4th Flak Division

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4th Flak Division
(4th) Air Defense Command Düsseldorf
Air Defense Command Essen
German: Flak-Division 4
Luftverteidigungs-Kommando (Nr. 4) Düsseldorf
Luftverteidigungs-Kommando Essen
Active1 July 1938 – 18 April 1945
CountryFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Branch Balkenkreuz.svg   Luftwaffe
Type Flak
Role Anti-aircraft warfare
Size Division
Engagements Bombing of Duisburg in World War II
Battle of the Ruhr
Western Front
Ruhr pocket
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Johannes Hintz

The 4th Flak Division (German : Flak-Division 4) was a Flak division of the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II.

History

On 1 July 1938, the "Air Defense Command Essen" (Luftverteidigungskommando Essen) staff was formed, later redesignated "Air Defense Command Düsseldorf" (Luftverteidigungskommando Düsseldorf). On 1 August 1939, this Air Defense Command received its ordinal number 4, becoming "4th Air Defense Command" (Luftverteidigungskommando 4). [1] : 269  The initial head of the staff was Kurt Steudemann, who was replaced on 31 October 1939 by Otto-Wilhelm von Renz. [2] It was initially the only air defense command in the Ruhr area. [3] : 519  It was assigned to Luftgau VI, headquartered at Münster, along with 7th Flak Division (created in March 1940) in Cologne. [4] : 12 

On 1 September 1941, the 4th Air Defense Command was officially designated the "4th Flak Division" and initially remained headquartered at Düsseldorf, though its HQ was subsequently redeployed in July 1942 to Ratingen. [1] : 269  Along with the designation as 4th Flak Division, command passed to Gerhard Hoffmann. [2] Initially, the 4th Flak Division was responsible to protect the entire Ruhr industrial area from the Allied strategic bombing campaign, [1] : 269  but the creation of an additional formation, the 22nd Flak Division, in Dortmund in June 1943 meant that the 4th Flak Division was only left responsible for the western Ruhr area. [4] : 12  The 4th Flak Division staff was concurrently redeployed to Duisburg. [1] : 269  On 5 March 1942, command passed to Johannes Hintz, who was later succeeded by Ludwig Schilffarth on 20 February 1944. The final commander was a colonel-ranked officer named Max Hecht, who took command on 15 November 1944. [2]

By 1 November 1943, the 4th Flak Division was still part of the heaviest-defended region in terms of flak divisions, as Luftgau VI with its three flak divisions (4th, 7th, 22nd) had more flak divisions than any other Luftgau. At this point, the entire Luftgau VI, then under August Schmidt, was armed, across its three flak divisions, with 320 heavy flak batteries, 35 medium flak batteries, 125 light flak batteries, 107 searchlight batteries, and 41 various flak support batteries. [5] : 219 

In 1945, the 4th Flak Division was used in ground-level combat on the Western Front, along the Rhine river. [1] : 269 

On 18 April 1945, the 4th Flak Division surrendered as part of the Ruhr pocket. [1] : 269 

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tessin, Georg (1966). Die Landstreitkräfte 001–005. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945. Vol. 2. Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN   3764808713.
  2. 1 2 3 Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). "4th Flak Division". German Order of Battle: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in World War II. Vol. 2. Stackpole Books. ISBN   9780811734370.
  3. ↑ Mitcham, Samuel W. (1985). Hitler's Legions: The German Army Order of Battle, World War II. Stein and Days Publishing. ISBN   0812829921.
  4. 1 2 Tessin, Georg (1967). Die Landstreitkräfte 006–014. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 (in German). Vol. 3. Frankfurt/Main: Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH.
  5. ↑ Boog, Horst (2006). "The Strategic Air War in Europe and Air Defence of the Reich, 1943–1944". Strategic Air War in Europe and the War in the West and East Asia 1943–1944/5. Germany and the Second World War. Vol. 7. London: Clarendon Press. pp. 7–478. ISBN   9780198228899.
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