Luftflotte 4

Luftflotte 4
Flag for the Chief of a Luftflotte
Active	18 March 1939
Disbanded	21 April 1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Type	Command
Engagements	Eastern Front
Commanders
Notable commanders	Alexander Löhr Wolfram von Richthofen

Luftflotte 4^[1] (Air Fleet 4) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on 18 March 1939, from Luftwaffenkommando Österreich in Vienna. The Luftflotte was redesignated on 21 April 1945, to Luftwaffenkommando 4, and became subordinated to Luftflotte 6. It was the Luftflotte 4, that was responsible for the bombing campaign of Stalingrad, where ca. 40,000 civilians died. This Luftwaffe detachment was based in Romania, Bulgaria, Southeast Poland, Hungary, Ukraine and Russian occupied territories, for supporting Axis forces; with command offices in Morczyn, Hungary, during 26 June 1944, Eastern Front.

See Organization of the Luftwaffe (1933–1945) for explanation of abbreviations used below.

Component units

Strategic reconnaissance

• 2.(F)/11 (Jasionka)
• 2.(F)/22 (Focșani)
• 2.(F)/100 (Lublin)

Transports (special duties)

• 14 St./Transportgeschwader 4 (Odessa)

I. Fliegerkorps (I. Air Corps) Focșani

Main article: 1st Air Corps (Germany)

Strategic reconnaissance

• 3.(F)/121 (Ziliștea)
• NSt.1 (Focșani)

Tactical reconnaissance

• Stab/NAGr.1(Chișinău)
• 2/NAGr.16 (Chișinău)
• Stab/NAGr.14(Comrat)
• 1./NAGr.14 (Comrat)
• 2./NAGr.14 (Bacău)

Maritime reconnaissance

• Stab/FAGr.125(See) (Constanța)
• 1.(F)/125 (See) (Varna, Bulgaria)
• 3.(F)/125 (See) (Mamaia)
• (Rum)A.St.22/1 (Ciocârlia)
• (Rum)101.A.St. (Mamaia)
• (Bulg)See. A.St.(Varna, Bulgaria)

Fighter

• Stab/JG 52 (Manzar [uk])
• I./JG 52 (Leipzig, Romania)
• II./JG 52 (Manzar [uk])
• III./JG 52 (Roman)
• 15(Kroat.)/JG 52 (Ziliștea)

Ground attack

• Stab/SG 2 (Huși)
• I./SG 2 (Huși)
• II./SG 2 (Ziliștea)
• III./SG 2 (Huși)
• II./SG 10 (Culm)
• 10.(Pz)/SG 2 (Trotuș)
• 14.(Pz)/SG 2 (Trotuș)

Night ground attack

• Stab/NSGr.5 (Manzar [uk])
• 1./NSGr.5 (Roman)
• 2./NSGr.5 (Chișinău)
• 3./NSGr.5 (Chișinău)

Bomber (medium)

• I./KG.4 (Focșani)

VIII. Fliegerkorps (VIII Air Corps) Lubien Poland

Main article: 8th Air Corps (Germany)

Strategic reconnaissance

• 2.(F)/11 (Jasionka)
• 2.(F)/100 (Lubin)

Tactical reconnaissance

• Stab/NAGr.2(Strunybaby [uk])
• 1./NAGr.2(Strunybaby [uk])
• 2./NAGr.2(Strunybaby [uk])

Land air strike

• Stab IV(Pz)/SG.9 (Lisiatycze)
• 12.(Pz)/SG.9 (Strunybaby [uk])
• 13.(Pz)/SG.9 (Lisiatycze)
• Stab./SG.77 (Jasionka)
• I./SG.77 (Jasionka)
• II./SG.77 (Lemberg)
• III./SG.77 (Cuniów [uk])
• 10.(Pz)/SG.77 (Starzawa)
• (Ung)S.St. G.102/1 (Cuniów [uk])
• (Ung)(101 C.O.)St. G.101 (Börgönd-Balaton)

Night land attack

• Stab/NSGr.4 (Hordinia)
• 1./NSGr.4 (Hordinia)

Bombers

• 14.(Eis.)KG.27 (Krosno)

Fliegerführer 102 Ungarn (102 Air Direction in Hungary) Łabunie

Tactical reconnaissance

• (Ung)N.A.St.102/1 (Łabunie)
• 7./NAGr.32 (Łabunie)

Fighters

• (Ung)J.St.102/1 (Zamość)

Bombers

• (Ung)K.St.102/1 (Klemensowo)

Fast bombers

• (Ung)SK.St.102/1 (Klemensowo)

