Hi all
it's usually told that in first half of 1944 the XI Fliegerkorps (which was in Italy) was trasformed in 1 FJ-Armee and I. and II. FJ-Korp. What I lack is a good description about how this happened. Could someone make it clear?
More, it seems the term XI Fliegerkorps continued to be used in some way still in the second half of 1944.
Any idea of info s welcome
Lupo
from XI Fliegerkorps to FJ-Korpen and Armee
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Lupo Solitario
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Leo Niehorster
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Re: from XI Fliegerkorps to FJ-Korpen and Armee
XI. Fliegerkorps → 1. Fallschirmarmee
Conversion ordered on 05.11.1943, to be completed by 01.04.1944. While converting it was to continue its mission as a headquarters for training and replacement units of parachutists. In fact, the 1.FsArmee was not at first used as an field Army Headquarters, but was still used as a training and administrative staff until August 1944. No idea why the XI. Fliegerkorps should be referred to after April 1944. A new XI. Fliegerkorps was not raised.
II. Luftwaffe-Feldkorps → I. Fallschirmkorps (January 1944)
XIII. Fliegerkorps → II. Fallschirmkorps (January 1944)
Source:
Tessin, volumes 2 and 14.
Cheers
Leo
Conversion ordered on 05.11.1943, to be completed by 01.04.1944. While converting it was to continue its mission as a headquarters for training and replacement units of parachutists. In fact, the 1.FsArmee was not at first used as an field Army Headquarters, but was still used as a training and administrative staff until August 1944. No idea why the XI. Fliegerkorps should be referred to after April 1944. A new XI. Fliegerkorps was not raised.
II. Luftwaffe-Feldkorps → I. Fallschirmkorps (January 1944)
XIII. Fliegerkorps → II. Fallschirmkorps (January 1944)
Source:
Tessin, volumes 2 and 14.
Cheers
Leo
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Lupo Solitario
- Contributor
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2002 12:15 am
- Location: Italy, EU
Re: from XI Fliegerkorps to FJ-Korpen and Armee
thank you a lot
Re: from XI Fliegerkorps to FJ-Korpen and Armee
Hello Lupo and Leo !
Some additional details on the whole reorganization process of the several units :
[mainly based on : E. Busch, Die Fallschirmjäger-Chronik 1935 - 1945;
H. Götzel, Generaloberst Student und seine Fallschirmjäger;
E.M. Winterstein, H. Jacobs, General Meindl und seine Fallschirmjäger]
The origin was the decision by Goering in November 1943 to form a Fallschirm-Armee
consisting of two Fs.-Korps with 5 Fsjg.-Div. and the corresponding Armee- and Korps-units.
The details of the planned structure (which in that form never came into beeing)
can be found on the Sturmpanzer website :
http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/NARA_R ... _H1_41.pdf
- This required the formation of 3 new Fsjg-Div. and a lot of the supporting troops as well.
The task to oversee and accomplish this formation process was given to Gen. Kurt Student
and the staff of XI. Fliegerkorps.
Therefore, in early January 1944, this staff moved from Frascati to Peruggia where it would
lead the formation of 4. Fsjg.Div. until its completion in March 1944. At the end of that month,
it would move to Nancy, France and was restructured as Oberkommando 1. Fallschirm-Armee.
There it was to assist II. Fs.Korps in the formation of the 3. and 5. Fsjg.Div and several
corps-echelon units.
According to Busch, Gen. Student understood his main task during the next month in taking care
of all matters regarding the training of the new and experienced units, the additional formation
of new units and the timely provision of replacements for the frontline units. He also took great care
in picking the commanders of the newly formed units [Götzel]. For this purpose, both Fallschirm-Korps,
all Fsjg.-Div, all Fallschirmjäger training- and replacement units and all Fallschirm schools were
subordinated to him in all personal matters (truppendienstlich).
Only on September, 4th, 1944 Generaloberst Student was notified that his staff was to be committed
immediately to the front with the ambitious task to stop the Allied advance through Belgium.
- In the first days of January, 1944, the staff of II. Lw.-Feldkorps under command of Gen.Lt. Schlemm
arrived at Frascati from Russia. It was redesignated as the staff of I. Fallschirm-Korps and replaced
the staff of XI. Fliegerkorps in its task to organize the coastal defense south of Rome. The Korps-HQ
moved to Grottaferrata and would soon take a prominent role in fighting the Anzio landing. It would
remain in Italy until the end of the war.
