NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Luftstreitkräfte

The Luftwaffe (literally, "air weapon", pronounced "looft-vaaf-feh"), officially Deutsche Luftwaffe, is the An air force is a military organization that primarily operates in air-based war. They typically use a combination of fighters, bombers, helicopters and other aircraft. Organization Most (but not all) armed forces have air forces that are independent - that is, it is neither part of the army nor the... air force of The Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. Due to its central location, Germany has more neighbours than any other European country: these are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the... Germany.

History

World War I

Max Immelmann File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. Click on date to download the file or see the image uploaded on that date. (del) (cur) 17:21, 11 Aug 2003 . . Soze (66329 bytes) (Max Immelmann) File...

Max Immelmann was the first German fighter pilot to win the coveted Pour le Mérite after destroying eight enemy aircraft. It was because of this that the decoration became popularly known as "The Blue Max", though, later, the minimum score needed to win the medal would be raised to 20.

The forerunner of the Luftwaffe, the Imperial German Army Air Service - the Luftstreitkräfte, was founded in 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). Events January-April January - In Greece, the Military League forces parliament and the king to summon National Assembly to revise Constitution. January 15- In the United Kingdom, General Election held in response to House of Lords rejection of... 1910 before the outbreak of Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. Battle aftermath. Remains of the Chateau Wood World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, the War of the Nations, and the War to End All Wars, was a world conflict occurring from 1914 to... World War I ( 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. (see link for calendar) Events January 4 - 77 seal hunters freeze to death on ice near Labrador. January 5 - Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a days labor. February 13 - Copyright: In... 1914- 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). Events January-February January 8 - President Woodrow Wilson announces his Fourteen Points for the aftermath of World War I. January 24 - a decree of the Council of Peoples Commissars, introducing the Gregorian calendar in Russia since February... 1918) with the emergence of Military aircraft are airplanes used in warfare. General categories include: Fighter aircraft Ground attack aircraft Bomber Tanker Trainer Transport Surveillance aircraft or reconnaissance, or air observation post Lists of military aircraft can be found at: List of military aircraft of the United States List of military aircraft of the Soviet... military aircraft, although they were intended to be used primarily for reconnaissance in support of armies on the ground, just as balloons had been used in the same fashion during the Battle of Gravelotte Main article: Battle of Gravelotte Battle of Sedan Main article: Battle of Sedan The French were soundly defeated in several battles owing to the military superiority of the Prussian forces and their commanders. At Sedan on September 2, the French emperor Napoleon III was taken prisoner with... Franco-Prussian War of 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). Events January - April January 6 - The inauguration of the Musikverein ( Vienna). January 10 - John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil January 15 - A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the United States Democratic Party with a donkey (A... 1870- 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). Events January - April January 18 - The member-states of the North German Confederation unite into a single nation-state known as the German Empire. The King of Prussia is declared the first German Emperor as Wilhelm I of... 1871 and even as far back as the The Napoleonic Wars lasted from 1804 until 1815. They were a continuation of the conflicts sparked by the French Revolution and covered the duration of the First French Empire. The First and Second Coalitions For a more detailed account see the French Revolutionary Wars. The First Coalition (1792-1797) of... Napoleonic Wars. It was not the world's first An air force is a military organization that primarily operates in air-based war. They typically use a combination of fighters, bombers, helicopters and other aircraft. Organization Most (but not all) armed forces have air forces that are independent - that is, it is neither part of the army nor the... air force, however, because France's embryonic army air service, which eventually became the L'Armée de l'Air, had also been founded in 1910 and Britain's The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of World War I. Origin and Early History Formed by Royal Warrant on May 13, 1912, the RFC superseded the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers. By the end of that year, it... Royal Flying Corps, which eventually became the The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force of the United Kingdom. According to the Ministry of Defence [1], the purpose of the Armed Forces, including the RAF is to: defend the United Kingdom, and Overseas Territories, our people and interests act as a force for... Royal Air Force, was founded in 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. Events January-March January 1 - Establishment of Republic of China. January 6 - New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U.S. state. January 17 - British polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott and a team of four begin the second expedition to reach the... 1912.

During the war, the Imperial Army Air Service utilised a wide variety of aircraft, ranging from fighters (such as those manufactured by Albatros-Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer that supplied the German airforces during World War I. The company was based in Johannisthal, Berlin, where it was founded in 1910. It produced some of the most capable fighter aircraft of World War I, notably the Albatros D.III and Albatros D... Albatros-Flugzeugwerke and Fokker 100 of British Midland Airways Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. History The company was founded on July 21, 1919 by Dutchman Anthony Fokker (1890–1939), one of the worlds early aviation pioneers. At age 20, he had built his first... Fokker), reconnaissance aircraft (Aviatik and DFW) and heavy bombers ( Gothaer Waggonfabrik (Gotha, GWF) was a German manufacturer of rolling stock established in the late nineteenth century at Warnemünde. During the two world wars, the company expanded into aircraft building. In World War I, Gotha manufacturer a highly successful series of bombers based on a 1914 design by Oskar... Gothaer Waggonfabrik, better known simply as Gotha, and Zeppelin-Staaken).

Manfred von Richthofen. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. Click on date to download the file or see the image uploaded on that date. (del) (cur) 02:22, 11 Aug 2003 . . Soze (6863 bytes) (Manfred von...

Portrait of , the "Red Baron", who shot down 80 Allied aircraft before being shot down and killed on April 21, 1918. The Pour le Mérite medal is clearly in view here.

Portrait of Baron Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen (May 2, 1892–April 21, 1918) was a German pilot and is still regarded today as the ace of aces. He was a very successful fighter pilot, military leader and flying ace who won 80 air combats during World War I. Richthofen was known... Manfred von Richthofen, the "Red Baron", who shot down 80 Allied aircraft before being shot down and killed on April 21, 1918. The Pour le Mérite medal is clearly in view here.

