Kommandeur der Luftwaffe (Koluft)
General Background
The Luftwaffe’s primary wartime mission was to support the Army. To coordinate and provide reconnaissance and artillery-spotting support down to the level of a Korps, the Luftwaffe and the Heer (Army) working together developed an organization called the Kommandeur der Luftwaffe (abbreviated Koluft) that consisted of a medium-size motorized staff of some 49 officers and men that was attached to Heeresgruppen (army groups), Armeen (armies) and Panzergruppen (armored groups). Specifically, the KStNs (Kriegsstärkenachweisungen - War Establishment Schedules) for the Koluft staffs were 516 L, 517 L and 519 L, and in December 1941 provided an allowance of 9 officers, 1 official (Beamte), 18 NCO’s, 21 men and 7 motor vehicles for each Koluft staff.
These staffs had their own operational chain of command, at the top of which was General der Luftwaffe beim Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres (L.In. 1) (General of the Air Force Attached to the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (AF Inspectorate 1)). Attached to each Koluft in support of an army (Armee) were Luftwaffe short- and medium-range reconnaissance squadrons (Aufklärungsstaffeln) as the situation required, a courier or liaison squadron (Kurierstaffel or Verbindungsstaffel), a special signals battalion (Luftnachrichten-Abteilung (H) (mot.)) and antiaircraft regiments and battalions (Flagregimenter and Flakabteilungen). Those Koluft attached to a Heeresgruppe generally subordinated just a long-range reconnaissance squadron and a courier squadron.[1]
Each Koluft was usually commanded by a Luftwaffe general officer or an Oberst (colonel) and was co-located with the headquarters of the army group or army, moving forward with it during offensive campaigns. The attached reconnaissance units changed fairly often as the tactical situation dictated. In addition, the Koluft served as a special advisor to the commanding general of the army group or army on all matters concerning the Luftwaffe, provided communications interface between army and Luftwaffe commands and coordinated logistical support for Luftwaffe units operating forward in a field army’s assigned area.
By the end of October 1941, it was beginning to be recognized that the Koluft organization allowed for considerable overlapping and duplication of assets that could be eliminated by a major reorganization. Accordingly, General der Flieger Rudolf Bogatsch, who at the time was both General der Luftwaffe beim OKH (see above) and General der Aufklärungsflieger, met in Berlin with Army chief of staff Generaloberst Franz Halder on 8 December 1941 to discuss and begin mapping out a comprehensive rebuilding of the Koluft organization. In April 1942, this reorganization was put into effect by creating Luftwaffe Nahaufklärungsgruppen (tactical reconnaissance groups) to replace the Kolufts and place these directly under Luftwaffe control. The Kolufts themselves were eliminated and replaced with Luftwaffe liaison officers (Verbindungsoffiziere) and the special purpose Koluft signals organization was disbanded and the assets used elsewhere, but mainly for the new Nahaufklärungsgruppen, each of which had its own signal company.
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress).
(1st Draft 2023)
Return to Commands
Links
Koluft Panzergruppe von Kleist
Koluft Heeresgruppe Nord (1st Formation)
Koluft Heeresgruppe Nord (2nd Formation)
Koluft Heeresgruppe Süd (1st Formation)
Koluft Heeresgruppe Süd (2nd Formation)
References
- ↑ [British Air Ministry] – “The Organisation of the German Air Force”, S.D. 431, SECRET, January 1943, pp.88-93; [British Air Ministry] – A.I.12 Study Y/29, “G.A.F. Establishment Schedule Numbers”, SECRET, n.d. (c.1945-46); NARA WashDC: RG 242 (Koluft 2. Panzerarmee document in T-313 roll 98/frame 861); Generalstab des Heeres Nr.1483/42, 19.4.1942.