AA Antiaircraft. (Flak)
Abschittsführer Section leader.
a/c Aircraft.
AGLT Automatic Gun Laying Turret.
AN- Beam-radio range navigation/homing method.
ARS Air Reporting Service.
"Benito" Fighter direction based on trackingby ground
radars, first introduced in 1941. Unlike the "Egon" system,
it did not require the fighters to transmit a signal. Used by night fighters
and bombers (with FuG-17Z) as well.
"Bernhardine" Radar system based on ground
transmissions and receivers onboard night fighters (especially Ju 88Gs).
BF Bayerische Flugaeugwerke (later Messerschmitt).
Black Widow The Northrop P-61, the standard USAAF night fighter in
the European Theater of Operations in 1944—45, replacing the Beaufighter.
CinC GAF Goering.
CinC Sigs Comm Martini
CO Commanding Officer.
Commentary The Reichsj4gerwelle (lit., Reich
Fighter Pilots’ Waveband)—a running commentary on the tactical
situation in the Defense of the Reich. Rather than vectoring specific
formations, it allowed formations to navigate towards the enemy and be warned
of major threats. Other formations, notably I. Jagdfliegerkorps,
had their own commentary as well.
Dark nightfighting Night-fighter tactics
carried out independently from searchlights.
Deckungsschwarm Cover flight.
D/F Direction-finder/finding.
E/A Enemy aircraft
E( N)JG Reserve/Replacement (Night)
Fighter Geschwader.
"Egon" A navigation
system, similar to the British "Oboe" system.
Elfe Radar blind-firing
device for cannon. Not used operationally.
"Epsilon" Codename for Y-Gerat (q.v.)
ground and air stations.
Erganzung Reserve/replacement unit.
"Ersding" Codename
for FuG 25—an 1FF transponder.
Erpobung Test or evaluation.
f.i . for instance
Fighter Command Jagdkorp.r,the Luftwaffe
fighter force.
"Fishpond" Codename for RAF "Monica" bomber tail warning
radar.
Flensburg" Codename for Telefunken FuG 227 passive sensor intended
to detect RAE "Monica" tail
warning radars.
Fliegerfuhrer The air officer commanding a specific operation—usually
also a commander of one of the units involved.
Fliegerdivision Air division. A"Jagd"prefix indicates one mainly
of fighter unts.
Fliegerkorps Air corps. An
operational formation composed of an unspecified number of units, but usually
multiple Geschwader, several hundred aircraft strong. Could be under a Lufiflottecommand
or, as in the case of von Kammhuber’s I. Flie&erkorpsXll,independent.
Freya German radar
and radio beacon, with a range of about 120 km.
FuG 16ZY Standard
German VHF fighter radio system, 39—47 MHz. Used
for R/T, W/T, it provided "Y control". In addition to standard
air—air
and air—ground frequencies, it would also receive theReichsj4genvelle.FuG-16=radio
alone.
FuG 25 1FF equipment,
codenamed "Zwilling"(Twin)
and using a characteristic ioop antenna.
FuG 125 Lorenz VHF signal beacon receiver, codenamed "Hermine."
Fuhrungsstab Operations
staff of the OKL (q.v.).
FW Focke-Wuif
G 1 A mechanical turbo supercharger.
GAF German Air Force (i.e., theLuftwaffi).
General der
Jagdflieger Inspector of Fighters, aWaffingeneral(q.v.);not
a rank. Had responsibitity for readiness, training,
and tactics rather than an operational command. This was Galland’s
post from November 1941 to January 1945.
General Staff Officer A member of the German General
Staff, a small body whose members received extensive training and provided
almost all the Army’s
general officers.
Generalfeidmarshall A German rank
equivalent to General of the Army (US) or Marshal of the Royal Air Force(British).
Generalleutnant A German rank equivalent
to Major General (US) or Air Vice Marshal (British).
Generalmajor A German rank
equivalent to Brigadier General (US) or Air Commodore (British).
Generaloberst A German rank
equivalent to General (US) or Air Chief Marshal (British).
Gen. Kdo. Generalkommando.The general officer
commanding, orheadquarters, followed by the formation. Thus, "Gen. Kdo. I
Fighter Corps" was Schmid or his headquarters.
