2nd Air Corps (''II. Fliegerkorps'') was formed on 11 October 1939 in

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

from the 2. Flieger-Division. During

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...

and from 22 June to 12 November 1941, the Corps flew over 40,000 day and night

sortie A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining supp ...

s, dropping 23,150

ton Ton is the name of any one of several units of measure. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. Mainly it describes units of weight. Confusion can arise because ''ton'' can mean * the long ton, which is 2,240 pounds ...

s of

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

s and claiming 3,826 Soviet

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or by using the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in ...

destroyed as well as 789

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful ...

s, 614

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...

pieces, 14,339 vehicles, 240 enemy field positions, 33

bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

s, 159 trains and 304 locomotives along with relentless attacks on enemy troop concentrations and logistical choke-points. The Corps was relocated to the Mediterranean theatre of operations on 15 November 1941. The Corps was merged with the Feldluftgau XXX on 29 August 1944 and renamed ''Kommandierender General der Deutschen Luftwaffe Nordbalkan'' (commanding general of the German Luftwaffe northern

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

). In November 1944 the corps was again renamed II. Fliegerkorps and redesignated Luftwaffenkommando Nordost on 2 April 1945.

Commanding officers

*Generaloberst

Bruno Loerzer Bruno Loerzer (22 January 1891 – 23 August 1960) was a German air force officer during World War I and World War II. Credited with 44 aerial victories during World War I, he was one of Germany's leading flying aces, as well as commander of ...

, 11 October 1939 – 23 February 1943 *Generalleutnant Martin Harlinghausen, 23 February 1943 – 12 June 1943 *General Alfred Bülowius, 26 June 1943 – 30 June 1944 *Generalleutant Kurt Kleinrath, 1 July 1944 – 31 August 1944 (Referred to as ''Kommandierender General der Deutschen Luftwaffe Nordbalkan'', 29 August 1944 – November 1944) *General Johannes Fink, 1 December 1944 – January 1945 *General Stefan Fröhlich, January 1945 – 1 February 1945 *General

Martin Fiebig Martin Fiebig (7 May 1891 – 23 October 1947) was a German Luftwaffe general who commanded several air corps and equivalent-sized formations during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Afte ...

, 1 February 1945 – 12 April 1945

References

{{Corps of the Luftwaffe A002 Military units and formations established in 1939 1939 establishments in Germany Military units and formations disestablished in 1945

Commanding officers

See also

References