Air Force Division
An air force division was a large association of the German armed forces in which the operational units of the air force were organized. The temporarily up to seven divisions were initially intended for tasks in the context of operational management. Due to the increasing involvement in NATO structures and the endeavor to make the transition from peacekeeping to operational operations as smooth as possible in the event of a defense, the task of preparing for operations and the troop service management of the units came to the fore.
As part of the realignment of the Bundeswehr , the air force divisions were dissolved on June 30, 2013, and the subordinate units were placed directly under the command of the Luftwaffe in Cologne-Wahn on July 1, 2013 .
history
During the Second World War , air force divisions led extensive mixed combat formations in the various theaters of war.
With the establishment of the armies of the two German states, different approaches to the organization of the air forces were chosen. One thing in common, however, was the establishment of divisions below the level of the higher command authorities or the corps level , to which the squadrons and regiments were subordinate.
Federal Republic of Germany
After the formation of the Air Force, the two Air Force Groups North and South formed, among other things, two air defense divisions and one air attack division. In 1963, the composition of the assigned units changed away from the task of being bound by tasks (air defense / air attack). The air force group commands were now subordinated to two combat divisions with a mixed range of capabilities and one support division each. The 7th Air Force Division, which was relocated to Rendsburg and, due to its strategic location, might have been cut off from the rest of Germany after an attack by the Warsaw Pact, deviated from this and, in addition to the combat units, was also equipped with support elements for independent combat management.
As part of Air Force Structure 2 from 1968, four air force divisions remained, which were directly subordinated to the newly established Air Fleet Command. At the same time there was a return to the distinction between air attack and air defense divisions: the 1st and 3rd air force divisions were divided into the fighter-bomber squadrons , light combat squadrons , missile squadrons , the two weapons schools and the reconnaissance squadrons. In addition, the division commanders were subordinate to the so-called command posts for air support at the I. , II. And III. Corps . The 2nd and 4th Air Force Divisions were assigned the fighter squadrons, the anti-aircraft missile squadrons, the telecommunications regiments of the radar command service and the German parts of the connecting elements to the command posts of NATO air defense.
German Democratic Republic
The GDR divided the air force into the 1st and 3rd Air Defense Divisions (LVD), both of which emerged from the three so-called aero clubs. 1981 followed with the management body Front- und Army Aviation Forces (FO FAFK) another division equivalent, to which the air attack, reconnaissance and air transport forces were subordinated. In 1984, after the two combat helicopter squadrons were hived off, they were renamed the Front u. Military Transport Air Force (FMTFK). The command and control command of the NVA air force was the LSK / LV command .
After reunification
After reunification, the remaining air force / air defense units of the NVA were combined in the 5th Air Force Division set up for this purpose . The structure of the 5th Air Force Division in 1991 saw the leadership of the two SA-5 anti-aircraft missile squadrons 51 in Sanitz and 52 in Ladeburg, the radar command command 3 in Fürstenwalde, the Jagdgeschwader 75 to be set up in Laage, the MiG-29 test wing in Preschen and the Air Force Music Corps 5 in each Respect before. The air traffic control sector G in Berlin-Tempelhof, the telecommunications department 14 in Waldsieversdorf , the air transport wing 65 in Neuhardenberg , the air force supply regiment 5 in Trollenhagen, the branch of the aviation medical institute of the air force in Koenigsbrück , the 5th battalion of the air force training regiment 1 in Holzdorf , were also subordinate to the troops the III. Inspection of the technical school of the Luftwaffe 3 in Bad Düben.
Air Force Structures 4, 5 and 6
With the acquisition of Air Force Structure 4, the 5th Air Force Division became the 3rd Air Force Division on April 1, 1994. On January 1, 1995, the division moved from Strausberg to Berlin-Gatow. The air attack and defense units were reassigned to the air force divisions and the command was carried out by the newly established air force commandos north and south.
With the decommissioning of the 3rd Air Force Division in Berlin on June 30, 2006 and the dissolution of the North and South Air Force Commands within the framework of Air Force Structure 5 in 2006, the command structure of the Air Force almost assumed its present form.
On July 1, 2010, the commandos of the air force divisions took over the troop command of the air transport units from the air transport command.
Realignment of the Bundeswehr
As part of the realignment of the Bundeswehr , the air force divisions were dissolved on June 30, 2013, and the subordinate units were placed directly under the command of the Luftwaffe in Cologne-Wahn on July 1, 2013 .
