8th Flak Division
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 8th Flak Division
8th Air Defense Command
Air Defense Command Denmark
| native_name = {{langx|de|Flak-Division 8
Luftverteidigungs-Kommando Nr. 8
Luftverteidigungs-Kommando Dänemark}}
| dates = May 1940 – 1945
| country = {{flag|Nazi Germany}}
| branch = Luftwaffe
| type = Flak
| role = Anti-aircraft warfare
| size = Division
| battles = Bombing of Bremen in World War II
| notable_commanders = Alexander Kolb
}}
The 8th Flak Division ({{Langx|de|Flak-Division 8}}) was a Flak division of the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II.
History
In May 1940, the "Air Defense Command Denmark" ({{Langx|de|Luftverteidigungs-Kommando Dänemark|label=none}}) staff was formed in German-occupied Denmark,{{Cite book |last=Tessin |first=Georg |title=Die Landstreitkräfte 006–014 |publisher=Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH |year=1967 |isbn= |series=Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 |volume=3 |location=Frankfurt/Main |pages= |language=de |chapter=}}{{Rp|page=116}} which had been seized by Wehrmacht forces in Operation Weserübung in April 1940.{{Cite book |last=Dildy |first=Douglas C. |title=Denmark and Norway 1940: Hitler's boldest Operation |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=9781846031175 |location=Oxford}} The initial head of the staff was {{ill|Hans-Jürgen von Witzendorff|de}}, succeeded soon after on 4 June 1940 by Alexander Kolb.{{Cite book |last=Mitcham |first=Samuel W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W12nzCN9DK4C&q=Kurt+Steudemann |title=German Order of Battle: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in World War II |publisher=Stackpole Books |year=2007 |isbn=9780811734370 |volume=2 |chapter=8th Flak Division |author-link=Samuel W. Mitcham}} This staff was designated "8th Air Defense Command" ({{Langx|de|Luftverteidigungs-Kommando Nr. 8|label=none}}) in June 1940 and sent to Hanover.{{Rp|page=116}} Subsequently, it was deployed to the city of Bremen on 5 June 1941. Here, the 8th Flak Division was part of Luftgau XI,{{Rp|page=197}} which by February 1944 also would contain 3rd Flak Division (Hamburg), 8th Flak Brigade (Wismar) and 15th Flak Brigade (Hanover).{{Cite book |last=Zaloga |first=Steven J. |title=Operation Pointblank 1944: Defeating the Luftwaffe |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2011 |isbn=9781849083867 |location=Oxford}}{{Rp|page=37}}
Its subordinate formations included the Flak Regiment 56 as well as the Flak Searchlight Regiment 56.{{Cite book |last=Tessin |first=Georg |title=Die Landstreitkräfte 031–070 |publisher=Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH |year=1971 |isbn=3764811072 |series=Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 |volume=5 |location=Frankfurt/Main |pages= |language=de |chapter=}}{{Rp|page=209}} The Flak Regiment 26 was "Flak Group Bremen North", Flak Regiment 89 was "Flak Group Bremen Center", Flak Regiment 13 was "Flak Group Bremen South", Flak Searchlight Regiment 160 was "Flak Searchlight Group Bremen".{{Cite book |last=Tessin |first=Georg |title=Verzeichnis der Friedensgarnisonen 1932–1939 und Stationierungen im Kriege 1939–1945. Wehrkreise VII–XIII |publisher=Biblio Verlag |year=1996 |isbn=3764809418 |editor-last=Zweng |editor-first=Christian |series=Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 |volume=17 |location=Osnabrück |pages= |language=de |chapter=}}{{Rp|page=219f.}}
On 30 June 1941, Kurt Wagner took command of the staff (from 1 September: the division). He held this office until 4 December 1944, when he was succeeded by Max Schaller.
On 1 September 1941, 8th Air Defense Command, then headquartered at {{ill|Bremen-Oberneuland|de}}, was redesignated "8th Flak Division". It was responsible for the defense of the Weser—Ems area.{{Rp|page=116}} As part of its duties as a flak division, the formation also received auxiliaries (Luftwaffenhelfer), including underage students.{{Cite book |last=Fulbrook |first=Mary |title=Dissonant Lives: Generations and violence through the German dictatorships |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2011 |isbn=9780199287208 |location=Oxford |author-link=Mary Fulbrook}}{{Rp|page=233}}
Around January 1945, the city of Bremen possessed around 300 flak batteries.{{Cite book |last=Zaloga |first=Steven J. |title=The Oil Campaign 1944–45: Draining the Wehrmacht's Lfeblood |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2022 |isbn=9781472848574 |location=Oxford}}{{Rp|page=23}}
Near the end of the war, the 8th Flak Division was, along with 3rd Flak Division, placed under the supervision of the VI Flak Corps,{{Rp|page=197}} which had been formed on 10 February 1945 in the northern sector of the Western Front.{{Rp|page=10}}
References
Category:Military units and formations established in 1940
Category:Military units and formations established in 1941
Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
Category:Denmark in World War II
Category:Bremen (city) in World War II