Sure do ask alot of questions.
"Another understanding reason for the lopsided position of the flak experts see in the incessant depletion of good trained flak personal. During mobilization in Summer 1939 the flak crews had to be raised all of a sudden from 107,000 people peace strength up to almost 500,000. this was only possible with quick briefing . Moreover the AAA detachments had to release right from the beginning of the war at the home war territory fully trained staff to the front line.
And to fill the gaps which were created incessantly one replacement solution after the other one was implemented. At an early date prisoners of war were ordered to the emplacements, in particular Russians. Soon the replacements exceeded in number the permanent staff. "the share of the auxiliary staff increased commencing early 1943 by and by at the detachments of the Home Air Defence up to 45% of the authorized strength (foreigners, air force helpers, air force girl helpers Labor Service Girls). At the Home flak batteries (batteries of industrial works) and the Labor Service flak batteries the replacements came up to even 100%" resumed Horst Adalbert Koch in the publication "flak - the history of the German flak between 1935 to 1945".
The varied replacements out of young and old persons, local people and foreigners, "filled commencing Summer 1943 in ever growing extent the increasing gaps in the air defense". Koch mentions for autumn 1944 an inventory of staff of the air fleet "Reich", inclusive the Airforce Command West and the (Replacement-) Air Fleet 10 [5-11] Vis á vis regular 662,200 "regular" officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted men there were 448,700 auxiliary personnel consisting out of 121,890 men of German nationality (like Labor Service flak detachments, air force helpers, AA defence men) and 128,710 women (girl flak helpers, Labor Service Girls). In addition hereto 98,200 foreign personnel (Italians, Russians, Croats etc.).
Every second member of the AAA was auxiliary personnel
The "War Diary of the Chief Command of the Army" for the 1st of November 1944 accounts for the following mentioned staff of the air force, viz.: Flying Units plus AAA 2,994,000 members, "at the same time the highest level during the war". This included 119,000 officers, civil servants and engineers, 1,970,000 NCO and EM, 475,000 civilians and "430,000 air force helpers inclusive foreign auxiliary volunteers" i.e. without corresponding split up. [5-12] As a last figure: At the end of the war the flak had a strength of approximately 1.1 million men , out of which more than half thereof (!) was Auxiliary Personnel" [5-13G]
Our documentation deals at great length with the essential waves of the replacement mobilization for the anti aircraft artillery. Commencing February 1943 secondary school pupils and pupils of grammar-school of the age groups 1926, 27 and 28 were drafted until such a time at which their total number in the ball bearing city came up to 2,500 air force helpers. In addition to the students there arrived commencing Summer 1944 apprentices like flak replacement soldiers (only eligible for use with flak) and commencing end of 1944 girl air force helpers were coerced to join the flak batteries. All of them were considered to be good enough to serve with the flak - one replacement after the other one.
In almost all emplacements at an early stage, there were used furthermore "foreigners", preferably for heavy manual work, e.g. to carry ammunition. Already during the autumn of 1943 and for the region Schweinfurt, it has been proved that there were Croatian anti aircraft legionaries clad in German air force uniforms with arm bands.. In the Schweinfurt tank barracks there was a regular battery of Croats. Also prisoners of war of other South East European nationalities were there.
Highest allotment Ukrainian and Russian
The Russians were attracting most attention in the flak batteries. The allotment of these prisoners of war with the highest number came mostly from the Ukraine and White Russia. Even at this time it is rather difficult to differentiate if these foreigners were captives or so-called auxiliary and were serving consequently compulsory or voluntary Getting better food rations itself was sufficient temptation for them .
Russian auxiliary volunteers received German Anti Aircraft Uniforms with sleeve badges ROA (Ruskaja Osvoboditelnaja Armija = Russian Liberation Army). Based on researches at the Schweinfurt Major Dr. Held, Golücke came to the conclusion, that there was no fraternization with them but the relations with them were good. Disciplinary measures were not required in Schweinfurt. Difficulties arose only later on with the self-conscious Russian SS scholars but always brought about by German personnel. [5-14G]."
Heftigste Luftschlacht
Children in flak
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