Avipreview division Goering: how German pilots became infantry

History 29/12/19 Avipreview division Goering: how German pilots became infantry

in 1942 on the Eastern front for the Wehrmacht was the year of the first major losses. After the defeat at Moscow, it was necessary to compensate for the loss. All internal army reserves have been exhausted: spare battalions, all logisticians who could be used in the first line, have already started to use in the rear of prisoners of war. The shortage in the infantry was up to 50% and recharge it was nothing.

For a summer offensive in the South had all the infantry divisions from other sectors of the front to reduce by a third (from nine battalions to six), and even if this remained a significant shortage of personnel.

But within the air force there was an excess of personnel. Large loss of aircraft led to the fact that a significant part of the ground services staff no longer needed to serve the inning. The German General staff proposed to use the additional personnel (more than two hundred thousand people!) to replenish unit in the army, but this was opposed by the commander of the Luftwaffe, Goering. He wanted to form his army, the organizational part of aviation, but fighting on the ground.

it all Started with the formation of the six field regiments (Feld-Regiment der Luftwaffe) in the winter of 42, the year that joined in the impromptu division of Mandla (Luftwaffen-Division Meindl). The division was used to guard the rear.

Autumn 42-year began forming 20 Aviapolis divisions (Luftwaffen-Feld-Divisionen), most of which operated on the Eastern front. From the beginning avipreview division fought unsuccessfully. The main reasons for this were several.

first, the personnel of the division had no preparation for action on the land front. Avipreview connection was completed with the personnel of parts of the airfield services, communications, security, Parkinggovernmental subdivisions, and, to a lesser extent, parts of anti-aircraft artillery.

second, the division was very small, and were rather the crews. According to the original state they were part of only four infantry battalions, artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-tank battalions. The staffing of about 7,000 people. Infantry battalions consisted of three infantry companies and a company of heavy weapons but also small arms in the battalion only had three 5-cm and two 8 cm mortar, and four 2-cm anti-aircraft guns.

And thirdly, they were armed very poorly. The only thing the divisions were many, even beyond what is necessary, so that anti-aircraft guns: forty-three 20-mm automatic cannon and four 88-mm guns. But the rest of the armament was mixed, and mostly captured Soviet or French. Artillery battalion was armed with 75-mm mountain guns or Czech 10-cm chemical mortar, anti-tank — usually Soviet 76-mm guns. Although the state relied 616 cars, but there were only horses.

it is not Surprising that the first clashes showed weakness, and sometimes complete unfitness for action, new connections.

in the Spring of 1943, the first sad results of the fighting “Marines Goering” on the Eastern front the state of division have increased. There were two headquarters of the infantry regiments, the total number of infantry battalions increased to six, an artillery battalion has been deployed in the regiment, the division was strengthened by heavy weapons. However, in Aviapolis joints arms and remained captured, and a full translation into new States is not always implemented in practice. Almost all divisions had some of his peculiarities in composition and, especially, the arms.

In November 1942 all avipreview division was transferred to the land forces. Formally be transferred to the new state, the same state infantry divisions: dvuhjadernyh three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment (two light and heavy divisions), antitank battalion, engineer battalion, Putilina company. Armamentsnie remained trophy: artillery regiment usually armed with Soviet, Czech or French field guns and 122-mm Soviet or 155-mm French howitzers. In most of the divisions have been preserved, do not put staff, air defense division, and a large number of anti-aircraft guns. The composition also varied considerably, for example, in the 21st division was trenbolone four infantry and two artillery regiments. The number of personnel could vary from 9,500 to 16,000 people.

There were formed twenty-two divisions, but the formation of the 22nd was never finished. Until the end of the war survived only three: 11th — force in the Balkans, 14th — in Norway and 21-I — fought on the Eastern front. Avipreview all other compounds were either destroyed or disbanded before the end of 1944.

Cyril Shishkin

Source:
© Russian Seven

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