Designation and locations of the commandos of the air force divisions
| LwDiv | Duration | Locations) | designation | comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1957-1963 | Munich | 1st Air Defense Division | - |
| 1963-1968 | Fürstenfeldbruck | 1st Air Force Division | - | |
| 1968-1994 | Meßstetten | 1st Air Force Division | Air raid | |
| 1994-2001 | Karlsruhe | 1st Air Force Division | - | |
| 2001-2013 | Fürstenfeldbruck | 1st Air Force Division | - | |
| 2. | 1959-1963 | Munich, Trier | 2nd Air Defense Division | - |
| 1963-1970 | Karlsruhe | 2nd Air Force Division | Support division without combat units | |
| 1971-2013 | Birch field | 2nd Air Force Division | Air defense (until 1994) | |
| 3. | 1957-1963 | Muenster | 3rd Air Defense Division | - |
| 1963-1994 | Kalkar | 3rd Air Force Division | Air raid (from 1970) | |
| 1994-2006 | Berlin-Gatow | 3rd Air Force Division | - | |
| 4th | 1959-1963 | Münster, (from 1960) Aurich | 4th Air Defense Division | - |
| 1963-2013 | Aurich | 4th Air Force Division | Air defense (until 1994) | |
| 5. | 1958-1961 | trier | Pilot South | - |
| 1961-1963 | Karlsruhe | Air Division South | - | |
| 1963-1971 | Birch field | 5th Air Force Division | - | |
| 1991-1994 |
Strausberg , 1994 relocation to Berlin-Gatow and liquidation |
5th Air Force Division | Management / dissolution of the LSK / LV associations | |
| 6th | 1963-1970 | Muenster | 6th Air Force Division | Support division without combat units |
| 7th | 1960–1962 | Muenster | Pilot North | - |
| 1962-1963 | Muenster | Air Division North | - | |
| 1963-1968 | Rendsburg | 7th Air Force Division | - |
Air force divisions of the Bundeswehr
Since the operational and command principles of the air forces differ fundamentally from those of the land forces, an air force division, unlike the army division , had no mandate for independent combat management. Rather, it served as an organizational element to improve the leadership ability of the air forces in peacetime. The Luftwaffe operational units at regimental level (squadron, area, regiment) were grouped into three Luftwaffe divisions:
| division | Seat | |
|---|---|---|
 |
1st Air Force Division | Fürstenfeldbruck |
 |
2nd Air Force Division | Birch field |
 |
4th Air Force Division | Aurich |
guide
The commander of an air force division was a major general . It was his responsibility to ensure the personnel and material readiness of the subordinate associations within his large association. He was directly subordinate to the Commander of the Air Force Command Command . The division commander was supported and advised by a command staff (Kdo LwDiv) with around 140 soldiers and civilian employees. This was in the basic leadership areas
- A1 (human resources, internal management , public relations)
- A2 (communications, military security)
- A3 (operational / leadership basics, training, exercises)
- A4 (logistics, material management)
- A6 ( leadership support , information management)
divided. Further elements were controlling, division doctor, legal advisor (also military disciplinary attorney) and the administration department. In addition to the preparatory work for the division commander, this staff was a work muscle for the superior higher command authority, the staff of the Air Force Command, for example when preparing exercises. He supported personnel as needed with Air Force expertise for the staff of a contingent leader in action and gain strength for the Operations Command Air Forces of the growing crop to use command post (Air Component Command Headquarters / Air Operation Center).
Subordinate associations / departments
Air force divisions were largely set up cross-sectional. This means that these were not divisions with a specialty, but rather the entire range of capabilities of the Luftwaffe units was mapped in different ways. All air force divisions had a fighter squadron, an anti-aircraft missile squadron and at least one operational command area . In addition, a tornado bandage was subordinated. The clearest distinctions result from the subordination of associations and departments that only appear once in the Air Force. These include, for example, the Luftwaffe's object protection regiment (4th LwDiv), the operational support group of the Luftwaffe (2nd LwDiv) or the Tactical Training Command of the Air Force Italy and the German part of the NATO E-3A Association (1st LwDiv).
The workforce was up to 12,000 soldiers and civilian employees.
Web links
- History of the Air Force
- Command authorities of the Air Force ( Memento from August 29, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Historical review. Article on the history of the 1st Air Force Division on the homepage of the German Air Force, July 7, 2009, archived from the original on February 15, 2013 ; Retrieved June 18, 2010 .
- ↑ Bernd Lemke: Conception and structure of the air force. In: The Air Force 1950 to 1970 conception, construction, integration; Munich 2006, Eds. Bernd Lemke, Dieter Krüger, Hillrich von der Felsen, Heinz Rebhan, Wolfgang Schmidt
- ↑ Federal Archives
- ↑ Helge Bandow: "A special kind of challenge: The supply of the material taken over by the NVA air forces" In: Truppenpraxis 4/1991
- ↑ The Luftwaffe is repositioning itself: Command authorities of the Luftwaffe are put into service in Cologne-Wahn. Press release on the homepage of the German Air Force, June 20, 2013, accessed on July 16, 2013 .
- ^ Order of the 1st Air Force Division command ( Memento of February 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). Air Force website.