The 12th Luftwaffe Field Division (''German: 12. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division'') was a major military organization of the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The

Luftwaffe Field Division The Luftwaffe Field Divisions (German: ''Luftwaffen-Feld-Divisionen'' or LwFD) were German military formations during World War II. History The divisions were originally authorized in October 1942, following suggestions that the German Army could ...

was formed from ''Flieger-Regiment 12'' at the end of 1942, and was assigned to

Army Group North Army Group North (german: Heeresgruppe Nord) was a German strategic formation, commanding a grouping of field armies during World War II. The German Army Group was subordinated to the ''Oberkommando des Heeres'' (OKH), the German army high comma ...

in early 1943.Kevin Conley Ruffner: Luftwaffe Field Divisions 1941–1945, Osprey Publ., Oxford 1990. . After being decimated during the fighting in the area in the

Courland Pocket The Courland Pocket (Blockade of the Courland army group), (german: Kurland-Kessel)/german: Kurland-Brückenkopf (Courland Bridgehead), lv, Kurzemes katls (Courland Cauldron) or ''Kurzemes cietoksnis'' (Courland Fortress)., group=lower-alpha ...

, the division was moved by ship to Danzig, and employed there between Danzig and

Zoppot Sopot is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, and has the status of the county, being the smallest city ...

until the beginning of May 1945, when it had been almost completely wiped out.

Known division members

* (1899-1944), was from 1933 to 1934 chief police officer of Nuremberg - Fürth and from 1939 to 1944 NSDAP member of the Reichstag.

Notes

References

12 1942 establishments in Germany 1945 disestablishments in Germany Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 {{WWII-stub

Known division members

Further reading

Notes

References