GERMANY’S AIR FORCE: ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23716, 14 August 1942, Page 4

GERMANY’S AIR FORCE: ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP

SERVICE CO-ORDINATION

From an administrative point of view the Luftwaffe is an independent branch of the services, but strategically and tactically, it is dependent on the decisions of a higher au th°rity. the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) under Generalfeldmarschall Keitel. Although Goering is technically head of the German Air Force and holds a rank higher than that of Keitel, the chiel of the OKW has greater powers. He plans the °P tions of the German armed forces and r”ots to the Commanders-in-Chief of the army, navy, and Luftwaffe the parts their units will have to play in them. Keitel, and not the three service chiefs, issues the daily comm The U chief of the OKW has his own general staff, on which all three services are represented. The Luftwaffe’s permanent representative is Colonel General .K. Bodenschatz, Goering’s A.D.C. in the last war. Through these liaison offices close collaboration between the OKW and each of three branches has been established, and this collaboration is further strengthened by inter-service liaison officers. The Luftwaffe has one liaison officer each with Jhe Com-manders-ih-Chief of the amy and navy. Generals of Aviators K. Bogatsch and H. Ritter. These offices have to maintain liaison between the Commanders-in-Chief, dll^ c t th e operations of those Luftwaffe f° ri na* tions which are immediately under the command of the other two services, and supervise the work of the Luftwaffe officers and their .staffs attached to the Groups of Armies, to the Armies. Army Corps, Divisions, and Such a complicated scheme, for the collaboration of the three services may be considered cumbersome, and the Germans themselves admit it. Yet, so far they have had no cause to try another. The collaboration of the army and the Luftwaffe during the Battle of France was judged to be as good as could have been expected. Since the beginning of the Russian campaign the collaboration has been further improved by putting * reconnaissance squadron, a wing of . dl £ e bombers, and a battalion of anti-air-craft artillery under the operational command of each panzer division, the aeroplane types are the Hs 126, the Fw 189, the Ju 878 or the .Ju .88A6, and, occasionally, the Hs 123 biplane dive bomber, up to about 50 in nuttiber. Should these aeroplanes require fighter protection, the chief Luftwaffe liaison officer with the group of armies puts a squadron or a wing at me disposal of the Luftwaffe liaison officer with the individual panzer division, who employs them according to the orders of the divisional commi?i?rlng the first month of the fighting in Russia German papers published maps of the front which showed the distribution of the armed forces. According to, this map the three air fleets were attached to the three Groups, of Armies whose commanders were in charge of the operations. The officer-in-charge of an air fleet takes part in the daily meetings of the Commander-in-Chief of the Group of Armies end of the officers commanding the armies under

[Reprinted from the “Aeroplane.”]

him, during which the propcM operations of the following day*2 outlined and discussed. ™ Anti-aircraft artillery units m. operate with the other services on *1 most the same lines. Until the begin ning of 1941 mobile anti-aitm* units were* part of the Luftwaffe whereas batteries working from'fSS sites—the Festungsflaks—were und» the army. Since then the army IS formed its own anti-aircraft artlllm units. Should the commander ofln army -unit require additional anti-aS craft protection, Luftwaffe formatkS are put under his command and nS under that of the highest air forS officer in that area. ™

Collaboration between the LufWff. and the navy is on sSjW lines. KustenseeflugkommahdolSvuSp' the functions of both the CoasSfT Command and the Fleet Air Arm. a provides the units for long-distantS patrols over the sea, for nune-layS, or torpedo attacks, and ship-bom, aeroplanes for German warshtei Should the aircraft-carrier Count pelin, which is now in the polish port of Gdynia, ever be eel* pleted during this war, the flying, sonnel will doubtless be taken fSSk the Kustenseeflugkommando. This unit does not consist txefift sively of members of the Luftw«S‘ It also includes men from the' fl|«r Observers, and pilots, too, are .oftrf . chosen from naval personnel, llylnrunits working with the navy ; |g, under the command of the navy; .1# . for instance, the Commander- ofi-tC U-boats, Admiral K. Doenitz, requhSair support for an attack on a conVfiy or for reconnaissance over the Atlah* tic, the Luftwaffe formations sent ate under his operational command. From this the conclusion mighty drawn that Luftwaffe units always fight under the command of other services. That is far from the truth. There have been occasions in this'war when operations ordered by the ’ OKW have been directed by officers of the Luftwaffe. This does not ipi elude the Battle of Britain, which was a Luftwaffe undertaking from be-; ginning;, to end and was directed Luftwaffe chiefs. j .s? But the conquest of Crete and; tlw; withdrawal of the ScharnhotsV Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen Irina Brest to North Sea ports were operations in which Luftwaffe officers chirp 1 manded military and naval well as air units. The conquests# Crete was directed, by Generalebsmf A. Lohr, of the 4th Air Fleet, who Kadi command not only of army units, but! also of German and Italian naval fof-| mations. The move of the three Gtt-l man warships was directed by Marshal! Sperrle, and Vice-Admiral Clliax,lMi commander of the naval vessels,;*ct4dj as a Junior officer under him. * '■; This survey shows that the LUftwafle'. is not so independent as is sometime*! claimed by speakers and writers .In 1 England. What must .alwaylirWi remembered In assessing the, stattttfif! the German Air Force is that’woMl moment it may be the servant Kha the[ next the master of the other two-ifet-j vices. German military strategists do; not view war from three distinct} angles, but from one, and the primary I role Is given to the service ffiat miWj play the most important port. , ;j,