However, the fighters received the most attention in the annals of military aviation, since it produced "aces" such as Baron Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen (May 2, 1892–April 21, 1918) was a German pilot and is still regarded today as the ace of aces. He was a very successful fighter pilot, military leader and flying ace who won 80 air combats during World War I. Richthofen was known... Manfred von Richthofen, popularly known as "The Red Baron", Ernst Udet (April 26, 1896 - 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. Born in Munich, Udet was fascinated with aviation from early childhood. He... Ernst Udet, Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Hermann Goering in English) ( January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a prominent and early member of the Nazi party, founder of the Gestapo, and one of the main architects of Nazi Germany. He is often quoted from... Hermann Göring, Oswald Boelcke (considered the first master tactician of "dogfighting"), Max Immelmann Max Immelmann (September 21, 1890 - June 18, 1916) was a German World War I Flying ace. He was born in Dresden the son of a paper board container factory owner. After leaving school he joined Eisenbahnregiment Berlin. During 1913 - 1914 he studied mechanical engineering in Dresden. When World... Max Immelmann (the first airman to win the Pour le Mérite, Imperial Germany's highest decoration for gallantry, as a result of which the decoration became popularly known as the "Blue Max") and Werner Voss (1895–1917) was a World War I German fighter pilot. Voss was a one-time rival of the renowned Manfred von Richtofen, but lacked the Red Barons aristocratic background. Voss, a master at flying the temperamental Fokker Dr.I triplane fighter, shot down 44 Allied aircraft... Werner Voss. As well as the German Navy, the German Army also used This is an article about Zeppelin airship class. For general article about airships, see airship. For a famous British rock band, see Led Zeppelin. LZ127 Graf Zeppelin, the most traveled airship in history A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship (or dirigible) pioneered by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in... Zeppelins as Akron in flight, 2 November 1931 An airship is a buoyant (lighter_than_air) aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. Unlike aerodynamic (heavier-than-air) aircraft which stay aloft by moving an airfoil through the air in order to produce lift, airships stay aloft primarily by means of... airships for bombing military and civilian targets in occupied France and Belgium as well as the United Kingdom.

All aircraft in service until early 1918 were distinguishable as being German from the 1813 Iron Cross 1870 Iron Cross The Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz) was established in 1813 as a military honor by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. Prussia was deeply involved in the Napoleonic Wars and this was a way to honor its brave soldiers. The Iron Cross was designed by... Iron Cross that was being used as the German military aircraft insignia. (It should be noted, though, that Germany's closest ally, Austria-Hungary, also adopted the Iron Cross for its aircraft.)

The The Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker was a World War I fighter aircraft built by the company of Anthony Fokker, used by Germany. It became most famous as the plane of the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. The Dr.I was mainly designed by Anthony Fokker and Reinhold Platz (although Chefingenieur... Fokker Dr.I (Dreidecker = "three-wing") was the mount of Baron Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen (May 2, 1892–April 21, 1918) was a German pilot and is still regarded today as the ace of aces. He was a very successful fighter pilot, military leader and flying ace who won 80 air combats during World War I. Richthofen was known... Manfred von Richthofen and so became one of the best-known German fighter planes of World War I

From early 1918, German military aircraft began to sport the straight-line Balken Cross (Balkenkreuz, Balken = "beam"), which would become better known the world over during the era of the 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. The Third Reich is an Anglicization of the German... Third Reich.

After the war ended in German defeat, the service was dissolved completely under the conditions of the Woodrow Wilson with the American Peace Commissioners The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 is the peace treaty created as a result of the six-month-long Paris Peace Conference of 1919 which put an official end to World War I. The ceremonial signing of the treaty with Germany occurred June... Treaty of Versailles, which demanded that its aeroplanes be completely destroyed. As a result of this disbanding, the present-day Luftwaffe (which dates from 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday. Events January-April January 2 - Panama president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated. January 19 - The Scrabble board game debuts. February 8 - Nikolai Bulganin ousts Georgi Malenkov February 13 - Israel obtains 4 of the 7 Dead Sea scrolls. February 23 - First meeting of... 1955, in any case) is not the oldest independent air force in the world, since the The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force of the United Kingdom. According to the Ministry of Defence [1], the purpose of the Armed Forces, including the RAF is to: defend the United Kingdom, and Overseas Territories, our people and interests act as a force for... Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom is older, having been founded on April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne. 1318 - Berwick-upon-Tweed is captured by the Scottish from... 1 April 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). Events January-February January 8 - President Woodrow Wilson announces his Fourteen Points for the aftermath of World War I. January 24 - a decree of the Council of Peoples Commissars, introducing the Gregorian calendar in Russia since February... 1918.

Inter-war period

Since Germany had been banned by the Woodrow Wilson with the American Peace Commissioners The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 is the peace treaty created as a result of the six-month-long Paris Peace Conference of 1919 which put an official end to World War I. The ceremonial signing of the treaty with Germany occurred June... Treaty of Versailles from having an air force, there existed the need to train its pilots for a future war in secret. Initially, civil aviation schools within Germany were used, yet only light training planes could be used in order to maintain the facade that the trainees were going to fly with civil airlines like Lufthansa Boeing 737 Lufthansa Airbus A300 Lufthansa Avro RJ-85 Lufthansa is the name of the largest German airline company, headquartered in Cologne. Their main base at Frankfurt International Airport in Frankfurt am Main which is also Lufthansas primary traffic hub. The company has developed a second hub at... Lufthansa. In order to train its pilots on the latest combat aircraft, Germany solicited the help of its future enemy, the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) .( Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик... USSR. A secret training airfield was established at Lipetsk in 1924 and operated for approximately nine years using mostly Dutch and Russian, but also some German, training aircraft before being closed in 1933.

Collar tabs of a major in the Luftwaffe (1935-1945). Specifically, the tabs with a yellow background denoted those officers who were in the flying divisions of the Luftwaffe, whereas officers in other divisions, such as anti-aircraft artillery (Flak) and parachute troops (Fallschirmjäger) had patches with different colored backgrounds.

