Airfield ground units

[Larry deZeng]

Fred:

Fliegerhorst Avord
Fl.H.Kdtr. E 14/XII (07.40 – 10.42)
Fl.H.Kdtr. A 217/XII (10.42 – 04.44)
Fl.H.Kdtr. E(v) 219/XII (04.44 – 08.44)
Subordinated to: Koflug 2/XIII (Orléans 1940-44)
Used by: IV./KG 27 (06.40 – 08.42) plus other units for various periods of time.
06.44: had 3 satellite airstrips: Avord – Saligny, Avord – Saligny le Vif, Avord – Süd 2.

The typical medium and large Fliegerhorstkommandantur in 1943 and thereafter had all or most of the following components:

Organic to the Air Base
- Fliegerhorstkp. (Air Base Co.)
- Gruppe Verwaltung (Administrative Gp. )
- Ln.Stelle (Signals Section)
- Wetterstelle (Weather Section)
- Lw.-Sanitätsstaffel (Medical Section), and/or Lw.-Krankenrevier (Dispensary)
- Lw. Zahnstation (Dental Clinic)
- Flugleitung (Air Traffic Control)
- Bildstelle (Photographic Section)
- Munitionsverwaltung (Munitions Administration)
- Flieger-Techn.Verwaltung (Air Technical Administration)
- Betriebs-Techn.Gruppe (Technical Operations Gp. )
- Fliegerhorst Werft (Air Base Workshops)
- Feuerschutzeinheit (Fire Fighting Section)
- Bomben-Übungs-u.Schiessplatz (Bomb and Gunnery Range)

Attached to the Air Base (as needed)
- Flughafen-Betriebskp.(Qu) (Airfield Servicing Co.(Quartermaster))
- Werft-Abteilung oder -züge (Workshop Detachment or Platoons)
- Lw.Bergekp. (Salvage Co.)
- Landesschützeneinheiten (Guard units)
- Lw.-Baueinheiten (Construction units)
- Transportkolonnen (Transport Columns)
- Flugbetriebsstoffkolonnen (Aviation Fueling Columns)
- Traktorenzüge d.Lw. (Air Force Tractor Platoons)

(Note: these “attached” units were only attached to the Fliegerhorstkommandantur if and when needed, and only in the quantity needed. For example, most air bases had only occasional call for salvage, construction and transport units, and most of the air bases located in Germany used civilian guards rather than uniformed Luftwaffe guard units.)

The median strength of the Fl.H.Kdtr. at Avord, 1940-44, including attached ground units, but not including tenant air units, would have been between 350 and 700 Luftwaffe and German civilian personnel plus an unknown number of French civilian personnel (several hundred, perhaps).

[Source: Qu/Luftgaukdo. XIV instructions, 6 Dec 1944, in NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-971 roll 34/0554-56.]

Larry