Jagdfliegerführer Balkan
Jagdfliegerführer Balkan
(FpN: L 51968)
Jagdfliegerführer:
Oberst Bernhard Woldenga (19 Jan 44 - Aug 44)
Oberst Wolfgang Falck (Aug 44 - c. 9 Oct 44)
Formation and History. (Jan 44 - Oct 44)
Formed 19 January 1944 at Fp. Bucharest-Otopeni by Luftwaffenkdo. Südost using personnel from Stab/Jafü Rumänien. It was set up to exercise control over all fighter forces in the Balkans and was charged with the protection of the Romanian oilfields as its main task, and the defense of Bucharest, Sofia and Belgrade, and the interception of Allied bomber formations over the Balkans as its secondary tasks. It subordinated Jafü Bulgarien and Jagdabschnittsführer Rumänien, and through these Bulgarian and Romanien fighter units in addition to German fighter units. The Stab moved from Otopeni to Belgrade-Pančevo in April 1944 (there by 13 May) so it could be co-located with headquarters Luftwaffenkdo. Südost and more centrally positioned to perform its duties. Following a long, active summer in the skies over the Balkans, the Russians opened an offensive into Romania. Romania and Bulgaria changed sides over the next several days and Hitler ordered all German forces to begin evacuating Greece, the Aegean, Albania, Macedonia and Serbia. On or about 1 October 1944 Jafü Balkan departed Pančevo and withdrew north to Zagreb in Croatia. On 7 October it was ordered disbanded and on 9 October it left Zagreb for Graz-Talerhof where it began disbanded under Luftflotte Reich.[1]
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2023
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References
- ↑ G.Tessin- Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945. Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals VL4432, VL4649, HP2358 and HP2929.