Flakscheinwerferabteilung 360

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Alec Hights
Flakscheinwerfer/Normandy
Wed Aug 25, 2026 12:04
80.57.154.142

Hey all,

I already made good use of the other articles on this Site (Gliederungen etc.) but the question I have I think can't be answered there (if it can be answered anywhere);
Till the first of june 1944 the Flakscheinwerferabteilung 360 (a Luftwaffe ground unit)as part of the 96. Flak Regiment/20. Flak Brigade was stationed in Friedrichshafen. From the first of june till the first of july 1944 the Abteilung is not mentioned....but "pops up" suddenly on the first of july 1944 under the 8. Flak Division in Bremen, to be disbanded later in july 1944.
Sories of a formal member of the 360. Abteilung however mention his part in the fights over Normandy, being in a city ore village some 10 miles form one of the beaches there (name was not mentioned).
I suspect the 360. Abteilung left Friedrichshafen in june 1944 for Doullens in France under the 20. Flak Brigade (the protection of V1 sites seems to form a red line trough all the soldiers werdegang from mids 1944 till the capitulation in may 1945)and moved on to Normandy a little later, to come to Bremen from there in july 1944.
That the foretold Luftwaffemember made part of the 360. Abteilung from june till july 1944 is a fakt because of photo's of the bombed Friedrichshafen in april 1944 of his hand and a copy of a "Beurteilungsformular" I posess from the 18 july 1944, possibly the date the Abteilung was disbanded.

My question;
Does anyone know where I could find some detailed information about German units stationed in Normandy and if included V1 sites there in june 1944 ? You'll understand that I hope to extract side-info about the 360. there.
I tried several sites already.....the information there is to global most of the time as far as I can tell.

Thanks for any information !

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Steve W.
Flakscheinw.Abt. 360(v)
Wed Aug 25, 2026 15:16
205.188.116.80

You won't find the details you are looking for on the Internet, that's for sure.

I have researched through all of the surviving Flak records held by BA-MA Freiburg, including a few that deal with Normandy in June 1944, but there was no mention of this Abteilung.

ULTRA signal KV6627 identifies it at Friedrichshafen as part of Flakgruppe Friedrichshafen on 27 May 1944. The fact that an Enigma radio signal containing this information was intercepted strongly suggests that the Abteilung was either in transfer or about to be transferred on that date. There is no further mention of it in either Allied or German documents, at least not that I've been able to find.

Georg Tessin says it was "disbanded in France in 1944."

Your only hope, it seems, will be to try and located some other veterans who belonged to 360 at the time, although there are probably few (if any) still alive. These searchlight units were usually manned by personnel from the older age groups who would be around 90 or older today.

Steve W.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Anonymous
Re: Flakscheinw.Abt. 360(v)
Wed Aug 25, 2026 16:25
80.57.154.142

Thanks Steve !
You say according to Tessin this Abteilung was disbanded in France in 1944.
According to other sorces this Abteilung was not mentioned between june and july 1944, then was a short part time of the Flakgruppe Bremen (8th Flak Division) and was disbanded in july 1944 there.
Any clue what is true ?

Alex

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Steve W.
Re: Flakscheinw.Abt. 360(v)
Wed Aug 25, 2026 16:44
205.188.116.80

I sure don't. You will have to evaluate the two sources on their own merits. Tessin paints with a very broad brush and may have simply assumed that it was disbanded in France. I just don't have any additional information. I checked the DRK Suchdienst Vermisstenbildliste (Band LD) and there are no entries for this Abteilung. I had hoped it might show some missing personnel in Normandy to confirm your hypothesis. Sorry.

Steve W.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Alec Hights
Re: Flakscheinw.Abt. 360(v)
Wed Aug 25, 2026 16:56
80.57.154.142

Doesn't matter Steve......negative is positive to in a way...it keeps me from searching the wrong way.
I'll try as you suggest.
Thanks again !

Alec

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Michael Holm
Flakscheinwerfer/Normandy
Wed Aug 25, 2026 17:50
80.166.27.74

Hi Alec,

I don't know if the Abteilung ended up in France, but the fact that the Abteilung is missing from "Gliederung und Unterstellungsverhältnis der Flak-Artillerie, Stand: 1.6.44", would seem to indicate that the unit was under transfer at the time. The 2nd batterie was transferred to Bremen (Stand: 1.7.44), but there's no trace of the rest of the unit.

It is of course possible that most of the unit was disbanded in June 1944, followed by the 2nd batterie in July 1944.

If you have any evidence for activity in Normandy, I would certainly like to hear from you.

Best Regards,
Michael

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Alec Hights
Re: Flakscheinwerfer/Normandy
Sat Aug 28, 2026 22:52
80.57.154.142

Sorry Michael for responding so late and thanks for the additional info......I seemed to have missed your input after Steve's info.

Of course...my search goes on and if there's any progress I'll let you know.

Alec