NationMaster - Encyclopedia: History of the Luftwaffe during World War II

The German Luftwaffe was one of the most powerful, doctrinally advanced, and battle-experienced air forces in the world when World War II started in Europe in September 1939. Officially unveiled in 1935, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, its purpose was to support Hitler's Blitzkrieg across Europe. The aircraft that were to serve in the Luftwaffe were of a new age and far superior to that of most other nations in the 1930s. Types like the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka and Messerschmitt Bf 109 came to symbolize German aerial might. The Deutsche Luftwaffe or (German: air force, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Treaty of Versailles of June 28, 1919, which ended World War I. For other uses, see Treaty of Versailles (disambiguation) . The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was a peace treaty that officially ended World War I between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. ... This article is about the military term. ... Stuka redirects here. ... German Airfield, France, 1941 propaganda photo of the Luftwaffe, Bf 109 fighters on the tarmac The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ...

The Luftwaffe became an essential component in the "Blitzkrieg" battle plan. Operating as a tactical close support air force, it helped the German armies to conquer the bulk of the European continent in a series of short and decisive campaigns in the first nine months of the war, experiencing its first defeat during the Battle of Britain in 1940 as it could not adapt into a strategic role, lacking heavy bombers with which to conduct a strategic bombing campaign against the British Isles. This article is about the military term. ... This article is about the World War Two battle. ... A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size, and typically longest ranges. ... The city heart of Rotterdam after being terror bombed by Germany in 1940, the ruin of the (now restored) Laurens Kerk is the only building that reminds people of Rotterdams medieval architecture. ... This article explains the archipelago in north-western Europe. ...

Despite this setback the Luftwaffe remained formidable and in June 1941 embarked on Adolf Hitler's quest for an empire in eastern Europe by invading the USSR, with much initial success. However, the Luftwaffe's striking victories in the Soviet Union were brought to a halt in the Russian winter of 1942-1943. From then on, it was forced onto the strategic defensive contesting the ever increasing numbers of Soviet aircraft, whilst defending the German homeland and German occupied Europe from the growing Allied air forces pounding all aspects of German industry. Hitler redirects here. ...

Having failed to achieve victory in the Soviet Union in 1941 or 1942, the Luftwaffe was drawn into a war of attrition which extended to North Africa and the Channel Front. The entry of the United States into the war and the resurgence of the Royal Air Force's (RAF) offensive power created the Home Front, known as Defense of the Reich operations. The Luftwaffe's strength was slowly eroded and by mid 1944 had virtually disappeared from the skies of Western Europe leaving the German Army to fight without air support. It continued to fight into the last days of the war with revolutionary new aircraft, such as the Messerschmitt Me 262, Messerschmitt Me 163 and the Heinkel He 162, even though the war was already hopelessly lost. Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... RAF redirects here. ... The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German: Swallow) was the worlds first operational turbojet fighter aircraft. ... The Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Martin Lippisch, was the only operational rocket-powered fighter aircraft during the Second World War. ... The Heinkel He 162 VolksjÃ¤ger (Peoples Fighter) was a single engined, jet powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in WWII. It was the fastest of the first generation of Axis and Allied jets. ...

Image File history File links Balkenkreuz. ... Image File history File links Balkenkreuz. ... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ...

Preparing for war: 1933-1939

Many of the aircraft that served throughout the war were developed prior to it, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-engine fighter, the Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber, and the Heinkel He 111 medium bomber, Messerschmitt Bf 110 twin-engined heavy fighter and the versatile Junkers Ju 88. The twin-engined Messerschmitt Bf 110 was supposed to fulfill the role of an escort fighter, but it could not compete in aerial combat against modern single-engined fighters, as was shown during the Battle of Britain. As a result the Bf 110 units focussed on fighter-bomber and recon operations but with a much greater success it served as night fighter. The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most famous symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 110 (called an M.E. One-Ten by American pilots) was a twin-engine heavy fighter (ZerstÃ¶rer - German for Destroyer) in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Later in the war it was changed to fighter-bomber (JagdBomber-Jabo) and night fighter operations... The Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. ...

The greatest failure in terms of technological development was not to develop a long-range bomber and capable long-range fighters during this period leaving the Luftwaffe unable to conduct a meaningful strategic bombing campaign throughout the war.^[1] However this does not take into the account that the Blitzkrieg concept was defined and refined by Germany's economic situation which suffered from limited resources - mainly raw materials like oil and aluminium - which did not provide for much beyond a short decisive war. Thus the Lufwaffe reliance on a tactical medium range and short range dive-bombers was a rational option under these circumstances.^[2]^[3] Aluminum redirects here. ...

The origins of the Luftwaffe were born just months after Adolf Hitler came to power. Hermann Göring, a World War I ace with 22 victories and the holder of the Orden Pour le Merite, became National Commissar for aviation with former Lufthansa employee Erhard Milch as his deputy. In March 1933 the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM - Reich Air Ministry) was established. The RLM was in charge of development and production of aircraft, and soon afterwards the test site at Rechlin became its testing ground. Göring's control over all aspects of aviation became absolute. On 25 March 1933 the Deutschen Luftsportverband (DVLA) (German Air Sport Association) absorbed all private and national organizations, whilst retaining its 'sports' title. The merging of all military aviation organizations in the RLM took place on 15 May 1933, which became the Luftwaffe's official 'birthday'.^[4] Göring played little further part in the development of the Luftwaffe until 1936, and Milch became the de facto minister until 1937.^[5] Hermann Wilhelm GÃ¶ring ( ) (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 â€“ October 15, 1946) was a German politician and military leader, a leading member of the Nazi Party, second in command of the Third Reich, and commander of the Luftwaffe. ... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ... Erhard Milch (left) with his brother Dr. Werner Milch, who worked as his associate defense counsel at the Nuremberg Trials. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Rechlin is a small village in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In December 1934, Chief of the Luftwaffe General Staff Walther Wever sought to mold the Luftwaffe's battle doctrine into a strategic plan. At this time Wever conducted war games (simulated against the French) in a bid to establish his theory of a strategic bombing force that would, he thought, prove decisive by winning the war through the destruction of enemy industry, even though these exercises also included tactical strikes against enemy ground forces and communications. In 1935 "Luftwaffe Regulation 16: The Conduct of the Air War" was drawn up. In the proposal, it concluded "The mission of the Luftwaffe is to serve these goals".^[6] For other persons named Walther Wever, see Walther Wever (disambiguation). ...

Wever recognized the importance of a strategic bomber force and sought to incorporate it into a war strategy. He believed that 'tactical' aircraft should only be used as a step to developing a strategic air force. In May 1934, Wever initiated a seven year project for the Ural Bomber, the bomber that would take the Luftwaffe's bombing campaign into the heart of the Soviet Union. In 1935 this led to the Dornier Do 19 and Junkers Ju 89 prototypes, although both were underpowered. In April 1936, Wever ordered a requirement for 'Bomber A' which would have a range of 6,700 kilometres with a 900 kilogram bomb load.^[7] The Dornier Do 19 was a German four-engined heavy bomber that first flew on October 28, 1936. ... The Junkers Ju 89 was a heavy bomber aircraft designed for the Luftwaffe prior to World War II. Two prototypes were constructed, but the project was abandoned without the aircraft entering production. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... Kg redirects here. ...

Wever's participation in the construction of the Luftwaffe came to an abrupt end on 3 June 1936 when he was killed along with his engineer in a Heinkel He 70 Blitz. His successors, Ernst Udet and Albert Kesselring, changed the operational doctrine of the Luftwaffe into one fit for a tactical air force, and one of close and direct ground support. Udet was a proponent of the dive-bomber, but not a technical expert. Despite this he was appointed to head the Reich's Air Ministry Technical Office (Technisches Amt), and helped change the Luftwaffe's tactical direction towards producing fast medium bombers that were to destroy enemy air power in the battle zone rather than through industrial bombing of its aviation production.^[8] is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Heinkel He 70 Blitz was designed in the early 1930s to serve as a fast mailplane for Deutsche Lufthansa. ... Ernst Udet (April 26, 1896 â€“ November 17, 1941) was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war (at the age of 22). ... ==Biography== Albrecht von Kesselring (August 8, 1881 - July 16, 1960) was a Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. One of the most respected and skillful generals of Nazi Germany, he was nicknamed Smiling Albert or Smiling Kesselring. At least one source claims that Kesselring was born on August 8, 1881 [2...

The development of aircraft was now confined to the production of twin-engined medium bombers that required much less material and manpower than Wever's 'Ural Bombers'. German industry could build two medium bombers for three heavy bombers and the RLM would not gamble on developing a heavy bomber which would also take time. Göring remarked, "the fuhrer will not ask how big the bombers there are, but only how many there are"^[9]. The premature death of one of the Luftwaffe's finest officers, one that left the Luftwaffe without a strategic air force during World War II, eventually proved fatal to the German war effort.^[10]^[11]^[12]

Between March 1934 and April 1936 the Luftwaffe underwent huge expansion, from 77 aircraft to 2,700. Up until 1935 the flak arm had been under the army's operational control; however, as Göring assumed full command of the air arm, it came under Luftwaffe operational control.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109, Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 87 Stuka and the Dornier Do 17 all first saw active service in the Condor Legion against Soviet-supplied aircraft. The Luftwaffe also quickly realized that the days of the biplane fighter were finished, the Heinkel He 51 fighter being switched to service as a trainer. Particularly impressive were the Heinkel and Dornier, which fulfilled the Luftwaffe's requirements for bombers that were faster than fighters. Despite the participation of these aircraft (mainly from 1938 onward), it was the venerable Junkers Ju 52 (which soon became the backbone of the Transportgruppen) that made the main contribution to the Legion's bombing campaign. Hitler remarked: "Franco ought to erect a monument to the glory of the Junkers Ju 52. It is the aircraft which the Spanish revolution has to thank for its victory".^[13] The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift (flying pencil), was a light bomber produced by Dornier. ... The Heinkel He 51 was a single-seat biplane which was produced in a number of different versions. ... The Junkers Ju 52 (nicknamed Tante Ju - Auntie Ju - and Iron Annie) was a transport aircraft and bomber manufactured 1932 â€“ 1945 by Junkers. ...

By the summer of 1939, the Luftwaffe had nine Jagdgeschwader mostly equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109E, four Zerstörergeschwader equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter, eleven Kampfgeschwader equipped with mainly the Heinkel He 111 and the Dornier Do 17Z, and four Stukageschwader.^[14] The Junkers Ju 88 had encountered design difficulties, as a result only 12 were available when hostilities commenced. The Luftwaffe's strength at this time stood at nearly 4,000. Of this number 1,100 were single-engined fighters, 400 twin-engined heavy fighters, 1,100 medium bombers and 290 Stuka aircraft. The remainder consisted of 500 transport and 300 reconnaissance machines.

Poland

Poland - Operation Fall Weiß (1 September - 6 October 1939) Fall Weiss (Case White, German spelling Fall WeiÃŸ) was a German strategic plan for a war with Poland prepared before 1939 and put into action on 1 September 1939. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 1 September 1939 German forces invaded Poland, triggering World War II. The Luftwaffe was an instrumental component of the Blitzkrieg battle plan. The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka carried out the first mission of the campaign, twenty minutes before war was officially announced.^[15] This same aircraft was to score the first aerial victory of the war when Kettenführer Leutnant Frank Neubert shot down a Polish PZL P.11c fighter aircraft piloted by Captain Mieczysław Medwecki.^[16] is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The PZL P.11 was the Polish fighter aircraft, designed in early-1930s in the PZL factory in Warsaw. ...

The Polish Air Force, contrary to popular belief, was not destroyed on the ground. Most of their units had dispersed to pre-arranged heavily camouflaged airfields in the hours leading up to the invasion. Most of the airfields bombed by the Luftwaffe destroyed empty hangars, and unserviceable machines. The Poles suffered heavy losses but managed to inflict considerable losses on the Luftwaffe. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... Polish Air Force (SiÅ‚y Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, SiÅ‚y Powietrzne RP). ...

The Polish Air Force bomber units did attempt to strike at the German Panzer Divisions and slow the speed of advance. Equipped with PZL.37 Łoś bombers, these units were virtually annihilated by the 5 September. The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was proving itself to be more than capable in both the escort and bomber intercept role and accounted for the majority of these kills, which pleased Göring, a fan of the twin-engined heavy fighter.^[17] PZL.37 ÅoÅ› - the second prototype The PZL.37 ÅoÅ› (Polish: ) was a Polish twin-engine medium bomber, used in the Invasion of Poland in 1939. ... is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Polish fighter units were still active, and were inflicting small losses on the Luftwaffe, however the Jagd and Zerstörergruppen were increasing their ground attack roles. As a result many Polish fighters were caught taking off, when there were at a considerable disadvantage. It was indirect rather than direct air support which won the Luftwaffe air-superiority. By destroying communications the Luftwaffe increased the pace of the advance which overran Polish airstrips and early warning sites and causing logistical problems for the Poles. Many Polish Air Force units were now low on supplies, 98 of their number withdrew into neutral (at that time) Romania. The polish initial strength of 400 had been reduced to just 54 by 14 September and air opposition virtually ceased.^[18] is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Part of the Luftwaffe's operations involved the destruction of the small but modern Polish Navy. The Luftwaffe had few units capable of effective anti-shipping operations. One of these units was 4.(St)/TrGr 186 - a Stuka unit which originally had been trained to operate from the German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin ^[19]. 4.(St)/TrGr 186's most notable success was to sink the destroyer Wicher and mine-layer Gryf. Flag of the Polish Navy Polish Navy Ensign The Polish Navy (Marynarka Wojenna RP, MW RP) is the branch of Polands armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Graf Zeppelin was an aircraft carrier of the Kriegsmarine, named like the famous airship in honour of Graf (Count) Ferdinand von Zeppelin. ...

The Luftwaffe had been successful in neutralizing Polish air and sea power within the first day, and with air superiority established the Luftwaffe was free to concentrate on attacking supply and communication links with devastating effect. The outdated Polish Army was denied what mobility it had left as traveling by road became perilous and the rail networks had been largely destroyed.^[20]

The Stuka became the symbol of the German war machine throughout the campaign. Operating without opposition, it supported the Panzer Divisions by acting as flying artillery. On one occasion six Polish divisions trapped by encircling German forces were forced to surrender after a relentless four day assault by StG 51, StG 76 and StG 77. Employed in this assault was the 50 kg fragmentation bombs which caused appalling damage to enemy ground troops. Demoralized, the Poles surrendered.

The Wehrmacht however was given a shock soon afterwards. The Polish Army defending Warsaw counter-attacked, threatening to break the flank of the German 8. Armee, and to cut off the 10.Armee. The Luftwaffe was called upon for a maximum effort in what became known as the Battle of Bzura. The Luftwaffe's offensive broke what remained of Polish resistance in an "awesome demonstration of air power".^[21] The Luftwaffe quickly destroyed the bridges across the Bzura river. Afterward the Polish forces were trapped out in the open, and were attacked by wave after wave of Stukas, dropping 50 kg 'light bombs' which caused huge numbers of casualties. The Polish flak positions ran out of ammunition and they retreated to the forests but were then 'smoked out' by the Heinkel He 111 and Dornier Do 17s dropping 100 kg incendiaries. The Luftwaffe had left the Army with the simple task of mopping up survivors. The Sturzkampfgeschwader alone dropped 388 tonnes of bombs during this battle.^[22] Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers. ... Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers. ... The German Eighth Army (German: ) was a World War I and World War II field army. ... The German Tenth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ... Battle of Bzura (also known as Battle of Kutno) took place during the Second World War, Polish September Campaign between 9 September 1939 and 19 September1, 1939 and was fought between Polish and German Nazi forces. ...

