Luftwaffe Major Baumhauer (CO of sole eastern Lw-FeldBtl)

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Michi
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Luftwaffe Major Baumhauer (CO of sole eastern Lw-FeldBtl)

#1

Post by Michi » 25 Nov 2005, 17:06

I'm looking for informations on a Hauptmann later Major of the German Airforce.
His 2nd name was BAUMHAUER.
Hauptmann/Major BAUMHAUER was the only CO of the
I. Kaukasische Luftwaffen-Feld Bataillon
[~ 1st Caucasian Airforce-Field Battalion].
In April 1943 the I. Kauk.Lw-F.Btl. was incorporated into the Sonderverband Bergmann.


The following picture might show Major BAUMHAUER:

Image



MfG Michi

Larry D.
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#2

Post by Larry D. » 26 Nov 2005, 14:45

Hptm. Dr. Friedrich BAUMHAUER, transferred from Luftgaukdo. I to Luftflotte 4 on 13.8.42. He's your man.

Michi: can you tell me when this Btl. was formed, where in North Caucasia it was stationed and what it did before its 270 men were absorbed into Sonderverband Bergmann in March 1943?


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Doktor Krollspell
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#3

Post by Doktor Krollspell » 26 Nov 2005, 19:27

Hello Michi and Larry!

According to a Michael Holm on http://www.ww2.dk/ground/flibo/fk/fk14-1.html Oberst Dr. Friedrich Baumhauer was CO for the Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 14/I in Schippenbeil between 8.4.40 and 6.9.41. So, if this is the same man, somethings wrong... or maybe he was degraded?! It's hard to imagine that there were two Luftwaffe officers by the name of Dr. Friedrich Baumhauer...


Regards,

Krollspell

Larry D.
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#4

Post by Larry D. » 26 Nov 2005, 19:44

There was only one Luftwaffe officer by this name (BAUMHAUER) who was in the pay grade of Hauptmann or above:

BAUMHAUER, Dr. Friedrich. 08.04.40 Hptm., appt Kdt. Fl.H.Kdtr. E 14/I (to 05.09.41?). 13.08.42 Hptm.(d.L.), trf from Lg.Kdo. I to Luftflotte 4. 12.43 Maj., Kdt. Fl.Pl.Kdo. B 17/I (to 01.04.44?).

My information comes directly from:

•Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, Abteilung für Wehrmachtpropaganda; 57 folders (Geheim-Akten) of “Personalveränderungen” (officer promotions, reassignments, discharges, temporary assignments, etc.) for the Heer, Luftwaffe and, to a much lesser extent, the Kriegsmarine. The 39,976 pages in the collection cover Apr 1939 to Oct 1943 plus a single folder for Aug 1944, but is incomplete, especially for the Luftwaffe. The 26 rolls of microfilm can be found in, NARA WashDC: RG 242/T-77 rolls 937-963, filmed continuously from 4407277 – 4447252.

If you still have doubts, please contact my good friend Michael Holm who will confirm the above.

--Larry

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Doktor Krollspell
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#5

Post by Doktor Krollspell » 26 Nov 2005, 20:19

Hello again Larry!

It's obviously just a typo then, on Holm's website, as Hauptmann was Baumhauer's correct grade at the time. It's nice to finally have a name to a photo... :D I've been wondering about this mystery Luftwaffe Major with the "Kindjal" on his collar patches since I saw this particular photograph in Littlejohn's "Foreign Legions of the Third Reich" back in the late eighties.

Do you, or anyone else, know in what academic field Baumhauer was Doktor in? Did he have any special qualifications or skills to be commanding Ostvolk freiwillige, or was he he just assigned to these particular units?


Regards,

Krollspell

Larry D.
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#6

Post by Larry D. » 26 Nov 2005, 20:35

Do you, or anyone else, know in what academic field Baumhauer was Doktor in? Did he have any special qualifications or skills to be commanding Ostvolk freiwillige, or was he he just assigned to these particular units?
No, I sure don't. I guess you would have to take a look at his personnel records which used to be at BA-ZNS Kornelimünster bei Aachen, but have now been transferred to BA-MA in Freiburg, I am told. However, presumably he was either a lawyer or a university professor. Maybe the latter with fluency in a North Caucasian language? He was a Hauptmann der Landwehr, so he probably didn't get called up until the mobilization in August 1939, meaning that he must have been gainfully employed as a civilian.

Michi
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#7

Post by Michi » 27 Nov 2005, 05:38

13.08.42 Hptm.(d.L.), trf from Lg.Kdo. I to Luftflotte 4. 12.43 Maj.,
INDEED, he is the right BAUMHAUER.
The I. Kaukasische Luftwaffen-Feld Bataillon was subordinated to the Luftflotte 4!!!

