III/Flak.Rgt.8 Erkennungsmarke (Flakgruppe Rotterdam)

The dog tag or 'Erkennungsmarke' shows normal signs of wear. It belonged to a soldier who served in the '11 Batterie III Abteilung Flak Regiment 8 (Sw.mot)'. This abteilung was formed in November 1938 from Flakscheinwerferabteilung Wien. It saw its first action during the invasion of Poland in September 1939 and in 1940 it moved to Belgium and Holland where it was part of Flakgruppe Rotterdam in the Rotterdam/Dordrecht area. Here the unit participated, since 1942, in Himmelbett-Verfahren zur Nachtjagd (as I./Flakscheinwerfer-Regiment 3).A Luftwaffe tactic to spot allied bomber and then warn the German fighters.
In 1943 the unit was moved to the eastern front, to Sevastopol and was renamed Flakscheinwerfer-Abeitlung 190.  Here it fought very hard and the losses where high. In April 1944 the unit was dismantled. In Februari 1945 the unit was rebuild under the name 'gem.Flak-Abt. 190'.