Gefechtsverbafld Combat formation. The standard tactical formation
could range from a few fighters to multiple Gruppen formations of about 100
aircraft. Formations grew larger to meet large daylight bomber raids.
Geschwader A Luftwaffeunit
equivalent to awing, and usually composed of three or moreGruppen.
Geschwader Z.b.V. Wing-sized
force of miscellaneous units.
GM Nitrous oxide.
Gruppe A Luftwaffeunit
which, in the fighter force, was composed of between 40 and 80 aircraft;
three or more made up aGeschwader(q.v.). Identified by a roman numeral
and the designation of its parentGeschwader(e.g., I./NJG 6), or, if
independent by Arabic numerals.
GruppenkOmman CO of aGruppe.
Hauptmafln German rank equivalent to a Captain (US) or a Flight
Lieutenant (British).
Helle Nachtjagd Light nightfighting (q.v.)
"Hermiile" Codename for FuG 125 VHF beacon
receiver (q.v.).
"Himmelblatt" The
original system of ground controlled interception by night fighters directed
by ground-mounted radars and fighter-specific voice commands R/T, Four-Poster
Bed).
HptmHauptmaflfl(q.v.)
HQ headquarters
H2S British bomber radar used for navigation and bombing through overcast.
Known as"Rntterdam Geral'to the Germans,
from the location of first one recovered.
H2X US-built version of H2S.
i.G . On General
Staff duties(im Generalsstabdien4
Industry fighters Independent flights of fighters kept at aircraft
factories in the early stages of the bomber offensive. Manned
by test pilots during air attacks.
Jafu Jagdfurhrer.Area fighter leader.
Jagddivisioflen Fighter division.
Jagdfliegerfurhrer Fighter leader.
JagdkorpS Fighter corps.
Jagdwaffe LuftwaffeFighter
Force.
Jagdstab Staff
of theGeneral der Jagdflieger.
JG Jagdgeschwader.Fighter wing.
JK Jagdkorps(q.v.)
JLO Jagerleitoffizzer.Fighter Control Officer.
j.p . jet powered.
Kette Three-plane tactical formation, usually flown in a"V."
Kommando Independent
detachment, often named for its commander or base.
Kommodore ( Kdre ) Commanding Officer of a Geschwader.
Kommandeur Commanding Officer of a Gruppe.
Kompanie Company or squadron.
Lehr Instructional.
L.Fl.K LziftflotteHQ.
Lichtenstein B/C Telefunken-designed FuG 202, the first
German AT radar. Four large nose-mounted antennas. Used
by the Nachtjagd.
Lichtenstein C Teleftinken-designed FuG 212. Simplified version of
FuG 202.
"Light" Night-Fighting Night-fighting tactics carried out in cooperation
with searchlights. See the chapters by Kammhuber and Schmid for
details.
Luftflotte A formation of Fliegerkorps or
multiple Geschwader of different types. Roughly equivalent to a USAAF
numbered air force.
MG 131 13mm machine gun.
MG 151 15mm (later 20mm) cannon.
"Mickey" Codename for the USAAF H2X radar, a version of the RAF’s
H2S. Used for radar-aimed bombing
and navigation.
Much Generaeldmarschall ErhardMilch,
Director General of Equipment for theLuftwaffefrom November 1941 to
May 1944. Sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for war crimes involving
use of slave labor.
Molders Oberst Werner Molders, an ace with 115 victories and a keen
tactician. Served
as General der Jagdflieger. Killed in a crash in November
1941.
Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito, an RAF twin-engine light bomber, fighter,
and reconnaissance aircraft. Used for Pathfinder and diversionary attacks
over Germany.
MW5O Methanol-water injection.
Luftgau Air zone. Used
as an administrative and support command echelon pre-war.
LW Luftwaffe,i.e.,
the German Air Force.
Nachrichten Signals (including
radar).
Nafu Signals unit.
"Naxos" Codename
for Telefunken FuG 350
passive sensor intended to detect RAF H25 bombing and navigation radars.
NJG Nachtjagdgeschwader.Night-Fighter Wing.
NVG Martini , signal and radar chief, OKL (q.v.).
