Luftwaffe order of battle August 1940
For its Battle of Britain campaign against Great Britain during World War II, the German Luftwaffe had the following order of battle in the West. Luftflotte 2 was responsible for the bombing of southeast England and the London area and based in the Pas-de-Calais area in France. Luftflotte 3 targeted the West Country, Midlands, and northwest England, from bases a bit further north in France. Luftflotte 5 targeted the north of England and Scotland, from bases in Norway. Luftflotte 1 and Luftflotte 4 were based in Germany, but most of their bomber formations had been reassigned to the three Luftflotten engaged in the Battle of Britain. Some fighters were retained to provide air cover over Germany, however.
''[Luftflotte 2]''
Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring, OOB from 13 August 1940.| Wettererkundungstaffel 26 | Brussels-Grimbergen | Independent Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Brussels-Grimbergen | Regierungsrat Krug |
''Luftflotte 3''
Headquarters in Paris, France, under Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Sperrle. OOB from 13 August 1940.| Wettererkundungstaffel 51 | Versailles-Buc | Independent Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111, | Versailles-Buc | Regierungsrat Dr. Felber |
| Parent unit | Geshwader Base | Unit | Aircraft Type | Unit Airfield | Commanding Officer |
| IV. Fliegerkorps, Dinard | - | - | - | - | - |
| Lehrgeschwader 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Orléans/Bricy | I. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Orléans/Bricy | Hptm. W. Kern | |
| II. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Orléans/Bricy | Major Debratz | ||
| III. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Châteaudun | Major Dr. Ing. Ernst Bormann | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 27 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Tours | I. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Tours | Major Gerhard Ulbricht | |
| II. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Dinard | Major Friedrich-Karl Schlichting | ||
| III. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Rennes | Major Manfred Freiherr von Sternberg | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 40 Oberst Ernst-August Roth | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stabschwarme | Junkers Ju 88 | Brest-Guipavas | Oberst Ernst-August Roth | ||
| I. Gruppe | Focke-Wulf Fw 200 | Brest-Guipavas | Hptm Edmund Daser | ||
| Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stabschwarme | Junkers Ju 87 and Dornier Do 17 | Caen | |||
| Kampfgruppe 806 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Junkers Ju 88 | Nantes | Hptm. W. Siegel | |||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 31 | 3. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Rennes | Hauptmann Sieckemus | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe 121 | 3. Staffel | Junkers Ju 88, | North-West France | Hauptmann Kerber | |
| V. Fliegerkorps Villacoublay | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kampfgeschwader 51 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Orly | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Melun | Major Schulz-Hein | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Orly | Major Winkler | ||
| III Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Étampes | Major W. Marienfeld | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 54 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Évreux | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Évreux | Hptm. Jobst-Heinrich von Heydebrock | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | St. Andre-de-L’Eure | Major Kurt Leonhardy. Replaced by Hptm Karl-Bernhard Schlaeger. Replaced by Htpm Hans Widmann. | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 55. Replaced by Obstlt Hans Korte 15 August | - | - | - | - | - |
| Villacoublay | I Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Dreux | Major Joachim Roeber | |
| II Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Chartres | Major Friedrich Kless | ||
| III Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Villacoublay | Hptm Hans Schlemell | ||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 14 | 4. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Cherbourg | Hauptmann von Dewitz | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe 121 | 4. Staffel | Dornier Do 17,Junkers Ju 88 | Villacoublay | Hauptmann Kerber | |
| VIII. Fliegerkorps | - | - | - | - | - |
| Angers | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Angers | Major P. Hozzel | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Angers | Hptm. H. Mahlke | ||
| Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Saint-Malo | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | St. Malo | Hptm. H. Hitschold | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Lannion | Major W. Enneccerus | ||
| Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Caen | I Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Caen | Hptm. von D. zu Lichtenfels | |
| II Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Caen | Hptm. W. Plewig | ||
| III Gruppe | Junkers Ju 87 | Caen | Major H. Bode | ||
| Lehrgeschwader 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Caen | V. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Caen | Hptm. Horst Liensberger | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe 11 | 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Bernay | ||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 123 | 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 17,Junkers Ju 88 | Paris | ||
| Jagdfliegerführer 3, Deauville' | - | - | - | - | - |
| Jagdgeschwader 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Évreux, | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Beaumont-le-Roger | Major von Bülow | |