The expenditure of munitions was beyond expectations. The Luftwaffe had expended a third of their explosives (some 3,000 tonnes).^[23] The Luftwaffe's losses overall were relatively light, 285 machines (including 31 Stukas) had been lost to all causes. The Luftwaffe's aircraft had performed well. The Dornier Do 17 and Heinkel He 111, were faster than the Polish fighters and were able to outrun them. Most losses occurred through anti-aircraft fire.

Polish resistance ended completely on 6 October 1939. is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Norway and Denmark

Operation Weserübung (9 April - 10 June 1940) Combatants Germany Denmark Norway Operation WeserÃ¼bung was the German codename for Nazi Germanys assault on Denmark and Norway during World War II and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Luftwaffe had assembled 527 aircraft for the campaign in Scandinavia, including 300 medium bombers and 50 Stuka dive-bombers.^[24] The Germans had also deployed over 40 seaplane reconnaissance aircraft and 200 Junkers Ju 52 transports to carry occupying forces and Fallschirmjäger paratroops. The opposing air forces of Denmark and Norway were poorly equipped. The Danes had only 89 combat aircraft and the Norwegians a strength of 74.^[25] For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... FallschirmjÃ¤ger FallschirmjÃ¤ger photo taken from The Hague, Bezuidenhout during the invasion of the Low Countries, morning of May 10, 1940 (often rendered Fallschirmjager in English; from German Fallschirm parachute and JÃ¤ger, hunter; ranger a term for light infantry) are German paratroopers. ...

Operation Weserübung commenced on the morning of 9 April 1940. The only hostile engagement the Luftwaffe took part in over Denmark was on the first day of the invasion, when a flight of Bf 110s of 1./ZG 1 (Zerstörergeschwader 1) shot down five Fokker D.XXI's taking off from Vaerlose airfield. The remaining fourteen machines were then destroyed by ground strafing.^[26]^[27] Denmark was virtually overrun within 24 hours and capitulated. The surviving Danish aircraft were used for training purposes by the Luftwaffe. During the invasion a significant incident occurred in the town of Aalborg, when Oberleutnant Victor Mölders (brother of Werner Mölders) took the official surrender of the town after landing at the local airfield. Dressed in flying gear he was given a lift into the town center by a milkman to find suitable quarters for I./ZG 1's Bf 110 crews. is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Messerschmitt Bf110 (later Me110) was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. History Based around the concept of the long-range Zerstörer or Destroyer Fighter the Bf110 enjoyed some success in the Polish and French campaigns. ... Fokker D.XXI Fokker D XXI planes in the Finnish air force during WWII. The Fokker D.XXI fighter was designed in 1935 for use by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) air service. ...

The German invasion of Norway also began that day, and although inferior in the air, the Norwegians put up considerable resistance. Norwegian air strength around Oslo consisted of just 24 combat aircraft including five Tiger Moth biplanes; this force was destroyed or captured by the evening. After the first day's fighting Norwegian aerial strength fell to 54.^[28] This article is about the capital of Norway. ... The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth was a 1930s biplane designed by de Havilland and operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. ...

A notable failure of the Luftwaffe during the initial invasion was caused by the Stukas of I./StG 1, whom failed to silence the batteries of the Oscarsborg Fortress thus contributing to the loss of the heavy cruiser Blücher and causing the disruption of the amphibious landings in Oslo through Oslofjord. Oscarsborg festning is a coastal fortress in the Oslofjord, close to the small city of DrÃ¸bak. ... HMS Raleigh a Hawkins class cruiser around which the treaty limits for Heavy cruisers were written. ... The German heavy cruiser BlÃ¼cher Â¹ was the German Kriegsmarines newest ship at the outbreak of World War II. The BlÃ¼cher is most notable for being sunk on April 9, 1940, less than three years after her launch, on the first day of the invasion of Norway (Operation...

The Luftwaffe incurred considerable losses over Oslo's Fornebu airport in which Norwegian Gloster Gladiators shot down a transport aircraft in exchange for a single loss. The airport continued to be held by the Norwegians and several Ju 52s were forced to land under fire causing considerable losses to the transports. Helmut Lent, a future night fighter ace, destroyed two Gladiators and then proceeded to strafe the defenders. The Bf 110s were running out of fuel and the situation was becoming critical, until more Ju 52s approached and disgorged the airborne troops which then quickly secured the airfield.^[29] Gloster Gladiator photographed in England in 2002 The Gloster Gladiator was a biplane fighter, used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, as well as a number of other air forces, during World War II. The aircraft had a top speed of around 414 km/h. ... German Night-fighter pilot. ...

With Luftwaffe support, the Wehrmacht had established a toe-hold in Norway. The Germans had flown 680 sorties and had lost 43 aircraft destroyed or damaged. In the next few days the Luftwaffe would establish air-superiority. The British RAF Fighter Command, RAF Bomber Command and Fleet Air Arm continued to support the Allied forces, but suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Luftwaffe. The straight-armed Balkenkreuz, a stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Wehrmacht. ... Fighter Command was one of three functional commands that dominated the public perception of the RAF for much of the mid-20th century. ... Bomber Command badge RAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAFs bomber forces. ... The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ...

The Luftwaffe had also dented the Royal Navy during the first phases of the invasion. Junkers Ju 88's of KG 26 succeeded in damaging the battleship HMS Rodney and sinking the destroyer HMS Gurkha. Focke-Wulf Fw 200 'Condors' were used to patrol the coast and report shipping positions to the Luftwaffe Kampfgruppen and U-Boats in the area. Southern Norway was effectively in German hands by 20 April but the fighting in northern and central Norway lasted for some weeks. The Norwegian campaign lasted until June 1940, and with the disasters suffered by the Allies in France, British and French Forces withdrew and Norway capitulated. This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... HMS Rodney was a Nelson-class battleship of the Royal Navy. ... HMS Gurkha (L-20/F-20) was a Tribal-class destroyer laid down by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, at Govan in Scotland on 6 July 1936, launched on 7 July 1937 and commissioned on 21 October 1938. ... The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor was a German all-metal four-engined monoplane that entered service as an airliner. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The campaign had cost the Luftwaffe 260 aircraft, of which 86 were transports. Personnel casualties numbered 342 killed and 448 missing.^[30] It had destroyed 96 British aircraft (43 in air-to-air combat) and sunk a cruiser, six destroyers, 21 other warships of other sorts and 21 merchant ships. Luftwaffe transport losses, while heavy, helped supply the Army with fuel and supplies in 3,018 missions over the course of the battle.^[31] The Luftwaffe had no doubt tipped the balance of the campaign in Germany's favour, without it the Allied advantage on land and at sea might have defeated the invasion. During the remainder of the year the Luftwaffe would meet increasing numbers of British made Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire aircraft which were much faster than the Luftwaffe's bomber fleet; the future campaigns, though successful, were to prove far more costly. The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. ... The Supermarine Spitfire was a British single-seat fighter, which was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries during the Second World War, and into the 1950s. ...

France and the Low Countries

Operations Fall Gelb and Fall Rot ( 10 May - 25 June 1940 ) In World War II, Battle of France or Case Yellow (Fall Gelb in German) was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, executed 10 May 1940 which ended the Phony War. ... In World War II, Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, executed 10 May 1940 which ended the Phony War. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht launched the invasion of France and the Low Countries. The first phase of the invasion Fall Gelb called for an invasion of Holland and Belgium in which the Germans correctly predicted the French and British Forces would then push into Belgium to stop an advance into France. Gelb would then deliver the main blow, as most of the German armoured divisions would strike through the Ardennes and cut off the Allied forces in northern France, leaving the rest of the country defenseless. is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Polish campaign had taught the Luftwaffe valuable lessons. It was no longer thought that it could wipe out the French and British air power immediately on the ground, although Albrecht Kesselring (Commander of Luftlotte 3) hoped this would be achieved against the Dutch and the Belgians. The French Armee de l'Air had 1,562 aircraft, and initial RAF Fighter Command's strength stood at 680 machines, while Bomber Command could contribute some 392 aircraft to operations.^[32] Albert Kesselring (August 8, 1881 - July 16, 1960) was a German Generalfeldmarschall who commanded Army Group C during World War II. He was nicknamed Smiling Albert or smiling Kesselring. He was born in Marktsteft, Germany, in 1881 . ... The French Air Force is the air force branch of the French Armed Forces. ...

The Luftwaffe would only attack a handful of airfields in France during the first day of the campaign, as most effort was diverted to ground support operations. In Holland the Luftwaffe made extensive use of paratroopers and glider-borne forces (eventually to little effect). The Luftwaffe had committed a force of 1,815 combat, 487 Transport and 50 Glider aircraft for the invasion of the Low countries.^[33] This article is about a region in the Netherlands. ...

The opposing air forces of Belgium and Holland (the Militaire Luchtvaart - ML, and the Aeronautique Militaire - AeMI) were far inferior in terms of equipment and numbers, the Dutch Airforce largely used biplanes. The ML had only 144 aircraft but, like the Polish, they were dispersed well. After the first days operations half the ML's strength had been sapped. During the four days that it resisted the Luftwaffe it accounted for only a handful of Luftwaffe aircraft shot down.

The difficulties facing the Luftwaffe during the Norwegian campaign resurfaced in Holland. The Hague airfields were to be captured by glider and paratroops, but the Dutch had heavily fortified the area and prepared obstacles to hamper landing attempts. Much of the ground was also soft causing many transports to sink into the grass making them very vulnerable to enemy artillery fire. The RAF was quickly deployed to Holland to offer support for the ML. Together with Dutch AA, it inflicted heavy losses on the Transportgruppen, 125 Ju 52 in all, were destroyed and 47 damaged, representing 50% of the fleet's strength.^[34] AA, Aâˆ´Aâˆ´, Aa, Aa, aa and aA may refer to: // AerolÃneas Argentinas, an Argentine airline American Airlines, IATA airline code Air America was a CIA front that supplied covert operations during the Vietnam War Ann Arbor Railroad, a railroad connecting Ann Arbor, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio in...

With most of the Luftwaffe deployed against targets in Belgium and France the Dutch withdrawals were orderly and many areas in western Holland held out until the official surrender. On 14 May, the Dutch began negotiations for a ceasefire. On this 14th May the city of Rotterdam was bombarded by the Luftwaffe with the objective to support the German ground troops fighting in the city, and thus ultimately to force the Dutch to surrender. The event was displayed as a terror bombing by contemporary Allied press, a belief that is still shared by many. The Dutch officially surrendered on 15 May. Some Dutch forces continued to resist in Zealand to enable French and British forces to evacuate. Image File history File links From the German Historic Museum, item F60/2422. ... Image File history File links From the German Historic Museum, item F60/2422. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Sterker door strijd (Stronger through Struggle) Location of Rotterdam Coordinates: , Country Province Government - Mayor Ivo Opstelten - Aldermen Jeannette Baljeu Hamit Karakus Orhan Kaya Lucas Bolsius Jantine Kriens Dominic Schrijer Roelf de Boer Leonard Geluk Area [1] - Total 319 kmÂ² (123. ... The city heart of Rotterdam after the bombing, the ruin of the (now restored) Laurens Kerk is the only building that reminds people of the Rotterdams medieval architecture. ... Terror bombing is a strategy of deliberately bombing and/or strafing civilian targets in order to break the morale of the enemy, make its civilian population panic, bend the enemys political leadership to the attackers will, or to punish an enemy. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Map showing location of Zealand within Denmark. ...

The Wehrmacht suffered losses of 4,000 personnel, mainly paratroops of whom 1,200 were captured and sent to prisoner of war camps in Canada.

The Luftwaffe was to have far better success in Belgium. Having completed thorough photographic reconnaissance missions it destroyed 83 of the 179 aircraft the Aeronautique Militaire within the first 24 hours. The Belgians would fly on 77 operational missions but would contribute little to the air campaign. The Luftwaffe was assured air superiority over the Low Countries. Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ...

The Belgian fortress of Eben Emael was taken on the 14 May. This successful action was carried out by glider troops in DFS 230 Gliders, consisting of 85 paratroopers of the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division led by Oberleutnant Rudolf Witzig. Reinforced by the German 151st Infantry Regiment, and on 11 May 1,200 Belgian soldiers in the fortress surrendered. Despite RAF and French assistance, Belgium surrendered on 28 May. In the first nine days of the Campaign Armée de l'Air losses exceeded those of the other Allied air forces, losing 420 aircraft to all causes. The RAF would lose 203, including 128 on the ground.^[35] ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The DFS 230 was a WW2 Luftwaffe transport glider. ... Gliders are un-powered heavier-than-air aircraft. ... Oberleutnant is a rank of the German military which dates from the early 19th century. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The familiar French military aviation roundel gave rise to similar roundels for air forces all over the world, including that of the United Kingdom (RAF), which reversed the colors on the French roundel. ...

During the Blitzkrieg operations of Fall Gelb and Fall Rot, as in Poland, it was the Stuka that stood out. The Stukas took a heavy toll of Allied Naval and Ground forces. Its ability to deliver accurate payloads with pinpoint precision along with its psychological screaming sirens became the scourge of the Allies. Although lightly armed, slow and unmaneuverable the Luftwaffe had established virtual air superiority and Stukas were to operate with out much opposition. Regarded as 'flying artillery' the Stukas responded to Panzer Divisions calls by clearing up pockets of resistance along the axis of advance. The Stukas operated virtually at the limits of their range, until the introduction of the Ju 87R which provided extended range. Over 120 Stukas were destroyed or damaged during the campaign (mostly to ground fire), which represented nearly one-third of the Stuka-arms strength.^[36] During World War 2, Germany Had Mixed and combined many divisions according to the circumstances, at the beginning of the war these are amount of tanks possed by the Germans, (Numbers are only of Active Tanks)(Note:These are Statistics from the start of Operation Barbarossa - June 22, 1941 ) 1st...

Allied attempts to stem the advance in the wake of the Battle of Dunkirk (see also Evacuation of Dunkirk) by bombing German forces advancing failed with heavy losses. On 14 May 1940, a day the Luftwaffe called "the day of the fighters", Allied bombers attempted to halt the Wehrmacht crossing the Meuse river, but inadequately protected they suffered appalling losses at the hands of Luftwaffe fighters. Over 120 Bf 109s destroyed as many French and British aircraft (90 of which were bombers) in the day's fighting.^[37] This article is about a Second World War battle in 1940, for the 1658 battle of the same name see Battle of the Dunes (1658) Combatants United Kingdom France Belgium Germany Commanders Lord Gort General Weygand Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group A) Ewald von Kleist (Panzergruppe von Kleist) Strength approx. ... French troops rescued by a British merchant ship at Dunkirk British evacuation on Dunkirk beach The Dunkirk evacuation, also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk and codenamed Operation Dynamo by the British, was the large evacuation of Allied soldiers from May 26 to June 4, 1940, during the Battle of... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Meuse is a dÃ©partement in northeast France, named after the Meuse River. ...

As early on as 16 May, the French position on the ground and in the air was becoming desperate. They pressed the British for to commit more of the RAF fighter groups to the battle. Hugh Dowding, C-in-C of RAF Fighter Command refused, arguing that if France collapsed, the British fighter force would be severely weakened. is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hugh Caswell Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding G.C.B., G.C.V.O., C.M.G. (24 April 1882 - 15 February 1970) was a British officer in the Royal Air Force. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ...

