Luftwaffe construction units were established in 1939 from ''

Reichsarbeitsdienst The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major paramilitary organization established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the Economy of Nazi Germany, German economy, militarise the wo ...

'' units transferred to the Luftwaffe, and reinforced with technically competent older conscripts, later also with

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

and foreign volunteers ''( Hiwis).'' The main task was the construction and maintenance of

military air base An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...

s. In 1944 the bulk of the construction units were transferred to the ''

Organization Todt Organisation Todt (OT; ) was a civil and military engineering organisation in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, named for its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior member of the Nazi Party. The organisation was responsible for a huge range ...

''; those remaining under Luftwaffe control becoming Luftwaffe pioneers.

History

During the buildup 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 ...

, necessary

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

work was conducted by private contractors with civilian staff. From 1938 units from the ''

'' were increasingly used by the Luftwaffe for construction purposes. These RAD-units were from 1939 converted into Luftwaffe construction companies and battalions. From 1941 construction regiments, and sometimes construction brigades, were created."Bautruppen und Pioniere der Luftwaffe." ''Bundesarchiv.''
Retrieved 2017-01-31. Construction units under RAD control still existed; in 1942, 56 companies served with the Luftwaffe in the West. In 1944 most of the construction units were transferred to the ''

Organisation Todt Organisation Todt (OT; ) was a Civil engineering, civil and military engineering organisation in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, named for its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior member of the Nazi Party. The organisation was responsible ...

''; the construction troops remaining under Luftwaffe control were reorganized into 14 battalions as ''Lufwaffen-Pioniere.''

Mission

The role of the construction and pioneer units consisted of the implementation of all kind of construction projects, principally air base construction, and especially runway construction and repair. The pioneers were also tasked with the destruction of Luftwaffe installations, as the fronts contracted. Construction and pioneer units were also used to combat

partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...

s, and as first-line troops in emergencies.

Personnel

The personnel of the construction units came from the ''Reichsarbeitsdienst'', and from older, technically trained, conscripts. The manual labor were increasingly performed by

and by '' Hiwis''.

Organization

The Luftwaffe construction units were immediately subordinated to the air base regional commands, the ''Koflug'', their use directed by its Field Works Office ''(Feldbauamt)'', and at the local air base by its Works Superintendent's Office ''(Bauleitung)'', composed of technical military officials. On the '' Luftgau'' level, a special staff officer ''(Stobau)'', later commander, of the construction units were in charge. In the ''

Reichsluftfahrtministerium The Ministry of Aviation (, abbreviated RLM) was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany (1933–45). It is also the original name of the Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus building on the Wilhelmstrasse in central Berlin, Germany, which ...

'' an inspector of construction units supervised the technical and military training, and the appropriate use, of the construction units and the pioneers.TM-E 30-451, pp. X-7, 8.

References

Notes

{{reflist

Cited literature

* Henner, Sigurd & Böhler, Wolfgang (2014). ''Die Deutsche Wehrmacht. Dienstgrade und Waffenfarbe der Luftwaffe 1939-1945.'' Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. * Thomas, Nigel & Caballero Jurado, Carlos (2000). ''Wehrmacht Auxiliary Forces.'' Oxford:

Osprey Publishing Osprey Publishing is a British publishing company specializing in military history formerly based in Oxford. Predominantly an illustrated publisher, many of their books contain full-colour artwork plates, maps and photographs, and the company p ...

. * United States War Department (1945). ''Handbook on German military forces. TM-E 30-451.'' Washington, DC:

United States Government Printing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO), formerly the United States Government Printing Office, is an agency of the Legislature, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal gove ...

. ited as TM-E 30-451

External links

"Luftwaffen-Bau-Bataillone." ''The Luftwaffe, 1933-45.''

(in German) Military units and formations of the Luftwaffe