- The staff of XIII. Fliegerkorps under General Meindl was formed with the special task to oversee the
formation and trainig of the 22 Luftwaffen-Feld-Divisions. When those divisions were transferred to
the Heer, the staff was free for other tasks and was redesignated as II. Fallschirm-Korps in January, 1944.
It was located in Melun, near Paris and had to lead the formation of the 3. and 5. Fsjg.-Div.
After the Allied invasion the II. Fallschirm-Korps with the subordinated 3. Fsjg. Div. and some Korps-level
units (Fs.Aufkl.Abt. 12, Fs.StuG-Brig. XII, ... more ?) was involved in the heavy battles at St. Lo and
received heavy losses there and in the Falaise pocket.
Finally some general info on the Korps-level units of I. and II. Fs.-Korps.
- Theoretically the following units should be present (according to Gliederung from the Sturmpanzer site):
a) Korps-Aufklärungs-Abteilung
b) Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung
c) Korps-Artillerie-Regiment
d) Korps-Flak-Regiment
e) Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung
f) Kommandeur der Nachschubeinheiten
- All these units were in the beginning designated with 1 resp. 2 for I. and II. Fs.-Korps.
(e.g. : Korps-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 der Luftwaffe, Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 1 der Luftwaffe etc.)
But in June 1944, they were renamed to 11 (I. Fs.Korps) and 12 (II. Fs.Korps).
- The two Sturmgeschütz-Abteilungen had been renamed as Sturmgeschütz-Brigaden already in March 1944 and
were renamed again in June to Fallschirm-Sturmgeschütz-Brigaden (Tessin).
=> It is not clear to me :
- Which of the above corps-echelon units were raised only in part ?
- Which of the units were deployed independently from the corps ? Sometime or most of the time ?
-- According to Winterstein/Jacobs Fallschirm-Flak-Regiment 12 was raised inside the Reich and
was never subordinated to the II. Fallschirm-Korps.
-- Fallschirm-Flak-Regiment 11 (or parts) was deployed near Paris in mid 1944.
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32689
-- Fallschirm-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 11 was deployed in the West and never subordinated to I. Fs.-Korps
-- On the organization of both corps artillery regiments there is unclear information on
http://www.ww2.dk and Tessin (see below).
- An interesting question especially in the context of Lupos related postings :
=> Did XI. and XIII. Fliegerkorps have some corps-echelon units ?
(E.g. the Aufkl.Abt. (or Luftlande-Lehrabt.) of XIII. Fliegerkorps should have been raised already
in Okt./Nov. 1942 in Bergen near Celle [Winterstein/Jacobs] and would finally become
Korps-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2 (later 12)] ). Has anybody similar infos on other units of
the former Fliegerkorps XI and XIII ?
- >> More, it seems the term XI Fliegerkorps continued to be used in some way still
in the second half of 1944.<<
Are the below links examples what you refer to ? References to XI. Fliegerkorps in May 1944 ?
http://www.ww2.dk/ground/fallschirm/karty1.htm
http://www.ww2.dk/ground/fallschirm/karty2.htm
I hope this is of some use to Lupo and maybe someone has more details on the Gliederungen
of I. and II. Fallschirm-Korps in mid / late 1944
?!
Best regards,
hero.
Some additional details on the whole reorganization process of the several units :
[mainly based on : E. Busch, Die Fallschirmjäger-Chronik 1935 - 1945;
H. Götzel, Generaloberst Student und seine Fallschirmjäger;
E.M. Winterstein, H. Jacobs, General Meindl und seine Fallschirmjäger]
The origin was the decision by Goering in November 1943 to form a Fallschirm-Armee
consisting of two Fs.-Korps with 5 Fsjg.-Div. and the corresponding Armee- and Korps-units.
The details of the planned structure (which in that form never came into beeing)
can be found on the Sturmpanzer website :
http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/NARA_R ... _H1_41.pdf
- This required the formation of 3 new Fsjg-Div. and a lot of the supporting troops as well.
The task to oversee and accomplish this formation process was given to Gen. Kurt Student
and the staff of XI. Fliegerkorps.
Therefore, in early January 1944, this staff moved from Frascati to Peruggia where it would
lead the formation of 4. Fsjg.Div. until its completion in March 1944. At the end of that month,
it would move to Nancy, France and was restructured as Oberkommando 1. Fallschirm-Armee.