My only source:
Rittmeister a.D Herwarth von Bittenfeld, Hans: Russian Volunteers in The German Army
Different notes (till 17th March 1943): From HGr A to Luftflotte 4
Different notes (till 31st March 1943) From HGr A to Befh Krim

Some locations mentioned with the I. Kaukasische Luftwaffen-Feld Bataillon:
Essentuki
Kislodowsk
Kriwoj Rog



MfG Michi

PS:
I have found a discussion some years ago:

Michi = Michi
Larry = Larry D. (??)
Jarek = jarek g. (??)
Michi
Caucasian-Field Bn of the Luftwaffe? Any infos??
Thu Feb 6 02:12:40 2003
140.78.3.1

Although this forum is to be for the flying-units of the German Luftwaffe, I'll try to put in some questions about the only(?) Eastern(Caucasian) unit of the Luftwaffe:
(maybe someone crossed this unit)

I'm looking for any infos about the (only one??) Caucasian battalion of the German Luftwaffe.

The correct name was:
I. Kaukasische Luftwaffen-Feld-Bataillon / I. Kauk. Lw-F-Btl.
(~ 1st Caucasian Airforce-Field-Battalion)
It was attached to the Luftflotte 4.

Some villages or cities are mentioned:
Essentuki, Kislovodsk and Krivoj Rog

In April 1943 it was not disbanded, but transformed into the so-called "Bergmann"-unit.

a.) Who was the CO?

b.) What OOB?? (was it the same as the Caucasian battalions of the Heer?)

c.) What T&OE?? (was it the same as the Caucasian battalions of the Heer?)

d.) Which uniforms did this battalion wear???


MfG Michi

Larry
I. Kauk. Lw. Feld-Btl.
Thu Feb 6 15:37:57 2003
205.188.209.14

I have just one reference on this unit:

"3/43: assigned to Luftflotte 4; Heeresgruppe A proposes that the Btl. be incorporated into Sonderverband "Bergmann"; proposal accepted, and all of the 270 North Caucasian personnel ordered to transfer from Krivoi Rog to Bakhchisarai/Crimea on 26 March 1943; the Btl. had recently withdrawn from North Caucasia to Krivoi Rog."
(Source: NARA WashDC: RG 242/Microcopy T-311, roll 150 (Heeresgruppe A records), frames 585 and 847).

Comment: there are circumstantial indications that this battalion was used to guard Luftwaffe airfields, fuel dumps, etc., in North Caucasia prior to March 1943 and was evacuated from there when the Luftwaffe pulled out in February 1943. I have no information on its KStN or the name of the Kommandeur. The KStN may have been identical or similar to that of a Landesschützen-Btl. d. Lw., which were also used for guard purposes.

Larry

Michi
Aw: I. Kauk. Lw-F-Btl.
Thu Feb 6 18:46:18 2003
140.78.3.1

Thanks Larry!!

A short information shared is better than nothing shared!!

I have a small map showing that this Btl was stationed in Essentuki, just in the near of the HQ of Lfl 4.
(which seemed to be in the same village)


MfG Michi

Jarek
[email protected]
I. Kauk. Lw. Feld-Btl.
Sat May 10 15:37:57 2003
205.188.209.14

Hi Michi,

Battalions HQ I. Kauk. Lw-F-Btl. was found in Piatigorsk.
CO of the I. Kauk. Lw-F-Btl. was Hptm. Baumhauer (1943).
CO - Hptm. Baumhauer, later (autumn 1943) major.
Soldiers of the I. Kauk. Lw-F-Btl. wore Luftwaffe uniformes with red collar patches and Bergkaukasien shield.

Regards Jarek
Last edited by Michi on 27 Nov 2005, 17:45, edited 1 time in total.

Michi
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#8

Post by Michi » 27 Nov 2005, 07:28

googling for Baumhauer, Friedrich I have found:

Georgien
...
BAUMHAUER, Friedrich
1928 Forschungen über die Hausformen in Georgien. Hamburg. Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Völkerkunde
...


MfG Michi

PS:
First, having seen his picture, I thought he is way to old for a Luftwaffe Hauptmann/Major.
But being a Luftwaffe Hauptmann/Major der Landwehr it explains everything.

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#9

Post by Larry D. » 27 Nov 2005, 15:47

Hi Michi,

You are right! I guess we did discuss this Bataillon before - I am very embarrassed for not remembering! :oops:

Thanks for the additional information on locations.

One more question: did that excellent map showing the locations of the various eastern units in Nord-Kaukasien come from the book by Bittenfeld?

