Force pilots, although naval officers served as commander/observer on operational flights.[1] Thus, it fell to the Luftwaffe to organize units to provide aircraft for the Kriegsmarine ships. The first aircraft were provided from the coastal reconnaissance squadrons which used similar floatplanes, but by 1936 it was clear that a more specialized unit was warranted and in April the Air Force planned the creation of a Fleet Air Group (German: Flottenfliegergruppe) with seven squadrons which would support the various naval bases and catapult-equipped ships present at them. The name was changed to Embarked Air Group (German: Bordfliegergruppe) the following year as plans were expanded to three groups, each of three front line and one reserve squadron. The wing number 196 was assigned at that time as well, but this would merely be used as a designation, however, as the actual command structure and staff was not formed until 1943 when the unit was officially established as Bordfliegergruppe 196 (BFGr. 196). Despite initial plans, several of the proposed squadrons never materialized and the unit was never large enough to be designated a wing (German: Geschwader).
Hermann Wilhelm Göring was a German political and military leader as well as one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party (NSDAP), which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945. A veteran World War I fighter pilot ace, he was a recipient of the Pour le Mérite. He was the last commander of Jagdgeschwader 1, the fighter wing once led by Manfred von Richthofen.
The Ministry of Aviation, abbreviated RLM, was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany (1933–45). It is also the original name of the Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus building on the Wilhelmstrasse in central Berlin, Germany, which today houses the German Finance Ministry.
Group organization and staff
The first attempt to provide a unit structure for the squadrons was the brief establishment in October 1937 of two groups. I Embarked Air Group (I./196) was formed at Wilhelmshaven, taking command of the 1st Embarked Air Squadron based there, and would remain there until its dissolution in May 1941. The group was originally planned to have four squadrons, the 2nd and 3rd squadrons were not formed until after the group was dissolved, and the 4th squadron, intended as a reserve, never got past the planning stages. I./196 essentially served as a group command for its existence. II Embarked Air Group (II./196) existed briefly in 1937. Forme along with I./196, it was to take responsibility for the Coastal Reconnaissance Squadron 1./406 which became 5./196. It too had additional units planned, but these did not get past the planning stages, and the group was never truly established, officially being dropped in October 1940.[2]
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea. Wilhelmshaven is the centre of the "JadeBay" business region.
From the dissolution of the groups, 1st and 5th Squadrons continued to operate under the 196 designation through the first half of the war. After the transfer of the 5th Squadron to Coastal Reconnaissance Group 126, the organization was revamped, and the actual Embarked Air Group 196 was formed on 1 August 1943 under the command of Major Gerrit Wiegmink at Aalborg, Denmark. Taking command of the 1st Squadron (1./BFGr. 196), the group rapidly established the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons by September. The Group's staff unit (Stab/BFGr. 196) was initially equipped with a single Junkers W 34 for general use. This was replaced in June 1944 by a pair of Ar 196 A-5 float planes to match the equipment of its squadrons. Group headquarters moved to Pillau from June through August 1944, returning to Aalborg until a final move in January 1945 to Rügen. After the dissolution of 2nd and 3rd Squadrons, the BFGr. 196 was disbanded in March 1945, followed by the official disbandment of the group in April.[2]
Aalborg Airport is a dual-use (civilian/military) airport located in Nørresundby, Aalborg Municipality, Denmark, which is 3.5 NM northwest of Aalborg.
Denmark, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, is a sovereign state in Northern Europe. Denmark proper consists of a peninsula, Jutland, and an archipelago of 443 named islands, with the largest being Zealand, Funen and the North Jutlandic Island. The islands are characterised by flat, arable land and sandy coasts, low elevation and a temperate climate. The southernmost of the Scandinavian nations, Denmark lies southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and is bordered to the south by Germany. The Kingdom of Denmark also comprises two autonomous constituent countries in the North Atlantic Ocean: the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Denmark has a total area of 42,924 km2 (16,573 sq mi), land area of 42,394 km2 (16,368 sq mi), and the total area including Greenland and the Faroe Islands is 2,210,579 km2 (853,509 sq mi), and a population of 5.8 million.