On February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 308 days remaining, 309 in leap years. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin) of Ptolemys Nabonassar Era. 1266 - Battle of Benevento: French forces, under Charles of Anjou, overcome a combined German- Sicilian force. 1797 - The... February 26, 1935 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 1 - Italian colonies of Tripoli and Kyrenaika are joined together as Libya January 7 - Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French foreign minister Pierre Laval conclude agreement in which each power undertakes not to... 1935, For other people with the surname Hitler, see Hitler (disambiguation). Adolf Hitler ( 20 April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary – 30 April 1945 in Berlin, Germany) was leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (more widely known as the Nazi Party) and Führer und Reichskanzler... Adolf Hitler ordered Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Hermann Goering in English) ( January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a prominent and early member of the Nazi party, founder of the Gestapo, and one of the main architects of Nazi Germany. He is often quoted from... Hermann Göring to reinstate the Luftwaffe, breaking the Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919. Germany broke it without sanction from Britain and France or the The League of Nations was an international organisation founded after the First World War with its constitution being approved by the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. The Leagues goals included disarmament, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes between countries through negotiation and diplomacy, and improving global welfare. The... League of Nations, yet neither the two nations nor the League did anything to oppose either this or any other action which broke the provisions of the Treaty. Although the new air force was to be run totally separately from the army, it retained the tradition of according army ranks to its officers and airmen, a tradition retained today by the Bundesluftwaffe of the unified Germany and by many air forces throughout the world. However, it is worth noting that, before the official promulgation of the Luftwaffe, what was a paramilitary air force was known as the Deutscher Luftverband (DLV), with Ernst Udet (April 26, 1896 - 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. Born in Munich, Udet was fascinated with aviation from early childhood. He... Ernst Udet as its head, and the DLV uniform insignia became those of the new Luftwaffe, although the DLV "ranks" were actually given special names that made them sound more civilian than military.

It is of interest to note that Dr. Fritz Todt Fritz Todt (September 4, 1891 - February 8, 1942) was an German engineer and senior Nazi figure, the founder of Organisation Todt. He was born in Pforzheim, the son of a small factory owner. He studied engineering in Karlsruhe and the School for Advanced Technical Studies in Munich. He... Fritz Todt, the engineer who founded the Organisation Todt that organized the construction of roads before the war and of fortifications, such as the so-called "Atlantic Wall", using thousands of forced laborers during Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. August 9, 1945 World War II was a global conflict that started in 7 July 1937 in Asia and 1 September 1939 in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the... World War II, was appointed to the rank of Generalmajor in the Luftwaffe even if he was not, strictly speaking, an airman, although he had served in an observation squadron during World War I, winning the 1813 Iron Cross 1870 Iron Cross The Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz) was established in 1813 as a military honor by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. Prussia was deeply involved in the Napoleonic Wars and this was a way to honor its brave soldiers. The Iron Cross was designed by... Iron Cross. (Ironically, he died in an air crash in February 1942.)

The Luftwaffe had the ideal opportunity to test its pilots, aircraft and tactics in the Alternative meaning: Spanish Civil War, 1820-1823 A republican soldier seeks cover on the Plaza de Toros in Teruel, east of Madrid. The Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939) was the result of complex political differences between the Republicans — supporters of the government of the day, the Second Spanish Republic... Spanish Civil War of 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-February January 15 -- The first building to be completely covered in glass is completed in Toledo, Ohio, for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. January 20 - Death of George V of the United Kingdom. His... 1936- 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-June January 2 - End of term for Frank Finley Merriam, 28th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Culbert Levy Olson. January 24 - Earthquake kills 30.000 in Chile – about 50.000 sq... 1939 when the The Condor Legion (Legión Cóndor in Spanish) was a unit of Nazi Germanys air force which was sent as volunteers to support the Nationalists (i.e., Francisco Franco) in the Spanish Civil War. The first units of the Condor Legion arrived in Spain at the beginning of... Condor Legion was sent to The Kingdom of Spain or Spain ( Spanish: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma; Galician: Reino da España) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. To the... Spain in support of the anti-Republican government revolt led by Generalísimo Francisco Franco, caudillo de España por la gracia de Dios Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade (December 4, 1892 - November 20, 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as Generalísimo Francisco Franco, was dictator of Spain from 1939 until... Francisco Franco. Modern machines included names which would become world famous: the Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the most famous Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull-wings and fixed undercarriage. The Stukas design featured some innovative features, including an automatic pull-up system to ensure that... Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive-bomber and the (Bf 109 was the official Reichsluftfahrtministerium designation, though some late-war aircraft actually carried the Me 109 designation stamped onto their aircraft type plates. Me 109 was the name used officially by the Luftwaffe propaganda publications as well as by the Messerschmitt company and the Luftwaffe personnel, who pronounced it... Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane. However, as aircraft seconded to Franco's Nationalist air force, Luftwaffe markings were replaced so as not to make the world believe that Germany was actively supporting the revolt. Instead of the Nazi Party's The swastika is a cross with its arms 90° to either right or left. It is usually oriented horizontally or at a 45° angle. Its Indian form typically features a dot in each quadrant (as shown in the figure to the right). The word swastika is derived from the Sanskrit... swastika on the tailplane, there was a black "X"-like marking on a white background, painted on the rudder of the aircraft. On the fuselage, meanwhile, instead of the Balkankreuz, there was a black disc. All aircraft in the Legion were affiliated to units given a designation ending in the number 88. For example, bombers were in Kampfgruppe (bomber group) 88, abbreviated to K/88, and fighters in Jagdgruppe (fighter group) 88, J/88. (The markings on the rudder were, and have still been, retained on Spanish military aircraft ever since, though the black disc was replaced with an RAF-style roundel of red-yellow-red.)

Download high resolution version (1065x777, 115 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. This applies worldwide. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to...

An aerial view of the devastation to the Basque city of Guernica after the attack by Condor Legion bombers on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War.

