Gen.Kdo. Fliegerkorps X
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(FpNs: L 23107, L 52570, L 40109)

Kommandierender General:

Gen.d.Flieger Hans Geisler (3 Oct 39 - 31 Aug 42)

Gen.d.Flieger Bernhard Kühl, acting (3 Jun 40 - 20 Sep 40)

Gen.Lt. Otto Hoffmann von Waldau (31 Aug 42 - 31 Dec 42)

Gen.Maj. Alexander Holle (1 Jan 43 - 22 May 43)

Gen.d.Flieger Martin Fiebig (22 May 43 - 15 Oct 43)

Gen.Lt. Alexander Holle (15 Oct 43 - 1 Sep 44)

Probable Subordination:

Ob.d.L.(21 Oct 39 - May 40)

Luftflotte 5(May 40 - Dec 40)

Italuft/Ob.d.L.(Dec 40 - Dec 41)

Luftflotte 2(Dec 41 - 1 Jan 43)

Lw.-Kdo. Südost(1 Jan 43 - 1 Apr 44)

Luftflotte 3(1 Apr 44 - c. 31 Aug 44)

Luftflotte Reich(1 Sep 44 - 5 Sep 44)

Subordinate Units:

Ln.-Rgt. 40 (Feb 41 - Mar 44)

Formation. (Oct 39)

Formed 4 October 1939 at Hamburg by renaming and expanding Stab/10. Fliegerdivision and, from 21 October, assigned directly under Ob.d.L.[1]

North Germany. Oct 39 - Apr 40)

Carried out anti-shipping operations over the North Sea, attacks on coastal convoys along the east coast of England and Scotland, and armed reconnaissance over ports and naval bases.[2]

Occupation of Denmark and Norway. (Apr 40 - Jun 40)

9 Apr – Jun 40: engaged in intense operations over both land and sea in support of the occupation of both countries.[3]

10 May 40: Stab at Aalborg-West/N Denmark.[4]

Air Offensive Against England (Battle of Britain). (Jul 40 - Dec 40)

Aug – Dec 40: flew strikes on North Sea coastal convoys and attacks on ports along the English east coast.[5]

13 Aug 40: Stab at Stavanger/SW Norway under Luftflotte 5.[6]

10 Dec 40: ordered to transfer from Norway to Sicily. Initial mission: (1) to engage Royal Navy fleet units, especially those at Alexandria; (2) to attack enemy shipping in the Suez Canal and the Straits of Sicily; (3) to be available as needed for employment against targets in the Ionian and Aegean Seas; and, (4) to coordinate all operations with the Italian supreme command.[7]

Mediterranean and North Africa. (Dec 40 - Mar 44)

10 Jan 41: Stab at Taormina/NE Sicily, 35 km S of Messina, and commenced operations this date. Over the next 5 months, flew continuous raids on Malta and attacked British shipping and naval targets throughout the Mediterranean.[8]

11 Jan 41: mission expanded to include attacks on British supply dumps and ports where supplies were being off-loaded in Cyrenaica and western Egypt. Aircraft were to stage these attacks through bases in Tripolitania.[9]

4 Feb 41: mission expanded again to include flying escort for German troop and supply convoys underway from Italy to North African ports.[10]

2 Mar 41: Stab still at Taormina.

5 Jun 41: Stab transferred to Athens-Kiphissia in Greece and took over command of air operations in the central and eastern Mediterranean, as well as in North Africa in support of General Rommel.

Mar 42: Stab transferred from Athens to Spilia/Crete.

1 Jan 43: subordination now under Luftwaffenkdo. Südost effective this date.

Jul 43: Stab returned to Athens-Kiphissia from Crete in summer 1943.

7 Feb 44: the administrative section (Verwaltungsstab - FpN L 52570) in Athens used to form Stab/Kommandierender General der deutschen Luftwaffe in Griechenland.

11 Mar 44: the command section (Führungsstab) departed Greece for Angers/France where it absorbed Stab/Fliegerführer Atlantik and took over its responsibilities and FpN (L 40109).

Western France. (Mar 44 - Aug 44)

Apr – Aug 44: assigned units flew reconnaissance and limited defensive operations along the west coast of France.

