SS-Korps-FlaK-Abteilung 550

[Mikedc]

V. SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Korps.
SS-Korps-FlaK-Abteilung 550(build beginning of 1945 from units whom till then guarded SS-Command Installations in the greater Berlin-area):
SS-Hauptsturmführer Loeschnigg(CO 2-45/??-45). Fritz Löschnigg???
SS-Hauptsturmführer Keyck(CO ??-45/??-45). Ewald Keyck???

Who can tell me if this is all correct???
I only had this unit and the familyname from the two commanders. Because I only have an Ewald Keyck and a Fritz Löschnigg I assume they're the two officers mentioned. But in their short file there is no mention that they ever held command of this unit.....


Greetings,
Mike

[RolandP]

Hi Mike,

here from my files:
Formed January 30th 1945 as Anti Aircraft battalion for special purpose, at SS-Flak-Ausb.u.Ers.Rgt, München-Freimarn, February 4th 1945 send to Bad Saarow area, protection of the SS-FHA, beginning March 1945 send to front line action in the area Brieskow – Pohlitz – Ziltendorf – Oder-Spree-Kanal near FürstenbergStellenbesetzung der SS-Flak-Abteilung 550

Stab FPNr. 31 765
Kommandeure:
SS-Hstuf. Fritz Löschnigg 00.12.44 – Mitte 3.45
SS-Hstuf. Ewald Keyck Mitte 3.45 – Ende 3.45
SS-Hstuf. Karl Hohengassner 01.04.45 – 30.04.45

Adjutant:
SS-Ustuf. Schwarz 00.01.45 – 00.02.45
SS-Ustuf. Köbl 00.02.45 – 00.00.45

IVa Verwaltungsführer:
SS-Ostuf. Holzapfel

IVb Abt.Arzt:
Unterarzt Dr.Cossmann (Lw)

TFK:
SS-Ustuf. Pagel

Stabs-Batterie 31 765
SS-Ostuf Hogengasser

1.Batterie 6 x 8,8 cm 64 723
SS-Ostuf. Hühner

2.Batterie 9 x 3,7 cm 66 779
SS-Ostuf. Deuschle

3.Batterie 2 cm 67 964 ?
SS-Ostuf.Grünbeck
dann Hscha.Scholz

4.Batterie je ein Zug 2 cm-, 3,7 cm- und 8,8 cm-Flak 67 944
Aus SS-Flak-Alarm-Batterie 103 (?) Berlin-Lichterfelde, eingegliedert ab 6.4.45 als 4.Battr.
SS-Ostuf.Huber

leichte Flak-Kolonne
SS-Ustuf. Pagel

Quellen:
Wolfgang Vopersal, SS-Flak-Abt. 550, N 756/262, 3 Seiten

Regards yours Roland

[Mikedc]

Hello Roland,

Thank you very much for the clarification and additional info, that's highly appreciated.
So Fritz Löschnigg and Ewald Keyck were the CO's from this unit afterall???
But when Löschnigg commanded this unit he also should have commanded SS-FlaK-Abteilung 3, so how is that possible??
And when Keyck commanded this unit he also should have commanded SS-FlaK-Abteilung 32, who can answer that???

Sorry for the confusion but sometimes it's nice to try and solve things like this. And this is a real confusing thing for me for sure. For me it looks like they both commanded two units at almost the same time and as far as I understand that's almost impossible.....

Greetings,
Mike

[RolandP]

Hi Mike,
concerning the commanding officers of SS-Flak-Abteilung 550: Hstuf. Löschnigg was a long time battalion commander with SS-Flak-Ausb.u.Ers.Rgt at Munich and was appointed as commander of the SS-anti aircraft battalion for special purpos, later 550, when formed in the end of January 1945.
After he was transferred to the 1.SS-Pz.Div. (so mentioned by Hans Stöber, Flak der Waffen-SS) in the middle of March 1945, Hstuf. Ewald Keyck became commander until he fell ill on March 30 1945 and Hstuf. Hohengasser, CO of the staff battery led the unit until the end in the Halbe pocket ….
As far as I know, there was no SS-Flak-Abt 32 but the only SS-anti aircraft unit within 32.SS-Frw.Gren.Div. was the SS-Flak-Abt 550.

But it is confusing, I noticed that in the command rooster of the Waffen-SS from March 1st 1945, Löschnigg was mentioned as commander SS-Flak-Abt 3, but handwritten there is Stubaf. Mithoff added and Hans Stöber mentioned him in his book on page 104 as commander SS-Flak-Abt 3 in “early March 1945”
But I found no trace of Löschnigg within LSSAH after March 1945

That´s all I could find about this units or commanding officers!!

Regards yours Roland

[Harro]

Regarding the transfer of Löschnigg to the Leibstandarte, I asked the late SS-Obersturmführer Leidreiter about him and this is what I managed to reconstruct from his replies:

- SS-Hstuf. Wawrzinek led the SS-PzAA1 until he was KIA on April 1, 1945
- SS-Ostuf. Leidreiter took over as temporary commander (he had been assigned to Max Hansen prior to that)

On March 13, 2007, Leidreiter replied to my question who took over from him: a certain Löschnigg came from the Führerreserve one week before the war ended. This question mattered to me because of the rumours that Knittel returned to the Abteilung shortly before the end of the war. I am quite sure that Leidreiter was also Tiemann's source who lists Löschnigg in the Stellenbesetzungsliste for the SS-PzAA1 (appendix in volume IV/2 of his divisional history).

[smetanin albert]

from SSO Grünbeck