9th Luftwaffe Field Division

9th Luftwaffe Field Division
Active	1942–1944
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	World War II Eastern Front Oranienbaum Bridgehead Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha offensive

The 9th Luftwaffe Field Division (German : 9.Luftwaffen-Feld-Division) was an infantry division of the Luftwaffe branch of the Wehrmacht that fought in World War II. It was formed in October 1942 in Eastern Prussia, in the Arys Troop Maneuver Area, under the command of Oberst ^{[Note 1]} Hans Erdmann. ^{[Note 2]} Intended to serve as infantry, its personnel were largely drawn from the Luftwaffes 62nd Air Regiment. According to Official records this Division was the first to be formed employing two Regimental Headquarters (Jager Regiments 17 (L) & 18 (L)). It had Six Jager Battalions instead of the usual Four. This meant that both regiments had a complement of three infantry battalions apiece. The Artillery Regiment was supposed to contain three artillery battalions but strangely there was only two. ^[2] The I Artillery Battalion was composed of three Batteries of 122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30) Towed (by the Raupenschlepper Ost, Opel Blitz or Sd.Kfz. 8 vehicles). The II Artillery Battalion was composed of three batteries of 76 mm divisional gun M1936 (F-22) guns towed (by the Sd.Kfz. 6 halftrack). The Panzer-Jager Battalion contained two companies of Towed 7.5 cm Pak 40 Anti Tank Guns. A Fusilier Battalion of four companies, which acted as the Divisions Reconnaissance. And a Pioneer battalion which contained only one company the third. ^[3]

Operational history

The 9th Luftwaffe Field Division, one of several such divisions of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force), was formed in October 1942 in Eastern Prussia, in the Arys Troop Maneuver Area. It served as part of Army Group North on the Eastern Front from late 1942 to June 1944. From February 1943, along with the 10th Luftwaffe Field Division it was partly responsible for holding the Oranienbaum Bridgehead as part of the newly established III Luftwaffe Field Corps. In December 1942, it was assigned to Georg Lindemanns 18th Army (Wehrmacht) and part of Army Group North on the Eastern Front. Posted to a sector at the Oranienbaum Bridgehead near Leningrad, it defended its frontlines for over 12 months. ^[7] On 4 December 1943 SS-Pioneer-Battalion 11 and the engineer companies of SS-Regiment-Norge and SS-Regiment-Danmark (which had been subordinated to SS-Pioneer-Battalion 11) arrived at Klopitsy as part of the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps and assumed new mine laden defensive positions from Field Division 10 (L), on the boundary between it, and the Field Division 9 (L) at the Oranienbaum Bridgehead. ^[8] The Soviet Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha offensive began on the night of the 13/14 January 1944 and after a 65 minute barrage, Field Division 9 (L) was attacked by Six Russian Divisions. It fell apart leaving a gap through which the Red Army poured with tanks and infantry. The SS-Pioneer-Battalion 11, which had been stationed between the two Luftwaffe units was quickly surrounded and had to fight its way out of a sea of Red Army tanks & infantry. The Nordland units which had been deployed in the vicinity of the Luftwaffe Field Divisions suffered most on the first day of the offensive. Whilst absorbing the full force of the initial Soviet assault, parts of the battalion held on to their positions in vicious hand to hand fighting. 2 Kompanie SS-Pioneer-Battalion 11 lost over a 100 men killed & wounded on 14 January 1944 alone, as they doggedly held on. ^{[9] [10]}

The Division was destroyed between 14 & 18 January during the Soviet offensive of January 1944 Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha offensive near Leningrad. ^{[4] [2]} Remnants of the Division were distributed to the 61st Infantry Division, the 225th Infantry Division ^{[Note 5]} Hans Erdmann. ^{[Note 6]} & the 227th Infantry Division. ^{[12] [11]} The Division was Officially Disbanded & struck from the records in July 1944 but had long since ceased to exist by that stage. ^[11]

Commanders

• Generalmajor Hans Erdmann ( 8 October 1942 – 11 August 1943); ^{[13] [Note 7] [14]}
• Oberst Heinrich Geerkens (12 August 1943 – 25 August 1943) ^[14]
• Oberst Anton-Carl Longin (26 August–November 1943); ^[14]
• Generalleutnant ^{[Note 8]} Paul Winter (November 1943);
• Oberst Ernst Michael (November 1943–January 1944)  †;
• Oberst Heinrich Geerkens (January 1944)  †. ^{[4] [Note 9]}
• Generalleutnant Hans-Kurt Hocker (February 1944-28 June 1944) ^[14]

Notes

Footnotes

1. The rank of oberst is equivalent to that of colonel in the United States Army. ^[1]
2. Another source has the Division being organized at Troop Training Ground Mielau (Mlawa) in Poland. ^[2]
3. In February 1943 the I batterie of Heeres-Kusten-Artillerie-Abteilung 708 was attached to its Artillery Regiment. This coastal artillery battalion contained four French Canon de 145 L modele 1916 Saint-Chamond Heavy Artillery Guns.
4. In November 1943 This Battalion was removed from the Division and became I Flak-Abteilung of Flak Regiment 2 (motorisiert).
5. One source states that the Panzer-Jager Battalion was redesignated as the Panzer-Jager Battalion for the 225th Infantry Division. But this must be the remnants as there were only fifteen anti-tank Guns to begin with. ^[11]
6. Another source has the Division being organized at Troop Training Ground Mielau (Mlawa) in Poland. ^[2]
7. The rank of generalmajor is equivalent to that of a brigadier general in the United States Army. ^[1]
8. The rank of generalleutnant is equivalent to that of major general in the United States Army. ^[1]
9. Ranks stated are those at the time of taking command. ^[4]

Citations

1. Mitcham 2007b, p. 197.
2. Munoz 2025, pp. 82–92.
3. Munoz 2025, pp. 93.
4. Mitcham 2007a, pp. 307–308.
5. Munoz 2025, pp. 85.
6. Munoz 2025, pp. 85–86.
7. Munoz 2025, pp. 94–101.
8. Munoz 2025, pp. 96.
9. Munoz 2025, pp. 88.
10. Glantz 2002, pp. 330–391.
11. Munoz 2025, pp. 90.
12. Munoz 2025, pp. 82.
13. Munoz 2025, pp. 68–76.
14. Munoz 2025, pp. 91.

References

• Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007a). German Order of Battle, Volume Two: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN   978-0-8117-3437-0.
• Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007b). German Order of Battle, Volume Three: Panzer, Panzer Grenadier, and Waffen SS Divisions in WWII. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. ISBN   978-0-8117-3438-7.
• Mitcham, Samuel W. (1985). German Order of Battle World War II. Trowbridge, Wiltshire: Leo Cooper in association with Secker & Warburg Limited, London. ISBN   0-436-28200-3.
• Munoz, Antonio J. (2025). Hitler's Luftwaffe Infantry, The German Air Force Field Divisions 1942 - 1945. Frontline Books. ISBN   978-1-03613-033-6.
• Glantz, David M. (2002). The Battle for Leningrad 1941-1944. Kansas State University, The United States of America: University Press of Kansas. ISBN   0-7006-1208-4.