THE LUFTWAFFE IN ITALY, 31 AUGUST & 8 SEPTEMBER 1943

Notes on its Order-of-Battle

Alexis Mehtidis

Fw-190 of SKG-10, a fighter-bomber unit.

2nd Luftflotte and Luftwaffenkommando Südost forces, 31 August 1943 ( operational planes
in parenthesis )

Fighters &
Co-
fighter- Bombers Reconnaissance Total
operation
bombers
South
- 100 ( 36 ) 20 ( 6 )1 - 120 ( 42 )
France
Northern &
- 104 ( 37 ) - - 104 ( 37 )
central Italy
Southern
223 ( 117 ) 72 ( 37 ) 29 ( 18 ) - 324 ( 172 )
Italy
Sardinia 26 ( 15 ) 72 ( 34 ) 10 ( 4 ) 28 ( 10 ) 136 ( 63 )
Greece
(including 42 ( 33 ) 75 ( 68 ) 52 ( 38 ) - 169 ( 139 )
Crete )
Romania &
71 ( 51 ) 175 ( 101 ) 18 ( 3 ) - 264 ( 155 )
Croatia
TOTAL 362 ( 216 ) 598 ( 313 ) 129 ( 69 ) 28 ( 10 ) 1117 ( 608 )

1
Reconnaissance planes in France part of 3 Luftflotte

1
About 600 German airplanes in Italy, Sardinia, Corsica and southern France, half of them
south of the 42nd parallel2 )

Luftflotte 2 : 1607 airplanes ( 1117 combat and 490 transport ), of which 626 operational (216
fighters and close support, 313 bombers, 69 reconnaissance and 28 army co-operation )3.

Luftflotte 2, 31 Augst : 20 short-tange reconnaissance (10 operational), 28 long-range

reconnaissance (20), 181 fighters (91), 90 fighter-bombers (51), 260 aerei di
combattimento (110), 27 seaplanes/flying-boats (21), 116 transport (84). Total 722
(387)4.

A note on the higher Luftwaffe formations, flying units – not mentioned below but further
down - were subordinate to : Luftflotte 2 - at Frascatti ( until September ), then Malcesine
(Lake Garda ) - was the highest Luftwaffe operational formation in Italy with the following
subordinate formations and units :

- Komm. General der Deutschen Luftwaffe in Italien ( existed in September

1943 with HQ in Rome. Its function is not clear - it had controlled all flying
units in Italy from June until December 1941 - ).
- II. Fliegerkorps ( at Sala Cosnilina until September, then Merate ) most flying
units subordinate to it as were : Verbindungsstaffel/II. Fliegerkorps ( Do 217,
Fi 156, Fw 58, He 111 ), Flugbereitschaft/II. Fliegerkorps (Bf 108, Do 17, Fi
156, Fw 58, He 111, Kl 35) and Luftnachrichten-Regiment 32
- 2. Flieger-Division
- Fliegerführer Sardinien ( Bolotana ?, re-designated Fliegerführer 2 in
September 1943, Flugbereitschaft/Fl.Fü.Sardiniensubordinate )
- Jagdfliegerführer Oberitalien ( HQ at Bologna, fighter units subordinate to it)
- Jagdabschnittsführer Italien ( HQ at Napoli, parts of JG27 and JG77
subordinate to it )
- Feldluftgau-Kommando XXVIII ( HQ at Milano, subordinate units :
Luftgau-Nachrichten-Regiment 28, Ausbildungs- und Ersatz-Bataillon
(ital.)/Feldluftgau-Kommando XXVIII and Flugbereitschaft/Feldluftgau-
Kommando XXVIII )
- Luftdienst-Kommando Italien (Capodichino until September 1943 ? or
Maniago from September 1943 ? )
- 17. Flak-Brigade
- 22. Flak-Brigade
- Kurierstaffel/Luftflotte 2 (He 111), Luftnachrichten-Regiment 2,
Luftnachrichten-Regiment 12, Luftnachrichten-Regiment 21 ( 6./21 in Italy)
and Luftnachrichten-Regiment 225

2 Luftflotte, Italy, Sardinia & Southern France, 31 August 1943 (with notes on September;
unit strength figures are before the type of airplane used ) 6 :

