Fliegerführer Kroatien
Fliegerführer Kroatien
(FpN: L 52466)
Fliegerführer “Weiss”
Maj. Hans-Werner Freiherr von Buchholtz (Jan 43 - Feb 43)
Obstlt. Hellmut Schalke (Feb 43 - Mar 43)
Fliegerführer Kroatien
Gen.Maj. Wolfgang Chamier-Glisczinski (1 Apr 43 - 12 Aug 43) †
Gen.Maj. Wolfgang Erdmann (26 Aug 43 - 30 Apr 44)
Gen.Maj. Walter Hagen (30 Apr 44 - 29 Aug 44)
Formation. (Mar 43)
Formed 26 March 1943 in Zagreb/Croatia to command air units in the Croatia-Bosnia-Herzegovina area engaged in supporting operations against Tito’s Partisans. Subordinated to Luftwaffenkdo. Südost. The Stab evolved from a small provisional air staff known as Fliegerführer “Weiss” that had been set up on 12 January 1943 to direct air support for Operation “Weiss”, a large-scale anti-partisan operation that ran from January to March 1943. This was an exceedingly busy air command as there were anti-partisan operations being carried out all the time in the former Yugoslavia. Fliegerführer Kroatien normally had 60 to 80 planes at its disposal, and for larger operations reinforcement air units were brought in from Greece, the Belgrade area and even from the Reich.[1]
Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Mar 43 - Aug 44)
The following aircraft loss incidents cover only the 5 or 6 planes that were directly assigned to the Stab of Fliegerführer Kroatien:
11 Apr 43: He 46 (VF+UC) belonging to Fliegerführer Kroatien crashed near Bos. Petrovac, 100%, 2 killed.[2]
10 May 43: Fliegerführer Kroatien Fi 156 force landed near Sarajevo in bad weather, 100%, crew safe.
11 May 43: Ju 88 force landed due to engine failure, no details.
13 Jul 43: Fi 156 force landed near Livno, 70%, Obstlt.i.G. Ernst Knapp (pilot) injured.
15 Jul 43: Hs 126 in landing accident at Fp.Sarajevo-Butmir, 60%.
16 Jul 43: Fi 156 force landed west of Kosjerici, 60%, Oblt. Karl Lüttgen + 1 both injured.
12 Aug 43: Fliegerführer Gen.Maj. Chamier-Glisczinski killed in an air crash this date.
Nov 43: Stab in Zagreb, with a combat operations center at Sarajevo-Rajlovac.
Feb 44: as above for Nov 43.
29 Aug 44: Stab renamed Stab/Fliegerführer Nordbalkan this date.
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2023
Return to Commands
References
- ↑ G.Tessin- Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945, 16+ Bde, (Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag, 1965-c.1990),Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte (Osnabrück, 1980); Mikić article in Vojnoistorijski Glasnik Br. 2/XXXVII, p.47; NARA WashDC: RG 242 microfilms; PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence reports and lists based on ULTRA, “Y” Service intercepts, captured documents and PoW interrogations.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).