The 2nd ''Luftwaffe'' Field Division (german: 2. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division) was an infantry division of the ''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

'' branch 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 ...

that fought in World War II. It was formed using surplus ''Luftwaffe'' ground crew and served on the Eastern Front from late 1942 to October 1943, when it was destroyed and disbanded.

Operational history

The 2nd ''Luftwaffe'' Field Division was one of several ''Luftwaffe'' divisions formed in 1942 from surplus ground crew and intended to serve as conventional infantry divisions. The 2nd was raised at

Groß Born Borne Sulinowo (german: Groß Born; ) is a town in north-western Poland, within the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is a capital of a separate gmina (municipality). As of June 2021, the town has a population of 5,008; the surrounding commune is ...

in September 1942, under the command of Colonel

Hellmuth Petzold Hellmuth is both a masculine German given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name: * Hellmuth Heye (1895–1970), German admiral and politician * Hellmuth Hirth (1886–1938), German engineer who founded engine manufa ...

. The division was sent in November 1942 to the central sector of the Eastern Front, where it helped repel Soviet attacks in the area around

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest c ...

. After the establishment of the II Luftwaffe Field Corps, the division became subordinated to this Corps and was relocated to the Nevel area. The division had the task of securing the connection between Army Groups North and

Center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

. On 6 October 1943, the division was struck by an intense Soviet offensive aimed at the connection between Army Group North and Center.
On the first day of the battle, the division's positions were overrun and a gap with a width of 12 km was created in the frontline. The connection to the neighboring 83rd Infantry Division was lost and the division retreated in panic. Its losses were extraordinarily high, especially in material. The division was therefore dissolved on 15 October 1943, with effect from 1 November 1943.

Commanders

*Oberst Hellmuth Petzold (Sep 1942 - 1 Jan 1943) *Oberst Carl Becker (1 Jan 1943 - 17 Jan 1943) *Oberst Hellmuth Petzold (18 Jan 1943 - 1 Nov 1943)

Sources

* * {{Luftwaffe Field Divisions 02 1942 establishments in Germany 1943 disestablishments in Germany Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1943