The most significant operational failure of the Luftwaffe during these campaigns was the inability to prevent the embarkation of most of the British Expeditionary Force in May-June 1940. Although it can be argued that Hitler ultimately was responsible, fearing the Panzer Divisions' losses would deplete them ahead of the southward drive into France and recalling how in 1914 the waterways in north-eastern France had bogged down the German northern flank he prevented the push which would have netted him the entire Allied land forces on the continent.^[38] During the Dunkirk battle the Luftwaffe flew 1,882 bombing and 1,997 fighter sweeps. German losses over Dunkirk represented just 2% of their losses during the campaign, less than 100 aircraft. British losses totaled 6% of their total losses during the French campaign, including 60 precious fighter pilots.^[39] The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the British army sent to France and Belgium in World War I and British Forces in Europe from 1939â€“1940 during World War II. The BEF was established by Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane following the Second Boer War in case the...

The second, and final, phase of the German plan was Fall Rot. The Luftwaffe supported the rapidly advancing army into southern France. Opposition in the air, significant at first, died away. The Armee de l'Air was now largely absent from French skies. Nearly 1,000 of its aircraft were destroyed and captured on airfields around Paris after the fall of the city on 14 June.^[40] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 382 pixelsFull resolution (802 Ã— 383 pixel, file size: 32 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph published in: The flying Pencil, Heinz J. Nowarra,Schiffer Military History - Vol 25, 1990, ISBN 0-88740-236-4. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 382 pixelsFull resolution (802 Ã— 383 pixel, file size: 32 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph published in: The flying Pencil, Heinz J. Nowarra,Schiffer Military History - Vol 25, 1990, ISBN 0-88740-236-4. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

At the beginning of Fall Rot, French aviation industry had reached a considerable output, and estimated its strength at nearly 2,000. However chronic lack of parts crippled this industrial feet. Only 29% (599) aircraft were serviceable, of which 170 were bombers, of which all were vastly inferior and vulnerable to the Luftwaffe's Jagdgruppen equipped with the Bf 109E. The distances proved to be an obstacle to the Jagdwaffe. The result of the Luftwaffe's presence was the destruction of 75 French aircraft in the air and another 400 on the ground.^[41] (Bf 109 was the official Reichsluftfahrtministerium designation, though some late_war aircraft actually carried the Me 109 designation stamped onto their aircraft type plates. ...

The French ground forces, now alone after Dunkirk, had virtually no air cover, and as a result the Luftwaffe was able to allow large formations of its Stukas and Bombers to operate without escorts, and fighters were free to conduct sweeps to eliminate any air opposition that remained (see Luftwaffe Organization). It is estimated the French lost 1,274 aircraft destroyed during the campaign, the British suffered losses of 959 (477 fighters).^[42] The German Luftwaffe of World War 2 had a distinct pattern of organization. ...

The battle for France had cost the Luftwaffe 28% of its front line strength, some 1,428 aircraft destroyed. A further 488 were damaged, making a total of 36% of the Luftwaffe strength negatively effected.^[43] The Luftwaffe still retained a total reserve strength of 10,000 pilots, which would be needed in the battle of attrition that was to follow over the British Isles.^[44]

Overall the first nine months of the war had been a spectacular success for the German air arm. The Luftwaffe had effectively destroyed four Allied air forces and inflicted heavy losses to a fifth.

Battle of Britain

(10 July - 31 October 1940) - See also Battle of Britain is the 191st day of the year (192nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the World War Two battle. ...

Following the successful campaign in France, and as a prerequisite for Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain, the Royal Air Force (RAF) had to be defeated. The earlier successes had caused Göring to become overly confident in its abilities and made him boast that the RAF would be defeated in a matter of days.^[45] Operation Sealion (Unternehmen (Undertaking) SeelÃ¶we in German) was a World War II German plan to invade the United Kingdom. ... RAF redirects here. ...

The Luftwaffe had been designed as a tactical air force to support ground forces on the battlefield and had operated this way during the continental campaigns with enormous success. In the Battle of Britain, however, the Luftwaffe was ordered to operate alone, as a strategic weapon. This new role was something the Luftwaffe had never been designed for: it lacked the strategic bombers and long-range fighters needed for a strategic bombing campaign. The Luftwaffe's first task was to ensure air supremacy over southeast England, to pave the way for an invasion fleet.^[46] For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

The Luftwaffe committed three Luftflotten to the campaign. Luftflotte 2, under Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring, was allocated to targets in the southwest and the London area. Luftflotte 3, under Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Sperrle, targeted the West Midlands and northwest of England. Luftflotte 5, led by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff and based in Norway, was deployed against targets in the north of England and Scotland. Hugo Sperrle Hugo Sperrle (February 7, 1885 - April 2, 1953), was a German Field Marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II. He joined the German Army in 1903 and transferred to the LuftstreitkrÃ¤fte (German Army Air Service) at the start of World War I, serving as an observer... The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the Midlands. ... Hans-JÃ¼rgen Stumpff (June 15, 1889 - March 9, 1968), was a German general of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. ... This article is about the country. ...

The German air crews were overall more experienced but the standard of fighter aircraft was even. The Bf 109E was slightly better in all round performance than the Hawker Hurricane, however the Bf 109 and the Spitfire were equally matched. The Bf 109 was faster at high altitude and the Spitfire had the advantage at medium heights. The Messerschmitts carried heavy armament in the shape of two 20 mm MG FF cannons. A significant advantage for the German fighter was its fuel injected engine, which allowed it to perform negative-G maneuvers without the engine cutting-out. The Spitfire and Hurricane lacked this capability.^[47] The twin-engined Messerschmitt Bf 110 had performed well in the earlier campaigns. It was well-armed and had the range to escort the bombers deep into enemy territory, which the Bf 109 lacked. Its fatal flaw was that in comparison to the British fighters it was unmanoeuvrable and therefore vulnerable.^[48] The MG FF was a drum-fed 20 mm aircraft cannon developed in 1936 by Oerlikon and license-produced in Germany. ... // Fuel injection is a system of fuel delivery for mixture with air in an internal combustion engine. ... For other uses of G, see G (disambiguation). ...

The British narrowly avoided defeat in the Battle of Britain. It was a close run battle, and by late August 1940 with the Luftwaffe hammering RAF airfields and communications in south east England, the situation had become desperate.^[49] The RAF committed its last reserves, made up almost entirely of inexperienced pilots with only hours of combat training. Czech and Polish pilots were also used to fill the holes in manpower. Saundby concludes, "had the Germans persisted in their policy for another fortnight the result would have been disastrous for Fighter Command." He also stresses the pressure put on the Fighter Units by the Luftwaffe, "The worst hit Squadrons were sent north to quieter sectors to recuperate, but all too soon 'rested' squadrons would have to return to the South East."^[50]

The essential plan for the invasion was air superiority over the beachheads. Göring convinced Hitler that the air war was almost won and that in fact the RAF was in its death throes. Hitler switched targets to London. He hoped to draw out the RAF and completely destroy its remaining strength while devastating civilian morale through mass bombing. It was ultimately this critical error that led to Fighter Command's recovery. The airfields were repaired, and pilot numbers were stabilized and then gradually increased through the influx of Commonwealth pilots.

On 15 September 1940 Göring sent nearly 1,000 aircraft against London suffering losses of 175 aircraft destroyed or damaged in the day's fighting. On 17 September 1940 Hitler postponed the invasion. The Luftwaffe switched to a terror bombing campaign against British cities that lasted until the spring of 1941, when most bomber units were redeployed for the imminent invasion of the USSR. The raids often caused spectacular damage but did little to harm the British war effort. Hitler postpone the invasion on 13 October 1940 until the spring of 1941. But on 18 December 1940 Hitler issued Directive 21, beginning preparations for the attack on the USSR, effectively canceling the invasion.^[51] Although defeated the Luftwaffe remained formidable: as Air Marshal Sir Robert Saundby concluded, "it was not the beginning of the end but the end of the beginning." The Battle of Britain cost the Luftwaffe 873 fighters and 1,014 bombers. The RAF lost 1,023 fighters and 524 bombers.^[52] is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

North Africa and the Mediterranean 1941-44

See - Battle of the Mediterranean, North African Campaign and Italian Campaign Combatants Allied Nations Axis Powers The Naval Battle of the Mediterranean was waged during World War II, to attack and keep open the respective supply lines of Allied and Axis armies, and to destroy the opposing sides ability to wage war at sea. ... During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from September 13, 1940 to May 13, 1943. ... Combatants United Kingdom Indian Empire United States Poland Brazil New Zealand Canada Free French South Africa Italy (after September 8th) Italian Resistance Germany Italy (until 8 September 1943) RSI (until 25 April 1945) Commanders C-in-C AFHQ: Dwight D. Eisenhower (until January 1944) Henry Maitland Wilson (Jan to Dec...

The Luftwaffe saw action in North Africa and the Mediterranean. The Luftwaffe mainly saw action in support of the ground operations conducted by General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. The Afrika Korps fought in North Africa from February 1941 to May 1943. Combatants Allied Nations Axis Powers The Naval Battle of the Mediterranean was waged during World War II, to attack and keep open the respective supply lines of Allied and Axis armies, and to destroy the opposing sides ability to wage war at sea. ... Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (15 November 1891 â€“ 14 October 1944) was perhaps the most famous German field marshal of World War II. He was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname The Desert Fox (WÃ¼stenfuchs, ) for the skillful military campaigns he waged... The seal of the Deutsches Afrikakorps. ...

Before Rommel's arrival, Mussolini's invasion of Greece, in October 1940 and the Italian offensive against the British in Egypt the previous month had been a complete disaster. The British had driven the Italian forces back into Libya, and now seemed poised to sweep them out of Africa altogether. The Greek Army had also pushed back the Italians into Italian occupied Albania, while the Greek request for British assistance lead to the gradual build up of another British Expeditionary Force on the continent. Hitler was infuriated that the British were now close to the Romanian oil fields. The Germans postponed their attack on the USSR from 15 May 1941, to the 22 June in order to secure their south-eastern flank. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... The Hellenic Army, (Greek: Ελληνικός Στράτος) is the land force of Greece (The Hellenic Republic). ... State motto (Russian): ÐŸÑ€Ð¾Ð»ÐµÑ‚Ð°Ñ€Ð¸Ð¸ Ð²ÑÐµÑ… ÑÑ‚Ñ€Ð°Ð½, ÑÐ¾ÐµÐ´Ð¸Ð½ÑÐ¹Ñ‚ÐµÑÑŒ! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Soviet republics Area - Total - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 kmÂ² Approx. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Luftwaffe provided invaluable air support during the rapidly victorious Balkans Campaign which saw the defeats of Yugoslavia and Greece, (prior to the invasion of the Soviet Union). German participation won victory for the Axis Powers, taking only three weeks (from 6 April- 30 April 1941) to occupy the main land of both countries. Combatants Germany Italy Bulgaria Albania Greece United Kingdom Australia New Zealand Yugoslavia Commanders Maximilian von Weichs Giovanni Messe Alexander Papagos Henry Maitland Wilson The Balkans Campaign was the Italian and German invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia during World War II. It began with Italys annexation of Albania in April... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in the Latin alphabet, ÐˆÑƒÐ³Ð¾ÑÐ»Ð°Ð²Ð¸Ñ˜Ð° in Cyrillic; English: South Slavia, or literary The Land of South Slavs) describes three political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ...

Yugoslavia's refusal to join the Axis camp incurred Hitler's wrath. The Yugoslavian government under Regent Prince Paul had initially been in favour of joining Germany. But a coup d'etat had toppled the government, deposed the Regent, and proclaimed the teenaged Peter II as king. In response to this, Hitler ordered the invasion of Yugoslavia, "Operation Punishment" (Strafgericht).^[53] During the bombing of Belgrade, the center of the Yugoslavian capital was destroyed and 15,000 people killed and made homeless. The bombing started 6 April and continued for four days until 10 April. Image:Prince Pavle of Yugoslavia. ... Peter II of Yugoslavia, locally known as Kralj Petar II KaraÄ‘orÄ‘eviÄ‡ (Serbian Cyrillic: ÐšÑ€Ð°Ñ™ ÐŸÐµÑ‚Ð°Ñ€ II ÐšÐ°Ñ€Ð°Ñ’Ð¾Ñ€Ñ’ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ›) (6 September 1923 â€“ 3 November 1970), was the second, as well as the last, King of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. ... â€œApril Warâ€ redirects here. ... he bombing of Belgrade occurred in the initial phases of World War II when German forces bombed the city in preperation for the invasion of Yugoslavia. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Once again the Stuka came back into its own during these campaigns. Having suffered heavy losses during operations over Britain, the Luftwaffe command realised it was vulnerable against a well-organised and determined air defense. These components were lacked by the Yugoslavian airforce, and as a result the Stuka was able to operate effectively without fear of opposition. The Stukas took a heavy toll of Yugoslav ground and naval forces, which including the destruction of most of its torpedo-boats and sinking the 1870-ton seaplane tender Zmaj.^[54] During the very brief campaign in Yugoslavia, the Luftwaffe engaged the Yugoslavian Air Force Do 17s and Bf 109s. The Yugoslavs had license built nearly 50 of the Do17, but most of these were destroyed or captured.^[55]

The offensive continued into Greece in which the Luftwaffe eliminated Greek and British opposition in the air, although many strong points on the ground such as Fort Istibel, and other parts of the Metaxas Line held out under relentless air assault for several days. The Battle of Crete remained to be fought. The Greek island was seized by airborne assault, but cost the Luftwaffe 370 aircraft destroyed or damaged including 271 Junkers Ju 52 transports. General Kurt Student the commander of the airborne forces commented, "Crete was the grave of the German paratroopers".^[56] The Metaxas Line was a chain of fortifications constructed along the line of the Graeco-Bulgarian border, designed to protect Greece in case of a Bulgarian invasion during World War II. It was named after Ioannis Metaxas, the then dictatorial ruler of Greece, and chiefly consists of tunnels that led... Combatants Greece United Kingdom New Zealand Australia Nazi Germany Kingdom of Italy Commanders Bernard Freyberg Kurt Student Strength United Kingdom: 15,000 Greece: 11,000 Australia: 7,100 New Zealand: 6,700 Total: 40,000 (10,000 without fighting capacity[2]) Germany: 14,000 paratroopers 15,000 mountain troopers 280... The Junkers Ju 52 (nicknamed Tante Ju - Auntie Ju - and Iron Annie) was a transport aircraft and bomber manufactured 1932 â€“ 1945 by Junkers. ... Kurt Student Kurt Student (May 12, 1890-July 1, 1978) was a German Luftwaffe General who fought as a pilot on the Eastern Front during the First World War and as the commander of the German parachute troops during the Second World War. ...