Ob.d.L . OKL (q.v.)
Oberleutnant German rank
equivalent to First Lieutenant (US) or Flying Officer (British).
Oberst German rank
equivalent to Colonel (US) or Group Captain (British).
OKL Oberkommando der Luftwaffe. Air Force High Command.
0KW Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. Armed Force High Command.
Ops Operations
"Pip Squeak" RAFradio system used in 1940 to track airborne fighters
in areas not covered by radar. Ground stations triangulated short transmissions.
Planspiel Map wargame to test out alternative
plans.
P/W Prisoner of war.
QMG Quartermaster General. Much broader staff function than
US Quartermaster.
RAF Royal Air Force.
Reich Greater Germany, including both the post-Versailles borders
and territory annexed from neighboring countries, but not areas only under
military occupation.
Rotte Two-plane tactical formation, usually flown by a leader and
wingman.
Rotterdam Gerät German codename for
H2S radar (q.v.).
RP rocket projectile
R/T Radio (voice) Telephone
RTU Replacement Training Unit
RU rendezvous.
"Saw Mill" Allied codename for SN-2 (q.v.). Also
SM-2.
Scanner AT radar.
Schwarm Four-plane tactical formation, usually flown as a "finger
four."
SE single-engine(d).
Seeburg Tisch Seeburg Table. Plotting
board showing radar plots of both friendly and enemy aircraft. See Karnmhuber’s
chapters for details.
SN 2 FuG 220 . Improved Telefunken Lichtenstelfl radar.
"Spanner" AEG-designed
experimental IR detector.
Sperrle General Hugo Sperrle,
commander of Luftwaffe Reich , 1944—45.
Spoof Service Allied designation for German camouflage and
diversionary efforts. Included both the construction of dummy targets
on the ground and the use of misleading and jamming transmissions.
Stab - Prefix of a unit or formation size, indicating
the staff of a unit or a subunit of aircraft flown by that staff. Stab
Staff (of a unit).
Staffel Unit of about 9—16 aircraft. Three
or more usually made up a Gruppe (q.v.).
Staka Staffel kapitan. Commanding
officer of a Staffel.
SturmgrUPPe Fighter group
dedicated to the anti-bomber mission, comprising fighters with additional
armament, usually external.
Sturmjäger Single-engine,
anti-bomber fighter unit, usually equipped with up-armed and up-armored FW
190s.
TAF Tactical
Air Force.
"Tame Boar" Night-fighter operations with ground
control but without the precise GCI of the "Hinimelblatt" (q.v.).
TE twin-engine(d)
T/O table of organization
TOE Table of Organization and Equipment. A unit’s war establishment,
indicating the personnel, equipment, and subordinate unitsit is supposed
to have under its command.
USAAF US Army Air Forces. Became US Air Force (USAF) in 1947.
Verteidigungszone Air defense zone.
Waffengeneral A position such as General
der Jagdfke,ger (and
its counterparts for the nightfighter, bomber and
ground attack forces), concerned with a specific force rather than a particular
operational unit. Could be held by a colonel.
Water-methanol injection See MW5O.
"Wild Boar" Night-fighter operations without ground
control.
Wilde Sau "Wild Boar" (q.v.).
"Window" Original wartime name for chaff—strips of metal dropped
from aircraft to create spurious radar reflections.
W/L Wireless.
W/T Wireless telegraphy (Morse).
Wurzburg Short-range
ground radar, used for fire control.
"Y" Standard method of fighter guidance by VHF radio, using direction-
finding from the ground on signals transmitted by an aircraft (the aircraft
would receive signals transmitted from the ground). Capable of providing
both range and bearing.
Y-Gerät Equipment for
using "Y" guidance on German aircraft.
"Y" Service Allied designation for the monitoring of enemy radio transmissions.
Zahme Sau "Tame Boar" (q.v.)
z.b.V. zur besonderen Venvendung (for
special duties).
Zerstörer Twin-engine day fighter.
ZG Zerstorergeschwader (twin-engine
day-fighter wing).
Ia Operations
officer or section on a German staff, equivalent to a USAAF A-3 or S-3.
Ic Intelligence
officer or section on a German staff, equivalent to a USAAF A-2 or S-2.