The Junkers W 34 was a German-built, single-engine, passenger and transport aircraft. Developed in the 1920s, it was taken into service in 1926. The passenger version could take a pilot and five passengers. The aircraft was developed from the Junkers W 33. Further development led to the Junkers Ju 46.
1st Squadron
Formed from the 2nd Squadron of Coastal Reconnaissance Group 116, the 1st Fleet Air Squadron (German: 1. Flottenfliegerstaffel) was established on 1 April 1936 at Norderney under the command of Captain Heinrich Minner. Initial equipment was the Heinkel He 60 biplane, though a number of elderly Heinkel He 42 aircraft were on strength for training use. Soon after establishment, the squadron was renamed the 1st Embarked Air Squadron (German: 1. Bordfliegerstaffel) and the following year it was again changed to Embarked Air Squadron 1/196 (German: Bordfliegerstaffel 1/196) upon assignment of the group identifier. 1937 also saw the squadron move to its permanent home at Wilhelmshaven, where it would remain for most of the war. During the war, detachments were sent to numerous locations throughout occupied Europe, including Aalborg, Brest, Drontheim, List auf Sylt, Palermo, Pillau, Schellingwoude, Stavanger, and Thisted. The squadron moved to Norway for a year and then to the Baltic coast later in the war.[2][3]
Norderney is one of the seven populated East Frisian Islands off the North Sea coast of Germany.
The Heinkel He 60 was a German single-engined biplane reconnaissance seaplane designed to be catapulted from Kriegsmarine warships of the 1930s.
The Heinkel HD 42 50, later designated the Heinkel He 42 was a German two-seat biplane seaplane originally designed for the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule, and later built for the German Luftwaffe. The aircraft was used until the end of World War II as a trainer for maritime pilots.
5th Squadron
The 5th Squadron (5./196) was formed at Kiel, both equipped with the Heinkel He 60 floatplane. At the start of the war, the group was re-equipped with Arado Ar 196 floatplanes which would remain the unit's equipment through the war.[3]
5th Squadron was deployed to Denmark and Norway in 1940 and then spent most of the war in France supporting Navy ships based in French ports. In mid-1943, the squadron was transferred to Maritime Reconnaissance Group 128 (German: Seeaufklärungsgruppe 128) as its 1st Squadron (1./SAGr. 128), reflecting the demise of Germany's surface fleet and the heavy use of the Ar 196 aircraft in coastal patrol and rescue missions, but would be dissolved in January 1944. The unit's remnants were reformed into 8th Squadron, Zerstörergeschwader 1 with Junkers Ju 88 night fighters, a squadron which would ultimately be withdrawn to Germany and equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-engine fighters for home air defense as part of Jagdgeschwader 4.[3]
2nd and 3rd Squadrons
For a brief period after the departure of 5th Squadron, the group consisted solely of its 1st Squadron, then based at Stavanger-Sola. However, the 2nd Squadron (2./196) was quickly raised at Kiel on 8 August 1943 and sent to Venice-Lido Airport to support efforts in the Mediterranean Sea. The 2nd would remain in Venice until its disbandment on 3 June 1944. Soon after the formation of the 2nd Squadron, a staff unit was founded as Stab/196 on 1 September 1943 at Aalborg Airport in Denmark, and the following month the 3rd Squadron was stood up at Kiel.[3]
Bases
Major base assignments for staff and squadrons of Embarked Air Group 196[3]
Upon foundation, both squadrons of the group were issued the Heinkel He 60. This was a sturdy, utilitarian biplane, but under-powered for its size even at the time of its initial production.[4] The planned replacement for it, the Heinkel He 114 was scarcely an improvement on the He 60,[5] and BFGr. 196 did not receive any. Instead, both squadrons received the far more successful Arado Ar 196, which would be the only aircraft used by the group through World War II.