The Luftwaffe also committed the Sonderkommando (Special force) which comprised one staffel of He 111s (4./KG 4) one staffel of Zerstörer (Bf 110s of 4./ZG 76) and 12 transports including a number of Junkers Ju 90s to support the rebels in the Anglo-Iraqi War and the Syria-Lebanon Campaign in May 1941. Their ten day stint in the Middle East who include two victories for future nightfighter Experte Leutnant Martin Drewes. Allied air opposition was light and the Luftwaffe force concentrated mainly on ground support duties. By 26 May, despite cannibalising two machines damaged in an RAF raid on Mosul there was not a single Bf 110 left that was serviceable^[57]. The following day personnel were evacuated via Junkers Ju 90s following Allied gains. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Junkers Ju 90 was an airliner developed for Lufthansa shortly before World War II. It was based on the Junkers Ju 89 bomber, which did not progress beyond prototype stage. ... Combatants Kingdom of Iraq United Kingdom India Commanders Rashid Ali General Sir Edward Quinan Strength five divisions about two divisions Casualties 2,500 KIA, about 6,000 POWs 1,200 (KIA, MIA, WIA) The Anglo-Iraqi War is the name of hostilities between the United Kingdom and the Iraqi nationalist... Combatants Australia U.K. British India British Palestine Czechoslovakia Government-in-Exile Free France Vichy France Mandate of Syria Mandate of Lebanon Commanders Henry Maitland Wilson Henri Dentz Strength Approximately 35,000 troops Australian: 18,000 British: 9,000 Indian: 2,000 Free French: 5,000 Between 35,000 and... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... Martin Drewes (20 October 1918) was a night fighter ace. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Mosul (Arabic: , Kurdish: Ù…ÙˆØµÙ„ MÃ»sil, Syriac: NÃ®nÄ›wÃ¢, Turkish: Musul) is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate. ... The Junkers Ju 90 was an airliner developed for Lufthansa shortly before World War II. It was based on the Junkers Ju 89 bomber, which did not progress beyond prototype stage. ...

Luftwaffe units were instrumental in stopping the British Army from getting control of strategic islands like Leros and Kos. During the Battle of Leros they brought about the last significant defeat of the British in World War II. The Luftwaffe remained in the Mediterranean theatre until the end of the war in May 1945. The most notable fighter unit in North Africa was Jagdgeschwader 27 that for nearly eighteen months (April 1941 - October 1942) was the only fighter unit in North Africa, although many other fighter units took part throughout the Mediterranean. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Leros (Greek: Î›ÎÏÎ¿Ï‚; Italian: LÃ¨ro) is a Greek island in the Dodecanese, in the southern Aegean Sea. ... Port and city view of Kos town on the island Kos. ... Combatants Great Britain Germany Commanders Brig. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Some of the most famous Luftwaffe aces attached to JG 27 Wilhelm Balthasar Ludwig Franzisket Fritz Gromotka Max Ibel Erbo Graf von Kageneck Willi Kientsch Hans-Joachim Marseille Gustav RÃ¶del Herbert Schramm Werner Schroer Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt ...

The strength of the Luftwaffe made all the difference during the North African Campaign. The Luftwaffe supported the Afrika Korps in the Western Desert and Tunisia. In addition to North Africa, the Germans joined the Italians in bombing Malta in 1941-42. Combatants Australia Free France New Zealand Poland South Africa United Kingdom India Italy Germany Commanders to June 22 1941: Archibald Wavell to August 8 1942: Claude Auchinleck to February 1943: Harold Alexander Ugo Cavallero Rodolfo Graziani Erwin Rommel The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War was the... The Island of Malta The Siege of Malta was a significant military event in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II that occurred between 1940 and 1943 on the island of Malta. ...

Luftwaffe in the east 1941 - 45

Operation Barbarossa - (22 June - 31 December 1941) Combatants Germany Romania Finland Italy Hungary Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Fedor von Bock Gerd von Rundstedt Heinz Guderian GÃ¼nther von Kluge Franz Halder Ion Antonescu C.G.E. Mannerheim Giovanni Messe, CSIR Italo Garibaldi, ARMIR Iosef Stalin Kliment Voroshilov Semyon Timoshenko Fyodor Kuznetsov... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ...

The preparation for Barbarossa commenced on 18 December 1940, when Adolf Hitler ordered Directive 21. The battle plan, Operation Barbarossa, envisaged three Army Groups, each a million men strong, undertaking a simultaneous offensive from occupied Poland and German-allied Romania and Finland. The central objectives were Leningrad, Minsk, Kiev, and Moscow. The original German goal was the rapid conquest of the European part of the Soviet Union to a line connecting the cities of Arkhangelsk and Astrakhan, often referred to as the A-A line, to the west of the Ural Mountains. The purges of the 1930s affected all branches of the military including the Soviet Air Forces. The poor performance of VVS (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily) during the Winter War with Finland had increased the Luftwaffe's confidence that the Soviets could be mastered. The standard of flight training had been accelerated in preparation for a German attack that was expected to come in 1942 or later. As a result Russian pilot training was extremely poor. is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Leningrad (Russian: Ð›ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ð½Ð³Ñ€Ð°Ð´) may mean: St. ... Location of Minsk, shown within the Minsk Voblast Coordinates: Country Subdivision Belarus Minsk Founded 1067 Government - Mayor Mikhail Pavlov Area - City 305. ... Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted Coordinates: , Country Ukraine Oblast Kiev City Municipality Raion Municipality Government - Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi Elevation 179 m (587 ft) Population (2006) - City 4,450,968 - Density 3,299/kmÂ² (8,544. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Arkhangelsk (Russian: ), formerly called Archangel in English, is a city in and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. ... For other uses, see Astrakhan (fur). ... The Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line or A-A line was the proposed eastern border of the Nazi German empire. ... Map of the Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains (Russian: , Uralskiye gory) (also known as the Urals, the Riphean Mountains in Greco-Roman antiquity, and known as the Stone Belt) are a mountain range that runs roughly north and south through western Russia. ... The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: Ð’Ð’Ð¡, Ð’Ð¾ÐµÐ½Ð½Ð¾-Ð²Ð¾Ð·Ð´ÑƒÑˆÐ½Ñ‹Ðµ ÑÐ¸Ð»Ñ‹ (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily), formed the official designation of the air force of the Soviet Union. ... Combatants Finland Soviet Union Commanders Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Kliment Voroshilov Semyon Timoshenko Strength 250,000 men 30 tanks 130 aircraft[1][2] 1,000,000 men 6,541 tanks [3] 3,800 aircraft[4][5] Casualties 26,662 dead 39,886 wounded 1,000 captured[6] 126,875 dead...

The Russian war effort in the first phase of the Eastern front war was severely hampered by the obsolete aviation industry. In 1941 the MiG-3, LaGG-3 and Yak-1 were just starting to roll off the production lines but were inferior in all-round performance to the Bf 109. Many of these aircraft were delivered before Barbarossa, but Soviet tactical naïveté, ensured most of these were destroyed on the ground as Soviet airfields were full of aircraft parked in groups next to each other making them ideal targets. Combatants Soviet Union,[1] Poland, Tannu Tuva (until 1944 incorporation with USSR), Mongolia Germany,[2] Italy (to 1943), Romania (to 1944), Finland (to 1944), Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Spain (to 1943, unofficial) Commanders Joseph Stalin, Aleksei Antonov, Ivan Konev, Rodion Malinovsky, Ivan Bagramyan, Kirill Meretskov, Ivan Petrov, Alexander Rodimtsev, Konstantin Rokossovsky... The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 (Микоян-Гуревич МиГ-3) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development of the MiG-1 in an attempt to curb some of that aircrafts handling problems. ... The Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Goudkov LaGG-3 (Лавочкин-Горбунов-Гудков ЛаГГ-3) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a refinement of the earlier LaGG-1, and was one of the most modern aircraft available to the Soviet Air Force at the time of Germanys attempted... The Yakovlev Yak-1 (originally designated I-26) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was the first of a line of small, nimble fighters, relatively primitive in many respects, but easy to build and maintain, and with fine performance and handling at low altitude. ...

The greatest German advantage lay in high standards of tactical deployment, training and experience. The first task of the Luftwaffe was the destruction of the Soviet Air force to establish control of the skies. To achieve this, four Luftflotte (1, 2, 4 and 5) were deployed with a strength of 4,389 aircraft, of which 2,598 were combat aircraft.^[58] In addition to this the German-Allied nations; Italy, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary committed another 980 combat aircraft.^[59] Of the Luftwaffe contingent 929 were medium bombers. The Luftwaffe had fewer bombers than at the start of the Battle of Britain because of heavy losses the previous summer.^[60] The German Luftwaffe (air force) of World War II had a distinct organization and command structure. ...

The attack on 22 June 1941 came as a complete surprise to the Russians. Unprepared they lost enormous numbers of aircraft on the ground. Many of the Russian pilots had not been trained properly on the fighters they were allocated, making missions less effective. The situation was so one-sided that some Russian pilots resorted to ramming German aircraft if they could. Junkers Ju 87D Stukas on a mission over the Russian countryside during World War II. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Junkers Ju 87D Stukas on a mission over the Russian countryside during World War II. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ...

Johannes Steinhoff, an ace with 176 victories (152 on the Eastern Front) described the standard of Soviet pilots in combat: Johannes Steinhoff (September 15, 1913 - February 21, 1994) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II and a senior West German air force officer after the war . ...

The scale of the Luftwaffe's victory on the first day of operations was doubted by its commander-in-chief, Herman Göring. The official report claimed 1,489 Soviet aircraft destroyed. Göring ordered this checked. After picking their way through the wreckages across the front, Luftwaffe officers found that the tally exceeded 2,000.^[62] The Luftwaffe's losses stood at 78 (24 Bf 109s, 23 Ju 88s, 11 He 111s, 7 Bf 110s, 2 Ju 87s, 1 Do17 and 10 transport and reconnaissance aircraft. Also lost were 12 aircraft from the Romanian Air Force.^[63] Hermann GÃ¶ring. ... The Romanian Air Force (Romanian: ) has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade. ...

In a desperate bid to stop the rapid German advance the Soviets sent huge waves of unescorted bombers to blunt the German Panzer divisions thrusts into Soviet territory. The result was appalling Soviet losses. Jagdgeschwader 77 shot down 47 VVS bombers on the 25 June. A particularly disastrous day for the Russians came on 29 June when Jagdgeschwader 51 shot down 65 bombers during the day. By the 18 July it had shot down 500 Soviet aircraft in combat. Panzer Division is the German term for armored division. ... Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) Herz As was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. It served in all the German theaters of war, from Western Europe to the Eastern Front, and from the high north in Norway to the Mediterranean. ... is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51) MÃ¶lders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner MÃ¶lders in 1942. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Germans were assured of air-superiority throughout the year. The VVS, although continually resisting, was powerless to prevent the Luftwaffe inflicting heavy losses to Soviet ground forces, and for the rest of 1941 the Luftwaffe could devote much of its energy to these ground support missions. In the following two days the Soviets reported the loss of another 1,922 aircraft.^[64] Three weeks into the campaign German pilot Werner Mölders scored his 100th aerial victory, the first pilot to do so.

The Luftwaffe was particularly effective in breaking up and destroying Soviet armored divisions. The Soviet tank force had an estimated strength of 15,000 tanks at the beginning of the invasion. By October that force had, in the central sector, been reduced to 150.^[65] Despite the clear victories being won and the rapid advances deep into Soviet territory, the Luftwaffe had lost nearly 1,000 aircraft destroyed within the first two months.^[66] It became apparent that the Luftwaffe could not sustain these losses for long. The increasing distances meant delivery of replacement manpower and machinery took much longer and spare parts to replace battle damaged aircraft became a problem. Despite this the Luftwaffe had reduced the Soviets to a mere 389 aircraft in the central sector of the front.^[67]

The Luftwaffe supported all three army groups in their push eastward and it helped the ground forces achieve a spectacular victory at Kiev in which an estimated 600,000 Red Army soldiers were killed or captured. The impact of the Luftwaffe during these months was critical to the pace of the advance. During the Battle of Kiev the Luftwaffe accounted for 2,171 Soviet vehicles and 23 Soviet tanks, and 107 Soviet aircraft destroyed between 12 September - 21 September 1941, and inflicted heavy casualties to the Soviet ground troops. Soviet prisoners revealed that the Stuka attacks in particular devastated morale.^[68] On 15 September Heinkels of 3./Kampfgeschwader 55 destroyed eight locomotives in a single sortie. But the drive toward Moscow was halted during the two month campaign, giving the defenders of the Soviet capital time to prepare defenses and move an enormous amount of industry eastward. For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Gerd von Rundstedt Semyon Budyonny (Removed from duty on Sept. ... The US M1A1 Abrams tank is a typical modern main battle tank. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Kampfgeschwader 55 Greif (KG 55) (Battle Wing 55) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. The unit was one of the most famous in the Luftwaffe. ...

During this month, Stuka pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel sank the Soviet battleship Marat, during an air attack on Kronstadt harbour in the Leningrad area, with a hit to the bow with a 1000 kg armour-piercing bomb. Several other Soviet ships were sunk in this engagement. The Soviet Navy suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Luftwaffe during the war. Hans-Ulrich Rudel (July 2, 1916 â€“ December 18, 1982) was a Stuka dive-bomber pilot during World War II. Rudel is famous for being the most highly decorated German serviceman of the war. ... For other uses, see Battleship (disambiguation). ... The Petropavlovsk (Russian: ) was a Russian battleship of the Gangut Class. ... The Soviet Navy (Russian: Ð’Ð¾ÐµÐ½Ð½Ð¾-Ð¼Ð¾Ñ€ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ Ñ„Ð»Ð¾Ñ‚ Ð¡Ð¡Ð¡Ð , Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR, literally Naval military forces of the USSR) was the naval arm of the Soviet armed forces. ...

By the end of 1941 the Luftwaffe had been reduced to just 30 - 40% of their original strength.^[69] The winter weather and the snow caused damage to aircraft, as engines seized and the oil and fuel froze inside the tanks. The Luftwaffe was losing as many aircraft damaged than in combat. The Luftwaffe also lost its General der Jagdflieger Werner Mölders, who was killed on 22 November in an accident, sapping morale even further. is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Wehrmacht was now pushing toward Moscow and the Luftwaffe delivered its first raids over the capital but caused little damage. The Russians however were reinforced with fresh forces from Siberia including significant numbers of the T-34 tanks and nearly 1,000 aircraft. The Russian counter-attack, despite Luftwaffe intervention, succeeded in pushing the Germans back in December, saving Moscow and cutting off large parts of Army Group Centre. Faced with annihilation of its forces in the central sector, the Luftwaffe was ordered to increase its efforts, and it managed to prevent the destruction of the central front forces. The VVS now had numerical superiority. This article is about Siberia as a whole. ... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ...

