Luftwaffe Field Divisions

The divisions were originally authorized in October 1942, following suggestions that the German Army (Heer) could be bolstered by transferring personnel from other services.

They were initially organized with two Jäger (light infantry) regiments of three battalions each, along with an artillery battalion and other support units, but were substantially smaller than equivalent Army divisions, and by Göring's personal order were intended to be restricted to defensive duties in quieter sectors.

Until taken over by the Army, and in many cases for some time afterwards, these units were issued with standard Luftwaffe feldblau ("field blue") uniforms, and being so easily identifiable were said to often be singled out by opposing forces.

Their reputation as combat troops was poor, despite the high standard of Luftwaffe recruits, at least in part because they were required to perform roles for which they as airmen usually had little training.

An exception to the poor combat performance of Luftwaffe ground troops were Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) units, whose performance was generally good, due to higher motivation, better training and higher entrance standards when compared to the Luftwaffe Field Divisions.