2
Licheri L’arma…
3
Stefani L’8 settembre...
4
Schreiber ‘ La campagna d’Italia : i tedeschi ’
5
All unconfirmed

2
Tactical reconnaissance

4(H)/12 ( 2 Bf 109G-4 & 8 Bf 109G-6 end August, 2 Bf 109G-4/R3 & 8 Bf 109G-6/R3

beginning September, at Casa Zeppara until September, then Chisanaccia )

2(H)/14 ( 1 Bf 109G-4 & 9 Bf 109G-6, at Reggio until September, then Marsigliana )7

Strategic reconnaissance

3(F)/33 ( 1 Ju 88D-1 & 4 Ju 88D-1/CLi end August / 1 Ju 88D-1/C & 4 Ju 88D-1/CLi

beginning September, at Frosinone )

2(F)/122 ( 4 Ju 88D-1/CLi & 4 Me 410A-2, Frosinone until September, then Perugia - and
Sardinia 8)

1(F)/123 ( 1 Ju 88D-1/C & 2 Ju 88D-1/CLi & 3 Ju 88T-1, Parma in August and September 9)

Fighters

IV./JG.3 ( 16 Bf 109G-6 & 12 Bf 109G-6/W , at San Severo until 20 September, then

Vicenza )

6
I’ve honestly tried to list only units present on September 8th, 1943 with notes for later in the month.
7
1(H)/14 Bf.109 at Sardinia is mentioned, but this appears to have been disbanded in March 1942
[Stefani L’8 settembre...]
8
Santoni La partecipazione…
9
Santoni La partecipazione…mentions Sardinia too on 31 August -

3
 JG-53’s Bf-109G-2/trop.

Stab./JG.53 ( no airplanes, at Camaldoli )

I./JG.53 ( 31 Bf 109G-6/R1, at San Severo, detachments also used Montesano, Monterotondo
and Padua )
II./JG.53 ( 24 Bf 109G-6 trop & 14 Bf 109G-6/W, at Frosinone until 10 September, then
Lucera )
III./JG.53 ( 22 Bf 109G-6 trop, at Grazzaniese until 9 September, then Foggia )

III/JG-77’s Bf-109Gs in Sardinia.

Stab/JG.77 ( 3 Bf-109G-6, at Foggia )

I./JG.77 ( 33 Bf-109G6, at San Severo )
II./JG.77 ( 1 Bf.109G-6, at Lucera until 9 September, then Isola San Antonia )

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III./JG.77 ( 10 Bf 109G-6/R1 end August / 14 Bf 109G-6 & 10 Bf 109G-6/R1 beginning
September; at Chilivani, Sardinia until 10 September, then Ghisonaccia, Corsica until 13
September, then Casabianda, Corsica until 25 September and then Metato )

10./ZG.26 ( Bf.110 & Ju-88C ) was at Pratica di Mare until August 1943, but it must have left
for Germany before the end of the month.

Fighter-bombers

SKG.10’s Fw-190 with a 1,100lb bomb, being guided by an air man in each wing.

II./SKG.10 ( 23 Fw-190A5/U-8 & 4 Fw-190A-6 end August / 27 Fw-190A5/U-8, at Crotone

until September and, later in September, moved to Viterbo )
III./SKG.10 ( with 41 Fw-190A5/U-8, at Montecorvino, with detachments at Capua, Eboli,
Avelino and Benevento )
Stab./SKG.10 ( no airplanes, was at Crotone until September and, later in September, moved
to Viterbo - according to The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 - )
IV./SKG.10 ( no airplanes, was at Crotone until September and then moved to
Coulommiers10)

II./SchG. 2 ( 2 Fw 190A-5, 6 Fw 190A-5/U3, 12 Fw 190A-5/U8 & 8 Fw 190F-3 at the end of

August, 28 Fw 190A/F beginning of September, at Aquino until the end of August and at
Ottana from September )11

Bombers

II./LG.1 : with 8 Ju.88A-412

I./KG1 ( 18 Ju.88A-4 )

10
The Luftwaffe 1933-1945
11
II./Schlachtgeschwader 2 ( Sch.G. 2 ) is, erroneously mentioned as II./SG.2 by Santoni La
partecipazione…, a typographical error most probably
12
According to Santoni La partecipazione… for 31 August, according to The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 it
was based at Foggia-Nord until the end of August and then at Wiener-Neustadt as was Stab./LG.1 – 2
Ju.88A-4 -, I./LG.1 - 10 Ju.88A-4 -)

5
II./KG1 ( 12 Ju.88A-4 ) 13

Stab/KG.30 ( 3 Ju.88A-4 ) ( at Viterbo until September and, then, Ghedi )

I./KG30 ( 34 Ju.88A-4 ) ( at Viterbo until September and, then, Ghedi )
III./KG30 ( 14 Ju.88A-4, at Viterbo )14

In September 1943 KG.54 adopted the ‘mottle’ camouflage. Ju-88 B3+AL of 3./KG-54 over the Alps.