The failure of the Luftwaffe during Barbarossa was reflected in its losses, with 2,093 aircraft of all types being destroyed. Soviet losses stand at 21,200 destroyed, 10,000 in combat, of which 7,500 were shot down by the Luftwaffe fighters, who could now boast some of the top aces like Günther Lützow who had already surpassed the 100 victory mark; these scores were to increase over time.^[70] The successes of the German air arm were offset by the losses which unlike the Soviet Air Force could not be replaced easily as the German economy had not yet been put on a full war footing. Losses in personnel were also high and irreplaceable with 3,231 killed, 2,028 missing and 8,453 wounded.^[71]

The campaign in Russia had commenced with an insufficient number of combat aircraft. The reduction in serviceable aircraft, in particular dive-bombers, meant medium bomber and fighter-bomber units were rushing to 'hot-spots' to prevent enemy gains. Arguably the lack of a strategic bomber force denied the Luftwaffe the opportunity to attack Soviet industry and would prove fatal to the success of the campaign, as Soviet production continued to increase which would help them maintain high numbers of aircraft and gain numerical and then, briefly, air superiority in November/December 1941.^[72]

Eastern Front: 1942 - 1943

The Wehrmacht's failure to achieve victory in the Soviet Union before 1941 was not a complete disaster for the German war effort as on all fronts the Germans still held the strategic initiative.^[73] The entry of the United States into the war, on the side of the Allies, in December 1941 however, would pit its enormous industrial power against Germany. Hitler had stated that he would avoid a war on two fronts and knew he needed to end the war on the Eastern Front before the Americans built up significant strength in Europe. Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Hitler and the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) had decided that the main offensive effort of the Wehrmacht should fall in the south, to capture or cut off the Caucasus oil fields from the rest of Russia, then move north out-flanking Moscow from the south. Conquering the Caucasus would also doom the considerable Soviet forces holding Sevastopol in the Crimea. The operation became known as Operation Fall Blau. The command flag for the Chief of the High Command of the German Armed Forces (1938 - 1941) The command flag for a Generalfeldmarschall as the Chief of the High Command of the German Armed Forces (1941 - 1945) The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW (Wehrmacht High Command, Armed Forces High Command... Location Map of Ukraine with Sevastopol highlighted. ... Motto: ÐŸÑ€Ð¾Ñ†Ð²ÐµÑ‚Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ðµ Ð² ÐµÐ´Ð¸Ð½ÑÑ‚Ð²Ðµ(Russian) Protsvetanie v edinstve(transliteration) Prosperity in unity Anthem: ÐÐ¸Ð²Ñ‹ Ð¸ Ð³Ð¾Ñ€Ñ‹ Ñ‚Ð²Ð¾Ð¸ Ð²Ð¾Ð»ÑˆÐµÐ±Ð½Ñ‹, Ð Ð¾Ð´Ð¸Ð½Ð°(Russian) Nivy i gory tvoi volshebny, Rodina(transliteration) Your fields and mounts are wonderful, Motherland Location of Crimea (red) with respect to Ukraine (light blue). ... Fall Blau (Case Blue in German) was the German code name for two WWII studies in future combat. ...

The Luftwaffe assisted with the capture of Sevastopol by subjecting Soviet defenses in and around the city to heavy assault, the bombings mainly carried out by Luftflotte 4. The Luftwaffe had effectively dealt with Soviet opostion in the air, the VVS force of 300 had been destroyed leaving the Luftwaffe to operate unmolested, with air support the city fell on 4 July 1942.^[74] The Battle of Sevastopol had seen the Luftwaffe support the German Army extremely effectively. With the Eastern Front largely quiet in early 1942, the Luftwaffe was able to concentrate its forces, as it had done in previous campaigns. The Russians also lacked adequate air cover in the Crimea, allowing the Luftwaffe to avoid time consuming task of achieving air superiority. During the summer offensive the Luftwaffe would find itself increasingly spread thin on the eastern front while contesting powerful numerical forces of the VVS.^[75] is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Germany Romania Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein Ivan Petrov Filipp Oktyabrskiy Strength 350,000+ 106,000 Casualties at least 100,000 killed, wounded or captured (Including Romanians) 95,000 captured, 11,000 killed The Battle of Sevastopol was fought from October 30, 1941 to July 4, 1942 between...

The Luftwaffe was also instrumental in the Second Battle of Kharkov destroying enemy airpower of 615 aircraft whilst destroying hundreds of Tanks. The German air-arm had helped the Army achieve another spectacular victory. Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Fedor von Bock, Friedrich Paulus Semyon Timoshenko Strength 300,000 men, 1000 tanks, 1500 aircraft 640,000 men, 1200 tanks, 1000 aircraft Casualties 20,000 killed, wounded or captured 207,057 killed, wounded or captured, 652 tanks, 1,646 guns, 3,278 mortars, 57,626...

As Fall Blau began the Luftwaffe wiped out the strong contingent of VVS forces and were instrumental in disrupting supply lines and destroying enemy troop and vehicle concentrations. By 19 November 2,846 Soviet aircraft were destroyed^[76]. In an unwelcome turn of events for the Luftwaffe the Soviets started to operate large numbers of British lend-lease aircraft like the Hawker Hurricane. In the opening month the Luftwaffe lost 251 aircraft but the advance was in full swing and the Germans looked set to take the Kuban food producing region and the Baku oil fields. Kuban (Ukrainian - ÐšÑƒÐ±Ð°Ð½ÑŒ) is an ethnical ukrainian territory. ... Coordinates: , Country Government - Mayor Hajibala Abutalybov Area - City 260 kmÂ² (100. ...

Due to appalling losses Soviet resistance in the air was radically reduced in August.^[77] But even without the threat of enemy air attack the Wehrmachts supply lines were long and difficult to maintain.

The Luftwaffe continued to pound the Soviet Navy's Black Sea Fleet and inflicted heavy losses to Soviet Shipping. From February - August the Germans had sunk 68 freighters, a flotilla leader, three destroyers and three submarines^[78]. Despite such successes and air support the advance had slown to a "snail's pace" in the Kuban region, with its forces spread thin, the Luftwaffe was powerless to prevent Soviet aircraft inflicting considerable losses to the Army^[79]. Black Sea Fleet sleeve ensign The Black Sea Fleet (Russian: Ð§ÐµÑ€Ð½Ð¾Ð¼Ð¾Ñ€ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ Ñ„Ð»Ð¾Ñ‚) is a large sub-unit of the Russian (and formerly Soviet) Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the early 18th century. ... A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a flota of small ships, and this from French flotte), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. ... USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ...

As the Battle of Stalingrad got underway the Luftwaffe was now operating often from poor airfields, which caused accidents and damaged aircraft, which the Luftwaffe could ill afford. As a result of the bombing of Stalingrad, which was largely destroyed, the Luftwaffe created ruins in which the Red Army could defend effectively^[80]. Belligerents Germany Romania Italy Hungary Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Friedrich Paulus # Erich von Manstein Wolfram von Richthofen Petre Dumitrescu Constantin Constantinescu Italo Gariboldi GusztÃ¡v VitÃ©z JÃ¡ny Josef Stalin Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Georgiy Zhukov Semyon Timoshenko Konstantin Rokossovskiy Rodion Malinovskiy Andrei Yeremenko Strength Army Group B...

The Luftwaffe had, by October 1942 flown over 20,000 individual sorties but its original strength (in the shape of Luftflotte 4s 1,600 aircraft) had fallen 40% to 950 aircraft. The bomber units had been hardest hit having only 232 out of a force of 480 left.^[81] The Luftwaffe still held air superiority but clearly its strength was being eroded. The Russian output of aircraft continued unabated—no matter how many enemy machines were destroyed, more appeared, while its own much smaller losses, particularly among the crews, were becoming serious. The Luftwaffe's Sturzkampfgeschwader made maximum effort during this phase of the war flying 500 sorties per day and causing heavy losses among Soviet forces losing just an average of one Stuka per day^[82].

On 19 November 1942 the Soviets launched Operation Uranus which cut off the entire German Sixth Army. Göring assured Hitler that the Luftwaffe could airlift in supplies to the surrounded Army. Hans Jeschonnek also convinced Hitler that if both bombers and transports were used and the airfields in and outside the pocket were maintained the operation was possible^[83]. The Luftwaffe tried to fulfill these grand promises, but failed to deliver the required tonnage and the German sixth Army surrendered on 2 February 1943. The Luftwaffe had managed to evacuate 30,000 wounded German soldiers, and supply the Army with 8,350.7 tons of food and ammunition. However some 488 aircraft, including 266 Junkers Ju 52 transports (one-third of the Luftwaffe's Eastern Front strength) and 165 Heinkel He 111s were lost. The Luftwaffe also suffered casualties of nearly 1,000 airmen, many highly experienced bomber pilots^[84]. The Battle at Stalingrad had turned the tide of the war in the east in favour of the Soviet Union. is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The eastern front at the time of Operation Uranus. ... The 6. ... Hans Jeschonnek (April 9, 1899 â€“ August 19, 1943) was a German Generaloberst and a Chief of the General Staff of Nazi Germanys Luftwaffe during World War II. // Jeschonnek was born in Hohensalza (InowrocÅ‚aw) in the Prussian Province of Posen. ... Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo capacity of a ship. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Eastern Front: 1943

Despite the disaster at Stalingrad the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht decided to launch another offensive in the summer of 1943 in which Hitler had hoped would cut off the large salient now protruding into the German front, eliminating the large Soviet Forces within it and turning the tide once more into the Wehrmacht's favour. This new operation was named Operation Citadel, the Battle of Kursk. To support the ground forces the Luftwaffe committed Fliegerkorps I and Fliegerkorps VIII under Luftflotte 6 and Luftflotte 4 (under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim and Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen respectively. Some 2, 109 machines were allotted to the air fleets, 65 percent were operational^[85]^[86]. The command flag for the Chief of the High Command of the German Armed Forces (1938 - 1941) The command flag for a Generalfeldmarschall as the Chief of the High Command of the German Armed Forces (1941 - 1945) The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW (Wehrmacht High Command, Armed Forces High Command... Belligerents Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein GÃ¼nther von Kluge Hermann Hoth Walther Model Hans Seidemann Robert Ritter von Greim Georgiy Zhukov Konstantin Rokossovskiy Nikolay Vatutin Ivan Konyev Strength 2,700 tanks 800,000 infantry 2,109 aircraft[1] 3,600 tanks 20,000 guns[2] 1... Replica of the marshals baton of Generalfeldmarschall von Richthofen (Third Reich) Generalfeldmarschall ( ) (general field marshal, usually translated simply as field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall) was a rank in the armies of several German states, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Austrian Empire. ... Robert Ritter von Greim. ... Replica of the marshals baton of Generalfeldmarschall von Richthofen (Third Reich) Generalfeldmarschall ( ) (general field marshal, usually translated simply as field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall) was a rank in the armies of several German states, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Austrian Empire. ... Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (10 October 1895 - 12 July 1945) He was born in Barzdorf. ...

On 5 July the Germans began the offensive. The Luftwaffe rendered more invaluable support to the Army despite the operations failure. By the 12 July Fliegerkorps I flew 37,241 sorties dropping 20,000 tons of bombs destroying 1,735 Soviet aircraft, 1,100 tanks, 1,300 vehicles for the loss of 64 of it's own. Its Kampf and Jagdgruppen flew between six and seven sorties per day over Kursk^[87]. Examination of Soviet archive records indicate the loss of 677 aircraft in the southern sector of the Kursk salient, for the period 5-31 July. On the Northern Sector Soviet losses were 439. The Luftwaffe Generalquartiermiester reported a loss of 687 machines with 420 totally destroyed, ^[88] 220 of them on the northern sector. In the following month Soviet losses were to reach 1,104 for 12 July - 18 August^[89]. is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Attritional air battle alarmingly depleted the Luftwaffe's strength, 911 aircraft were lost in July, while inflicting much heavier losses on the Soviet Air Forces, whose strength appeared to be undiminished. Despite this the Luftwaffe decisively intervened in the battle. The Soviet 11th Guards Army initiated an offensive aimed at cutting off the 2. Panzerarmee and German 9th Army. The Luftwaffe was called upon to rescue the situation in a huge aerial counter-offensive lasting from 16 July - 31 July against a Soviet offensive at Khotynets and saved two German armies from encirclement, reducing the attacking Soviet 11th Gurad Army to just 33 tanks by 20 July. The Soviet offensive had been completely halted from the air^[90].

The Soviet losses were so heavy the 1st Tank Corps had only 33 tanks remaining on 20 July.^[91].^[92] Model sent a message to von Greim thanking him, "the Luftwaffe's intervention was absolutely decisive to prevent a second, more disastrous Stalingrad".^[93]

By October 1943 with the Soviet forces pushing the Wehrmacht back toward the Dnieper, the Luftwaffe had some 1,150 of its aircraft, 60 percent of its eastern front strength concentrated around Kiev. By December the Luftwaffe had just 425 operational fighters alone on the eastern front^[94]. Despite its efforts the seeming endless numbers of the Soviets, both on the ground and in the air had rebuffed the Wehrmacht's last significant offensive on the Soviet-German front.

The Battle of the Atlantic

Following some early experience in support of the war at sea during the Norwegian Campaign, the Luftwaffe contributed small amounts of forces to the Battle of the Atlantic from 1940 to 1944. These were primarily long-range reconnaissance planes, first with Focke-Wulf Fw 200 and later Junkers Ju 290 maritime patrol aircraft. The initial Focke-Wulf aircraft were very successful, claiming 365,000 tons of shipping in early 1941. The development of escort carriers and increased efforts by RAF Coastal Command soon made the task more dangerous and less rewarding for the Lufftwaffe though. The defeats on the Eastern Front, in North Africa and the ever increasing raids of American bombers of the Reich ensured that the Luftwaffe's naval arm, the Fliegerfuhrer Atlantik was denied the necessary resources to combat Allied air and naval superiority over the Atlantic. By the end of 1943 a Gruppe of He 177s that had been committed lost 17 of their number to air opposition^[95]. These units had trained with radio controlled anti-shipping bombs, and this loss of fully trained crews prompted a switch to night fighting with even fewer successes. Operation Weserübung was the German codename for Nazi Germanys assault on Scandinavia during World War II. The name translates as Weser Exercise, the Weser being a German river. ... Combatants United Kingdom Canada United States(1941â€“5) Norway Poland Free French Navy Germany Italy (1940â€“3) Commanders Sir Percy Noble Sir Max K. Horton Percy W. Nelles Leonard W. Murray Ernest J. King Erich Raeder Karl DÃ¶nitz Casualties 30,248 merchant sailors 3,500 merchant vessels 175 warships... The Junkers Ju 290 was a long-range transport, maritime patrol aircraft and bomber used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II. The Ju-290 was the only four-engined heavy-duty aircraft used by the Luftwaffe in World War II and was the forerunner of the subsequent transatlantic... Coastal Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force tasked with protecting the United Kingdom from naval threats. ...

The Luftwaffe also contributed fighter cover for U-boats venturing out into and returning from the Atlantic, and for returning blockade runners. U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... A blockade runner is a ship designed to provide vital supplies to countries or areas blockaded by enemy forces during wartime. ...

Development of night fighting

Although night fighting had been undertaken in embryonic form way back in World War I, the German night fighter force, the Nachtjagd, had to virtually start from scratch when British bombers began to attack targets in Germany in strength from 1940 as far as tactics were concerned. A chain of radar stations was established all across the Reich territory from Norway to the border with Switzerland known as the "Kammhuber Line", named for Generalleutnant Josef Kammhuber, and nearby night fighter wings, Nachtjagdgeschwader (NJG), were alerted to the presence of the enemy. These wings were equipped mostly with Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Junkers Ju 88 aircraft, which would later be outfitted with the Lichtenstein nose-mounted radar. The Kammhuber Line was the name given to the German night air defense system established in July 1940 by Colonel Josef Kammhuber. ... Josef Kammhuber (August 19, 1896â€“January 1, 1986) was the first General of the Night Fighters in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He is credited with setting up the first truly successful night fighter defense system, the so-called Kammhuber Line, but a detailed knowledge of the system provided... The Messerschmitt Bf 110 (called an M.E. One-Ten by American pilots) was a twin-engine heavy fighter (ZerstÃ¶rer - German for Destroyer) in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Later in the war it was changed to fighter-bomber (JagdBomber-Jabo) and night fighter operations... The Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. ...

