16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

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CNE503
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16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#1

Post by CNE503 » 12 Feb 2016, 16:25

Hello,

I found that two generals has commanded this unit:
- Oberst Otto von Lachemair from December 1942 to November 1943;
- Generalmajor Karl Sievers from November 1943 to July 1944.

Am I correct?
Dates are confusing concerning Lachemair's command, and I'm not sure that colonel and brigade general were their respective ranks at this time. Could someone help me to solve this?

Thank you.
Cheers,

CNE503
"Sicut Aquila" / "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre" / "par l'exemple, le coeur et la raison" / "Labor Omnia Vincit"

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genstab
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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#2

Post by genstab » 14 Feb 2016, 15:22

The German Army didn't use the rank brigadier general, maybe because brigades weren't common in their ground forces till midwar (a few SS brigades, most of which became divisions, and Army Panzer brigades). Generalmajor was the lowest general rank. The Waffen-SS however used the Oberführer rank which was senior to Standartenführer (Colonel) but wasn't considered a general, and would be equal to the WW2 British Brigadier which wasn't a general at that time either. Confusingly the lowest Waffen-SS general rank was Brigadeführer but they commanded a division.

Regarding 16. Luftwaffen Feldidivision I have the following:
Oberst Lackmaier (LW) 1-12-42 to 21-8-43 (Munoz, "Göring's Grenadiers", possibly the only full length history of the Luftwaffe Field Divisions in Englisn)
GenMaj Karl Sievers (Heer) 22-8-43 to 25-7-44 destroyed at Caen (Munoz, Mehner: "Die Deutsche Wehrmacht 1939-1945: Fuehrung und Truppe"

Best regards,
Bill in Cleveland


CNE503
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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#3

Post by CNE503 » 14 Feb 2016, 23:00

Thank you Bill.
Cheers,

CNE503
"Sicut Aquila" / "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre" / "par l'exemple, le coeur et la raison" / "Labor Omnia Vincit"

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genstab
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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#4

Post by genstab » 15 Feb 2016, 00:17

Any time. Glad to help. Rudolf 44 and I did a lot of work going over all the division commanders.
Best,
Bill

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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#5

Post by CNE503 » 15 Feb 2016, 12:37

Hello Bill,

That's very good to hear, because I have a lot more questions about the Luftwaffen-Felddivisionen commanders, who are a very complicated matter! :)

Very best regards,

CNE503
"Sicut Aquila" / "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre" / "par l'exemple, le coeur et la raison" / "Labor Omnia Vincit"

Luft 76
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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#6

Post by Luft 76 » 21 Feb 2016, 18:47

Hello

Gen. Sievers had later taken command of 719.ID.

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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#7

Post by AvB » 06 Jun 2023, 08:57

I have this Widmung in a booklet which, at 25 November 1943, is still signed by Oberst von Lachemair as Divisionskommandeur. Combined with the the Kriegsgliederungen of 1.11.43 and 4.12.43 Generalmajor Sievers took over command of the 16. LFD around 1 December 1943, at the time when the 16 LWD was converted to a bodenständige Division in style of the army. Possubly this is why an army Generalmajor was appointed as Div. Kdr.?
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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#8

Post by RFVD11 » 06 Jun 2023, 12:51

There is also an Osprey book on the Luftwaffefeld divisions in English.
ddivisions.

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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#9

Post by Luft 76 » 06 Jun 2023, 19:41

AvB wrote:
06 Jun 2023, 08:57
... Generalmajor Sievers took over command of the 16. LFD around 1 December 1943, at the time when the 16 LWD was converted to a bodenständige Division in style of the army. Possubly this is why an army Generalmajor was appointed as Div. Kdr.?
To my knowledge, 16. LFD was not a bodenständige Division, but converted in Inf. Div. 44 typ. Most of the LFD still in service at that time received Heer Kommanders and many others Heer officers. In particulary the four divisions in West (16.,17., 18. and 19. Lw FD).

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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#10

Post by AvB » 07 Jun 2023, 15:01

I have this info from the KTB LXXXVIII A.K. (T-314, Roll 1618, 42051-1-Anlagenband_1_zum_KTB-Juli-Dez_1943).
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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#11

Post by Luft 76 » 07 Jun 2023, 18:00

👍

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Re: 16. Luftwaffen-Feld Division commanders

#12

Post by Nectar » 22 Jun 2023, 10:58

And the bodenständige divisions were then turned into Inf.Div.45 in December 1944.

ktb 88ak
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