Gen.Kdo. Fliegerkorps X
Gen.Kdo. Fliegerkorps X
(FpNs: L 23107, L 52570, L 40109)
Kommandierender General:
Gen.d.Flieger Hans Geisler (3 Oct 39 - 31 Aug 42)
Gen.d.Flieger Bernhard Kühl, acting (3 Jun 40 - 20 Sep 40)
Gen.Lt. Otto Hoffmann von Waldau (31 Aug 42 - 31 Dec 42)
Gen.Maj. Alexander Holle (1 Jan 43 - 22 May 43)
Gen.d.Flieger Martin Fiebig (22 May 43 - 15 Oct 43)
Gen.Lt. Alexander Holle (15 Oct 43 - 1 Sep 44)
Probable Subordination:
Ob.d.L.(21 Oct 39 - May 40)
Luftflotte 5(May 40 - Dec 40)
Italuft/Ob.d.L.(Dec 40 - Dec 41)
Luftflotte 2(Dec 41 - 1 Jan 43)
Lw.-Kdo. Südost(1 Jan 43 - 1 Apr 44)
Luftflotte 3(1 Apr 44 - c. 31 Aug 44)
Luftflotte Reich(1 Sep 44 - 5 Sep 44)
Subordinate Units:
Ln.-Rgt. 40 (Feb 41 - Mar 44)
Formation. (Oct 39)
Formed 4 October 1939 at Hamburg by renaming and expanding Stab/10. Fliegerdivision and, from 21 October, assigned directly under Ob.d.L.[1]
North Germany. Oct 39 - Apr 40)
Carried out anti-shipping operations over the North Sea, attacks on coastal convoys along the east coast of England and Scotland, and armed reconnaissance over ports and naval bases.[2]
Occupation of Denmark and Norway. (Apr 40 - Jun 40)
9 Apr – Jun 40: engaged in intense operations over both land and sea in support of the occupation of both countries.[3]
10 May 40: Stab at Aalborg-West/N Denmark.[4]
Air Offensive Against England (Battle of Britain). (Jul 40 - Dec 40)
Aug – Dec 40: flew strikes on North Sea coastal convoys and attacks on ports along the English east coast.[5]
13 Aug 40: Stab at Stavanger/SW Norway under Luftflotte 5.[6]
10 Dec 40: ordered to transfer from Norway to Sicily. Initial mission: (1) to engage Royal Navy fleet units, especially those at Alexandria; (2) to attack enemy shipping in the Suez Canal and the Straits of Sicily; (3) to be available as needed for employment against targets in the Ionian and Aegean Seas; and, (4) to coordinate all operations with the Italian supreme command.[7]
Mediterranean and North Africa. (Dec 40 - Mar 44)
10 Jan 41: Stab at Taormina/NE Sicily, 35 km S of Messina, and commenced operations this date. Over the next 5 months, flew continuous raids on Malta and attacked British shipping and naval targets throughout the Mediterranean.[8]
11 Jan 41: mission expanded to include attacks on British supply dumps and ports where supplies were being off-loaded in Cyrenaica and western Egypt. Aircraft were to stage these attacks through bases in Tripolitania.[9]
4 Feb 41: mission expanded again to include flying escort for German troop and supply convoys underway from Italy to North African ports.[10]
2 Mar 41: Stab still at Taormina.
5 Jun 41: Stab transferred to Athens-Kiphissia in Greece and took over command of air operations in the central and eastern Mediterranean, as well as in North Africa in support of General Rommel.
Mar 42: Stab transferred from Athens to Spilia/Crete.
1 Jan 43: subordination now under Luftwaffenkdo. Südost effective this date.
Jul 43: Stab returned to Athens-Kiphissia from Crete in summer 1943.
7 Feb 44: the administrative section (Verwaltungsstab - FpN L 52570) in Athens used to form Stab/Kommandierender General der deutschen Luftwaffe in Griechenland.
11 Mar 44: the command section (Führungsstab) departed Greece for Angers/France where it absorbed Stab/Fliegerführer Atlantik and took over its responsibilities and FpN (L 40109).
Western France. (Mar 44 - Aug 44)
Apr – Aug 44: assigned units flew reconnaissance and limited defensive operations along the west coast of France.
4 Aug 44: Stab withdrew from Angers to Wiesbaden-Erbenheim via Tours following the Allied breakout from Normandy and the general evacuation of France by German forces.
12 Aug 44: Gefechtsstand/X. Fliegerkorps trf to Septsaul/20 km SE of Reims.[11]
5 Sep 44: Stab ordered disbanded at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim by Luftflotte Reich.[12]
Flugbereitschaft Gen.Kdo. Fliegerkorps X
Formation, History and Losses. (Nov 39? - Aug 44?)
Date of formation and disbandment unknown. Officially designated Führungskette X. Fliegerkorps until approximately June 1941 (or fall 1942 according to other evidence). Assigned FpN L 23107A.[13]
18 Dec 39: He 111H shot up by enemy planes near Ameland Is. off the Dutch coast and slightly damaged, Hptm. Arno Kleyenstüber WIA.