III./KG.54 : with 14 Ju.88A-4 ( at Foggia )15

Stab/KG.76 ( 3 Ju.88A-4 )
I./KG.76 ( 20 Ju.88A-4 )
II./KG.76 ( 13 Ju.88A-4 )
( all at Foggia )

II./KG.77 : with 11 Ju.88A-4 16

13
The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 mentions Stab., I. and II. – all having been equipped with Ju-88A (A-4?)
but with none in September 1943 at Airasca -
14
The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 mentions II. as being at Foggia
15
The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 Stab./KG.54 was at Foggia too in September and I./KG.54 moved to
Novara-Olleggio on 12 September
16
According to The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 II./KG.77 was at Piacenza until August 1943 and then
moved to Barth

6
 III/KG-100’s Do-217K-2s were specialized missile aircraft equipped with the Fritz-X missile.

III./KG.100, with 20 Do.217K-2 ( at Istres, as was Stab./KG.100)17

Torpedo-bombers

Stab./KG.26 ( no planes, at Salon de Provence)18

I./KG.26 ( 53 He.111H, at Salon de Provence )
III./KG.26 ( 27 Ju.88A-4, at Montpellier )

Observation

2/BFGr. 196 ( 5 Ar. 196A-3 and 1 Ar. 196A-5 at Venice-St. Nicolo )

Transport

III./TG.1 ( 38 Ju.52; Luftwaffe 1933-1945 mentions it as at Celle in September 1943 )

II./TG.2 ( 37 Ju..52 )
III./TG.2 ( 41 Ju.52 )

IV./TG3 ( was equipped with Ju.52 but none were on strength)

Seetransportstaffel 2 ( 10 Ju.52 ( See )19

17
3 Do.217K-2, 5 Do.217E-4 & 2 Do.217E-5 according to The Luftwaffe 1933-1945
18
Not mentioned by Santoni La partecipazione…
19
The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 mentions it as being formed in October 1943 at Hommelvik but gives
Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen numbers for the beginning of September 1943 )

7
Savoia Staffel ( 9 SM.82 )

Ju-90 J4+KH (WNr. 009) along the coast of Sardinia, June 1943.

Ju. 90 Staffel ( 6 Ju.90)20

Additionally Kampfgeschwader, Sturzkampfgeschwader, Zerstörergeschwader, and various

reconnaissance and transport units Gruppen had Flughafenbetriebskompanien (FBK, repair
and service for all the aircraft of a specific unit .

Miscellaneous flying units ( among the multitude of other second-line units were the
following ) :

Sanitäts-Flugbereitschaft 2 ( Castell Vetrano ?, Frosinone from October 1943, Ju 52.and Fi

156 ? )

Verbindungsstaffel 400 ( at Bari, with Fi 156 ) ?

20
The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 mentions a Lufttransportstaffel 290 being re-designated Transportstaffel 5
in May 1943, while at Grosseto, but it seems it moved to Germany in September.

8
 8 September 1943 was a period of re-organisation of already existing units in Italy ( many
flak units moving north on the face of allied landings on the Italian mainland and the
bombing of Italian cities of central and northern Italy, air base units moving bases and new
ones being set up ) and reinforcement of that front, so a clear picture is not possible. Below is
an honest attempt:

Fliegerbodenorganisation

- Flughafen-Bereichs-Kommando 2/VI ( at Ilorai ) :

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 16/XVII ( at Elmas )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 17/XVII ( in Alghero )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 32/VI ( at Villacidro and Venafiorita )

- The following were made subordinate to it in September 1943, after the 8th :
Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 10/IV, Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 38/IV, Fliegerhorst-
Kommandantur E 23/XI and Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 37/XI.

