Luftwaffenkommando Südost
Luftwaffenkommando Südost
(FpN: L 17261, L 23107)
Kommandierender General und Befehlshaber:
Gen.d.Flieger Otto Hoffmann von Waldau (RK) (1 Jan 43 - 21 May 43)
Gen.d.Flieger Martin Fiebig (RK, EL, DKG) (21 May 43 - 1 Sep 44)
Gen.d.Flieger Stefan Fröhlich (RK) (1 Sep 44 - 22 Oct 44)
Subordinate Commands:
Combat
Kommandierender General der deutschen Luftwaffe in Griechenland (7 Feb 44 - 2 Oct 44)
Kommandierender General der deutschen Luftwaffe in Nordbalkan (29 Aug 44 - 10 Oct 44)
II. Fliegerkorps (Aug 44 - 29 Aug 44)
X. Fliegerkorps (1 Jan 43 - Mar 44)
Fliegerführer Albanien (Sep 43 - 29 Aug 44)
Fliegerführer Kroatien (26 Mar 43 - 29 Aug 44)
Fliegerführer Nordbalkan (29 Aug 44 - c. 24 Sep 44)
Jagdfliegerführer Balkan (19 Jan 44 - 7 Oct 44)
Jagdfliegerführer Griechenland (Jun 43 - 19 Jan 44)
Jagdfliegerführer Rumänien (Mar 43 - 19 Jan 44)
Jagdabschnittsführer Bulgarien (19 Jan 44 - 3 Sep 44)
Jagdabschnittsführer Rumänien (19 Jan 44 - c. 1 Jul 44)
Lufttransportführer I (Südost) ? (1 Jan 43 - Oct 44?)
Flakartillerie (19., 20. Flakdivision)
Luftnachrichten-Regimenter (various)
Administrative
Feldluftgaukommando XXIX, XXX
Formation, Territorial Authority and Headquarters Locations:
(see below)
Formation. (Jan 43)
Formed 1 January 1943 at Athens-Kaphissia from HQ elements of Gen.Kdo. X.Fliegerkorps and Stab/Luftgaukdo. Südost. As an independent command directly under Ob.d.L. in Berlin, responsible for Luftwaffe operations in Greece until 1 Sep 1943, and then for the entire Balkans.[1]
Balkans. (Jan 43 - Oct 44)
17 May 43: Kdr.Gen.u.Befh. Hoffmann von Waldau killed in a crash (see Flugbereitschaft entry for details).
5 Jul 43: Stab ordered to transfer from Athens-Kaphissia to Salonika.
16 Aug 43: move to Salonika carried out on or about this date.
15 Sep 43: Stab to move to Belgrade from Salonika as soon as billeting space in the Belgrade area can be located.
23 Sep 43: decision made to move to Pančevo, across the Danube from Belgrade, instead.
20 Nov 43: Stab still in Salonika.
1 Feb 44: Stab in Pancevo - the move to there appears to have taken place in early Jan 1944.
24 Sep 44: Stab ordered to transfer to Brück an der Mur in Austria.
9 Oct 44: Stab in transfer to Baden near Vienna, except for a small forward command post that was preparing to move from Pančevo to Pécs in South Hungary.
10 Oct 44: command post transferred to Pécs and subordinated to Luftflotte 4.
22 Oct 44: Stab ordered disbanded this date by Luftflotte 4 - command post at Pécs (and still there 2 Nov 44) and rear echelon at Baden near Vienna.
18 Nov 44: officially disbanded.
Flugbereitschaft Luftflottenkommando Südost
(Unit Code P4+)
Formation, History and Losses. (Jan 43 - Oct 43?)
Exact date and place of formation unknown, but presumably the 1 Jan 1943 order establishing Lw.Kdo. Südost made provision for a Flugbereitschaft, possibly taking a few aircraft from the Führungskette/Flugbereitschaft of X. Fliegerkorps.[2]
17 May 43: Do 215 struck ground and crashed north of Salonika, 100%, 3 members of the crew, a Hptm. passenger and the Kdr.Gen.u.Befh. of Lw.Kdo.Südost, Gen.d.Flg. Hoffmann v. Waldau, all killed.
26 Sep 43: Fw 58 (P4+OA) crashed between Salonika and Tirana, 40%, Obstlt. Georg Borstorff (navigator), Oblt. Heinrich Banke (pilot) + 2 others all safe.
c.1 Oct 43: probably disbanded during the general reorganization of the Flugbereitschaften, Verbindungsstaffeln and Kurierstaffeln.
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2023
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References
- ↑ G.Tessin-Tes; NARA WashDC: RG 242/Microcopy T-311 roll 175 frame 596; T-311 Flievo/OBSO weekly rpt., 9.10.44; T-311 Flivo/ OBSO weekly rpt., 14.10.44; T-314 roll 661 frame 229; PRO London: ULTRA SUNSET Series, SUNSET Nos. 87, 696; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals;
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); AFHRA Maxwell: decimal K113 Karlsruhe Collection.