4 Aug 44: Stab withdrew from Angers to Wiesbaden-Erbenheim via Tours following the Allied breakout from Normandy and the general evacuation of France by German forces.

12 Aug 44: Gefechtsstand/X. Fliegerkorps trf to Septsaul/20 km SE of Reims.[11]

5 Sep 44: Stab ordered disbanded at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim by Luftflotte Reich.[12]

Flugbereitschaft Gen.Kdo. Fliegerkorps X

Also as: Führungskette/X. Fliegerkorps

Formation, History and Losses. (Nov 39? - Aug 44?)

Date of formation and disbandment unknown. Officially designated Führungskette X. Fliegerkorps until approximately June 1941 (or fall 1942 according to other evidence). Assigned FpN L 23107A.[13]

18 Dec 39: He 111H shot up by enemy planes near Ameland Is. off the Dutch coast and slightly damaged, Hptm. Arno Kleyenstüber WIA.

2 Jan 40: He 111 H-2 damaged landing at Fp. Uetersen, 50%.

9 Jun 40: Fi 156 reported missing near Narvik, 100%, 1 MIA.

11 Sep 40: He 111 H-3 (P4+BA) shot up over Moray Firth/N Scotland, 30%, 1 WIA.

13 Dec 40: He 111 H-3 crashed in the Bremen area - no details, 90%.

17 Feb 41: He 111 H-5 crashed near Sciacca/Sicily when both engines failed, 100%.

21 Jun 41: had 11 x Ju 88 C, 1 x He 111 H-2 and 2 x He 111 H-5 on strength but only 3 were serviceable.[14]

29 Jun 41: Ju 88 A-5 (P4+BA) struck the ground and burned near Salonika while en-route from Fp. Wien-Aspern to Athens, 100%, Hptm. Franz Wieting + 2 killed.

4 Jul 41: He 111 H-5 crashed near Zagreb, 100%, 3 killed.

8 Mar 42: He 111 H-2 struck the ground and crashed at Fp. Athens-Kalamaki, 100%, 4 killed.

26 Apr 42: Fi 156 C-2 crashed while taking off from Fp. Kastelli/Crete, 50%.

27-29 Apr 42: transferred to Kastelli/Crete with 2 He 111, 1 W 34, 3 C 445, 2 Bf 108, 1 Fi 156, 1 Klemm 35 and 2 officers, 11 NCOs and 33 men.[15]

Aug 42: according to a PoW, the Flugbereitschaft fluctuated between 10 and 20 aircraft, mostly He 111s, Fi 156s and Fw 44s, and carried out routine courier duties for Stab/X. Fliegerkorps.[16]

10 Aug 42: He 111 (P4+AA) shot up by a fighter and crashed into the sea off Matruk, 100%, 1 KIA, 2 WIA and 1 MIA.

22 Jan 43: Flugbereitschaft/X. Fliegerkorps reported 4 aircraft on strength this date with just one of them serviceable.[17]

22 Jan 43: He 111 H-11 crash landed at Fp. Heraklion/Crete due to engine failure, 35%.

8 Feb 43: based at Fp. Kastelli/Crete.[18]

2 Mar 43: based at Fp. Kastelli/Crete.[19]

23 Mar 43: now based at Fp. Athens-Tatoi.[20]

15 Sep 43: Fi 156 “Trop” (DO+VJ) crashed on the island of Corfu due to engine trouble, 100%, pilot captured.

4 Oct 43: Flugbereitschaft bombed on the ground at Fp. Athens-Tatoi with the following losses: He 111 H-6 (100%), Do 17Z (100%), Ju 88 A-4 (10%), Fw 58 (70%), Fw 44 (60%), 2 x Fi 156 (100% and 10%).

7 Oct 43: Fi 156 “Trop” force landed NW of Agrinion/Greece due to engine failure, 30%.

10 Oct 43: Fi 156 “Trop” bombed on the ground at Fp. Athens-Tatoi, 50%.

21 Oct 43: Fi 156 “Trop” (BP+MH) reported missing SW of Patiopoulou/Greece, 100%, 1 MIA.

20 Nov 43: based at Fp. Athens-Tatoi.[21]

[This Flugbereitschaft continued in service into 1944, but details have not been found.]

© H.L. deZeng IV, 2023

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