- Flughafen-Bereichs-Kommando 5/VII ( at Pordenone ) :

- It seems it had no Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur or Flugplatzkommando as subordinate

units on 8 September, having moved Catania in July to Vibo Valentia and then, in July
again, to Pordenone - Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 13/III, Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur
E 39/IV, Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 23/VII, Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 62/XI,
Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur A 201/VII and Flugplatzkommando B 5/VII (See) were
placed under it in September 1943, most probably after the 8th -

- Flughafen-Bereichs-Kommando 9/VII ( at Rome ) :

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 6/IV ( at Practica di Mare )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 32/IV ( at Grottaglie - and Monterotondo ?, most

probably advanced elements as it was moving from Grottaglie to Monterotondo - )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 39/IV ( most probably at Rome-Ciampino )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 35/IV and Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 14/VII became

subordinate to it in September 1943, after the 8th and Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E
52/XI was subordinate to it until August

- Flughafen-Bereichs-Kommando 10/VII ( at Foggia ) :

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 13/III ( at Brindisi )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 10/IV ( at Manfredonia )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 11/VI ( at Bari )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 23/VII ( at San Pancrazio - Tortorella and Vicenza ? - )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 62/XI ( at Schifara )

9
 - Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur A 201/VII ( at Foggia )

- Flugplatzkommando C 20/VII ( at Foggia )

- Flugplatzkommando C 21/VII ( at Crotone )

- The following were made subordinate to it in September 1943, after the 8th :
Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 30/VI, Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 2/VII, Fliegerhorst-
Kommandantur E 52/XI and Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur A 202/VII

- Flughafen-Bereichs-Kommando 18/XI ( at Legnano ) :

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 14/III ( at Jesi )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 12/IV ( at Pistoia )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 36/IV ( at Venaria Reale )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 38/IV ( at Bologna )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 11/VI ( at Bergamo-Süd )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 23/XI ( at Parma )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 37/XI ( at Ferrara )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 38/XI ( at Grosseto )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur A 202/VII ( at Piacenza )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur A 203/VII ( at Cameri )

- Flugplatzkommando B 5/VII (See) ( at Venice )

- The following were made subordinate to it in September 1943, after the 8 th :

Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 9/IV, Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 16/XVII in Levaldigi
and Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 17/XVII.

- Flughafen-Bereichs-Kommando 3/VII ( at Perugia from September 1943 ) was formed, most

probably after the 8th with the following subordinate units :

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 14/III, Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 6/IV, Fliegerhorst-

Kommandantur E 12/IV, Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 13/VIII and Fliegerhorst-
Kommandantur E 38/XI.

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 2/VII ( Isola S. Antonio )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 14/III ( Jesi )

- Fliegerhorst-Kommandantur E 52/XI ( Ghedi )

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FLAK

- 5. Flak-Division is often mentioned as present in Italy in September 1943 but its Stab moved
there for two months only, most probably after the 8th .

- 17. Flak-Brigade

- 22. Flak-Brigade : Stab/Flak-Regiment 57 (mot.) and Stab/Flak-Regiment 135 (mot.)

(November 1943 )

Some of the regiments below were part of the brigades above:

- Stab/Flak-Regiment 5 (v) ( Verona ) : November with s.116 (v) and s.264 (v)

- II./Flak-Regiment 5 (gem. mot.) ( Corsica and Sardinia ? ):

- I./Flak-Regiment 37 (gem. mot.) ( northern Italy )

- Stab/Flak-Regiment 39 (mot.): November 1943 : s.547 (v), s.548 (v), s.632 (v), le.446 (v),
le.537 (v)(?), le. 717 (v), le.723 (v), gem. I./12 (mot.), gem. I./37 (mot.), gem. I./241 (mot.),
gem. II./5 (mot.), Sw.160 (v) and Sw.809 (v)

- Flak-Regiment 57 ( Napoli, s.182 among its sub-units ) : November 1943 : s.363 (v), s.386
(v), s.256 (v) and le.841 (mot.)