A grim foretaste of the systematic bombing of cities during Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. August 9, 1945 World War II was a global conflict that started in 7 July 1937 in Asia and 1 September 1939 in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the... World War II came in April 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 1 - Anastasio Somoza becomes President of Nicaragua January 11 - The first issue of Look magazine goes on sale in the United States. January 19 - Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying... 1937 when a combined force of German and Italian bombers destroyed most of the This article is about the Basque people. For the article of clothing, see basque (clothing). The Basques (Euskaldunak) are an indigenous people who inhabit parts of both Spain and France. They are found predominantly in four provinces in Spain and three in France. This area _ the Basque Country (Basque... Basque city of This article is about the city in Spain; the Pablo Picasso painting of the same name is covered in the article Guernica (painting) Guernica or Guernica y Luno (Basque Gernika-Lumo, pronounced in SAMPA [gernika]) is a small city in the Spanish Basque Country that was the meeting place... Guernica in north-east Spain. This bombing received worldwide condemnation and the collective memory of the horror of the bombing of civilians has ever since become most acute via the famous painting, named after the town, by the Woman with a guitar by Georges Braque, 1913 Cubism was an avant-garde art movement that revolutionised European painting and sculpture in the early 20th century. The essence of cubism is that instead of viewing subjects from a single, fixed angle, the artist breaks them up into a multiplicity of... Cubist artist, A young Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso, formally Pablo Ruiz Picasso, (October 25, 1881 - April 8, 1973) was one of the recognized masters of 20th century art. His name in full was Pablo (or Pablito) Diego José Santiago Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Crispín Crispiniano los Remedios Cipriano de la... Pablo Picasso. It was feared by many that this would be the way that future air wars would be conducted, since the Italian strategist, General General Giulio Douhet (30 May 1869 - 15 February 1930) was an Italian air power theorist and contemporary of the 1920s air warfare advocates Billy Mitchell and Sir Hugh Trenchard. Born in Caserta near Naples, Giulio attended the Genoa Military Academy and was commissioned into the artillery. Later he attended the... Giulio Douhet (who had died in 1930), had formulated theories regarding what would be dubbed "strategic bombing", the idea that wars would be won by striking from the air at the heart of the industrial muscle of a warring nation and thus demoralizing the civilian population to the point where the government of that nation would be driven to sue for peace - a portent of things to come, certainly, and not just during the war which would break out in Europe only months after the end of the civil war in Spain.

World War II

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers. Photograph published in: Aircraft of the Fighting Powers Vol I Ed: H J Cooper, O G Thetford and D A. Russell Harborough Publishing Co, Leicester, England 1940. Photographer not identified, so UK Copyright contended to have lapsed 50 years after publication. Picture prepared for...

Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive-bombers in formation circa 1939-1940

By the summer of 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-June January 2 - End of term for Frank Finley Merriam, 28th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Culbert Levy Olson. January 24 - Earthquake kills 30.000 in Chile – about 50.000 sq... 1939, on the eve of the outbreak of Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. August 9, 1945 World War II was a global conflict that started in 7 July 1937 in Asia and 1 September 1939 in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the... World War II, the Luftwaffe had become the most powerful air force in the world. As such it played a major role in Germany's early successes in the war, and formed a key part of the Blitzkrieg relied on close cooperation between infantry and panzers (tanks). Here, infantry use a panzer for cover as they attack in Russia during September of 1941 Blitzkrieg, from the German for lightning war, was an operational-level military doctrine which employed mobile forces attacking with speed and surprise to prevent... Blitzkrieg concept, much thanks to the use of the innovative Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the most famous Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull-wings and fixed undercarriage. The Stukas design featured some innovative features, including an automatic pull-up system to ensure that... Junkers Ju 87 A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. In doing so the aircraft decreases the time it takes for the bomb to reach its target, both through greater speed and shorter distance, thereby making the effects of drag and... dive bomber (Sturzkampfflugzeug - "Stuka"). Germany swept through Poland, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium and France in a matter of months between September 1939 and June 1940 thanks in no small part to the Luftwaffe, which seemed invincible, causing Göring to become over-confident in its abilities and boasting that the RAF would be defeated in a matter of a month before the planned launch of Operation Seelöwe ("Sealion"), the invasion of the United Kingdom. However, the fact that the English Channel was between occupied France and Norway (since Luftflotte ("Air Fleet") V under Generaloberst Hugo Sperrle operated from Norway) did as much to save the U.K. from invasion as the unexpectedly fierce resistance from the squadrons consisting of pilots of many nationalities, not just British.

Ultimately, the inability of the Luftwaffe to control the skies in what became world famous as the A major campaign of World War II, the Battle of Britain is the name for the attempt by Germanys Luftwaffe to gain control of British airspace and destroy the Royal Air Force (RAF). Secondary objectives were to destroy aircraft production and intimidate the nation into neutrality or surrender. The... Battle of Britain (so-called after The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill KG, OM, CH, FRS ( November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. At various times an author, soldier, journalist, and politician, Churchill is generally regarded as... Winston Churchill made a radio broadcast announcing the end of the campaign in France) after the tactical mistake of shifting the focus of operations to bombing industrial targets in cities instead of British airfields formed a key point in the war. German air power, which suffered increasingly from a shortage of aviation fuels, raw materials (especially aluminum) for the construction of aircraft and frequently flawed leadership by Göring (who managed to deflect blame onto others like Udet), diminished further with the entry of the The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii... United States into the conflict in December 1941.

Unlike the Germans, the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF), under the command of General Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 - January 15, 1950), often referred to by the nickname Hap, was an American pilot, commander of the US Army Air Corps from 1938, commander of the US Army Air Forces from 1941 until 1945 and the first General of the Air Force in 1949... Henry H. Arnold, developed a strategic bomber force. (And yet, even before the war, Germany did have long-range, four-engined Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft making transatlantic flights with Lufthansa, since the type was developed as an airliner. If they had been built in enough numbers, the Fw 200 could have replaced the twin-engined bombers in the bombing offensive against Britain and possibly wrought even greater damage. As it was, they were used against merchantmen in the Atlantic bringing much needed supplies to the beleaguered British Isles.) The USAAF bombers, along with fighters like the P-51 when fitted with droptanks, were capable of very deep penetration into Reich territory and maintained daylight bombing of industrial targets, while their RAF colleagues continued with the offensive by conducting night operations.

Nevertheless, the Luftwaffe remained strong and both the day fighters and the night fighters (see below) were able to shoot down hundreds of Allied bombers, including (incredibly) 95 on a single night (October 30-31, 1944) when the RAF bombed the southern city of Nuremberg, famous as the place where prewar Nazi Party rallies took place (and, postwar, where the trials of Nazi criminals, including Göring, would take place).

