Sergei Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 I noticed that there is something in Luftwaffe OOB (1944) called Division Escort Company. Sounds like a field brothel to me, but it lacks a pianist so I wonder - what is the purpose of such a formation? It has ATG's, so it doesn't look like meant for protecting convoys against partisans or anything. What does it escort? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty's Double Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Guarding airfields? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 Hmm - I have to wonder, how necessary are 75mm ATG's for guarding an airfield? I would also think that defending airfields were not a special duty of the Luftwaffe field divisions, they were just normal ground troops but Hermann Göring wanted them to be formed separately from Heer (when man shortages required Luftwaffe personnel to be moved to ground divisions) - or somefink. Of course, if you know that to be the case then I'm not going to start arguing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreas Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Divisional HQ defense. LWF Divisions had a habit of being overrun, so the ATGs would come in useful. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 There is good info on divisional escort companies in the book GOD, HONOR, FATHERLAND: GROSSDEUTSCHLAND ON THE EASTERN FRONT 1942-44. As Andreas points out, it was for div HQ defence, but they were also used as a divisional reserve on occasion, in really tight spots. Another option for the divisional commander. Often these divisional units would be used in an attack simply to lend them battle experience. Wasn't just the Germans. The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) provided "Defence and Employment Platoons" for all the Canadian brigade HQs in NW Europe and Italy, and Defence and Employment companies (IIRC) for divisional and corps headquarters. These units were sometimes rotated into the line to relieve a line unit. First Canadian Army headqurters in the field had an entire battalion - The Royal Montreal Regiment - has its "escort" or defence and employment unit. I know of at least one instance in which one of its companies was sent into action to gain battle experience. The Germans were probably no different. The most famous Escort unit was the Führer Begleit, Hitler's personal escort unit, which rotated troops to and from the front as part of the GD division. There was also a sister detachment of the LAH. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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