There it was to assist II. Fs.Korps in the formation of the 3. and 5. Fsjg.Div and several
corps-echelon units.
According to Busch, Gen. Student understood his main task during the next month in taking care
of all matters regarding the training of the new and experienced units, the additional formation
of new units and the timely provision of replacements for the frontline units. He also took great care
in picking the commanders of the newly formed units [Götzel]. For this purpose, both Fallschirm-Korps,
all Fsjg.-Div, all Fallschirmjäger training- and replacement units and all Fallschirm schools were
subordinated to him in all personal matters (truppendienstlich).
Only on September, 4th, 1944 Generaloberst Student was notified that his staff was to be committed
immediately to the front with the ambitious task to stop the Allied advance through Belgium.
- In the first days of January, 1944, the staff of II. Lw.-Feldkorps under command of Gen.Lt. Schlemm
arrived at Frascati from Russia. It was redesignated as the staff of I. Fallschirm-Korps and replaced
the staff of XI. Fliegerkorps in its task to organize the coastal defense south of Rome. The Korps-HQ
moved to Grottaferrata and would soon take a prominent role in fighting the Anzio landing. It would
remain in Italy until the end of the war.
- The staff of XIII. Fliegerkorps under General Meindl was formed with the special task to oversee the
formation and trainig of the 22 Luftwaffen-Feld-Divisions. When those divisions were transferred to
the Heer, the staff was free for other tasks and was redesignated as II. Fallschirm-Korps in January, 1944.
It was located in Melun, near Paris and had to lead the formation of the 3. and 5. Fsjg.-Div.
After the Allied invasion the II. Fallschirm-Korps with the subordinated 3. Fsjg. Div. and some Korps-level
units (Fs.Aufkl.Abt. 12, Fs.StuG-Brig. XII, ... more ?) was involved in the heavy battles at St. Lo and
received heavy losses there and in the Falaise pocket.
Finally some general info on the Korps-level units of I. and II. Fs.-Korps.
- Theoretically the following units should be present (according to Gliederung from the Sturmpanzer site):
a) Korps-Aufklärungs-Abteilung
b) Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung
c) Korps-Artillerie-Regiment
d) Korps-Flak-Regiment
e) Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung
f) Kommandeur der Nachschubeinheiten
- All these units were in the beginning designated with 1 resp. 2 for I. and II. Fs.-Korps.
(e.g. : Korps-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 der Luftwaffe, Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 1 der Luftwaffe etc.)
But in June 1944, they were renamed to 11 (I. Fs.Korps) and 12 (II. Fs.Korps).
- The two Sturmgeschütz-Abteilungen had been renamed as Sturmgeschütz-Brigaden already in March 1944 and
were renamed again in June to Fallschirm-Sturmgeschütz-Brigaden (Tessin).
=> It is not clear to me :
- Which of the above corps-echelon units were raised only in part ?
- Which of the units were deployed independently from the corps ? Sometime or most of the time ?
-- According to Winterstein/Jacobs Fallschirm-Flak-Regiment 12 was raised inside the Reich and
was never subordinated to the II. Fallschirm-Korps.
-- Fallschirm-Flak-Regiment 11 (or parts) was deployed near Paris in mid 1944.
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32689
-- Fallschirm-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 11 was deployed in the West and never subordinated to I. Fs.-Korps
-- On the organization of both corps artillery regiments there is unclear information on
http://www.ww2.dk and Tessin (see below).
- An interesting question especially in the context of Lupos related postings :
=> Did XI. and XIII. Fliegerkorps have some corps-echelon units ?
(E.g. the Aufkl.Abt. (or Luftlande-Lehrabt.) of XIII. Fliegerkorps should have been raised already
in Okt./Nov. 1942 in Bergen near Celle [Winterstein/Jacobs] and would finally become
Korps-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2 (later 12)] ). Has anybody similar infos on other units of
the former Fliegerkorps XI and XIII ?
- >> More, it seems the term XI Fliegerkorps continued to be used in some way still
in the second half of 1944.<<
Are the below links examples what you refer to ? References to XI. Fliegerkorps in May 1944 ?
http://www.ww2.dk/ground/fallschirm/karty1.htm
http://www.ww2.dk/ground/fallschirm/karty2.htm
I hope this is of some use to Lupo and maybe someone has more details on the Gliederungen
of I. and II. Fallschirm-Korps in mid / late 1944
?!Best regards,
hero.