The divisions were originally authorized in October 1942, following suggestions that the German Army (Heer) could be bolstered by transferring personnel from other services. The head of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring, formulated an alternative plan to raise his own infantry formations under the command of Luftwaffe officers; this was at least partly due to political differences with the Army. Göring took great pride in the degree of political commitment and indoctrination of Luftwaffe personnel; he described paratroopers of the Luftwaffe as "political soldiers". The Army was considered by Nazi standards too "conservative" – linked to conservative or monarchical traditions and ideals harking back to the Imperial days of the Kaiser.
The plan was approved, and the divisions were raised from 200,000–250,000 Luftwaffe ground, support, and other excess personnel. They were initially organized with two Jäger (light infantry) regiments of three battalions each, along with an artillery battalion and other support units, but were substantially smaller than equivalent Army divisions, and by Göring's personal order were intended to be restricted to defensive duties in quieter sectors.
Most of the units spent much of their existence on the Eastern Front. Luftwaffe Field Divisions were present at actions such as the "Little Stalingrad of the North", the attempt to relieve Velikiye Luki in November 1942–January 1943; the attempted defence of Vitebsk during Operation Bagration in June 1944, and the fighting in the Courland Pocket from July 1944 to May 1945, though they also fought in other theatres.
The Luftwaffe Field Divisions initially remained under Luftwaffe command, but late in 1943 those that had not already been disbanded were handed over to the Army and were reorganized as standard infantry divisions with three two-battalion rifle regiments. They retained their numbering, but with Luftwaffe attached to distinguish them from similarly numbered divisions already existing in the Army and had Army officers.
Until taken over by the Army, and in many cases for some time afterwards, these units were issued with standard Luftwaffefeldblau ("field blue") uniforms, and being so easily identifiable were said to often be singled out by opposing forces. Their reputation as combat troops was poor, despite the high standard of Luftwaffe recruits, at least in part because they were required to perform roles for which they as airmen usually had little training. An exception to the poor combat performance of Luftwaffe ground troops were Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) units, whose performance was generally good, due to higher motivation, better training and higher entrance standards when compared to the Luftwaffe Field Divisions. Early Fallschirmjäger troops were also transferred directly from the Army to the Luftwaffe. Luftwaffe Field Division airmen were frequently used for rear-echelon duties to free up front-line troops.
List of Luftwaffe Field Divisions
An Oberleutnant of a Luftwaffe Field Division in Russia, March 1942
Reached the front in December 1942 and assigned to the 18th Army near Novgorod. Transferred to the German Army in December 1943. Suffered heavy losses in its first major combat operation, the defense against the Soviet Leningrad–Novgorod offensive of January–March 1944. Disbanded soon afterwards, with its personnel absorbed by the Army's 28th Jäger Division.[1]
Like all the Luftwaffe Field Divisions, the 2nd was in fact the size of a brigade, with only four infantry battalions, and especially weak in artillery with just eight Skoda 75 mm mountain guns and a battery of Sturmgeschütz IIIassault guns. It suffered heavy losses in its first action south of Belyi in the Soviet Union during Operation Mars in November–December 1942.[2] At the Battle of Nevel in October–December 1943, the Soviet assault force destroyed the division.[3]
Fought in the Soviet Union under Army Group Center in the Nevel area from November 1942 to October 1943. Transferred to the German Army in November 1943. Suffered heavy losses in combat around Vitebsk between November 1943 and January 1944 and disbanded soon afterward. The 4th and 6th Luftwaffe Field Divisions absorbed its personnel.
Fought in the Soviet Union under Army Group Center in the Vitebsk area from November 1942 to June 1944. Transferred to the German Army in November 1943. Destroyed defending Vitebsk during the Soviet Vitebsk–Orsha offensive in June 1944.
Assigned to the XLVIII Panzer Corps. Fought in the Chir River Battles, December 1942. This division was disbanded after Mar 43 with survivors folded into 15th Luftwaffe Field Division
formed in late 1942 from the 61st Air Regiment. Sent to Norway in 1943 to release army unit. Served in the occupation of Norway and the occupation of Denmark, seeing no combat.
Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007a). German Order of Battle. Vol. Two: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN978-0-8117-3437-0.
Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007b). German Order of Battle. Vol. Three: Panzer, Panzer Grenadier, and Waffen SS Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN978-0-8117-3438-7.
Ruffner, Kevin (1997). Luftwaffe Field Divisions, 1941–45. Men-at-Arms 229. Osprey. ISBN1-85532-100-9.
