The 5. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division was formed in September 1942 from Flieger-Regiment 16 and assigned to Heeresgruppe A in December 1942. After taking part in the defense of Krasnodar in the Caucasus, the division fought in the Kuban bridgehead until being withdrawn to the Crimea in mid-1943. It was transferred to the Heer on 1 November 1943 and redesignated 5. Feld-Division (L).

The division was dissolved in Bessarabia in May 1944 after suffering heavy losses at Melitopol and during the withdrawal to the Dnieper. Jäger-Regiment 9 (L) was absorbed by the 76. Infanterie-Division while other divisional elements were allocated to the 304. Infanterie-Division, 320. Infanterie-Division, and 335. Infanterie-Division.

Commanders

Generalmajor Hans-Joachim von Arnim (? Oct 1942 - ? Nov 1942)
Oberst Hans-Bruno Schulz-Heyn (? Dec 1942 - ? Nov 1943)
Unknown (? Nov 1943 - 10 Mar 1944)
Generalleutnant Botho Graf von Hülsen (10 Mar 1944 - 1 June 1944)

Area of operations

Germany (Oct 1942 - Dec 1942)
Eastern front, southern sector (Dec 1942 - May 1944)

Order of battle (1944)

Stab der Division
Jäger-Regiment 9 (L)
Artillerie-Abteilung 5 (L) (1)
Flak-Abteilung der Luftwaffen-Feld-Division 5 (2)
Panzerjäger-Kompanie 5 (L)
Sturmgeschütz-Batterie 5 (L)
Pionier-Kompanie 5 (L)
Nachrichten-Kompanie 5 (L)
Versorgungstruppen 5 (L)

Footnotes

1. Originally outfitted with a singe artillery Abteilung, the division received Luftwaffen-Artillerie-Regiment 5 in early 1943. The regiment, which did not have a staff, had only the III. Abteilung and IV. Abteilung assigned. It was reduced to Artillerie-Abteilung 5 (L) on 1 Nov 1943.
2. Redesignated IV./Luftwaffen-Artillerie-Regiment 5 in 1943; transferred from the division in Nov 1943 and redesignated I./Flak-Regiment 17.

Sources used

Antonio Muñoz - Göring’s Grenadiers: The Luftwaffe Field Divisions, 1942-1945
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -