Luftgaukommando VII (2nd)

Luftgaukommando VII (2d Formation)

(FpN: none assigned)

Kommandierender General:

Oberst Franz Müller-Michels (12 Oct 37 - 1 Apr 38)

Gen.Maj. Hans, Graf von Sponeck (1 Apr 38 - 1 Jul 38)

Gen.d.Flakart. Emil Zenetti (1 Jul 38 - 1 Sep 44)

Gen.d.Flieger Veit Fischer, acting (9 Aug 44 - 12 Sep 44)

Gen.Lt. Dipl.Ing. Wolfgang Vorwald (12 Sep 44 - 29 Apr 45)

Subordination:

Luftkreiskommando 5 (12 Oct 37 - 4 Feb 38)

Luftwaffengruppenkdo. 3 (4 Feb 38 - 1 Feb 39)

Luftflottenkdo. 3 (1 Feb 39 - 21 Mar 41)

Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte (21 Mar 41 - 5 Feb 44)

Luftflottenkdo. Reich (5 Feb 44 - 29 Apr 45)

Subordinate Commands:

Kommando Flughafenbereiche (airfield regional commands) and Fliegerhorstkommandanturen (air base commands), Luftnachrichten (air force signals), Sanitäts (medical), Flak (antiaircraft), civil air defense, supply, schools, replacements and sundry other ground service and support commands, staffs and units located within its territory of authority. These changed frequently and in the absence of surviving source documentation it is not possible to list them accurately or completely.

Formation and History. (Oct 37 - Apr 45)

Formed 12 October 1937 in München (Munich) by re-designating Luftgaukdo. 14 (München) and comprised South Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, along with the Tirol and Salzburg area, which was approximately the territorial area of the Army’s Wehrkreis VII. During the war, Luftgau VII initially supported Luftflotte 3 operations in France, and then from the beginning of 1942 it was the main support Luftgau for Luftflotte 2 deployed in the Mediterranean theater (Italy, Sicily and North Africa). On 1 April 1944, it absorbed the majority of the territory formerly belonging to the disbanded Luftgaukdo. XII/XIII. On 6 September 1944, Luftgau VII’s territory that was closest to the rapidly approaching front in the west was turned over to Luftgaukdo. V (Stuttgart) and Luftgaukdo. XIV (Wiesbaden), both of which were just then being formed. On 1 November 1944, the Stab of Luftgau VII moved from Munich to Kloster Scheyern/4 km SW of Pfaffenhofen between Munich and Ingolstadt, and on 24 April 1945 it was located at Markt Schwaben/20 km E of Munich, probably withdrawing as U.S. armored spearheads closed on the Bavarian capital from the north and west.^[1]

Flugbereitschaft Luftgaukommando VII

(FpN: none found)

Formation, History and Losses. (1940? - 1944?)

No information has so far come to light about the duty flight assigned to Luftgaukdo. VII, except for the aircraft lost and damaged report noted below. Since none has ever been found dated after October 1940, it is highly likely that the Flugbereitschaft was disbanded not long after that. A loss entry dated 24 Jul 44 may indicate it was reformed or the Stab/Luftgaukdo. VII simply had a few aircraft assigned to it for liaison purposes.^[2]

10 Nov 40: a Hs 126 belonging to Flugbereitschaft Luftgaukdo. VII was damaged in an accident at München-Neubiberg airfield, 60%, no injuries.

24 Jul 44: a Fw 190 A-8 from Flugbereitschaft Lufgaukdo. VII reported 10% damage at Rhein-Main airfield due to pilot error.

(1st Draft 2023)

Return to Commands

References

↑ G.Tessin-Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918-1939: Altes Heer, Freiwilligenverbände, Reichswehr, Heer, Luftwaffe, Landespolizei (Osnabrück, 1974); K-H.Völker-Die deutsche Luftwaffe 1933-1939: Aufbau, Führung und Rüstung der Luftwaffe sowie Entwicklung der deutschen Luftkriegstheorie (Stuttgart, 1967); G.Tessin-Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945, Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte (Osnabrück, 1980); H.Boog-Die deutsche Luftwaffenführung 1935-1945: Führungsprobleme, Spitzengliederung, Generalstabsausbildung (Stuttgart, 1982); R.Suchenwirth-The Development Of The German Air Force, 1919-1939, USAF Historical Studies No. 160 (New York, 1968); C.Zweng-Die Dienststellen, Kommandobehörden und Truppenteile der Luftwaffe 1935-1945 (Osnabrück, 1999), Bd. 1; K.Mehner/R.Teuber - Die deutsche Luftwaffe 1939-1945: Führung und Truppe (Norderstedt: 1993), p.165; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin P/W interrogations, ADI(K) series, microfilm rolls A5400-05, interrogation ADI(K) 283/45; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (scattered microfilm citations found in T-321, T-405 and T-971).
↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).

[ftn1-1] G.Tessin-Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918-1939: Altes Heer, Freiwilligenverbände, Reichswehr, Heer, Luftwaffe, Landespolizei (Osnabrück, 1974); K-H.Völker-Die deutsche Luftwaffe 1933-1939: Aufbau, Führung und Rüstung der Luftwaffe sowie Entwicklung der deutschen Luftkriegstheorie (Stuttgart, 1967); G.Tessin-Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945, Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte (Osnabrück, 1980); H.Boog-Die deutsche Luftwaffenführung 1935-1945: Führungsprobleme, Spitzengliederung, Generalstabsausbildung (Stuttgart, 1982); R.Suchenwirth-The Development Of The German Air Force, 1919-1939, USAF Historical Studies No. 160 (New York, 1968); C.Zweng-Die Dienststellen, Kommandobehörden und Truppenteile der Luftwaffe 1935-1945 (Osnabrück, 1999), Bd. 1; K.Mehner/R.Teuber - Die deutsche Luftwaffe 1939-1945: Führung und Truppe (Norderstedt: 1993), p.165; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin P/W interrogations, ADI(K) series, microfilm rolls A5400-05, interrogation ADI(K) 283/45; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (scattered microfilm citations found in T-321, T-405 and T-971).

[ftn2-2] BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).

[1]

[2]

Luftgaukommando VII (2nd)

References

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