Junkers Ju 87D "Stuka" dive-bombers on a mission over the Russian countryside. Hans Rudel Hans-Ulrich Rudel (July 2, 1916 - December 18, 1982) was a highly decorated German fighter pilot during World War II. Rudel was born in German Silesia. After a limited education, he joined the German Luftwaffe in 1936 as an officer cadet. He was trained to reconnaissance observer pilot... Hans-Ulrich Rudel would become the most successful and most highly-decorated German pilot of World War II flying the "Stuka", whose Ju 87G variant was used to devastating effect as a "tank-buster" with twin 37-mm cannons fitted under the wings

German superiority was especially felt on the The Eastern Front was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. In Russia, the war is referred to... Eastern Front, given that the Luftwaffe enjoyed an advanced technical standard as well as employing highly trained and experienced pilots like Hans Rudel Hans-Ulrich Rudel (July 2, 1916 - December 18, 1982) was a highly decorated German fighter pilot during World War II. Rudel was born in German Silesia. After a limited education, he joined the German Luftwaffe in 1936 as an officer cadet. He was trained to reconnaissance observer pilot... Hans-Ulrich Rudel, who, flying the “Stuka”, was to become the most highly decorated pilot of the war, winning 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 in Czechoslovakia (Czech: Československo, Slovak: Česko-Slovensko/before 1990 Československo) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1992 (except for the World War II period). On January 1, 1993, it peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in what was known as the... Czechoslovakia on 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. On that date, massive celebrations took place, notably in London, where over a million... V-E Day, May 8, 1945.

Amongst the Experten (the name given to the fighter pilots), Erich Alfred Bubi Hartmann (April 19, 1922 - September 19/20, 1993) was the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial combat. He shot down 352 enemy aircraft of which 345 were Soviet, while serving with the Luftwaffe, Germanys air force, in World War II. Hartmann joined the... Erich Hartmann would emerge at the end of the war with the highest number of enemy aircraft shot down - 352, a total initially disputed but eventually accepted. In contrast, the highest number of aircraft shot down by any Allied pilot was 62, achieved by Colonel (later Colonel-General) Ivan Kozhedub of the Soviet Army Air Force. Nevertheless, the vast land mass of Russia allowed the Soviets to manufacture war matériel well away from the front line and so it was partly thanks to overwhelming numbers of weapons made available to the ground and air forces of the USSR that the Soviets managed to push the Germans back west, especially after the crushing defeats of the German Army at both For other uses, see Kursk (disambiguation). Kursk (Russian: Курск; pronounced as KOORSK), a city in Central Russia, an administrative center of Kursk Oblast. The population of the city is 412,442 (2002). The city lies in the Southeastearn part of Central Russia, at the confluence of... Kursk and Stalingrad is the former name of two cities: Volgograd, Russia Karviná-Nové Město, near Ostrava, Czech Republic Other uses: The Battle of Stalingrad (a major turning-point of World War II and arguably the bloodiest battle in human history) Stalingrad (German film set during the above battle) Stalingrad... Stalingrad and the Germans' failure to take Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... Leningrad ( Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... St. Petersburg).

The Luftwaffe saw action on many fronts, including in North Africa in support of ground operations conducted by General Field Marshal Erwin Rommel Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel (November 15, 1891–October 14, 1944) was one of the most distinguished German Field Marshals and commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps in World War II. He is also known by his nickname The Desert Fox (Wüstenfuchs). Early life and... Erwin Rommel's The Deutsches Afrikakorps (often just Afrika Korps or DAK) was the corps_level headquarters controlling the German Panzer divisions in Libya and Egypts Western Desert during the North African Campaign of World War II. Since there was little turnover in the units attached to the corps the term is commonly... Afrika Korps, and in the offensives against Yugoslavia and Greece prior to the invasion of the USSR in June 1941. Many Luftwaffe units were stationed in Italy, including after the Italians switched sides in September 1943 and remained there until the end of the war in May 1945. There were units also present in Romania, since fighter units stationed there were charged with the protection of the oilfields at Ploesti, since they were providing vital fuel for the German war machine in its continuation of its offensive against the USSR.

Fallschirmjäger over Rotterdam during the invasion of the Low Countries, May 10, 1940

One of the unique characteristics of the Luftwaffe (as opposed to other independent air forces) was the possession of an organic An American Paratrooper using a T-10C series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and formed into an airborne force. Paratroopers have a tactical advantage in that they can appear on the battlefield anywhere that aircraft can fly over. Thus they can evade enemy fortifications designed to repel an... paratrooper elite force, termed Categories: Military stubs | German airborne units | Airborne | Infantry ... Fallschirmjäger (pronounced "fal-scheerm-yea-ger"). These paratroops saw action during 1940-1941, most notably in the operations to capture the Belgian army fortress at ... Eben-Emael in May is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. May begins (astrologically) with the sun in the sign of Taurus and ends in the sign of Gemini. Astronomically speaking, the sun begins in the constellation... May 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-February January 5 - FM radio is demonstrated to the FCC for the first time. January 6 - World War II: Mass execution of Poles, committed by Germans in the Poznan, Warthegau. January 12 - World War... 1940 and to capture the island of Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the Greek island closest to North Africa. Tourist attractions in Crete include archeological sites at Knossos, Phaistos, Gortys and many other places... Crete in May is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. May begins (astrologically) with the sun in the sign of Taurus and ends in the sign of Gemini. Astronomically speaking, the sun begins in the constellation... May 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 6 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms Speech in the State of the Union Address. January 10 - Lend-Lease is introduced into the U.S. Congress. January 19 - British troops attack Italian... 1941. However, more than 3,000 Fallschirmjäger were killed during the Crete operation, and a shocked For other people with the surname Hitler, see Hitler (disambiguation). Adolf Hitler ( 20 April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary – 30 April 1945 in Berlin, Germany) was leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (more widely known as the Nazi Party) and Führer und Reichskanzler... Adolf Hitler ordered that these elite paratroopers would never be used for such large-scale operations again, but only for smaller-scale operations, such as the successful rescue of Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 _ April 28, 1945) ruled Italy as a dictator from 1922 to 1943. He created a fascist state through the... Benito Mussolini, the then-deposed dictator of Italy, in 1943.