The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was the most successful night fighter that served in the Luftwaffe. Among the most notable night fighter aces were Helmut Lent, who shot down 110 enemy aircraft and Wolfgang Schnaufer, who shot down 102 enemy aircraft. Lent mostly flew in the Bf 110 (and variants of the Ju 88), while Schnaufer flew the Bf 110 exclusively. The Bf 110's main strength was its ability to carry heavy armament in its nose section. Early versions had four MG 17 machine guns in the upper nose and two 20 mm MG FF/M cannons fitted in the lower part of the nose. G-series aircraft replaced the MG FF/M with improved 20 mm MG 151/20 and the upper nose MG 17 were sometimes replaced with two 30 mm MK 108 cannons. Starting in Mid'1944 the Bf 110 G-4 night fighters entered serial production with two MG FF/M as the Schräge Musik 'off-bore gun' (upward firing) system for attacking Allied bombers from underneath with several units field modifying their Bf 110 with this system some time earlier. The Schräge Musik cannons were typically mounted just to the rear of the cockpit in the Bf 110 or in the fuselage behind the cockpit on other machines. Several Dornier Do 217, Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 219 carried similar installations. To compound the British night bomber problems the Avro Lancaster, Handley Page Halifax and Short Stirling did not carry ventral ball turrets under their fuselage, making them vulnerable to this kind of attack. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x798, 135 KB) A Bf 110G-4 Night fighter at the RAF Museum in London. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x798, 135 KB) A Bf 110G-4 Night fighter at the RAF Museum in London. ... A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night, or in other times of bad visibility. ... An Avro Lancaster in the main hangar of the RAF Museum London The Royal Air Force Museum (RAF Museum) is a museum dedicated to the history of aviation, and the British Royal Air Force in particular. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... German Night-fighter pilot. ... A Luftwaffe Night fighter pilot during World war II. Schnaufer was the top scoring German night fighter ace, with 121 victories, almost all in night battles, and one ten ace pilots awarded the Knights Cross with oak leaves swords and diamonds. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Dornier Do 217 was a World War II medium bomber designed from scratch as a replacement for the venerable Dornier Do 17. ... The Heinkel He 219 Uhu (Eagle-Owl) was a night fighter serving in the later stages of World War II with the German Luftwaffe. ... The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engine Second World War bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). ... The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engine heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. ... The Stirling was a World War II heavy bomber design built by Short Brothers. ... A ball turret was a particular form of aircraft gun turret mounted on aircraft during World War II. The most popular one was manufactured by the Sperry Corporation. ...

During mid-1943, a Luftwaffe bomber pilot, Major Hajo Herrmann devised a new plan for night attacks. Bombers were silhouetted over the target areas from the fires below and searchlights, which would make them vulnerable to attack from above. Three Jagdgeschwader, (JG 300, 301 and 302) were tasked with these operations codenamed as Wilde Sau attacks.^[96] The units were equipped with Bf 109 G-6/N and Fw 190 A-5/U2, both aircraft versions were modified for night use and some of them were fitted with a Naxos passive radar detector. The FuG 350 Naxos-Z detector set could track enemy H2S radar transmissions from a range of thirty miles, which enable the German fighters to "home in" on British Bombers.^[97] Herrmann's tactics were reasonably successful, but the 30 Jagddivision only saw action until it was disbanded in March 1944. Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... Hajo Herrmann (born 1 August 1913 in Kiel, Germany), is a German lawyer focusing his activities mostly on the defense of former Nazis and Neo-Nazis, deniers of the holocaust and political activists of the far-right. ... Naxos radar detector was a World War II German counter measure to centimetric radar produced by a cavity magnetron. ... An early H2S picture of the Pembroke and Milford Haven area The H2S radar was used in bombers of RAF Bomber Command. ...

In early 1944, to counter the Luftwaffe's NachtJagdgeschwader, the British operated Mosquito night fighters in the bomber support role, with RAF Bomber Commands 100 Group. These units were tasked with harassing the German night fighter airfields, and disrupting their operations and attacking them when they were most vulnerable, during take off and landing. The de Havilland Mosquito[1] was a British combat aircraft that excelled in a number of roles during the Second World War. ... Bomber Command badge RAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAFs bomber forces. ...

The Heinkel He 219 Uhu (Owl) was considered one of the most effective night fighters in the Luftwaffe's inventory yet not enough of them were built to stem the tide of bombers, which became effective at using strips of aluminium foil called "Window" (American name, "chaff"; German, Düppel) to jam the radar signals. As modern as these aircraft were, they could not prevent Germany's total defeat in the air. In the end, the Luftwaffe lacked fuel, trained pilots, and "safe" airfields. The Heinkel He 219 Uhu (Eagle-Owl) was a night fighter serving in the later stages of World War II with the German Luftwaffe. ... Aluminum redirects here. ...

Defense of the Reich 1942-45

The Luftwaffe on top

Between 1942 and 1945 the Luftwaffe had to continually expend its resources to counter the Allied strategic bombing campaign against targets deep inside Germany itself. RAF Bomber Command under Sir Arthur Harris had begun bombing German targets in early 1942, but after heavy losses switched to night bombing. The U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF)'s Eighth Air Force eventually joined in the autumn of 1942 flying daylight missions. This campaign became known as The Defense of the Reich. The city heart of Rotterdam after being terror bombed by Germany in 1940, the ruin of the (now restored) Laurens Kerk is the only building that reminds people of Rotterdams medieval architecture. ... Bomber Command badge RAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAFs bomber forces. ... Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet (April 13, 1892 - April 5, 1984), commonly known as Bomber Harris, and often within the RAF as Butcher Harris[1], was commander of RAF Bomber Command and later a Marshal of the Royal Air Force during the latter half of World War II. In... The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was the aviation component of the United States Army primarily during World War II. The title of Army Air Forces succeeded the prior name of Army Air Corps in June 1941 during preparation for expected combat in what came to be known as... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ...

In 1941 the Focke Wulf Fw 190 fighter began to partially replace the Bf 109 as the main Luftwaffe fighter type. The Fw 190 proved to be more manoeuvrable and better armed, but it's performance above 20,000ft dropped considerably. The Bf 109G and K could fight well at high altitudes and were a match for Allied fighters in performance. It was decided by the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe to keep both the Fw 190 and Bf 109 in production. The FW 190s were to be used primarily as bomber destroyers while the Bf 109, the superior of the two at high altitude, would engage any escorting fighters^[98]. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 WÃ¼rger (shrike), often called Butcher-bird (usually for the radial engined version), was a single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft of Germanys Luftwaffe, and one of the best fighters of its generation. ... The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) was the Airforce High Command of the Third Reich. ...

In total more than 11,000 heavy bombers of the RAF and USAAF were lost in the European theatre of operations between 1942-45. One of the most disastrous RAF raids occurring on (October 30–31, 1943) when the RAF bombed the Bavarian city of Nuremberg, losing 96 bombers over Germany, and a further number on return to base. NÃ¼rnberg redirects here. ...

Unlike the Germans, prior to the war the RAF and the USAAF (under the command of General Henry H. Arnold), developed strategic bomber forces. From 1942 onwards their bombers penetrated deep into Reich's territory in increasing numbers. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The MG 151 (MG 151/15) was a 15 mm cannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser starting in 1940. ... General of the Air Force Henry Harley Hap Arnold GCB (June 25, 1886 â€“ January 15, 1950) was an aviation pioneer and Chief of the United States Army Air Corps (from 1938), Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces (from 1941 until 1945) and the first and only General...

The British had tried to convince the Americans that daylight bombing could not be accomplished as Allied fighters lacked the range to escort bombers to and from the target. Initially the British were to be proved right, as by the end of 1943 losses nearly halted daylight raids. The USAAF maintained an unescorted daylight bombing campaign of industrial targets until October 1943, when it lost 120 bombers in two raids on Regensburg and Schweinfurt. Regensburg (also Ratisbon, Latin Ratisbona) is a city (population 151. ... Schweinfurt is a city in the Unterfranken region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km North-East of WÃ¼rzburg. ...

On 14 October 1943, a mission to Schweinfurt cost the Americans 60 B-17s destroyed in just over three hours of continuous attacks.^[99]^[100] The target of these attacks, the ball bearing plants were dispersed before the Americans returned to Schweinfurt. Albert Speer, Hitler's armament minister, said that no weapon failed to reach the front due to a lack of ball bearings.^[101] is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Working principle for a ball bearing. ... For the son of Albert Speer, also an architect, see Albert Speer (the younger). ...

The Luftwaffe's victory in October 1943 was obvious to the Americans, General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold said, "the largest and most savage fighter resistance of any war in history".^[102] In the second week of that month four full strength missions to Bremen, Marienburg, Munster and Schweinfurt had cost the Eighth Air Force 148 heavy bombers, fifty percent of its daily operational strength.^[103] This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... This article is about the city in Germany. ... Statistics Area: 24,607. ...

The Americans then had to direct their attacks against targets within the range of fighter cover for the bombers. The RAF, having learned this lesson, were now executing their offensive by conducting night bombing operations on an increasingly large scale, with 1,000 bomber raids being assembled from 1942. Deep-penetration raids into Germany would be suspended until long range escorting fighters became available. The P-38 with 568 litre drop tanks were rushed back to operations over Europe after a year's absence to contend with the Jagdwaffe. Until the turn of the year the Luftwaffe would maintain air superiority over its homeland. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was one of the most important American fighters of the Second World War. ... The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of volume. ... Jagdwaffe, meaning Fighter Force was the term used to describe the Luftwaffes fighter force during World War Two. ...

The turn of the tide

Until the development of Allied long-range fighters the Luftwaffe remained capable of inflicting serious losses by the day fighter and night fighter units (Nachtgeschwader), as well as the anti-aircraft guns under its command. The Luftwaffe employed twin-engined Ju 88 and Bf 110 Zerstörer, or bomber destroyer units to attack American formation with rockets and heavy cannon with considerable success. However with the arrival of the long range P-51D these units suffered heavy losses.^[104]

The disastrous Me 210, designed to replace the Bf 110, encountered design difficulties and was replaced with the Me 410 Hornisse, which was a development of the Me 210. The Me 410s were extremely vulnerable in hostile skies, and by 1944 were nothing more than cannon fodder for marauding Allied "day" fighters. The Me 210 was a German heavy fighter and attack aircraft of World War II developed by Messerschmitt. ... The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet) was a Luftwaffe heavy fighter and Schnellbomber of World War II developed from the badly flawed Me 210. ...

The turn in the Luftwaffe's fortunes came during Big Week in which the U.S. Eighth Air Force flying from bases in Britain, and Fifteenth Air Force flying form bases in Southern Italy, carried out raids against German aviation industry throughout Europe. Together they dropped roughly 10,000 tons of bombs and seriously disrupted German fighter production. During Big Week, the Eighth Air Force lost 97 B-17s. Coupled with B-24 losses the figure totaled 137 initially and 20 more scrapped due to damage.^[105] The Fifteenth Air Force lost 90 aircraft and American fighter losses stood at 28. The Luftwaffe losses were high amongst their twin-engined Zerstörer units which suffered heavy losses and decimated the Bf 110 and Me 410 Gruppen.^[106] More worrying for the Jagdwaffe was the loss of 17 per-cent of its pilots; nearly 100 were killed.^[107] The tide had turned, and air superiority had passed to the Western Allies. The Big Week (20 February - 25 February 1944) was an American bombing campaign during World War II. On February 20, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign of the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) launched a series of missions against Third Reich that became known as Big... Activated on November 1, 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force was established as part of the U.S. Army Air Force in the World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a strategic air force and commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. ... Royal Canadian Air Force B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft, and was used by most of the Allied air forces in World War II. Designed as a heavy bomber, it served with distinction not only in that...

When long-range fighter support became widely available by May 1944, the Luftwaffe's defensive effort was severely damaged. The P-51D Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts with extended range were now able to escort the bombers to and from the target. The Luftwaffe now did not have opportunity to attack the unprotected fleets. The resulting air battles diminished the strength of the Jagdwaffe. The North American P-51 Mustang was a successful long range fighter aircraft which set new standards of excellence and performance when it entered service in the middle years of World War II and is still regarded as one of the very best piston-engined fighters ever made. ... The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, or Jug as it was known, was one of the main US Army Air Force (USAAF) fighters of World War II. The P-47 was a big, rugged, overbuilt aircraft that was effective in air combat but proved particularly useful as a fighter-bomber. ...

U.S. and RAF fighters undertook many fighter sweeps, and the boundaries of the front line steadily moved eastward. They engaged many Luftwaffe training aircraft, and the helpless Jagdflieger of tomorrow were shot down in droves. Pilot training had becoming shorter in order to fill the front line Gruppen, which often had more aircraft than pilots. German aircraft production reached its peak in August 1944, finally equaling the Soviet and American output, but the production came too late to alter the outcome of the air war. The Luftwaffe had plenty of aircraft but a critical shortage of experienced fighter pilots.^[108]

The Allied air campaign was not successful in knocking Germany out of the war by itself, but it contributed significantly to the German defeat, by forcing the Germans to focus valuable resources on the battle over Germany, which were then missed on other fronts.^[1] Albert Speer said that if the 1944 campaign against the Romanian oil fields had been continued for another month, the entire Wehrmacht would have been crippled.^[109] According to Speer, 98% of Germany's aircraft fuel plants were out of production. The production of aviation fuel fell from 180,000 tons to 20,000 tons between March and November 1944.^[110]

To increase the Jagdwaffe's woes the American fighters were now flying shuttle missions and landing at bases in the Soviet Union. This tactic enabled them to extend their already considerable combat time over the target area. American enthusiasm for these missions ended when the Russians failed to defend these aircraft from Luftwaffe attacks. One such raid in March 1944 destroyed 43 B-17s and 15 P-51 fighters on the ground.^[111]

Strafing Luftwaffe airbases became common place as 1944 wore on, until nowhere in Europe could the Jagdwaffe remain outside of Allied range. If the fuel crisis was bad enough the casualties suffered by the now largely defunct Kampfgruppen were starting to become serious. Most bomber units were now ferrying and transporting personnel across Germany. In April/May 1944 the Luftwaffe lost 67 aircraft of this type, as far east as Dresden.^[112]

Many Allied fighter gun cameras often revealed that aircraft which had been claimed destroyed as '109's were often Arado Ar 96 trainers with a cadet pilot at the controls.^[113] To counter this non-combat flights were only to carried out at dawn and dusk. The Luftwaffe expanded aircraft warning systems and devised radio signals to warn flights of intruders. If attacked, poorly armed aircraft were to dive down to tree-top level, and if necessary, the pilot was to belly land and take cover, as pilots were far more important than aircraft.^[114] Arado Ar 96 was a single-engined, low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction produced by Arado Flugzeugwerke. ...

The Germans also used camouflage, smoke screens and resorted to burying vital communications and electrical cables serving their radar and command stations. Ammunition was stored in tunnels along with precious fuel supplies. Allied pilots also noted that the Germans covered the airfields with 20 mm quadruple and 37 mm flak guns capable of putting up withering sheets of fire in the path of low flying fighters. As a result of these measures Allied fighter losses increased.^[115] This article is about protective camouflage used to disguise people, animals, or military targets. ...

The introduction of the B-17G with its remote controlled 'chin' turret forced a change of tactic on the Jagdwaffe. Throughout 1943 head-on attacks had proved successful against American heavy bombers. Many Luftwaffe units now upgraded the firepower of their fighters. Some Fw 190 fighters carried MK 108 30 mm cannon that could destroy most heavy bombers with two or three hits. The later variants of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 (from the Gustav onwards) were also capable of carrying heavier armament like the MK 108, although only a single barrel firing through the propeller shaft as an engine-mounted Motorkanone. Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in flight. ... The MK 108 (German: Maschinenkanone - Machine Cannon) was an autocannon (30mm calibre) manufactured in Germany during World War II by Rheinmetall-Borsig for use in aircraft. ... A propeller shaft connects a propeller to an engine. ...

