Luftflotte 4 Explained

Unit Name:	Luftflotte 4
Dates:	18 March 1939
Disbanded:	21 April 1945
Type:	Command
Battles:	Eastern Front
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

See 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
I./JG 52 (Leipzig, Romania)
II./JG 52
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
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

See main article: 8th Air Corps (Germany). Strategic reconnaissance

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

Tactical reconnaissance

Stab/NAGr.2
1./NAGr.2
2./NAGr.2

Land air strike

Stab IV(Pz)/SG.9 (Lisiatycze)
12.(Pz)/SG.9
13.(Pz)/SG.9 (Lisiatycze)
Stab./SG.77 (Jasionka)
I./SG.77 (Jasionka)
II./SG.77 (Lemberg)
III./SG.77
10.(Pz)/SG.77 (Starzawa)
(Ung)S.St. G.102/1
(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

See 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

See 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

Generaloberst Alexander Löhr, 18 March 1939 – 20 July 1942
Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr 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

Luftflotte 4 @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht
Luftflotte 4 @ The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
Web site: Luftwaffe Airfields 1935 - 1945. Henry L. deZeng IV. 2014.

Notes and References

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