Although night-fighting had been undertaken in embryonic form way back in World War I, the German night-fighter force, the Nachtjagd, had virtually to 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 (August 19, 1896 - 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... Josef Kammhuber, and nearby night-fighter wings, Nachtjagdgeschwader (NJG), were alerted to the presence of the enemy. These wings were equipped mostly with 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. However, the Battle of... Messerschmitt Bf 110 and The Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. Among the most versatile planes of the war, it was used as a bomber, close-support aircraft, nightfighter, torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. A solid aircraft with great performance, it went on to be the Luftwaffes... Junkers Ju 88 aircraft, which would later be outfitted with the Lichtenstein nose-mounted radar.

A captured Heinkel He 219 fighter in RAF markings after the War. Photograph published in: Aircraft of the Fighting Powers Vol VII Ed: O G Thetford Harborough Publishing Co, Leicester, England 1946. Photographer not identified, so UK Copyright contended to have lapsed 50 years after publication. Picture prepared for Wikipedia...

Captured Heinkel He 219A night-fighter wearing RAF roundels

The The Heinkel He 219 Uhu (Owl) was a famous night fighter used late in World War II by the Luftwaffe. The plane had been requested in 1942 and eventually developed into a superb aircraft that many speculate would have had a huge effect on RAF night bombing plans. In the... Heinkel He 219 "Uhu" (Owl) was considered one of the best night-fighters in the Luftwaffe's inventory, yet, thankfully for the Allies, not enough of them were built to stem the tide of bombers, which became effective at using strips of aluminum foil called "Window" (more commonly, "chaff") to jam the radar screens. Two notable names amongst the night-fighter pilots were Helmut Lent, who shot down 110 enemy aircraft before being killed in a landing accident in October 1944, and Wolfgang Schnaufer, who shot down 102 enemy aircraft and survived the war, only to die in a car crash in France in 1950.

Me-262 A1a, German WWII propaganda photo. This work is copyrighted. The individual who uploaded this work and first used it in an article, and subsequent persons who place it into articles assert that this qualifies as fair use of the material under United States copyright law. A larger version...

The Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a was the world's first operational jet fighter plane

After playing a pioneering role in the development of aircraft powered by jet engines ("TL Triebwerke") with prototypes such as the The Heinkel He 178 was the worlds first aircraft to fly under turbojet power, and the first practical jet plane. It was a private venture by the Heinkel company in accordance with director Ernst Heinkels emphasis on developing technology for high-speed flight and first flew on August... Heinkel He 178 and The Heinkel He 280 was the first jet-powered fighter aircraft built in the world. It was inspired by Ernst Heinkels emphasis on research into high-speed flight and built on the companys experience with its He 178 jet prototype. The He 280 never entered mass production as... Heinkel He 280, the Luftwaffe became the first air force in the world to press an operational jet fighter into service - the twin-engine The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) was the first operational jet powered aircraft. It was mass-produced in World War II and saw action from late 1944 in bomber/reconnaissance and fighter/interceptor roles. German pilots nicknamed it the Turbo, while to the allies it was the Stormbird, or in... Messerschmitt Me 262. The aircraft was still plagued by reliability problems of its powerplants, however: while the The Jumo 004 was the worlds first turbojet engine in production and operational use. Some 8,000 units were manufactured by Junkers in Germany during late World War II and powered the Messerschmitt Me 262 and Arado Ar 234 aircraft. Variants of the engine were produced in Eastern Europe... 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. The Me 262 was soon joined by other highly advanced aircraft designs, such as the The Arado Ar 234 Blitz 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 to... Arado Ar 234 twin and four-engine jet bomber/reconnaissance aircraft, the The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger (Peoples Fighter) was the second jet engined fighter aircraft to be fielded by the Luftwaffe in WWII. It was a rival to the Messerschmitt Me 262 and was the fighter with the highest tactially useful Mach number of the first generation of Axis... Heinkel He 162 single-engine jet fighter (powered by a BMW jet engine), the The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was the only operational rocket fighter aircraft. It required a lengthy development process and entered the war in a very limited fashion only in 1944. Development Prior to the start of World War II, Hellmuth Walter had started experimenting with the use of hydrogen peroxide... 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 (Gotha, GWF) was a German manufacturer of rolling stock established in the late nineteenth century at Warnemünde. During the two world wars, the company expanded into aircraft building. In World War I, Gotha manufacturer a highly successful series of bombers based on a 1914 design by Oskar... Gothaer Waggonfabrik aircraft factory), were either at the testing stage or even ordered into production by the time the war ended. The German aviation industry also developed the first A Tomahawk cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile which uses a lifting wing and most often a jet propulsion system to allow sustained flight. Cruise missiles are, in essence, unmanned aircraft. They are generally designed to carry a large conventional or nuclear warhead many hundreds of miles... cruise missile used operationally on large scale, the The Vergeltungswaffe 1 Fi 103 / FZG-76 (V-1), known as the Flying bomb, Buzz bomb or Doodlebug, was the first modern guided missile used in wartime and the first cruise missile. Vergeltungswaffe means reprisal weapon, and FZG is an abbreviation of Flak Ziel Gerät (anti-aircraft aiming device... Fieseler Fi 103 The Vergeltungswaffe 1 Fi 103 / FZG-76 (V-1), known as the Flying bomb, Buzz bomb or Doodlebug, was the first modern guided missile used in wartime and the first cruise missile. Vergeltungswaffe means reprisal weapon, and FZG is an abbreviation of Flak Ziel Gerät (anti-aircraft aiming device... V-1 flying bomb, and the first Polish missile wz. 8/K-14 (Scud-B) A ballistic missile is a missile, usually with no wings or fins, with a prescribed course that cannot be altered after the missile has burned its fuel, whereafter its course is governed by the laws of ballistics. In order to cover large... ballistic missile, the German test launch. V2 rocket at the Peenemünde Museum. The V-2 rocket was an early ballistic missile used by Germany during the later stages of World War II against mostly British and Belgian targets. Pre-operational history As early as 1927 members of the Verein für Raumschiffahrt... V-2.

