Luftflotte 2
Luftflottenkommando 2
(FpNs: L 10428, L 50272)
Oberbefehlshaber:
Gen.d.Flieger Helmuth Felmy (1 Feb 39 - 12 Jan 40)
Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring (RK, EL, S, B) (12 Jan 40 - 11 Jun 43)
Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (RK, EL) (12 Jun 43 - 27 Sep 44)
Subordinate Commands:
Combat
Kommandierender General der deutschen Luftwaffe in Mittelitalien (4 Feb 44 - 6 Sep 44)
I. Fliegerkorps (15 May 40 - end of Aug 40)
II. Fliegerkorps (Jul 40 - Dec 43)
IV. Fliegerkorps (4 Oct 39 - Jul 40)
VIII. Fliegerkorps (4 Oct 39 - 13 May 40)
(Jun 41 - 3 Aug 41)
(28 Sep 41 - 5 Dec 41)
IX. Fliegerkorps (16 Nov 40 - May 41)
X. Fliegerkorps (4 Oct 39 - Apr 40)
(Dec 41 - 1 Jan 43)
Fliegerkorps Tunis (6 Feb 43 - 13 May 43)
Nahkampfkorps Süd (4 Feb 44 - Aug 44)
Luftlandekorps Student (May 40 - May 40)
Corpo Aereo Italiano (CAI) (Sep 40 - Apr 41)
3. Fliegerdivision (1 Feb 39 - 11 Oct 39)
4. Fliegerdivision (1 Feb 39 - 4 Oct 39)
9. Fliegerdivision (23 May 40 - 16 Nov 40)
1. Nachtjagddivision (17 Jul 40 - 21 Mar 41)
Fliegerführer 2 (Jul 43 - May 44)
Fliegerführer Afrika (1 Jan 42 - 6 Feb 43)
Fliegerführer Sardinien (9 Dec 42 - 30 Jun 43)
Fliegerführer Tunis (Nov 42 - 6 Feb 43)
Geleitzugführer Mittelmeer (3 Jul 43 - 27 Aug 43)
Jagdfliegerführer 1 (Dec 39 - 1 Apr 41)
Jagdfliegerführer 2 (1 Jan 40 - May 41)
Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht (Dec 39 - Mar 41?)
Jagdfliegerführer Oberitalien (1 Dec 43 - Sep 44)
Jagdfliegerführer Sizilien (7 Apr 43 - 30 Jul 43)
Jagdabschnittsführer Italien (Jul 43 - Aug 43)
Kampffliegerführer Mittelmeer (15 Jun 43 - 30 Oct 43)
Lufttransportführer Mittelmeer (6 Feb 42 - 21 Apr 43)
Flakartillerie (II. Flakkorps, 19. Flakdiv., 20. Flakdiv., 25. Flakdiv., Flakbrig. VII, 17. Flakbrig., 22. Flakbrig.)
Luftnachrichten-Regimente (Ln.Rgt. 2, 12, 22)
Administrative
At various times:
General der deutschen Luftwaffe beim Oberkommando der königl. ital. Luftwaffe (Italuft)
Luftgaukommando II, VI, XI, Belgien-Nordfrankreich, Holland, Süd, Tunis
Luftgaustab Griechenland, Sizilien
Feldluftgaukommando XXVIII
Luftgaustab z.b.V. 2, 6, 10, 11, 20, 21, Afrika, Kreta
Formation, Territorial Authority and Headquarters Locations:
(See below)
Formation. (Feb 39)
Formed 1 February 1939 in Braunschweig (ex-Luftwaffengruppenkommando 2 (West)).[1]
Phony War - West. (Sep 39 - May 40)
24-27 Aug 39: on mobilization, Stab transferred from Braunschweig to Münster - responsible for air operations along the western border from the Ruhr to the North Sea.
Attack on France, Belgium and Holland. (May 40 - Jun 40)
10 May 40: Stab at Münster for the beginning of the campaign - responsible for air operations along the northern flank in support of Army Group (Heeresgruppe) B, including the bombing of Rotterdam and the Allied evacuation beachhead at Dunkirk.
