The Luftwaffe: Organization

Luftwaffe organization
Figure 1.--Here we see a Luftwaffe infantry unit. We are not sure if they are paratroopers. The boy in the sailor suit suggests thst they are in Germany, perhaps during a training exervise.

Hitler made the Luftwaffe a ministerial level organization. He appointed Herman Göring Reichsminister der Luftfahrt (RLM). The Luftwaffe high command was the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL). The RLM and OKL were were responsible for the direction of research, production and overall maintenance of aircraft. Hitler ordered that the Luftwaffe be established soon after seizing power (1933), although this was not made public until 2 years later (1935). The initial organization of the Luftwaffe was similar to the other servicesWithin a few years, however, as the pace of rearmament quickened, Luftwaffe comanders decided on a geographic organization. OKL oversaw the operational units of the RLM. The operational units were Luftflotten (air fleets). Each Luftflotten was assigned responsible for a specific geographic region. Each was a self-contained operational units equipped with the types of aircraft required for the military operations required in its assigned geographic area. Each Luftflotten had administrative sections including supply elements, maintenance staff, administration and legal departments. Germany began the War with four Luftflotten which were responsible for about a quarter of the Reich. Luftflotten 1-4 covered northeast, nortwest, southeast, and southwest Germany. As military success expanded the area of German control, new Luftflotten were established. Luftflotte 5 was created conduct operations in the north (Norway and Denmark). Luftflotte 6 carried out the campaign in the East. Luftflotte 7 based vin Berlin assumed resoponsibility for home defense. Each Luftflotte in turn was divided into varying numbers of air districts (Luftgaue) and air corps (Fliegerkorps).

Command

Hitler made the Luftwaffe a ministerial level organization. He appointed Herman Göring Reichsminister der Luftfahrt (RLM). The Luftwaffe high command was the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL). The RLM and OKL were were responsible for the direction of research, production and overall maintenance of aircraft.

Creation

Hitler ordered that the Luftwaffe be established soon after seizing power (1933), although this was not made public until 2 years later (1935).

Basic Organization

The initial organization of the Luftwaffe was similar to the other services Within a few years, however, as the pace of rearmament quickened, Luftwaffe comanders decided on a geographic organization. OKL oversaw the operational units of the RLM.

Luftflotten

The operational units of the Lufwaffe were Luftflotten (air fleets). Each Luftflotten was assigned responsible for a specific geographic region. Each was a self-contained operational units equipped with the types of aircraft required for the military operations required in its assigned geographic area. Each Luftflotten had administrative sections including supply elements, maintenance staff, administration and legal departments. Germany began the War with four Luftflotten which were responsible for about a quarter of the Reich. Luftflotten 1-4 covered northeast, nortwest, southeast, and southwest Germany. As military success expanded the area of German control, new Luftflotten were established. Luftflotte 5 was created conduct operations in the north (Norway and Denmark). Luftflotte 6 carried out the campaign in the East. Luftflotte 7 based in Berlin assumed resoponsibility for home defense. At the beginning of the War, Göring and other NAZIs did not believe Berlin would be bombed. Kuftflotten 7 graduakky grew in importance as Americn entered the War and the Allies lunched the stratehic bombing campaign.

Luftflotten Orgnization

The commander of each Luftflotte became responsible for all fighter as well as support operations within that region. A fighter leader (German: Jagdführer) (Jafü) was responsible for fighter operations within that region and reported to the commander. Each Luftflotte in turn was divided geographically into varying numbers of air districts (Luftgaue) and air corps (Fliegerkorps). The purpose of a Luftgaue was to provide administrative and logistical support to each airfield which until the seizure of Czechoslovakia and the outbreak of the war, were all in Germany. The Fliegerkorps controlled all operational matters. The Luftgau headquarters command consisted of one Generalmajor and a staff of 50 to 100 officers. Each Fliegerkorps would have a number of units under its command, including Gruppe (group) and Geshwader (wing). These were usually several wings, but sometimes also specialized Staffeln (squadrons) and Kampfgruppen (battle groups). The composition of each Luftflotte varied as to fighter, ground support, bomber, reconnaissance, and other aitcraft.

Luftwaffe Infantry

There were also Luftwaffe infantry divisions, including parachutte and glider units. Infantry units were a sensitive issue. Hitler had made aeal with the Wehrmmavt tht they would be Germany's military arm. Thus armed units commanded by Göring and Himmler (who pushed the Waffen-SS) were viewed with some suspicion, not only by the generals, but by Hitler himself. This mean that the authority of both men would no longer rest entirely on their relationship with Hitler. Fallschirmjäger (parachute) units were formed (1938). Had the Luftwaffe had a substantial Fallschirmjäger force, the Germans might have struck at Britain rather than turning south on France after Dunkirk, potentiall changing the course of the War. Generaloberst Erhatf Milch flew over Dunkirk (June 5) and was shocked by the devestation, but reported to Göring that the BEF was gone. Göring asked him what the Luftwaffe should do next. Milch recommenfded an immediate attack on Britain while they were disorganized an largely disarmed. Göring disagreed, primarily because that rather than the four Fallschirmjäger divisions he had argued for, the Luftwaffe only had a single Fallschirmjäger division. [Holland] After the battle of Crete (1941), however, the German paratroop units were never again used for actual parachutte operations. The Germans suceeded in seizing Creete, but the paratroopers suffered grevious losses. These highly disciplined infantry units. The Luftwaffe also began forming infantry units in the East (1942). These units, in contrast to the Fallschirmjäger, did not have any sunstantive infantry trainings and were norrmally used in defensive roles.

Fliegerabwehrkanone (Flak) Units

Anti-aircraft (Flak) units were a major part of the Luftwaffe force component. As the War progressed the Luftwaffe began using a range of other individuals (Hitler Youth members, older men, POWs, and others to man the FLAK guns. Especially after the destruction of the Luftwaffe, the Flak units became German's only air defense. The Luftwaffe installed massive batteries of anti-aircraft batteries called Fliegerabwehrkanone. The Allies began calling the resulting shells and shell fragments tearing through their planes flak. The Germans produced a range of these artillery pieces, including light, medium, and heavy artillery pieces. The artillery ranged in size from 12.7-128 mm flak guns. The light and medium guns were used to protect German field armies as well as facilities like important bridges, ports, and dams fim low-level attck. The heavy batterie were used to target the high-altitude strategic bombers. The Germans by 1942 had installed . over 15,000 88 mm flak guns in cannons Flak belts stretching across the route into the Reich's industrial heartland. They streached grom the Netherlands through Belgium and western Germany. At some points they were 20 km thick. The Flak batteries were an important part of the Kammhuber Line.

Sources

Holland, Janes. The Battle of Britain: Five Months that Changed History, May-October 1940 (St. Nartin's Press, New York, 2019), 677p.





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Created: 8:33 PM 10/20/2010
Last updated: 3:52 PM 4/1/2013