As modern as these aircraft were, they could not prevent Germany's total defeat in the air. The Luftwaffe lacked fuel, trained pilots, organizational unity and "safe" airfields. The final fully-blown offensive conducted by the Luftwaffe was on January 1, 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 5 - The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet government of Poland. January 7 - British General Bernard Montgomery holds a press conference in which he claims credit for victory in the Battle of... 1945, when it launched Operation Bodenplatte ("Baseplate"). The idea here was to destroy as many Allied aircraft on the ground, yet the Germans lost over 300 aircraft and were henceforward very much on the defensive as the western Allies and the Soviets closed in and invaded the Reich itself. The Allies were able to harvest Germany's advanced technical efforts as many German aircraft were abandoned after being deliberately wrecked for the most part; Operation Paperclip scientists pose together. Originally called Operation Overcast, Operation Paperclip was the codename for the operation by the US intelligence services and military to extract scientists specialising in rocketry (e.g. V-1, V-2), chemical weapons (e.g. Zyklon-B) and medicine from Germany after the collapse of... Operation Paperclip, for example, was one of many designed in 1944-45 to obtain either technical specimens, data, or the design personnel themselves and "evacuate" them to the United States, England, the USSR or France.

The early US and Soviet space programs employed German hardware and were staffed with many German scientists and engineers, the most famous of which was In May 1964, von Braun stands at his Marshall Space Flight Center desk in Huntsville, Alabama with models of rockets developed and in progress. Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun (March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977) was a German scientist and one of the leading figures in the development... Wernher von Braun, subsequently the head of the design team of the American This article is about the rocket. Saturn V may also refer to the numerical designation of Rhea, the moon of Saturn. The Saturn V (popularly known as the Moon Rocket) was a multistage liquid-fuel expendable rocket used by NASAs Apollo and Skylab programs. It was the largest production... Saturn V moon rocket. Many aircraft designers were also captured by the Red Army and sent to the USSR to design and build potential fighters and bombers for the Soviet Army and Navy Air Forces.

Junkers Ju 287, first prototype File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. Click on date to download the file or see the image uploaded on that date. (del) (cur) 01:28, 6 Feb 2004 . . Rlandmann (18253 bytes...

The Junkers Ju 287 was the world's first forward-swept-wing jet bomber, yet it never saw operational service

Amongst the designers sent to Russia were Dr. Hans Wocke, the man who designed the world's first forward-swept-wing jet bomber, the The Junkers Ju 287 was a flying testbed built to develop the technology required for a multi-engined jet bomber aircraft. It was powered by four Junkers Jumo 004 engines, featured a revolutionary swept forward wing and was built largely from scavenged components from other aircraft. The flying prototype and... Junkers Ju 287, the first prototype of which, the Ju 287V1, had flown during the war on test flights. The Ju 287 design work was incorporated into the Junkers EF (Erprobungsflugzeug = "test aircraft") 140 bomber prototype, yet neither this nor any other aircraft designed by the Germans would ever be accepted into the Soviet Army or Navy Air Forces since the Germans themselves were technically prisoners and were denied access to the latest facilities for designing and perfecting modern warplanes. Most of the captured designers had been allowed to return to either West or East Germany by the end of 1953.

Wolfram von Richthofen was a cousin of the late Manfred von Richthofen and one of only a few select officers in the Luftwaffe to have attained the highest rank of Generalfeldmarschall. However, he was retired on medical grounds in late 1944 and died of a brain tumor in the American POW camp at Bad Ischl on July 12, 1945

Throughout the history of the Third Reich, the Luftwaffe had only two commanders-in-chief. The first was, of course, Göring, yet he was fired by Hitler near the end of the war in Europe on account of his having contacted (western) Allied forces without his authorization with a view to securing a ceasefire before the Soviets overran Berlin. Hitler thus appointed Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim Robert Ritter von Greim or Robert Greim (June 22, 1892 - May 24, 1945) was a German pilot and army officer. Son of a Bavarian police captain. Greim was an army cadet before World War I and initially served in the artillery before transferring to the German... 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. One other officer, who happened to have been promoted to this rank himself, had been Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (10 October 1895 - 12 July 1945) He was born in Barzdorf. On 18 September 1920 he married at Breslau Jutta von Selchow (1896-1991). They had three children. He became a Generalfeldmarschall on 16 February 1943. He died in American captivity at Bad Ischl. He was... Wolfram von Richthofen, the cousin of the “Red Baron”, but he had retired in late 1944 on medical grounds and would die of a brain tumor while in American captivity at Bad Ischl on July 12, 1945.

Operational and training units of the Luftwaffe were organized roughly similarly to those of the U.S. Army Air Corps (which later became the U.S. Army Air Forces). 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. (As a point of interest, JG 1 was operating the aforementioned The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger (Peoples Fighter) was the second jet engined fighter aircraft to be fielded by the Luftwaffe in WWII. It was a rival to the Messerschmitt Me 262 and was the fighter with the highest tactially useful Mach number of the first generation of Axis... 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.

Some of the Luftwaffe's units came from countries under German control such as 13. Staffel (slowakisches) Jagdgeschwader 52 (13.(slovak)/ JG 52) was a front-line unit madeup of Slovak personnel during World War II. They operated in southern Russia using Messerschmidt Bf 109s (F and G), between 1941 and 1943. On their return home, they were reassigned to emergency flights covering the... 13 JG 52 ( National motto: None Official language Slovak Capital Bratislava President Ivan Gašparovič Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda Area - Total - % water Ranked 126th 49,035 km² Negligible Population - Total ( 2004) - Density Ranked 103rd 5,379,455 109/km² Independence January 1, 1993... Slovakia) and LUFTWAFFEN LEGION - ESTLAND [Liepaja-Grobina, Latvia] Under an OKL order of August 11, 1944 the Latvian Flying Units were combined into the Luftwaffen-Legion Lettland. The training centre at Liepaja-Grobina became Erg.Flg.Gr. Lettland (Latvian Replacement Training Group) Obstl. Janis Rucels (a Latvian) was appointed commander of the... Luftwaffen-Legion Lettland ( Latvia before 13th century Since 9,000 BC ancient peoples of unknown origin had inhabited Latvia, but by 3,000 BC the ancestors of the Finns had settled the region. A millennium later, pre-Baltic Indo-European tribes had arrived and within time evolved into Curonians, Latgallians, Selonians, and Semigallians... Latvia).

