1. Fliegerausbildungsdivision

1. Fliegerausbildungsdivision

(FpN: L 11345)

Kommandeur:

Gen.Maj. Georg Rieke (1 Jan 44 - 30 Apr 44)

Gen.Maj. Heinz Funcke (1 May 44 - 14 Jun 44)

Gen.Maj. Günther Wieland (15 Jun 44 - 31 Jan 45)

Gen.Lt. Ulrich Buchholz, acting (1 Dec 44 - ? )

Formation. (Oct 43)

Formed 1 January 1944 at Paris – St-Cloud by renaming Stab/10. Fliegerdivision. Assigned to Luftflotte 3 for employment and discipline, OKL/Gen.d.Fliegerausbildung for training tasks and Feldluftgaukommandos Belg./Nordfr. and Westfrankreich for billeting and supplies. The Division’s task was to provide Luftwaffe recruits with 8 weeks of basic military training, determine what technical training each of the recruits would receive and then hold them as Anwärter (trainee candidates) until they could be placed in the specialty schools. Those recruits who had completed their 8 weeks of basic training were assigned to the operational battalion of each Flieger-Rgt. listed below. The total number of trained recruits at any one time during the first half of 1944 was around 12,000 to 13,000 men. They were used as replacements for shortages in the Bodenorganisation of the two Feldluftgaukommandos until they were finally assigned to technical schools.

France. (Jan 44 - Aug 44)

1 Jul 44: Stab at Paris – St-Cloud with command authority over the following basic training/school regiments, each of which had one operational battalion and two Ausbildungs- (training) battalions:

Flieger.Rgt. 22 at Douai (FLGK. Belg./Nordfr.) with 55 officers and 3,400 men,

Flieger.Rgt. 32 at Angers (FLGK. Westfr.) with 41 officers and 2,300 men,

Flieger.Rgt. 51 at Tilburg (FLGK. Belg./Nordfr.) with 47 officers and 4,200 men,

Flieger.Rgt. 53 at Brussels (FLGK. Belg./Nordfr.) with 46 officers and 4,700 men,

Flieger.Rgt. 63 at Nîmes (FLGK. Westfr.) with 48 officers and 3,300 men,

Flieger.Rgt. 71 at Carcassonne (FLGK. Westfr.) with 49 officers and 3,500 men,

Flieger.Rgt. 90 at St-Brieuc, Caen, Berre and Bordeaux (FLGK. Westfr.) with 91 officers and 4,900 men,

Flieger.Rgt. 91 at Blois (FLGK. Westfr.) with 38 officers and 3,600 men,

Flieger.Rgt. 92 at Toul (FLGK. Westfr.) with 53 officers and 3,600 men,

II. and III./Flieger.Rgt. 93 at Hesdin (FLGK. Belg./Nordfr.) with 30 officers and 1,800 men,

I./Flieger-Rgt. 94 at Auxerre (FLGK. Westfr.) with 13 officers and 500 men,

Lehrkdo. Rheims at Reims (FLGK. Belg./Nordfr.) with 10 officers and 800 men,

Total strength: 521 officers and 36,600 men.

1 Aug 44 following the Allied breakout from Normandy, the Division was divided into two "Inspections":

Inspektion Nord comprising all units in the FLGK. Belg./Nordfr. area under Gen.Maj. Ernst Weber, and Inpektion Süd comprising all units in the FLGK Westfr. area under Gen.Maj. Gotthardt Kapuste.

Germany. (Sep 44 - Jan 45)

Sep 44: Div. Stab withdrew to Werder, southwest of Potsdam.

30 Sep 44: Division ordered to turn over 20,000 of its trainees to the Heer (Army) and 15,000 to the Parachute Army. Div. Stab was ordered disbanded on 25.10.44, but as will be seen below this order was not carried out until later.

Nov 44: Stab now at Braunschweig - responsible for the assignment of trained recruits to flying and technical schools or to active units.

31 Jan 45: although Tessin and Kannapin claim that this Divisionsstab continued to the end of the war because its Feldpost number was never deleted and no disbandment orders were evidently found, it is believed to have been disbanded this date on the basis of LPA personnel records (Wieland's position as commander terminated 31 Jan 1945 and no new commander was assigned).

© H.L. deZeng IV, 2023

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