Air Offensive Against England (Battle of Britain). (Jul 40 - May 41)
17 Jul 40 – May 41: Stab at Brussels - responsible for the area between the Heligoland Bight in North Germany and the Sommé River in North France, and the offensive employment of all assigned forces against the British Isles.
Mar 41: elements of the Stab began moving from Brussels to Warsaw at the end of March for the forthcoming attack on the Soviet Union.
Central Sector of the Eastern Front in Russia. (Jun 41 - Nov 41)
21 Jun 41: Stab at Warsaw-Bielany and assigned to support the advance into Central Russia in the direction of Moscow by the forces of Army Group Center (Heeresgruppe Mitte) on 22 June.
28 Sep 41: Stab now at Smolensk; Operation "Taifun", the maximum effort drive on Moscow which Luftflotte 2 supported, began on 2 October.
5 Dec 41: Stab ordered to transfer from Central Russia to the Mediterranean theatre.
Mediterranean, North Africa and Italy. (Dec 41 - Sep 44)
Dec 41: Stab arrived at Rome-Frascati and from this date until the end of January 1943 was officially designated as Oberbefehlshaber Süd with overall responsibility for all air and ground operations in the Mediterranean theater. This re-designation was nothing more than a temporary expedient to give the command authority over Heer (Army) and Kriegsmarine (Navy) forces in the theater as well as those of the Luftwaffe.
1 Feb 43 Luftflottenkommando 2 again became a separate command. The surviving documents show evidence of this taking place on 1 February 1943, but other records show that this may not have occurred officially until around 12 June 1943.
Jul 43: Stab still at Rome-Frascati.
20 Sep 43: Stab transferred from Rome to Malcesine on Lake Garda in North Italy on or about this date following the Allied invasion of the Italian mainland.
Oct 43: at the end of October the Stab moved from Malcesine to Abano Terme near Padua and remained there until May 1944.
May 44: Stab transferred to Salsomaggiore to the NW of Parma.
Jul 44: Stab moved back to Malcesine.
27 Sep 44: Stab ordered disbanded at Malcesine this date, with all responsibility for air operations in the Italian theater to be turned over to Stab/Kommandierender General der deutschen Luftwaffe in Italien.
Oct 44: remnants of Stab disbanding at Baden near Vienna/Austria.
Nahkampfführer Luftflotte 2
Führer
Oberst Walter Sigel (6 Feb 44 - Mar 44)
Formation and History. (Feb 44 - Mar 44)
Ordered formed 6 February 1944 at Abano Terme near Padua by GFM von Richthofen as a small staff to direct the tactical employment of all fighter-bomber and fighter escort operations along the front in Italy. Subordinated to Fliegerführer Luftflotte 2. On 16 Feb 44, for example, it was responsible for all tactical Luftwaffe air support for the first large-scale German counterattack on the Anzio beachhead this date, subordinating I./JG 4, II./JG 51, III./JG 53, II./JG 77 and II./SG 4. In March the Stab was disbanded and used to form Gen.Kdo. Nahkampfkorps Süd.[2]
Flugbereitschaft Luftflotte 2
(Unit Code F5+)
Formation, History and Losses. (Feb 40? - Jul 44?)
No information has so far come to light about the duty flight assigned to Luftflotte 2, which also operated under the designation Flugbereitschaft Oberbefehlshaber Süd, except for the following:[3]
5 Mar 40: FW 58 force landed near Ostbevern/NE of Münster due to engine failure, 30%.
24 Aug 40: Fh 104 (NZ+NJ) crash landed at St-Ingelvert near Calais, 12%.
7 Oct 40: Ju 52 (BT+AJ) damaged taxiing at Brussels-Evere, 30%.
6 Sep 41: Ju 88A-1 (PM+ZA) failed to return and last reported near Smolensk - no details, 100%, Obstlt.i.G. Walter Löbel + 3 MIA.
