Wikipedia
Luftflotte Reich
Luftflotte Reich[1] (Air Fleet Reich) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on February 5, 1944 in Berlin-Wannsee from Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte. Its primary task was to defend German air space during the Defense of the Reich campaign.
| Luftflotte Reich | |
|---|---|
Flag for the Chief of a Luftflotte | |
| Active | 5 February 1944 |
| Disbanded | 8 May 1945 |
| Country | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Luftwaffe |
| Type | Command |
| Size | ~160.000 (spring of 1944) |
| Engagements | Defence of the Reich |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | GenOberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff |
It was among the only Luftwaffe division that was in possession of a sizable number of Me 262s and Me 163s[2] fielding over 140 rocket aircraft as late as February 1945.
Commanding officers
- Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, 5 February 1944 – 8 May 1945
Chief of staff
- Generalmajor Sigismund Freiherr von Falkenstein, 5 February – 12 May 1944
- Generalmajor Andreas Nielsen, 12 May 1944 – 8 May 1945
References
Citations
- ^ For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation
- ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 322.
Bibliography
- Caldwell, Donald L.; Muller, Richard R. (2007). The Luftwaffe over Germany: Defense of the Reich. London, UK: Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1-85367-712-0.