Luftwaffen-Festungs-Bataillon(Airforce Fortress Bataillon)
Late September 1944 men were needed to secure the West Wall. The Luftwaffe had to send men in the Siegfried Line, so they formed 40 Luftwaffen-Festungs-Bataillons were formed, out of replacement units, driving schools, NCO schools, pliot schools, airfield personal. The Bataillons had roman numbers from I-XXXX. Non of these men had seen combat before. Army officers trained the men behind the front for a few days. The first bataillons were send in the Huertgen Forest.
The Bataillons had enough weapons and personal, but lacked training. They had many causalties in Aachen and Huertgen Forest. In October 20 batallions were used to reenforce Army units, like the 9th and 116th Panzerdivision. The 20 other were used to reenforce Fallschirmjägerdivisions of the 1st Fallschirmjäger Army.
The last bataillons were disolve in late Feburary 1945, to reenforce 3rd, 6th, 7th, Fallschirmjäger divisions
All bataillons had three companies
Luftwaffe Fortress Battalion XXIV
The Luftwaffe Fortress Battalion XXIV was formed on 17th September 1944 from parts of the Air Force NCO School 1. The bataillon was trained by officers of the 347th infantry division, with Panzerfaust, Panzerschreck and Raktenpanzerwerfer 43. The bataillon was supplied with 6 M34, 6 MG42, 6 Czech MGs, 2 Polish MGs. The bataillon was send in the Huertgen Forest, 2km south of Vossenack, to protect the southern flank. The American forces did not break throw. In very hard fightings from 10th October to 2nd November 1944 the bataillon blocked the american Attacks to the south. So the only way was to attack Vossenack and then turn south. These fightings prepare the ground for the bloody battles of the 28th US-Infantry Division. The rest of the battalion was on 29 November 1944 disbanded and adsorbed by the Fallschirmjäger.
Other Luftwaffe Infantery units in late 1944 to 1945.
After September 1944 Luftwaffen-Infanterie-Bataillons were set up, 41, 42, 51, 52, 81, 82 and 85. The Lw-Inf-Btl. 41st, 51st and 52nd fought in the Saarpfalz, the 42nd fought in Holland with Fj. Div. Erdmann, the 81st and 82nd in the Slowakei, the 85th was surrounded 1945 in Budapest
These bataillons had all four companies
It is not very much about these units. Maybe anyone know more about these units.
Luftwaffen-Festungs-Bataillon
Moderator: SchnellMeyer
- Christian_Jaeger
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:09 am
- Location: Wehrkreis VI
Luftwaffen-Festungs-Bataillon
Adjutant, I./Ski-Jäger Regiment 1, 1.Ski-Jäger Brigade
Re: Luftwaffen-Festungs-Bataillon
Interesting! Good work
You're losing.you're losing, you're losing your vitamin c
Egyptian Kings packing their things!!
I keep this picture to keep my hate strong!
http://www.heavenandhell.org.uk
Egyptian Kings packing their things!!
I keep this picture to keep my hate strong!
http://www.heavenandhell.org.uk