12 Oct 41: Ar 79B-1 shot-up at Karaches, 80%.
21 Oct 41: Flugbereitschaft based at Fp. Minsk-East.
5 Feb 42: Ju 52 struck the ground near Rome, 100%, 14 KIA.
22 Jun 42: Fw 189 damaged taxiing at Fp.Reggio, 20%.
6 Jul 42: a Ju 52 struck the ground at Fp. Rome-Frascati, 90%, crew uninjured.
21 Aug 42: Fi 156 damaged at Taormina/Sicily due to pilot error, 30%.
13 Nov 42: Do 17 (NT+NE) FTR and last reported off the coast near Tunis, 100%, 11 killed and 2 missing.
15 Nov 42: Ju 52 crashed at Fp. Rome-Ciampino due to engine failure, 90%.
20 Jan 43: Ju 52 (7V+CL) ran out of fuel N of the Tiber Estuary and force landed in the water, 100%, 3 aircrew + 6 passengers killed.
11 Feb 43: Do 217 crash landed at Trapani/Sicily, 50%.
22 Feb 43: Do 217 (F5+LH) FTR on flight from Rome-Ciampino to Gabes in Tunisia, 100%, 3 aircrew + 3 high-ranking officers MIA.
19 Mar 43: at Tunis afld., a Do 217 from the Flugbereitschaft crashed, 100%, 13 aircrew + 3 passengers killed.
11 Apr 43: 2 Ju 52s (F5+FK and KG+FJ) FTR on flight from Rome to Tunis, 100%, 2 KIA and 10 MIA.
22 Apr 43: Do 217 (F5+NH) shot down by a fighter on flight from Rome to Tunis, 100%, 3 KIA and 2 passengers MIA.
25 Apr 43: Do 217K crashed at Miglieri in bad weather, 100%, 13 aircrew killed + 2 passengers killed.
30 Apr 43: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter near Decimomannu/Sardinia, 100%, 14 KIA.
9 May 43: Do 217 blown up by own troops at Menzel-Termime on Cape Bon/Tunisia to prevent capture, 100%.
25 May 43: Do 217 (F5+LH) shot down E of Cape Lavallo, 100%, 13 MIA.
13Jul 43: Do 217E shot down into the sea near Catania/Sicily, 100%, 1 KIA. 2 MIA.
19 Jul 43: bombed on ground during Allied air raid on Rome-Ciampino airfield: 12 x Do 217K-1,
3 x Do 217E-4, 1 x Ju 88A-4, 1 x He 111H-3, 3 x Ju 52, 1 x Fi 156 - all rated 15%-70% damaged, except for 1 of the Ju 52s rated at 100%.
23 Jul 43: FW 58 shot down into the sea, 100%, crew safe.
7 Aug 43: FW 58 shot down into the sea by a fighter at Bognara, 100%, 12 WIA.
11 Aug 43: Fi 156 crashed at Via Norentia due to engine failure, 70%, 1 injured.
13 Sep 43: Do 217E-4 crashed near Rome, 100%, 2 killed and 1 injured.
30 Nov 43: Fi 156 crashed at St.Giovanni due to engine failure, 100%, pilot killed.
6 Jun 44: Ju 52 (F5+PH) belonging to Flugber.Lfl.2 identified operating in northern Italy and between N Italy and Munich-Riem.
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2023
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References
- ↑ K.Ries-Lw.Story; G.Tessin-Tes; U.Balke-KG 2/v.1:417 and v.2:65; NARA WashDC: RG 242/Microcopy T-313 roll 232 frame 959; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals; BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); K-O.Hoffmann-Luftnachrichtentruppe/v.II Bd. 1; Gundelach-Med:684, 730; BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 40/Kart (“Aufmarsch die fliegende Verbände” order of battle map for this date).
- ↑ J.Prien- Chronik des JG-53 “Pik-As”:1133; J.Prien- Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 77:1872 and 1880; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin CSDIC P/W Interrogation Reports in microfilm rolls A5415-18, interrogation CSDIC AFHQ A.350.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); AFHRA Maxwell: decimal K113 Karlsruhe Collection; N.Beale-Air War Italy.