Luftdienst

[Larry Hayward]

Can anyone tell me for definite what the German Luftdienst (Air Service) was and how it was organised during WW2? I know the Luftdienst operated many different transport & training aircraft types and also operated as target tugs with captured aircraft but I have never been able to find out its main function. Was it a German equivalent of the USAAF's Air Force Service Command or like the British ATA? Why was it seperate from the Luftwaffe? In particular I would like to know which Luftdienst unit used the Bucker BU 131, Werk No 4477, coded GD+EG that was stolen by two Frenchmen from Caen-Carpiquet in April 1941.

Thanks

[Larry deZeng]

Can anyone tell me for definite what the German Luftdienst (Air Service) was and how it was organised during WW2? I know the Luftdienst operated many different transport & training aircraft types and also operated as target tugs with captured aircraft but I have never been able to find out its main function. Was it a German equivalent of the USAAF's Air Force Service Command or like the British ATA? Why was it seperate from the Luftwaffe? In particular I would like to know which Luftdienst unit used the Bucker BU 131, Werk No 4477, coded GD+EG that was stolen by two Frenchmen from Caen-Carpiquet in April 1941.

Thanks

From Larry to Larry:

It's organization from the top was:

Inspizient der Luftdienstverbände
(Inspectorate of Air Service Formations)

Inspekteur
Gen.Lt. Hermann Becker (18 Dec 39 - 30 Dec 43)
History
Established December 1939? In December 1941 it lost its quasi-independence and was placed under the Inspekteur der Flugzeugführerschulen (L.In.9).

Inspekteur der Flugzeugführerschulen (L.In. 9)
(Inspector of Pilot Schools) (AF Inspectorate 9))

Inspekteur
Gen.Lt. Veit Fischer (1 Oct 37 - 28 Feb 41)
Gen.Maj. Heinrich Seywald (16 Jun 42 - 7 Mar 43)
Gen.Maj. Hans Poetsch (1 Jan 44 - 22 Oct 44)
History
Established prewar.
c. Mar 40: placed under Chef des Ausbildungswesens.
5 Mar 43: ordered disbanded.
Jan 44: order of 5 March 1943 either cancelled or it was reestablished in January 1944 as an internal inspectorate under Gen.d.Fliegerausbildung.

Beneath this level on 1 Sep 39 came:

1 x Kdo. der Luftdienstverbände
3 x Luftdienstverbände
5 x Luftdienstkommandos
14 x Luftdienstteilkommandos

As the war developed, the Luftdienst underwent a number of organizational chances and was greatly expanded. These are far too detailed to cover here.

Its primary mission was to tow targets for the Flakartillerie and to a lesser extent for fighters and for the students attending the Bordschützenschulen der Lw. Occasionally, the Luftdienst units flew courier and mail flights, and in one very unusually exception, two Luftdienstabteilungen were pressed into service to combat French partisans in central and southeaster France from March to August 1944 as Geschwader Bongart.

As for your little Bü 131, it belonged to Luftdienstkdo. Westfrankreich based at Quimper. The loss entry for this aircraft simply states:
30.04.41: Bü 131 defected to England from Caen-Carpiquet - no details, 100%. I guess the Germans didn't want to admit that it was stolen.

HTH

--Larry

[Larry Hayward]

Dear Larry,

Thanks for your very comprehensive reply. This is exactly what I wanted to know!

A few last points: -

Can you guess what the Luftdienstkdo would have used the Bucker for?

Were the GD+EG markings on Wk.No 4477 delivery codes or those of Luftdienstkdo Westfrankreich? I can't find a match in 'Luftwaffe Codes, Markings & Units 1939-45 by Barry C Rosch by Sciffer Books.

Once again thanks.

Larry Hayward

[Larry deZeng]

Larry -

Taking your second question first, most of the Luftdienstkommandos did not use a Verbandsabzeichen; instead, they used the Stammkennzeichen that was applied at the factory, so you can call these delivery codes.

The first question is more difficult because one would have had to have been there to really know the answer. LDKdo. Westfrankreich was very busy in Brittany and Normandy from fall 1940 on. During the 1940-42 period it was operating the following aircraft: W34, Ju 87B-1 and B-2, Bü 131, B 71, He 111H, Bf 110C-2, Bf 109E-3 and E-4, Bl 125, etc. A virtual alphabet soup of different planes, all obsolete. As for the Bu 131 on 30 Apr 41, I can only assume that it was either towing a small target sleeve or on a courier flight.

HTH,

--Larry