--Larry

Michi
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#10

Post by Michi » 27 Nov 2005, 17:59

You are right! I guess we did discuss this Bataillon before - I am very embarrassed for not remembering!
Don't worry, this discussion happened almost 3 years ago!!!
One more question: did that excellent map showing the locations of the various eastern units in Nord-Kaukasien come from the book by Bittenfeld?
Source is:
Joachim Hoffmann. Kaukasien 1942/1943. Verlag Rombach. Freiburg i. Br.. 1991.

Oberleutnant, later Rittmeister Herwarth von Bittenfeld, Hans was the Aide-de-Camp of the assigned General for Questions on the Caucasus (General der Kavallereie Köstring, Ernst)


MfG Michi

Larry D.
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#11

Post by Larry D. » 27 Nov 2005, 19:55

Thanks, Michi -

The reason I asked about the book,

[Herwarth von Bittenfeld, Hans-Heinrich. Against Two Evils: Memoirs of a Diplomat-Soldier during the Third Reich. New York: Rawson Wade, 1981],

was because I didn't think this would have a nice map in it, or that perhaps he had written another book that I didn't know about.

I will try and find a copy of the Hoffmann book. I have read one or two of his books before, but not the one on Kaukasien.

Thanks again,

--Larry

Michi
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#12

Post by Michi » 27 Nov 2005, 23:08

Rittmeister a.D Herwarth von Bittenfeld, Hans: Russian Volunteers in The German Army
I have looked for this book, but have found that this is only a booklet with some 25 pages.



MfG Michi

Larry D.
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#13

Post by Larry D. » 28 Nov 2005, 01:28

Michi wrote:
Rittmeister a.D Herwarth von Bittenfeld, Hans: Russian Volunteers in The German Army
I have looked for this book, but have found that this is only a booklet with some 25 pages.



MfG Michi

Yes, I looked for it on http://www.sfb.at/ and it was not listed there. If it was a book published in Europe, it should have been there. I guess it's too small at 25-pages to get listed.

Regards,

--Larry

Michi
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#14

Post by Michi » 01 Dec 2005, 03:59

when was this Btl. formed
I guess the formation of this Btl is in connection with Mjr Baumhauer's transfer to the Luftflotte 4 in August 1942.
At this time the 2nd wave of Armies Caucasian & Turkic Battalions were in forming.
Do you, or anyone else, know in what academic field Baumhauer was Doktor in? Did he have any special qualifications or skills to be commanding Ostvolk freiwillige, or was he he just assigned to these particular units?
However, presumably he was either a lawyer or a university professor.
Indeed Luftwaffe Hauptmann der Landwehr later Major Dr. Friedrich Baumhauer had his academic title in the field of Ethnology, in the 20's and 30's he wrote some articles, published by the Museum of Ethnology.
BAUMHAUER, Friedrich. Forschungen über die Hausformen in Georgien. Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Völkerkunde. Hamburg. 1928.


By the way there were some other other ground-units with eastern people within the Luftwaffe.
# 1.) Ost-Propaganda-Kompanie with the Luftflotte 6.
# 2.) Hilfswilligen-Propaganda-Kompanie with the Luftflotte 6.
# 3.) technische Kompanie (Ost) with the Luftflotte 6 at the airfield of Zadneprow'e near Smolensk.

Furtheron there were some air-units with eastern people within the Luftwaffe.
# 1.) Fliegergruppe 'Holters' / aviacionnaja gruppa CO: ObstLt Holters & ObstLt Mal'cew.
# 2.) Ergänzungs-Nacht-Schlacht-Gruppe (ostv.) with the Luftflotte 1 in the Baltic.
# 3.) Nacht-Schlacht-Gruppe 11 (estn.) with 3 squadrons from October 1943 till October 1944.
# 4.) Nacht-Schlacht-Gruppe 12 (lett.) with 3 squadrons from March 1944 till October 1944.
# 5.) 1. Ost-Flieger-Staffel (russ.) December 1943 till July 1944.
# 6.) leichte Anti-Partisanen-Staffel in Belorussia.



MfG Michi

Larry D.
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#15

Post by Larry D. » 01 Dec 2005, 14:56

Hi Michi,

I must admit that I've never heard of these two:

# 3.) technische Kompanie (Ost) with the Luftflotte 6 at the airfield of Zadneprow'e near Smolensk.
# 6.) leichte Anti-Partisanen-Staffel in Belorussia.

Do you have their Feldpostnummern or any information about them? #6 may be either the predecessor of 1. Ost-Flieger-St. (russ.) or an unofficial name for one of the Staffeln belonging to Fliegergruppe z.b.V. 7 (later Fliegergeschwader z.b.V. 7), which operated mostly in Belorussia. But #3 leaves me scratching my head. It sound like a Kompanie of former VVS personnel rounded up by Luftflotte 6 to repair and salvage Soviet aircraft or perhaps radio and other technical equipment that had been captured by the Germans. What do you think?

--Larry

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