By September 1944 the Soviets were advancing into Romania and the oilfields were lost. From this time, the Luftwaffe experienced chronic shortages of fuel. Many German interceptors returning from missions switched off their engines on touching down to avoid wasting fuel. Ground crews then quickly got them under cover. By this time fighter pilot losses were becoming unbearable, and the Jagdwaffe was nearing breaking point.

The end in the West 1944 - 45

Between January and May 1944 the Luftwaffe undertook Operation Steinbock, the so-called Baby Blitz, assembling 474 bombers for a campaign against London. Steinbock was called off when V-1 rockets became available for the retribution attacks and after the loss of 329 bombers.^[116] The lack of night flying experience of the crew contributed to the losses. The bomber force, under the command of Oberst Dietrich Peltz, now had only 143 bombers available for the Normandy invasion. Operation Steinbock was a late war German operation carried out by the Luftwaffe between January and May 1944 against targets in southern England, mainly in and around the London area. ... The V-1 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 1) was the first guided missile used in war and the forerunner of todays cruise missile. ... ... Generalmajor Dietrich Peltz (born 9 June 1914 in Gera â€“ died 10 August 2001 in Munich) was a German World War II Luftwaffe bomber pilot. ...

By 1944 the Luftwaffe was no longer in a position to offer serious opposition to Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France on 6 June 1944. The only Luftwaffe action to occur over the beaches was a strafing run conducted by the Fw 190 ace Josef Priller and his wingman. Emil Lang scored 29 victories against the Western Allies, all but one over the Normandy invasion front, making him the highest-scoring German ace of the campaign.^[117] Though outnumbered many times over the Jagdwaffe continued to oppose the Allied bomber fleets. Many Eastern Front veterans with well over 100 victories (like Emil Lang) found that this theatre was no respecter of reputations. Belligerents Western Allies Nazi Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Arthur Tedder (Deputy Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (Ground Forces Commander in Chief) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (Air Commander in Chief) Bertram Ramsay (Naval Commander in Chief) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B) Strength 1,452,000... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Josef Pips Priller (27 July 1915 - 20 May 1961) was a Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace. ... Emil Bully Lang (January 14, 1909 - September 3, 1944) was one of the most respected Luftwaffe Experten during World War II. He was credited with 173 aerial victories (144 on the Eastern Front, 29 on the Western Front) in over 400 sorties, before his death in combat over Belgium. ... Combatants Soviet Union,[1] Poland, Tannu Tuva (until 1944 incorporation with USSR), Mongolia Germany,[2] Italy (to 1943), Romania (to 1944), Finland (to 1944), Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Spain (to 1943, unofficial) Commanders Joseph Stalin, Aleksei Antonov, Ivan Konev, Rodion Malinovsky, Ivan Bagramyan, Kirill Meretskov, Ivan Petrov, Alexander Rodimtsev, Konstantin Rokossovsky...

During Operation Market Garden, the Allied attempt to end the war in 1944 by forcing a route through the Netherlands and into the Ruhr region of Germany, Luftwaffe fighter forces managed to inflict significant losses on Allied planes transporting paratroopers and supplies into battle, but their own losses were serious. The Jagddivision's operational in the area claimed 209 Allied aircraft destroyed, including only 35 transport aircraft. In return the Luftwaffe lost 192 fighters.^[118] The Allied operation failed, and the Luftwaffe survived into the following year. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (888x454, 25 KB) Fw 190, possibly a 190A-8 Captured by allied troops 1944/1945 Gut zu erkennen ist der angebrachte abwerfbare Zusatztank an der Flugzeugunterseite. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (888x454, 25 KB) Fw 190, possibly a 190A-8 Captured by allied troops 1944/1945 Gut zu erkennen ist der angebrachte abwerfbare Zusatztank an der Flugzeugunterseite. ... The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 WÃ¼rger (shrike), often called Butcher-bird, was a single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft of Germanys Luftwaffe, and one of the best fighters of its generation. ... A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size, and typically longest ranges. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Poland Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Brian Horrocks Roy Urquhart James M. Gavin Maxwell Taylor StanisÅ‚aw Sosabowski Walter Model Wilhelm Bittrich Kurt Student Strength 35,000 20,000 Casualties 11,377 dead, wounded or missing 6,946 British MIA 2,000 Killed 6,000...

During the Battle of the Bulge, the Luftwaffe undertook night bombing attacks against Bastogne. A paradrop and aerial re-supply of German spearheads failed completely. On 1 January 1945 the Luftwaffe undertook a final attack operation known as Operation Bodenplatte against Allied airfields in Holland and Belgium in a bid to establish air superiority and eliminate air attacks on the German forces in the Ardennes area. For the 1965 film, see Battle of the Bulge (film). ... For other uses, see Bastogne (disambiguation). ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Operation Bodenplatte, launched on 1st January 1945, was an attempt to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries of Europe. ...

Adolf Galland, who had replaced Werner Mölders as General der Jagdflieger protested as he had been carefully conserving the Luftwaffe's fighter strength for his 'Great Blow' against Allied Bombers in which over 800 fighter would be sent in massive attacks to cause devastating losses to Allied bombers, which he hoped would persuade the Allies to cease the bombing over Germany for a time. He along with others such as Johannes Steinhoff tried to persuade Hitler to remove Reichsmarschall Göring from command of the Luftwaffe, leading to the Fighter Pilots Revolt. They were dismissed and sent back to their front line units. Adolf Dolfo Joseph Ferdinand Galland[1] (19 March 1912-9 February 1996) was a World War II German fighter pilot and commander of Germanys fighter force (General der Jagdflieger) from 1941 to 1945. ... Johannes Steinhoff (September 15, 1913 - February 21, 1994) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II and a senior West German air force officer after the war . ... The Fighter Pilots Conspiracy refers to the verbal rebellion of the leading German Luftwaffe officers against the incompetence of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. ...

Correctly believing that a 1 January attack would catch the Allied airforces napping, the Luftwaffe destroyed many Allied aircraft on the ground but in return suffered crippling losses. The Germans lost 271 Bf 109 and Fw 190s destroyed or captured, and a further 65 damaged as well as 9 Ju 88's destroyed and a further 4 damaged.^[119] Pilot losses stood at 143 pilots killed, 70 as prisoners of war, and 21 wounded.^[119] The losses represented 25% of the attacking force. An estimated 3 Kommodore, 5 Kommandeure and 14 Staffelkapitäne were lost.^[119] is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. ... The military rank of commodore is used in some navies for officers who command more than one ship, but are not senior enough to be made admirals. ... StaffelkapitÃ¤n is a Luftwaffe position (not a rank) that is the equivalent of Royal Air Force/US Air Force Squadron Leader. ...

The operation had been so secret that the Luftwaffe failed to notify its front line anti-aircraft units resulting in many losses due to friendly fire.^[119] Of the remaining Luftwaffe pilots few had more than ten missions to their credit. The loss of twenty-two unit commanders were devastating, such men at this point were irreplaceable. The loss of such outstanding pilots caused a drop in morale and the loss of the guidance they gave to younger pilots.

In return for the crippling losses, it was first thought the Luftwaffe destroyed 232 Allied aircraft and damaged 156. Examination of Allied records shows that the figures were nearer 305 destroyed and 190 damaged.^[120] The operation was a disaster for the Jagdwaffe. The Luftwaffe turned its attention to a revolutionary jet fighter in the Messerschmitt Me 262 Stormbird or Schwalbe (Swallow). While this aircraft could outrun any Allied aircraft, and had armament that could effectively destroy Allied bombers with a single 'burst' of fire, it was not produced in sufficient numbers to change the air war. The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German: Swallow) was the worlds first operational turbojet fighter aircraft. ...

The Luftwaffe continued to resist the Allied air assault over Germany proper, which had by March 1945, become the front line itself. In several missions during March the American bomber fleets reported attacks from large groups of German piston-engined and jet aircraft, sometimes numbering up to 150.^[121] The fuel shortages were now responsible for grounding the Jagdwaffe. Priority was given to jet units now operating the Messerschmitt Me 163 and Me 262. The Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Martin Lippisch, was the only operational rocket-powered fighter aircraft during the Second World War. ...

Adolf Galland, formerly General der Jagdflieger and now in disgrace after the Fighter Pilots Revolt, formed Jagdverband 44 (JV 44). This unit was a special fighter force consisting of some of the top German fighter aces in the Luftwaffe which would fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. JV 44 was the shorthand name for Jagdverband 44, a special fighter squadron of top fighter ace pilots in the Luftwaffe during the last weeks of World War II, equipped with Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters. ...

The unit was established in February 1945 . The flying personnel of the squadron were made up almost exclusively of high scoring aces, or Experten. The unit's top five aces alone had more than 1,000 victories. JV 44 defended southern Germany and Austria from aerial attack.

Because of the greater length of runway it required, and the slow acceleration it had at low speeds, the Me 262 was especially vulnerable during take-off and landing. The unit constructed a protection squadron, the Platzschutzstaffel(Protection squadron), headed by Lieutenant Heinz Sachsenberg, to provide air cover for takeoffs and landings. This unit flew the long-nosed 'Dora', Fw 190 D, variant of the well-known Fw 190. These aircraft were painted bright red on their underbelly with contrasting white stripes so anti-aircraft batteries could distinguish them from Allied aircraft. The unit continued operations until the end of the war, Galland himself was wounded, after destroying a solitary B-26, when he was shot down by a P-47 Thunderbolt. Heinz Sachsenberg (12 July 1922 - 17 June 1951) was born in Dessau. ... Martin B-26 Marauder See A-26 Invader for the plane known as the B-26 from 1948 to 1962. ... The American Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as Jug, was the largest single-engined fighter of its day. ...

By April the German front in the west had disintegrated and in the east the Red Army had encircled Berlin. The last battles fought in the skies over Germany were now insignificant. All but overrun, the mass surrender of German military personnel began. All that remained of the Luftwaffe were scattered wrecks over airfields that were virtually aircraft 'graveyards'. Many examples of the revolutionary aircraft that the Luftwaffe hoped would turn the tide fell into Allied hands, examples like the Me 262 and Heinkel He 162 greatly impressed the Allies. This article is about the capital of Germany. ... The Heinkel He 162 VolksjÃ¤ger (Peoples Fighter) was a single engined, jet powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in WWII. It was the fastest of the first generation of Axis and Allied jets. ...

Omissions and Failures

Mistakes in Command

The failure of the Luftwaffe in the "Defense of the Reich" campaign was a result of a number of factors. The build up of the Jagdwaffe was too rapid and its quality suffered. It was not put under a unified command until 1943, which also effected performance. Of the nine Jagdgeschwader in existance in 1939, no further units were built until 1942, and the years of 1940-1941 were wasted. The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe failed to construct a strategy, instead its command style was reactionary, and its measures not as effective without thorough planning. This was particularly apparent with the Sturmbock units which were armed with heavy 20mm and 30mm cannon to destroy heavy bombers. This increase in weight effected the performance of the Fw 190 and Bf 109 at a time when the two aircraft were meeting large numbers of equal if not superior Allied types^[122]. The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) was the Airforce High Command of the Third Reich. ...

Mistakes in Development and Equipment

The RLM lacked a technical-tactical department, that would combine the two elements for better efficiency. As a result all fighter and bomber development was oriented toward short range aircraft, as they could be produced in more numbers, rather than quality long range aircraft, something that put the Luftwaffe at a disadvantage as early as the Battle of Britain. Types that were obsolete were kept in production for far too long, in particular the Ju 87 Stuka, and the Bf 109. Production was also slow, not reaching total output until 1944. Production of fighters was not given priority until 1944. Adolph Galland said this should have occured at least a year earlier. Galland also points to the mistakes made in the development of the Me 262 jet. Hitler had insisted it be used as a fighter-bomber. It could have entered service in 1943 when the outcome of the air-war was still in doubt.

Mistake in Pilot selection and Training

The bomber arm was given preference and received the "better" pilots. Later fighter pilot leaders were few in numbers as a result of this. As with the late shift to fighter production, the Luftwaffe pilot schools were did not give the fighter pilot schools preference soon enough. The Luftwaffe, the OKW argued was still an offensive weapon, and its primary focus was on producing bomber pilots. This attitude prevailed until the second half of 1943.

Mistakes in Leadership

At the begining of the war commanders were replaced with younger commanders too quickly. These younger commanders had to learn "in the field" rather than entering a post fully qualified. Training of formation leaders was not systematically until 1943, which was far too late, with the Luftwaffe already stretched. The Luftwaffe thus lacked a cadre of Saff officers to setup, man and pass on experience.

Luftwaffe ground forces

One of the unique characteristics of the Luftwaffe (as opposed to other independent air forces) was the possession of an organic paratrooper force called Fallschirmjäger. These were established in 1938. They saw action in their proper role during 1940–1941, most notably in the capture of the Belgian army fortress at Eben-Emael and the Battle of the Netherlands in May 1940, and during the invasion of Crete in May 1941. However, more than 4,000 Fallschirmjäger were killed during the Crete operation.^[123] This put a stop to the proposal (Operation Herkules) to seize Malta and eliminate the threat to Rommel's supply lines in North Africa. A shocked Adolf Hitler ordered that these elite paratroopers never be used for such large-scale paradrop operations again, but only for smaller-scale operations, such as the successful rescue of Benito Mussolini, the then-deposed dictator of Italy, in 1943. An American USMC Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... FallschirmjÃ¤ger FallschirmjÃ¤ger photo taken from The Hague, Bezuidenhout during the invasion of the Low Countries, morning of May 10, 1940 (often rendered Fallschirmjager in English; from German Fallschirm parachute and JÃ¤ger, hunter; ranger a term for light infantry) are German paratroopers. ... ... Combatants Kingdom of the Netherlands Germany Commanders Henry G. Winkelman, Jan Joseph Godfried baron van Voorst tot Voorst Fedor von Bock (Army Group B) Strength 9 divisions, 676 guns, 1 tank (inoperational), 124 aircraft Total: 350,000 men 22 divisions, 1,378 guns, 759 tanks, 1150 aircraft Total: 750,000... For other uses, see Crete (disambiguation). ... During World War II, Operation Herkules was the German plan for an airborne invasion of Malta. ... Mussolini redirects here. ...

Following Crete, Fallschirmjäger formations were used as standard foot infantry in all theatres of the war. During 1942 surplus Luftwaffe personnel was used to form so-called Luftwaffe Field Divisions, with disastrous consequences for the newly formed units, since the Luftwaffe refused to let experienced Heer officers command and lead them. From 1943, the Luftwaffe also had an armoured paratroop division called Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring, which was expanded to a Panzerkorps in 1944. The Luftwaffe Field Divisions were authorized in October 1942. ... The German Army (German: [1], [IPA: heÉ] ) is the land component of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces) of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... Polizeiabteilung z. ... // Background A Panzerkorps was a military formation type in the German Wehrmacht during World War II. The name was introduced in 1942, when the motorised Armeekorps (AK (mot. ...

The Luftwaffe also controlled significant numbers of anti-aircraft guns of all calibres that often acted in direct support of Heer ground forces. These were organised just like Heer formations in regiments, divisions, and corps.

Luftwaffe organisation

The German Luftwaffe (air force) of World War II had a distinct organization and command structure. ...

