The 1st ''Luftwaffe'' Field Division () was an infantry division of the

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

branch of the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

that fought in World War II. It was formed using surplus ground crew of the ''Luftwaffe'' and served on the Eastern Front from late 1942 to early 1944 at which time it was disbanded.

Operational history

The 1st ''Luftwaffe'' Field Division, the first of several such divisions, was formed in mid-1942 in Königsberg, Eastern Prussia, under the command of ''

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...

'' Gustav Wilke. Intended to serve as infantry, its personnel were largely drawn from surplus ''Luftwaffe'' (German Air Force) ground crew. The division included four battalions of infantry, as well as artillery, engineer and signal units although it lacked regimental staff. After training was completed in December 1942 it was sent to

Army Group North Army Group North () was the name of three separate army groups of the Wehrmacht during World War II. Its rear area operations were organized by the Army Group North Rear Area. The first Army Group North was deployed during the invasion of Pol ...

as part of the 18th Army although still under ''Luftwaffe'' command. Stationed near

Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...

, it was transferred to the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

in December 1943. The division saw little fighting until the withdrawal from

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

in January 1944 during which it was involved in heavy defensive battles north of Novgorod. The division's personnel were inadequately trained for its role as infantry and due to the heavy losses incurred in the Soviet attacks of the 1943/1944 winter, the division itself was disbanded shortly afterwards. Its surviving personnel were absorbed by the 28th ''Jager'' Division.

Commanders

*''Oberst'' Gustav Wilke (30 September 1942 – 16 January 1943; 14 April – 14 June 1943; 23 July — 30 September 1943); *''

Generalmajor is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...

'' Werner Zech (17 January – 13 April 1943); *''Oberst'' Anton Longin (15 June – 22 July 1943); *''Generalmajor'' Rudolf Petrauschke (1 October 1943 – February 1944).

War commentary

At least 680 graves of soldiers of the 1st Luftwaffe Field Division are found at the war cemetery in

Veliky Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the ...

, where a total of 11.400 German and Spanish soldiers are buried.de:Kriegsgräberstätte Nowgorod
/ref>

Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations

References

* * {{DISPLAYTITLE:1st ''Luftwaffe'' Field Division 01 1942 establishments in Germany 1944 disestablishments in Germany Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944