removed. Each geschwader had a particular task (such as fighter, bomber, or transport duties) and were mostly equipped with aircraft appropriate to that task. Other types of aircraft were also sometimes attached. A Geschwader was commanded by a Geschwaderkommodore, with the rank of either a Major, lieutenant colonel () or colonel (). The unit also had other staff officers with administrative duties such as the ), technical and operations officers. These were usually (although not always), experienced aircrew still flying on operations. Other specialist staff were navigation, signals and intelligence personnel. A Gruppe (plural Gruppen) was the basic autonomous unit in the Luftwaffe. It had no exact equivalent in the Allied forces, since it was smaller than a USAAF group or an RAF wing, but was also larger than an Allied squadron. A Gruppe was usually commanded by a Major or Hauptmann. Each Staffel (plural Staffeln) usually had nine to 12 aircraft and was commanded by a Hauptmann or Oberleutnant . As such it was slightly smaller than a British, Soviet or US squadron. (The assumption that a Staffel was the exact equivalent of a squadron sometimes caused Western Allied leaders to overestimate German air power.) Specialized, independent Gruppen or Staffeln sometimes sat below the level of a Fliegerkorps. A Schwarm (plural Schwärme; literally "swarm"), consisted of four to six aircraft within a Staffel. A bomber Schwarm (at full strength, six aircraft) was divided into a Kette ("chain") of three aircraft. As such, a bomber Schwarm was equivalent to a flight in the Western Allied air forces. A Kette was also the term used for a "v" formation. A fighter Schwarm (four aircraft) was divided into two (singular: Rotte, "pack") of two aircraft, equivalent to a pair in the English-speaking world. As such a fighter Schwarm was equivalent to a section/element in the Western Allied air forces. The term Rotte was also used for a formation of two aircraft: the smallest tactical unit, consisting of a leader and a wingman. A ("staff schwarm") was attached to each Geschwader. Strategic level: Oberkommando der Luftwaffe The OKW was the highest in the military command structure. It was responsible for the co-ordinated effort of the three military arms. It was headed by Wilhelm Keitel after he took over from war minister Werner von Blomberg in 1938. Since the head of the Luftwaffe, Göring, was also a cabinet minister, any Luftwaffe operational orders would