Luftwaffe Sicherungs kompanie?

[Bergh]

Hi Everyone.

Im in the middel of painting an wargame army, this times its an Luftwaffe Felddivision.

This wargame have different "lists" which you can game with. And they have published a"Sicherungs kompanie" for Heer. which im thinking on trying.
http://www.flamesofwar.com/Portals/0/Do ... alkure.pdf

Im thinking I can use the same painted models as my Luftwaffe, my problem is now, is this historical correct. Did the Luftwaffe Feld-divisions have Security battalions?

I have read alot about The Feld divisions not being used up front much, but mostly as behind line troops against partisans and such, until later in the war where every one was at the front.

I have found some loose data about Luftwaffe Security forces, assembled late in the war, formed from other undermanned divisions.

Kind Regards
Brian Bergh

[Lorenz]

Brian -


No offense, but I think you have a seriously flawed view of the Lw.-Felddivisionen. Here is a book that will give you full details on each division:

Muñoz, Antonio J. Göring’s Grenadiers: The Luftwaffe Field Divisions 1942-1945. Bayside: Axis Europa Books, 2002. ISBN: 1-891227-40-8. Hb (oversize). Dj. Illus. Maps. Dwgs. Charts. Color plates. Bibliography.

These divisions did not have security battalions or companies.

If you are using "Sicherungs" as a proper rather than generic term, then the Luftwaffe did have a few "Lw.-Sicherungs-Btle." and "Lw.-Sicherungs-Kpn.", but only 8 of the former and a couple of the latter. They only existed for a short time to fill some some specific need. For example, Luftwaffen-Sicherungs-Bataillonen I-VI were set up around 1 October 1944 from 3,000 Luftwaffe Bodenorganisation personnel to give them a field-type organization for the dangerous march north from Greece to Bosnia. On reaching Bosnia and Croatia at the end of December 1944, these 6 battalions were disbanded and the men reassigned elsewhere. A few Luftwaffen-Sicherungs-Kompanien were formed here and there during the war. For example, two were set up in Poland on 25 April 1943 to guard Luftwaffe clothing depots at Lublin and Gorno. And that was about it.

L.

[Bergh]

Sorry for offending you in any way, I only have read the Osprey feld division book.

Im here to learn! not to offend. but please teach me how I have a seriously flawed view of things, maybe i have misunderstood things, but please tell me how!

My single question is this:

Is it possible that a Luftwaffen-Sicherungs-Kompanien was in combat on the Eastern front, Summer 1944?
(I know the luftwaffe feld division was transfered to the Heer, but still retained there Luftwaffe association, uniforms and equipment)

PS: Thanks for the book tip. Ill try to get it.

[Lorenz]

No offense, but I think you have a seriously flawed view of the Lw.-Felddivisionen.

Sorry, Bergh, you misunderstood me because I used an idiomatic expression. I should have written it out in full as: "I don't mean to offend you, but I think you have a seriously flawed view of the Lw.-Felddivisionen." It was YOU that I did not want to offend, not the other way around.

Now to your question. In my 46 years (1965 - 2011) of researching the Luftwaffe, especially the non-flying component that comprised 96% of its manpower and 84% of its assets and infrastructure, I have only encountered one (1) Lw.-Sich.Kp. located on the Eastern Front in summer 1944:

Sicherungs-Kp. d.Lw. z.b.V. 27 was located at Warsaw-Okecie airfield on 1 August 1944 under Feld-Luftgaukdo. XXVII. As you probably know, by that date the Soviets had advanced to the Vistula and were more or less across the river from Warsaw. I do not know with certainty what this company was doing, but it was probably part of the headquarters security detail for Feld-Luftgaukdo. XXVII.

You may ask why the Luftwaffe only had a few security battalions and companies, and the answer is because they called them something else. The security and guard units of the Luftwaffe were called:

Landesschützen-Rgt. d.Lw. (3 of these)
Landesschützen-Btl. d.Lw. (6 of these)
Landesschützen-Kp. d.Lw. (112 of these)
Landesschützen-Zug d.Lw. (1,650 - 1,800 of these)

Wach-Btl. d.Lw. (9 of these)
Wach-Kp. d.Lw. (50 - 60 of threse)
Wach-Zug d.Lw. (10 - 12 of these)

Transportbegleit-Btl. d.Lw. (7 of these)
Transportbegleit-Kp. d.Lw. (25 - 30 of these)

These were the units that performed the security and guard duties of the Luftwaffe. These units did not fight at the front or fight partisans. They were used to guard Luftwaffe airfields, installations, supply dumps, supply trains and transport columns as well as other Luftwaffe assets.

In reading between the lines of what you have written, I almost think you are really looking for a Luftwaffe unit with a different name that fought at the front and fought partisans. That unit would be the Lw.-Jäger-Btl. z.b.V. There were 9 of these probationary punishment units and 6 of the 9 fought on the Eastern Front. Those fighting on the Eastern Front in summer 1944 were Lw.-Jäger-Btl. z.b.V. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 10.

Hope that helps,

L.

[Bergh]

Thanks Lorenz!

Very usefull information, this covered my question really well!

English is not my native language, så sometimes i can misunderstand thinks.

Thanks for your help!