Copied Quiz idea from elsewhere

[HMSWarspite]

In amongst the serious wish list stuff, how's about a quiz until we get news of the release date?. I will set a question, first person to get it sets the next one and so on.

Anything to do with air war in WW2?

Here we go: On what date did the first operational Lancaster squadron recieve its first aircraft, and which squadron was it?

[harley]

No 44 (Rhodesia) Sqn
Got a prototype med Sept 1941, and operational aircraft 24/12/41
First sortie (Gardening) night of 3/4 March 1942.

[HMSWarspite]

Correct in every detail. A kind of colonial early Christmas present you might say. The first machine to be delivered to a sqd was Lancaster B Mk1, L7537, and was coded KM-L.

Mind you, you probably have the details of every sqd in the RAF not to mention the LW.[:)]

Your question

[wernerpruckner]

okay,
a question for Luftwaffe experts:

what does the prewar number behind a JG reveal ??
for example: I./JG233 ??

[The Dude]

what staffel as opposed to what gruppe the plane is with

[wernerpruckner]

nope,

Gruppe or Staffel is always in the front : 1./JGxx or II./JGxx
but what about the prewar numbers: 233 [X(]

[harley]

This represented the Geographical location of the unit. Units changed designation when they moved.

[wernerpruckner]

very good.

[HMSWarspite]

ORIGINAL: harley

This represented the Geographical location of the unit. Units changed designation when they moved.

Interesting. I knew they relabelled a lot of units at the beginning of the war, but never worked out the old system. Was this a planned 'mobilisation' change (kind of like RAF using two letter sqd codes), or was this a 'oops - cant have geographical based units anymore, we are going walkabout'[:)] (Not a quiz question!)

[harley]

My reference on this is Caldwell, so it covers the basics only. I think the main issue was command and control. I/JG234 and II/JG234 might not always be the same unit, so it's hard to manage.

I'm guessing....


I also have to guess it's up to me to ask the next quiz questions. Given that I have fluked those 2 answers from my meager store of knowledge (OK, I looked the Lancaster answer up, but I knew the LW answer) I'm going to get esoteric...

Per Ardua Ad Fortunam

What was the first RAAF Squadron in the ETO, where were they based in late 1939 and what were they flying...

[wernerpruckner]

in spring 1939 the Luftwaffe was reformed to adjust the peace command structure to the war command structure.

The Luftwaffengruppenkommandos were renamed to Luftflottenkommandos (Luftflotte 1 to 3)
Luftwaffenkommando Österreich including Silesia became Luftflotte 4.
Luftflotten were responsible for offensive warfare.
For defensive matters 10 Luftgaukommandos were created ( before that they were a myriad of different staffs, Flak, "light"fighter forces....)

In the course of restructuring the Geschwader were re-numbered:
Luftflotte 1 got the numbers between 1 and 25; LF2 26-50; LF3 51-75 and LF 76-100 ( valid for all kind of units JG, ZG,SG,StG,KG.....).

[wernerpruckner]

The older German number system was very similar to the French system - a number is connected with a certain A/F or area.

[wernerpruckner]

ORIGINAL: harley

What was the first RAAF Squadron in the ETO, where were they based in late 1939 and what were they flying...

not so sure, but there was the 10 Squadron RAAF at the start of the war collecting their new Sunderlands.

[Prussia]

Hi guys:

This is not meant to end the quiz, but release date is planned for the End of March (is that the same as Ides of March?).

Hope that helps,

Jean-Claude

[wernerpruckner]

but release date is planned for the End of March (

release or release for testing ???

[otisabuser2]

.....2007 ? [X(]

[Prussia]

Thanks guys... very much appreciated.

2006 is what we had in mind.

Have a nice day [>:]

Jean-Claude

[harley]

ORIGINAL: swift

ORIGINAL: harley

What was the first RAAF Squadron in the ETO, where were they based in late 1939 and what were they flying...

not so sure, but there was the 10 Squadron RAAF at the start of the war collecting their new Sunderlands.

Yes... they spent some time on the Continent flying missions - where?

[HMSWarspite]

ORIGINAL: harley

Yes... they spent some time on the Continent flying missions - where?

Gib, July-Aug 1940? I think they spent the entire war in ETO? (My source isn't entirely clear)

[harley]

They were somewhere in France in late 1939. My source is a 1946 history of the RAAF in the ETO...