8th Flak Division

Last updated
8th Flak Division
8th Air Defense Command
Air Defense Command Denmark
German: Flak-Division 8
Luftverteidigungs-Kommando Nr. 8
Luftverteidigungs-Kommando Dänemark
ActiveMay 1940 – 1945
CountryFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Branch Luftwaffe
Type Flak
Role Anti-aircraft warfare
Size Division
Garrison/HQ Hanover
Bremen
Engagements Bombing of Bremen in World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Alexander Kolb

The 8th Flak Division (German : Flak-Division 8) was a Flak division of the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II.

History

In May 1940, the "Air Defense Command Denmark" (Luftverteidigungs-Kommando Dänemark) staff was formed in German-occupied Denmark, [1] : 116  which had been seized by Wehrmacht forces in Operation Weserübung in April 1940. [2] The initial head of the staff was Hans-Jürgen von Witzendorff  [ de ], succeeded soon after on 4 June 1940 by Alexander Kolb. [3] This staff was designated "8th Air Defense Command" (Luftverteidigungs-Kommando Nr. 8) in June 1940 and sent to Hanover. [1] : 116  Subsequently, it was deployed to the city of Bremen on 5 June 1941. Here, the 8th Flak Division was part of Luftgau XI, [1] : 197  which by February 1944 also would contain 3rd Flak Division (Hamburg), 8th Flak Brigade (Wismar) and 15th Flak Brigade (Hanover). [4] : 37 

Its subordinate formations included the Flak Regiment 56 as well as the Flak Searchlight Regiment 56. [5] : 209  The Flak Regiment 26 was "Flak Group Bremen North", Flak Regiment 89 was "Flak Group Bremen Center", Flak Regiment 13 was "Flak Group Bremen South", Flak Searchlight Regiment 160 was "Flak Searchlight Group Bremen". [6] : 219f. 

On 30 June 1941, Kurt Wagner took command of the staff (from 1 September: the division). He held this office until 4 December 1944, when he was succeeded by Max Schaller. [3]

On 1 September 1941, 8th Air Defense Command, then headquartered at Bremen-Oberneuland  [ de ], was redesignated "8th Flak Division". It was responsible for the defense of the Weser—Ems area. [1] : 116  As part of its duties as a flak division, the formation also received auxiliaries ( Luftwaffenhelfer ), including underage students. [7] : 233 

Around January 1945, the city of Bremen possessed around 300 flak batteries. [8] : 23 

Near the end of the war, the 8th Flak Division was, along with 3rd Flak Division, placed under the supervision of the VI Flak Corps, [1] : 197  which had been formed on 10 February 1945 in the northern sector of the Western Front. [1] : 10 

Related Research Articles

The 9th Flak Division was a Flak division of the German Luftwaffe in World War II which saw action on the Eastern Front. It is most notable for its role in the Battle of Stalingrad. Another formation with the same name was deployed to the Eastern Front and saw combat in the Kuban bridgehead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XXVI Army Corps (Wehrmacht)</span> Nazi-era German army corps

The XXVI Army Corps was a Wehrmacht army corps during World War II. It existed from 1939 to 1945. It was also known as Corps Wodrig during the Invasion of Poland.

The LXXX Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II.

The LXX Army Corps, initially known as Higher Command z. b. V. LXX or Höh.Kdo.70, was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. Throughout the war, it was deployed in occupied Norway.

The LXVII Army Corps, initially known as the LXVII Reserve Corps, was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was formed in September 1942.

The LXXII Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was formed in February 1944. Before October 1944, it carried the designation z. b. V., marking it as a corps 'for special deployment'.

The LXXXI Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The corps was established in occupied France in 1942 and remained active until 1945.

The LXXXII Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed in 1942 and existed until 1945.

The LXXXIII Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed in 1942 and existed until 1943. After its dissolution, the personnel of the LXXXIII Army Corps was used to form the staff of the new 19th Army.

The LXXXVIII Army Corps was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed in 1942 and existed until 1945.

The I Cavalry Corps, initially known simply as the Cavalry Corps, or alternatively as Cavalry Corps Harteneck after its commander, was an army corps of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed in 1944 and existed until 1945.

The 270th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

The 1st Flak Division was a Flak division of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. Its primary and most noteworthy function throughout the war was the defense of the air space of the city of Berlin.

The 2nd Flak Division was a Flak division of the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. It was initially deployed as a stationary formation in Leipzig for the defense of the German homeland's air space, but became a mobile division in January 1942 and was deployed to the Eastern Front. Eventually, it was shuffled to the Western Front, where it was destroyed in 1945.

The 3rd Flak Division was a Flak division of the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. Its primary function during the war was the defense of the airspace of the city of Hamburg, where it remained for the duration of the conflict. It was initially formed in 1938 and designated a division in 1941.

The 7th Flak Division was a Flak division of the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II.

The 10th Flak Division was a flak division of the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. It was active from April 1941 until 1945.

The 11th Flak Division was a flak division of the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. It was active twice, once from February 1941 until April 1944 and another time from September 1944 until 1945.

The 12th Flak Division was a flak division of the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. It was active from early 1942 until 1945.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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.
  2. ↑ Dildy, Douglas C. (2007). Denmark and Norway 1940: Hitler's boldest Operation. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN   9781846031175.
  3. 1 2 Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). "8th 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.
  4. ↑ Zaloga, Steven J. (2011). Operation Pointblank 1944: Defeating the Luftwaffe. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN   9781849083867.
  5. ↑ Tessin, Georg (1971). Die Landstreitkräfte 031–070. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 (in German). Vol. 5. Frankfurt/Main: Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN   3764811072.
  6. ↑ Tessin, Georg (1996). Zweng, Christian (ed.). Verzeichnis der Friedensgarnisonen 1932–1939 und Stationierungen im Kriege 1939–1945. Wehrkreise VII–XIII. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 17. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. ISBN   3764809418.
  7. ↑ Fulbrook, Mary (2011). Dissonant Lives: Generations and violence through the German dictatorships. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780199287208.
  8. ↑ Zaloga, Steven J. (2022). The Oil Campaign 1944–45: Draining the Wehrmacht's Lfeblood. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN   9781472848574.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.