2 Jan 40: He 111 H-2 damaged landing at Fp. Uetersen, 50%.
9 Jun 40: Fi 156 reported missing near Narvik, 100%, 1 MIA.
11 Sep 40: He 111 H-3 (P4+BA) shot up over Moray Firth/N Scotland, 30%, 1 WIA.
13 Dec 40: He 111 H-3 crashed in the Bremen area - no details, 90%.
17 Feb 41: He 111 H-5 crashed near Sciacca/Sicily when both engines failed, 100%.
21 Jun 41: had 11 x Ju 88 C, 1 x He 111 H-2 and 2 x He 111 H-5 on strength but only 3 were serviceable.[14]
29 Jun 41: Ju 88 A-5 (P4+BA) struck the ground and burned near Salonika while en-route from Fp. Wien-Aspern to Athens, 100%, Hptm. Franz Wieting + 2 killed.
4 Jul 41: He 111 H-5 crashed near Zagreb, 100%, 3 killed.
8 Mar 42: He 111 H-2 struck the ground and crashed at Fp. Athens-Kalamaki, 100%, 4 killed.
26 Apr 42: Fi 156 C-2 crashed while taking off from Fp. Kastelli/Crete, 50%.
27-29 Apr 42: transferred to Kastelli/Crete with 2 He 111, 1 W 34, 3 C 445, 2 Bf 108, 1 Fi 156, 1 Klemm 35 and 2 officers, 11 NCOs and 33 men.[15]
Aug 42: according to a PoW, the Flugbereitschaft fluctuated between 10 and 20 aircraft, mostly He 111s, Fi 156s and Fw 44s, and carried out routine courier duties for Stab/X. Fliegerkorps.[16]
10 Aug 42: He 111 (P4+AA) shot up by a fighter and crashed into the sea off Matruk, 100%, 1 KIA, 2 WIA and 1 MIA.
22 Jan 43: Flugbereitschaft/X. Fliegerkorps reported 4 aircraft on strength this date with just one of them serviceable.[17]
22 Jan 43: He 111 H-11 crash landed at Fp. Heraklion/Crete due to engine failure, 35%.
8 Feb 43: based at Fp. Kastelli/Crete.[18]
2 Mar 43: based at Fp. Kastelli/Crete.[19]
23 Mar 43: now based at Fp. Athens-Tatoi.[20]
15 Sep 43: Fi 156 “Trop” (DO+VJ) crashed on the island of Corfu due to engine trouble, 100%, pilot captured.
4 Oct 43: Flugbereitschaft bombed on the ground at Fp. Athens-Tatoi with the following losses: He 111 H-6 (100%), Do 17Z (100%), Ju 88 A-4 (10%), Fw 58 (70%), Fw 44 (60%), 2 x Fi 156 (100% and 10%).
7 Oct 43: Fi 156 “Trop” force landed NW of Agrinion/Greece due to engine failure, 30%.
10 Oct 43: Fi 156 “Trop” bombed on the ground at Fp. Athens-Tatoi, 50%.
21 Oct 43: Fi 156 “Trop” (BP+MH) reported missing SW of Patiopoulou/Greece, 100%, 1 MIA.
20 Nov 43: based at Fp. Athens-Tatoi.[21]
[This Flugbereitschaft continued in service into 1944, but details have not been found.]
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2023
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References
- ↑ C.Shores-, Fledgling Eagles: The Complete Account of Air Operations During the ‘Phony War’ and Norwegian Campaign, 1940:81, 97.
- ↑ Shores.
- ↑ Shores.
- ↑ U.Balke-KG 2/Teil 1:400.
- ↑ W.Ramsey (ed.)- The Blitz Then and Now (3 volumes).
- ↑ Balke-1:412.
- ↑ KTB/OKW 1940-1941 Teilband I, p.223.
- ↑ K.Gundelach- Die deutsche Luftwaffe im Mittelmeer 1940-1945 (2 volumes); C.Shores et al- Malta: The Hurricane Years 1940-41; C.Shores et al-Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942; plus dozens of other books that forcus on the Mediterranean theatre of operations (see the Bibliography).
- ↑ KTB/OKW 1940-1941 Teilband I, p.261.
- ↑ KTB/OKW 1940-1941 Teilband I, pp.303, 306-07.
- ↑ BNA HW 5/560.
- ↑ G.Tessin- Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945. Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin P/W interrogations, ADI(K) series, microfilm rolls A5400-05, interrogation ADI(K) 503/44.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); RG 242 microfilms.
- ↑ BNA HW 5/21.
- ↑ NARA WashDC: Rg 242 (T-501 KTB Befehlshaber Südgreichenland).
- ↑ AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin CSDIC P/W Interrogation Reports in microfilm rolls A5415-18, interrogation CSDIC AFHQ A.266.
- ↑ PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signal VM2108.
- ↑ ULTRA signal VM4490.
- ↑ ULTRA signal VM5386.
- ↑ ULTRA signal VM7337.
- ↑ NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-311:179/656).