Notes
↑ Williamson, Mitch (2 February 2015).Missing or empty |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
The Arado Ar 196 was a shipboard reconnaissance low-wing monoplane aircraft built by the German firm of Arado starting in 1936. The next year it was selected as the winner of a design contest and became the standard aircraft of the Kriegsmarine throughout World War II.
No. 206 Squadron is a Test and Evaluation Squadron of the Royal Air Force. Until 2005 it was employed in the maritime patrol role with the Nimrod MR.2 at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It was announced in December 2004 that 206 Squadron would disband on 1 April 2005, with half of its crews being redistributed to Nos. 120 and 201 Squadrons, also stationed at Kinloss. This was a part of the UK Defence Review called Delivering Security in a Changing World; the Nimrod MR.2 fleet was reduced in number from 21 to 16 as a consequence.
Number 120 Squadron or No. CXX Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force which was established as a Royal Flying Corps unit late in World War I, disbanded a year after the end of the war, then re-established as a RAF Coastal Command squadron during World War II. Although disbanded again a month after Victory in Europe Day, during and after World War II it operated almost continuously, with maritime patrol aircraft; most recently with the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod, based at RAF Kinloss in Scotland until the type's withdrawal in March 2010. The squadron was disbanded again the following year. No. 120 Squadron stood up again in April 2018 at RAF Lossiemouth and will become the first squadron to be equipped with the Boeing Poseidon MRA1 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft in 2019.
No. 220 Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) was founded in 1918 and disbanded in 1963 after four separate periods of service. The squadron saw service in both the First and Second World Wars, as a maritime patrol unit, and finally as part of Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent.
Between 1933 and 1945, the organization of the Luftwaffe underwent several changes. Originally, the German military high command, for their air warfare forces, decided to use an organizational structure similar to the army and navy, treating the aviation branch as a strategic weapon of war. Later on, during the period of rapid rearmament, the Luftwaffe was organized more in a geographical fashion.
The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service was alongside the Norwegian Army Air Service the forerunner to the modern-day Royal Norwegian Air Force.
800 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier-based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 by amalgamating No's 402 and 404 Flights.
The 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing is headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
809 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1941 and flew in the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean and the Far East during World War II. After active service during the Suez Crisis, 809 was disbanded in 1959. Reformed in 1963 to fly Buccaneers, the squadron was disbanded briefly in 1965-66, and then again in 1978. A brief period during the Falklands war saw 809 reformed to bring Sea Harrier aircraft south to the UK task group and to fly from Illustrious.
The 196th Reconnaissance Squadron is a unit of the 163d Reconnaissance Wing of the California Air National Guard stationed at March Joint Air Reserve Base, California. The 196th is equipped with the MQ-1 Predator.
821 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 with the transferral and amalgamation of the Fairey III aircraft from 446 and half of 455 Flight Flights Royal Air Force to the newly formed Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force. The squadron operated during the Second World War.
810 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 with the amalgamation of the 12 Blackburn Dart aircraft from 463 and 44 Flight Flights Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm. The squadron saw action during the Second World War, the Suez Crisis and the Korean War.
808 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in July 1940. It served on a number of the Navy's aircraft carriers during the Second World War, serving in most of the theatres of the war, before decommissioning at the end of the war. It was re-formed in 1950 as 808 Squadron RAN, a carrier-based attack squadron of the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet Air Arm, and saw action during the Korean War before disbanding again in 1958.
818 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in August 1939. It served on a number of the Navy's aircraft carriers during the Second World War, serving in most of the theatres of the war, before decommissioning at the end of the war.
828 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in September 1940 as a torpedo spotter reconnaissance squadron. It operated in a number of the theatres of the Second World War, carrying out a number of attacks on enemy targets including the Tirpitz in Norway.
No. 83 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both the First World War and the Second World War.
822 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadron before and during World War II.
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The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, which had been carrying out the antisubmarine mission in the Atlantic and Caribbean since the Attack on Pearl Harbor due to the lack of long range Naval aviation in that area.
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