- Flak-Regiment 131 : November 1943 : s.334 (v), s.454 (v), s.376 (v), s.365 (v), s.281 (v),
le.985 (v) and Sw.259 (v)

- Flak-Regiment 135 : November 1943 : s.646 (o), s.304 (v), s.237 (v), s.167 (v), s.327 (v)
and le.851 (v)

Some of the battalions below were part of the regiments above:

- schwere Flak-Abteilung 116 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 163 (v) moved to Italy in
September 1943, after the 8th, schwere Flak-Abteilung 167 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 182
(v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 192 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 212 (v), schwere Flak-
Abteilung 237 (v),schwere Flak-Abteilung 256 (v) ( Naples ? ), schwere Flak-Abteilung 264
(v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 281 (v) ( Turin ), schwere Flak-Abteilung 283 (v) ( Milan ),
schwere Flak-Abteilung 304 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 311 (v) ( in Italy from September
1943, most probably after the 8th ), schwere Flak-Abteilung 363 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung
365 (v) ( in Italy from September 1943, most probably after the 8th ), schwere Flak-Abteilung
386 (v) ( in Italy from September 1943, most probably after the 8th ), schwere Flak-Abteilung
452 (v) ( Salerno ), schwere Flak-Abteilung 523 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 563 (v) ( in Italy
from September 1943, most probably after the 8th ) and schwere Flak-Abteilung 603 (v) ( in
Italy from September 1943, most probably after the 8th )

- leichte Flak-Abteilung 507 (v), leichte Flak-Abteilung 750 (v), leichte Flak-Abteilung 841
(mot.) and leichte Flak-Abteilung 921 (v)

- Flakscheinwerfer-Abteilung 160 (v), Flakscheinwerfer-Abteilung 558 (v) and

Flakscheinwerfer-Abteilung 809 (v)

11
I could not confirm if the following Flak units were in Italy in the beginning of September
1943, but they certainly were there later in the middle or end of the month or early in October
( some of them were units that existed during the time of the Allied invasion of Sicily in Sicily
or the coast along the Messina Straits or units withdrawn from Tunisia and re-forming that
time ):

- Flak-Regiment 105, Stab/Flak-Regiment 137 (v) - November 1943 : s.163 (v), s.182 (v),
s.573 (v), s.574 (v), s.575 (v), s.283 (v), s.287 (v), s.311 (v), s.563 (v), s.603 (v), le.750 (v)
and le.921 (v) -, Stab/Flak-Regiment 149 (mot.) - November 1943 : s.247 (v), s.534 (v),
s.212 (v), s.192 (v), le.99 (v), le. III./Flak-Art.Schule 2 and Flak-Gast (mot.) 2./XI - and
I./Flak-Regiment 241 (gem. mot.)

- schwere Flak-Abteilung 327 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 376 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung
454 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 534 (v), schwere Flak-Abteilung 547 (v) and schwere Flak-
Abteilung 646 (v)

- leichte Flak-Abteilung 717 (v), leichte Flak-Abteilung 723 (v), leichte Flak-Abteilung 734
(v), leichte Flak-Abteilung 945 (v) and leichte Flak-Abteilung 985 (v)

- Flakscheinwerfer-Abteilung 259 (o) and Flakscheinwerfer-Abteilung 310 (v)

- Luftnachrichten-Abteilung 62 ( 1./Ln.Abt.62 with a Freya radar at Cap Licosa, until

September 1943 )

Sources

- Sebastiano Licheri, L’arma aerea Italiana 10 Giugnio 1940 – 8 Maggio 1945,

Milano, Mursia, 2000 ( reprint, first publication 1976 )
- Ferdinando Pedriali, ‘ Airasca ’, Storia Militare n. 133 Ottobre 2004
- Alberto Santoni & Francesco Mattesini, La partecipazione tedesca alla Guerra
aeronavale nel mediterraneo ( 1940-1945 ), Parma, Storia Militare ( Albertelli ),
2005 ( reprint, 1st edition 1980 )
- Gerhard Schreiber / Commissione Italiana di Storia Militare, ‘ La campagna d’Italia :
i tedeschi ’, L’Italia in Guerra il quinto anno – 1944 ( L’Italia nella 2a Guerra
Mondiale : Aspetti e problemi – 1944-1994-, a cura di Romain H. Rainero ), Roma,
1995 ( Gaeta, Stabilimento Grafico Militare )
- Filippo Stefani, ‘ L’8 settembre e le Forze Armate italiane ’, L’Italia in Guerra il 4o
anno – 1943 ( Cinquant’anni dopo l’entrata dell’Italia nella 2a Guerra Mondiale –
Aspetti e problemi, a cura di Romain H. Rainero ), Roma, 1994 ( Gaeta, Stabilimento
Grafico Militare )
- The Luftwaffe, 1933-1945 ( http://www.ww2.dk ) accessed in 2006

12