Luftwaffe commanders

Throughout the history of the Third Reich, the Luftwaffe had only two commanders-in-chief. The first was Herman Göring, who was fired by Hitler near the end of the war in Europe on account of his having contacted (western) Allied forces without his authorisation with a view to securing a ceasefire before the Soviets overran Berlin. Hitler appointed Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim as the second (and last) commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, concomitant with his promotion to Generalfeldmarschall, the last German officer in World War II to be promoted to the highest rank. Other officers promoted to the second-highest military rank in Germany were Albert Kesselring, Hugo Sperrle, Erhard Milch, and Wolfram von Richthofen, a cousin of the "Red Baron" who rose from staff officer in Spain to Air Assault Corps and later Air Fleet commander. Von Richthofen retired in late 1944 on medical grounds and died of a brain tumour while in American captivity at Bad Ischl on July 12, 1945. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Hermann GÃ¶ring. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Hermann GÃ¶ring. ... Robert Ritter von Greim. ... ==Biography== Albrecht von Kesselring (August 8, 1881 - July 16, 1960) was a Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. One of the most respected and skillful generals of Nazi Germany, he was nicknamed Smiling Albert or Smiling Kesselring. At least one source claims that Kesselring was born on August 8, 1881 [2... Hugo Sperrle Hugo Sperrle (February 7, 1885 - April 2, 1953), was a German Field Marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II. He joined the German Army in 1903 and transferred to the LuftstreitkrÃ¤fte (German Army Air Service) at the start of World War I, serving as an observer... Erhard Milch (left) with his brother Dr. Werner Milch, who worked as his associate defense counsel at the Nuremberg Trials. ... Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (10 October 1895 - 12 July 1945) was a German fighter ace during World War I and a general and field marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Von Richthofen was a distant cousin of the German World War I flying ace Manfred von Richthofen... Red Baron redirects here. ... Kaiservilla Bad Ischl Bad Ischl is a town in Austria. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Göring and Sperrle were prosecuted at the OKW Trial, one of the Nuremberg Trials after the war. Göring was sentenced to death, while Sperrle was acquitted. Milch was tried in a separate trial and sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence. Kesselring was a witness in the OKW Trial, and was himself sentenced for actions in Italy later. The High Command Trial (or, officially, The United States of America vs. ... For the 1947 Soviet film about the trials, see Nuremberg Trials (film). ...

Organisation and chain of command

See Luftwaffe Organisation The German Luftwaffe (air force) of World War II had a distinct organization and command structure. ...

Fighter wings (Jagdgeschwader) (JG) consisted of groups (Gruppen), which in turn consisted of fighter squadrons (Jagdstaffel). Hence, Fighter Wing 1 was JG 1, its first group was I./JG 1 and its first squadron was 1./JG 1. JG 1 was operating the Heinkel He 162 at the end of the war. In the final two months, JG 1 lost 22 of them, mostly in crashes, resulting in ten pilots being killed and another six injured.

Similarly, a bomber wing was a Kampfgeschwader (KG), a night fighter wing was a Nachtjagdgeschwader (NJG), a dive-bomber wing was a Stukageschwader (StG), and units equivalent to those in RAF Coastal Command, with specific responsibilities for coastal patrols and search and rescue duties, were Küstenfliegergruppen (Kü.Fl. Gr.). Specialist bomber groups were known as Kampfgruppen (KGr).

Each Geschwader was commanded by a Kommodore, a Gruppe by a Kommandeur, and a Staffel by a Staffelkapitãn. However, these were appointments, not ranks, within the Luftwaffe. Usually, the Kommodore would hold the rank of Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) or, exceptionally, an Oberst (colonel). Even a Leutnant (second lieutenant) could find himself commanding a Staffel.

Famous Luftwaffe pilots

Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the most highly decorated German soldier of the war. He won the Knight's Cross with Golden Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds (Das Ritterkreuz mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten) by the end of 1944 and being promoted to Oberst (Colonel). Unlike other officers of such high rank, Oberst Rudel would remain in the front line until his surrender as Kommodore of SG 2 (a combined dive-bomber and fighter unit) to the U.S. Army at Kitzingen on V-E Day, May 8, 1945. Rudel flew 2,530 combat missions (a world record) and successfully attacked many tanks, trains, ships, and other ground targets, claiming a total of 2,000 targets destroyed - including 519 tanks, 800 vehicles, 150 artillery guns, a battleship, two cruisers, and a destroyer.^[124] Image File history File links Erich_Hartmann. ... Image File history File links Erich_Hartmann. ... Hans-Ulrich Rudel (July 2, 1916 â€“ December 18, 1982) was a Stuka dive-bomber pilot during World War II. Rudel is famous for being the most highly decorated German serviceman of the war. ... Schlachtgeschwader 2 (SG 2) Immelmann was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber-wing of World War II. It was named after Max Immelmann. ... Kitzingen is a town in Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. ... Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) was May 8, 1945, the date when the Allies during the Second World War formally celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitlers Reich. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Amongst the other Experten, Erich Hartmann emerged at the end of the war with the highest number of enemy aircraft shot down—352, a total initially disputed but eventually accepted. After the end of the war it was established that 105 German pilots and possibly four others shot down over 100 enemy aircraft. Some thirteen were able to score over 200 and two men, Gerhard Barkhorn and Hartmann scored over three hundred. Most of these aces flew or did fly the Bf 109 at some stage during the war^[125]. Erich Alfred Bubi Hartmann (April 19, 1922 - September 20, 1993), also nicknamed The Blond Knight Of Germany by friends and The Black Devil by his enemies, is the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial combat. ... Gerhard Gerd Barkhorn (20 March 1919 - 8 January 1983) was the second most successful fighter ace of all time after fellow Luftwaffe pilot Erich Hartmann. ...

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Technological achievements

Advanced propulsion

After playing a pioneering role in the development of aircraft powered by jet engines ("TL Triebwerke") with prototypes such as the Heinkel He 178 and Heinkel He 280, the Luftwaffe became the first air force in the world to press an operational jet fighter into service—the twin-engine Messerschmitt Me 262. The aircraft was still plagued by reliability problems of its power plants; however, while the Junkers Jumo 004 engines were of the advanced axial-flow design, they suffered from a lack of high-quality strategic materials required during the manufacturing process, a result of the Allied bombing offensive and the turn of war fortunes for Germany. At Peenemünde, the Luftwaffe also developed the Vergeltungswaffe-1 (V-1 flying bomb). The Heinkel He 178 was the worlds first aircraft to fly under turbojet power, and the first practical jet plane. ... The Heinkel He 280 was the first jet-powered fighter aircraft built in the world. ... The Jumo 004 was the worlds first turbojet engine in production and operational use. ... An axial compressor is the name used in the aircraft industry to refer to a particular type of compressor used in jet engines. ... PeenemÃ¼ndes position in Germany PeenemÃ¼nde is a village in the northeast of the German (Western) part of the Usedom island. ... Vergeltungswaffe (German for retaliation weapon, reprisal weapon or vengeance weapon) was a term assigned during World War II by the Nazis to a number of revolutionary superweapons, the V1 flying bomb, the V2 rocket and the V3 long range gun. ...

The Me 262 was soon joined by other highly advanced aircraft designs, such as the Arado Ar 234 twin- and four-engine jet bomber/reconnaissance aircraft, the Heinkel He 162 single-engine jet fighter (powered by a BMW jet engine), the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket fighter and others. A variety of further highly advanced aircraft designs, such as the Horten Ho 229 flying wing (originally designated Horten Ho IX and later to be manufactured by the Gothaer Waggonfabrik aircraft factory), were either at the testing stage or even ordered into production by the time the war ended. The Arado Ar 234 Blitz (Lightning) was the worlds first operational jet powered bomber, built by the Arado company in the closing stages of World War II. In the field it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved... The Horten Ho-IX (often erroneously called Gotha Go 229 or Ho 229 due to the identity of the chosen manufacturer of the aircraft) was a late-World War II prototype flying wing fighter/bomber, designed by Reimar and Walter Horten and built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik. ... The Horten Ho-IX (often erroneously called Gotha Go 229 or Ho 229 due to the identity of the chosen manufacturer of the aircraft) was a late-World War II prototype flying wing fighter/bomber, designed by Reimar and Walter Horten and built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik. ... Gothaer Waggonfabrik (Gotha, GWF) was a German manufacturer of rolling stock established in the late nineteenth century at Warnemünde. ...

Notes

Note: The name of the book appears next to some author references. The reason for this is that two or more of their sources/works are used for this article, and a distinction is required as readers can then trace the citation to the correct source.

^ Bergström 2007, p. 118.
^ Homze 1976, p. 123
^ Bergström 2007, p. 108.
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.1, p. 30
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.1, p. 31
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.1, p. 34
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.1, p. 33
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.1, p. 34
^ Homze 1976, p. 125
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.1, p. 34
^ Dressel & Griehl 1994, p. 176
^ Bergström 2007, p. 129-130
^ E.R Hooton Vol.1 2007, p. 51
^ E.R Hooton 2007, p. 79 (Luftwaffe at War: Gathering storm)
^ Weal 1997, p. 20
^ Weal 1997, p. 22
^ Weal 1999, p. 14-15
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol. 1, p. 87
^ U. H.-J. Israel, Flugzeugträger Graf Zeppelin, Herford, 1994.
^ Taylor & Mayer 1974, p. 45
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.1, p. 91
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.1 , p. 91
^ Hooton 2007 Vol. 2 p. 43
^ Hooton, p29
^ Hooton, p30
^ Weal 1999, p. 24
^ Hooton Vol.2, p. 31
^ Hooton 2007 Vo.2, p. 33
^ Weal 1999, p. 25
^ Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p. 43
^ Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p. 43
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p47
^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p47
^ Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p. 50
^ Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p. 52-58
^ Weal 1997, p. 55.
^ Weal 2003b, Jagdgeschwader 27 Afrika, p.22
^ Mayer & Taylor 1974, p. 61
^ Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p. 74
^ Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p. 74-75
^ Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p. 84
^ Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p. 90
^ Hooton 2007 Vol.2, p90
^ van Creveld, M. p.44
^ A.J.P Taylor and Air Marshal Robert Saundby 1974, p. 72
^ A.J.P Taylor and Air Marshal Robert Saundby 1974, p. 70-72
^ A.J.P Taylor and Air Marshal Robert Saundby 1974, p. 72
^ Weal 1999, p. 47
^ Mayer & Taylor, pp. 73-74
^ Mayer & Taylor 1974, p. 73-74
^ Mayer & Taylor, p. 79
^ Bungay 2000, p. 368
^ Weal 2003b, p. 23
^ Weal 2003b, p. 29
^ Nowarra 1990, p. 16
^ Mayer & Taylor 1974, p. 95
^ Weal, 1999 p. 65-66
^ Bergström, p130
^ Bergström 2007, p. 129
^ Bergström 2007, p. 129
^ www.historynet.com/air_sea/aces/3026146.html?page=3&c=y.
^ Bergström, p20
^ Bergström 2007, p. 20
^ Bergström 2007, p. 23
^ Meltyukhov 2000,
^ Bergström 2007, p. 28
^ Bergström, p28
^ Bergström 2007, p. 70
^ Bergström 2007, p109
^ Bergström 2007, p. 117
^ Bergström 2007, p. 118
^ Bergström 2007, p1. 18-9
^ A.J.P Taylor & Colonel Daniil Mikhailovich Proektor 1974, p. 106
^ Hayward 2001, p. 85
^ Haywood 2001, p. 119
^ Bergström 2005, p. 86.
^ Hayward 2001, p. 156
^ J.Hayward, p161
^ Hayward 2001, p. 167
^ A.J.P Taylor & Alan Clark 1974, p. 144-145
^ Hayward 2001, p. 195
^ Hayward 2001, p. 211
^ Hayward 2001, p. 234
^ Hayward 2001, p. 310
^ Cooper 1981, p. 294
^ Bergström 2007, p. 123-125 (Kursk title)
^ Cooper 1981, p. 295
^ Bergström 2007, p. 120 (Kursk title)
^ Bergström 2007, p. 121
^ Bergström 2007, p. 109
^ Bergström 2007, p. 109.
^ Figures from Grigoriy Koltunov and Boris Solovyev: Kurskaya bitva, 1970. Bergström p. 109
^ Bergström 2007, p. 109.
^ Cooper 1981, p. 296
^ Cooper 1981, p. 297
^ Feist 1993, p. 39
^ Feist 1993, p. 40
^ Cooper 1981, p. 266
^ Caldwell & Muller, p 141
^ Hess 1994, p. 67-68
^ Caldwell & Muller, p136
^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 141
^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 137
^ Taylor & Noble 1974, p. 323.
^ Caldwell & Muller, p163
^ Hess 1994 p.77-78.
^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 162-163
^ Caldwell & Muller 2007
^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 198.
^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 198
^ Scutts 1994, p. 31-32
^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 205.
^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 205
^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 205
^ Scutts 1994, p. 65-66
^ Murray, p. 251
^ Weal, John 1998, p.
^ Caldwell & Putz 2007, p. 236
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Manrho and Putz, p. 273
^ Manrho and Putz 2004, p. 272
^ Hess 1994, p. 102
^ Caldwell and Muller 2007, p. 286.
^ Mayer & Taylor, p. 95
^ Just 1986, p. 43.
^ Feist 1993, p. 50.

A. J. P. Taylor (March 25, 1906 - September 7, 1990) (full name Alan John Percivale Taylor) was a renowned British historian of the 20th century. ... Air Marshal Sir Robert Henry Magnus Saundby KCB MC (26 April 1896 - 25 September 1971) was an RAF officer whose career spanned both World War I and World War II. He is chiefly remembered for his role as Deputy AOC in C Bomber Command under Sir Arthur Bomber Harris during...

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de Zeng IV, Henry L. & Stankey, Douglas G. (2007). Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945: A Reference Source: Volume 1. Midland Publishing.

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Contents

Preparing for war: 1933-1939

Poland

Norway and Denmark

France and the Low Countries

Battle of Britain

North Africa and the Mediterranean 1941-44

Luftwaffe in the east 1941 - 45

Eastern Front: 1942 - 1943

Eastern Front: 1943

The Battle of the Atlantic

Development of night fighting

Defense of the Reich 1942-45

The Luftwaffe on top

The turn of the tide

The end in the West 1944 - 45

Omissions and Failures

Mistakes in Command

Mistakes in Development and Equipment

Mistake in Pilot selection and Training

Mistakes in Leadership

Luftwaffe ground forces

Luftwaffe organisation

Luftwaffe commanders

Organisation and chain of command

Famous Luftwaffe pilots

Technological achievements

Advanced propulsion

Notes

References

See also

External links

Contents

Preparing for war: 1933-1939 GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Poland

Norway and Denmark

France and the Low Countries

Battle of Britain

North Africa and the Mediterranean 1941-44

Luftwaffe in the east 1941 - 45

Eastern Front: 1942 - 1943

Eastern Front: 1943

The Battle of the Atlantic

Development of night fighting

Defense of the Reich 1942-45

The Luftwaffe on top

The turn of the tide

The end in the West 1944 - 45

Omissions and Failures

Mistakes in Command

Mistakes in Development and Equipment

Mistake in Pilot selection and Training

Mistakes in Leadership

Luftwaffe ground forces

Luftwaffe organisation

Luftwaffe commanders

Organisation and chain of command

Famous Luftwaffe pilots

Technological achievements

Advanced propulsion

Notes

References

See also

External links

Preparing for war: 1933-1939