| Évreux | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Beaumont-le-Roger | Major H. Strumpell | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Beaumont-le-Roger | Major Wolfgang Schellmann | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Le Havre | Major Dr. Erich Mix | ||
| Jagdgeschwader 27 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cherbourg-West | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Cherbourg-West | Oberstleutnant Max Ibel | |
| Cherbourg-West | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Plumetot | Hptm. Eduard Neumann | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Crépon | Hptm. Lippert | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Carquebut | Hptm. J. Schlichting | ||
| Jagdgeschwader 53 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cherbourg | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Cherbourg | Major von Cramon-Taubadel | |
| Cherbourg | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Rennes | Hptm. Blumensaat | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Dinan | Major Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn | ||
| III. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Sempy & Brest | Hptm. Harro Harder | ||
| Zerstörergeschwader 2'' | - | - | - | - | - |
| Toussus-le-Noble | Stabschwarme | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Toussus-le-Noble | Oberstleutnant Vollbracht | |
| Toussus-le-Noble | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Amiens | Hptm. Heinlein | |
| II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Guyancourt | Major Carl |
''[Luftflotte 5]''
Headquarters in Stavanger, Norway, led by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff. OOB from 13 August 1940.| Parent unit | Geshwader Base | Unit | Aircraft Type | Unit Airfield | Commanding Officer |
| X. Fliegerkorps Stavanger | - | - | - | - | - |
| Wettererkundungskette X. Fl.Korps | Unit under direct control of X. Fliegerkorps | Heinkel He 111 | Stavanger | Regierungsrat Dr. Müller | |
| Kampfgeschwader 26 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stavanger | Stabschwarme | Heinkel He 111 | Stavanger | Oberstleutnant Fuchs | |
| I. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Stavanger | Major Hermann Busch | ||
| III. Gruppe | Heinkel He 111 | Stavanger | Major Waldemar Lerche | ||
| Kampfgeschwader 30 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Aalborg | Stabschwarme | Junkers Ju 88 | Aalborg | Oberstleutnant Loebel/Oberst Rieckhoff | |
| I. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Aalborg | Major Fritz Doensch | ||
| II. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Aalborg | Hptm. Karl-Joachim von Symonski | ||
| III. Gruppe | Junkers Ju 88 | Aalborg-West | Hptm. Gerhard Kollewe | ||
| Zerstörergeschwader 76 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stavanger | I. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Stavanger | Hptm. W. Restemeyer | |
| Jagdgeschwader 77 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stavanger | II. Gruppe | Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Stavanger/Trondheim | Hptm. Hentschel | |
| Kustenfliegergruppe 506 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stavanger | 1. Staffel | Heinkel He 115 | Stavanger | - | |
| 2. Staffel | Heinkel He 115 | Trondheim, Tromsø | |||
| 3. Staffel | Heinkel He 115 | List | - | ||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 22 | 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, | Stavanger | ||
| 3. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, | Stavanger | |||
| Aufklärungsgruppe 120 | 1. Staffel | Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 88 | Stavanger | Major Schub | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe 121 | 1. Staffel | Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 88 | Stavanger | Hauptmann Klinkicht | |
| Aufklärungsgruppe Ob.d.L | 1. Staffel | Dornier Do 215, Heinkel He 111, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Stavanger | ||
| Seenotdienst | Heinkel He 59 | Sola, Bergen, Trondheim |
''[Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe]''
Headquarters in Berlin, Germany, led by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. OOB from 13 August 1940.| Parent unit | Geshwader Base | Unit | Aircraft Type | Unit Airfield | Commanding Officer |
| Aufklärungsgruppe Ob.d.L Berlin | - | - | - | - | - |
| Various | 1. Staffel | Blohm & Voss BV 142, Dornier Do 215, Dornier Do 217, Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 86P, Junkers Ju 88, Messerschmitt Bf 110 | Autonomous, no fixed location | - | |
| 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 215, Heinkel He 111 | Autonomous, no fixed location | - | ||
| Wettererkundungskette Ob.d.L Berlin | - | - | - | - | - |
| Oldenburg | 1. Staffel | Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111 | Oldenburg | - | |
| 2. Staffel | Heinkel He 111 | Brest | - | ||
| Seefliegerverbände Berlin | - | - | - | - | - |
| Küstenfliegergruppe 406 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hörnum | 3. Staffel | Dornier Do 18 | Hörnum | - | |
| 2./106 | Dornier Do 18 | Rantum | - | ||
| 2./906 | Dornier Do 18 | Hörnum | - | ||
| Küstenfliegergruppe 706 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stavanger | 1./406 | Dornier Do 18 | Stavanger | - | |
| 2./406 | Dornier Do 18 | Stavanger | - | ||
| Küstenfliegergruppe 606 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Brest | 1. Staffel | Dornier Do 17 | Brest | - | |
| 2. Staffel | Dornier Do 17 | Brest | - | ||
| 3. Staffel | Dornier Do 17 | Brest | - | ||
| Küstenfliegergruppe 106 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Norderney | 1. Staffel | Heinkel He 115 | Nordeney | - |