From before the war, the German Ministry of Propaganda disseminated a magazine specializing in the Luftwaffe called Der Adler ("The Eagle"), not just in German but also in the first languages, including French, of several countries which eventually became incorporated into the Reich territory. While the USA remained officially neutral (from September 1939 until December 1941), the magazine was also published in English. Many color photographs of the Luftwaffe in action during the war originally came from this publication.

Cold war

The Canadian version of the North American F-86 Sabre, the Canadair CL-13, had a long career in the Luftwaffe, with which seventy-five examples served. This model is in the markings of 1. Staffel of Waffenschule 10 (1. / WaSLw 10), based at Oldenburg in 1959. (Model by Peter Mojzisek [1] (http://homepage.swissonline.ch/PMojzisek/My%20Gallery/CL13Sabre/CL-13%20Sabre.htm))

Following the war, German aviation in general was severely curtailed, and military aviation was completely forbidden when the Luftwaffe was offically disbanded in August 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. (see link for calendar) Events January January 4 - Theodore Schurch becomes the last person to be executed for offences committed under the Treachery Act of 1940 January 7 - Allied recognize Austrian republic with 1937 borders - the country is divided into four occupation... 1946 by the Allied Control Commission. This changed when West Germany was the informal but almost universally used name for the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 until 1990, during which years the Federal Republic did not yet include East Germany. Since the German reunification of 1990, the Federal Republic of Germany is informally called simply Germany. The Federal... West Germany joined For the National Association of Theatre Owners, please see National Association of Theatre Owners. The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support... NATO in 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday. Events January-April January 2 - Panama president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated. January 19 - The Scrabble board game debuts. February 8 - Nikolai Bulganin ousts Georgi Malenkov February 13 - Israel obtains 4 of the 7 Dead Sea scrolls. February 23 - First meeting of... 1955, as the Western Allies believed that Germany was needed in view of the increasing threat militarily from the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) .( Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик... USSR and its Map of Warsaw Pact member countries. The Warsaw Pact or Warsaw Treaty, officially named the Treaty of friendship, co-operation and mutual assistance was a military alliance of the Eastern European Soviet Bloc countries, who intended to organize against the perceived threat from the NATO alliance (which had been established... Warsaw Pact allies. Throughout the following decades, the West German Luftwaffe was equipped mostly with The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii... US-designed aircraft manufactured locally under licence. All aircraft sported - and continue to sport - the Iron Cross on the fuselage, harking back to the days of World War I, while the national flag of West Germany could be seen on the tailplanes.

Many well-known fighter pilots, who had fought with the Luftwaffe in World War II, joined the new postwar air force and underwent refresher training in the USA before returning to West Germany to upgrade on the latest US-supplied hardware. These included Erich Alfred Bubi Hartmann (April 19, 1922 - September 19/20, 1993) was the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial combat. He shot down 352 enemy aircraft of which 345 were Soviet, while serving with the Luftwaffe, Germanys air force, in World War II. Hartmann joined the... Erich Hartmann, the highest-ever scoring ace (352 enemy aircraft destroyed), Gerhard Barkhorn (301), Günther Rall (275) and Johannes Steinhoff (176). Steinhoff, who suffered a crash in a The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) was the first operational jet powered aircraft. It was mass-produced in World War II and saw action from late 1944 in bomber/reconnaissance and fighter/interceptor roles. German pilots nicknamed it the Turbo, while to the allies it was the Stormbird, or in... Messerschmitt Me 262 shortly before the end of the war which resulted in lifelong scarring of his face and other parts of his body, would eventually become commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, with Rall as his immediate successor. Hartmann retired as an Oberst (colonel) in 1970 - aged only 48! The aforementioned Josef Kammhuber (August 19, 1896 - 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... Josef Kammhuber also served with the postwar Luftwaffe, retiring in 1962 as Inspekteur der Bundesluftwaffe.

During the 1960s, the " The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was the last of the day fighters, a high-performance supersonic interceptor aircraft capable of high speeds and climb rates. In this role the Starfighter served for only a short time, and was generally disliked by the US Air Force, which found its range, load... Starfighter crisis" was a big problem for German politics, as many of these The Lockheed SR-71, remarkably advanced for its time and unsurpassed in many areas of performance The Lockheed U-2 first flew in 1955 providing much needed intelligence on Soviet bloc countries Lockheed Corporation was an aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form... Lockheed F-104 fighters crashed after being modified to serve for Luftwaffe purposes. Therefore the Starfighter was chillingly dubbed the "widow-maker" (German: Witwenmacher). (It is of note that the F-104 served with the USAF for only a few years.) On the other hand, the Canadian version of the North American F-86 Sabre, the Canadair CL-13, enjoyed a long career with Luftwaffe fighter squadrons, since seventy-five of them entered service in and after 1957.

Reunification

File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. Click on date to download the file or see the image uploaded on that date. (del) (cur) 09:11, 6 Feb 2004 . . Ertz (10672 bytes) File links The following pages...

Chancellor with a new Luftwaffe Typhoon. The name "Typhoon" caused controversy since the was an RAF ground-attack aircraft which destroyed many targets in support of the ground forces invading France in June 1944 and afterwards

Chancellor Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder [] (born April 7, 1944), a German politician, has been serving since 1998 as Chancellor of Germany. His political career has unfolded within the left-of-center Social Democratic Party of Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, SPD) - for a time he also served as Party Chairman... Gerhard Schröder with a new Luftwaffe The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multi-role canard-delta fighter aircraft, very similar to the US-German Rockwell-MBB X-31 prototype and designed and built by a consortium of European nations formed in 1983. History The initial members were the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain... Eurofighter Typhoon. The name "Typhoon" caused controversy since the The Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter aircraft, produced by Hawker Aviation starting in 1941. Intended as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane in the interceptor role, it suffered from performance problems, and it instead evolved into one of World War IIs most successful strike fighters. Even before... Hawker Typhoon was an RAF ground-attack aircraft which destroyed many targets in support of the ground forces invading France in June 1944 and afterwards