Rumänisches I Fliegerkorps (I Romanian Air Corps) Tecuci

Main article: 1st Air Corps (Romania)

Strategic/tactical reconnaissance

• (Rum)2.(F) A.St. (Ivești)
• (Rum)102 A.St. (Vâlcov)
• (Rum)(C.A.1)1A.St.(Bacău)

Fighters

• (Rum)II./JG.3 (Bacău)
• (Rum)65./J.St. (Bacău)
• (Rum)66./J.St. (Bacău)
• (Rum)67./J.St. (Bacău)
• (Rum)Stab/IV.JGr.45 (Ianca)
• (Rum).45 J.St. (Ianca)
• (Rum).46 J.St. (Ianca)
• (Rum).49 J.St. (Ianca)
• (Rum).IX JGr. (Tecuci)
• (Rum).47 J.St.(Tecuci)
• (Rum).48 J.St.(Tecuci)
• (Rum).56 J.St.(Tecuci)

Tactical support (dive bombers)

• (Rum)StG.3 (Călimănești?) StG is Sturzkampfgeschwader, dive bombers
• (Rum)StG.4 (Huși)
• (Rum)StG.8 (Matca)
• (Rum)(G.P.)StG.3(Detach) (Odessa)
• (Rum)(G.P.)StG.3 (Cioara-Doicești)

Bombers

• (Rum)KG.2 (Țăndărei)
• (Rum)KG.4 (Țăndărei)
• (Rum)76 K.St.(Ianca)
• (Rum)78 K.St.(Ianca)
• (Rum)V KGr. (Ivești)
• (Rum)K.St.1/3 (Ciocârlia)

Kom. Gen.d.dtsch. Lw.i. Rum (general in chief of German Air Force in Romania) Bucharest

Jagdabschnittsführer Rum. (chief of sector fighters of Romania) Bucharest

Main article: Jagdfliegerführer Rumänien

Fighters

• I./JG.53 (Târgșoru Nou)
• III./JG.77 (Mizil)
• (Rum)I./JG.2 (Roșiori)
• (Rum)43.J.St.(Roșiori)
• (Rum)63.J.St.(Roșiori)
• (Rum)64.J.St.(Roșiori)
• (Rum)VI./JG.2 (Popești-Leordeni)
• (Rum)59./VI JGr.(Popești-Leordeni)
• (Rum)61./VI JGr.(Popești-Leordeni)
• (Rum)62./VI JGr.(Popești-Leordeni)
• (Rum)VII.JGr. (Boteni)
• (Rum)53./VII.J.St (Boteni)
• (Rum)57./VII.J.St.(Boteni)
• (Rum)51.J.St. (Țepeș Vodă)
• (Rum)52.J.St. (Mamaia)
• (Rum)58.J.St. (Pipera)

Night fighters

• 10./NJG.6 (Otopeni-Bucharest)
• 12./NJG.6 (Otopeni-Bucharest)
• 11./(Detach)NJG.100 (Otopeni-Bucharest)
• 4./(N)JG.301 (Mizil)
• 6./(N)JG.301 (Târgșoru Nou)
• (Rum)1./NJ.St. (Otopeni-Bucharest)

Commanding officers

Oberst Herbert Olbrich

• Generaloberst Alexander Löhr, 18 March 1939 – 20 July 1942
• Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram von Richthofen, 20 July 1942 – 4 September 1943
• Generaloberst Otto Deßloch, 4 September 1943 – 17 August 1944
• Generalleutnant Alexander Holle, 25 August 1944 – 27 September 1944
• Generaloberst Otto Deßloch, 28 September 1944 – 21 April 1945

Chief of staff

• Oberst Günther Korten, 18 March 1939 – 19 December 1939
• Oberst Herbert Olbrich, 19 December 1939 – 21 July 1940
• Oberst Andreas Nielsen, 21 July 1940 – 3 November 1940
• Oberst Richard Schimpf, 4 November 1940 – 15 January 1941
• Generalleutnant Günther Korten, 15 January 1941 – 12 August 1942
• Oberst Hans-Detlef Herhudt von Rohden, 24 August 1942 – 23 February 1943
• Oberst Karl-Heinrich Schulz, 1 March 1943 – 25 March 1943
• General Otto Deßloch, 26 March 1943 – 3 September 1943
• Generalmajor Karl-Heinrich Schulz, 3 September 1943 – 21 April 1945

References

Notes

1. For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation

References

• Luftflotte 4 @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Luftflotte 4 @ The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
• Henry L. deZeng IV (2014). "Luftwaffe Airfields 1935 - 1945".