11th Flak Division

On 1 February 1941, a command staff named 11th Air Defense Command () to oversee the air defense of Luftgau Westfrankreich in German-occupied France was created from a previous command staff named Fortress Flak Commander III (). Initially, the formation was created without subordinate regiments. It was renamed "11th Flak Division" on 1 September 1941. In January 1943, it was moved to the southern France and deployed its HQ to Nîmes, from where it oversaw the 45th, 69th, 85th and 653rd Flak Regiments. This division command was upgraded on 22 February 1944 to become the III Flak Corps, which temporarily left the 11th Flak Division inexistent. A new 11th Flak Division was formed in September 1944 in Upper Silesia from the staff of the 15th Flak Brigade. It was deployed under air district Luftgau VIII and eventually placed under the supervision of I Flak Corps in April 1945. Towards the end of the war, it subsequently was in Cosel, Troppau and Mährisch-Ostrau, in Czechoslovakia. Here, it surrendered to the Red Army in early May 1945. Throughout its existence, the second 11th Flak Division was commanded by Oskar Krämer. == References ==