UNSERE WEHRMACHT
Teil III: The Air Force
No other branch of our armed services has captured more interest on the part of our youth than the air force, which is the youngest element of our defense. It was started by the famous names of air warriors of the World War, up to the unbelievably rapid and radical victory over Poland and including the newest victories over England. Every Hitler Youth knows the history of wartime flying. The name Richthofen, just like the squadron Schumacher, is a concept for our youth that ignites a feeling of enthusiasm. The picture of one man, however, lives in their hearts; it is the successor to Richthofen as well as the creator of the modern air force and the symbol of the modern tradition with its glorious superiority—it is field marshal Hermann Göring. The term flier is synonymous with boldness, defiance of death and honor.
Beyond the general educational influence, our youth has amazing knowledge of the equipment of the air force, especially the airplane types, and it is not the result of special instruction that leads to personal observation, but to a lively exchange of experiences and enthusiastic interest, theoretical teaching and practical introduction. Wherever this general interest is directed, through schooling, theoretical education and practical introduction to model airplanes or personal experimentation, often a professional path, such as in industry or in the military, will result. The last is the task of the special formations of the Hitler Youth and of the National Socialist Flight Corps.
In view of these facts, a picture book of the Air Force seems superfluous. Therefore, it cannot be our purpose to arouse or to deepen one’s interest. This filmstrip should illustrate much more than the special and important task that our Air Force has in the war against England. For that reason, the introductory part about model construction and gliders is short. The main subject is flying in wartime. The necessary cooperation of the three branches—airmen, flak artillery, and information service must be especially emphasized.
The war that was forced upon us by England is the life-decision of National Socialist Germany. Victory can only belong to us. This picture book can help make our belief unshakeable in the hearts of German youth. Germany has the strongest air force in the world—England is no longer an island.
ORGANIZATION OF THE PICTURE BOOK
Pictures 1-5: The next generation of flyers.
Picture 6: The Leader speaks.
Pictures 7-9: Training of airmen.
Picture 10 Structure of the air force.
Picture 11 Ground personnel.
Pictures 12-16: Defense of our air space.
Pictures 17-22: Information service.
Pictures 23-34: The air force on attack
Pictures 35-36: The war against England.
Picture 37: The Leader and his Field Marshal.
Picture 1: In the airmen’s Hitler Youth the next generation for the air force is trained. Model construction and gliders provide the bases.
Picture 2: Exact and careful work on the model…
Picture 3: guarantees a successful beginning.
“German youth must be concerned with the thought of air travel from the bottom up, not only in one’s fantasy, but also in discipline and in serious work.”
The requirement of Field Marshall Hermann Göring inspires the airmen of the Hitler Youth. Model construction is the best introduction into flying and a prerequisite for flight gliding. The practical detailed work on a model provides the first insight into the technical and physical basic laws of flight, just as the design of one’s own models stimulates and directs one’s fantasy and inventive talent. Additionally, the requirement of a craftman’s exactness and cleanliness is a superb personal education. The joy of a successful beginning with a self-constructed model is genuine, especially in a competition where the achievement is measured and evaluated.
Picture 4: A glider, the first flying experience!
Even before the World War gliders were used in Germany. Their actual sport and aeronautical significance appeared after the World War when Germany, upon the demand of the Versailles dictators, had to destroy the young and feared German Air Force. At that time the Rhön area was the home of the war airmen, who could not live without airplanes; they were not only able to satisfy their passion for flying, but also saw the beginning of a new future air force. The greatest advancement came about through the annual Rhön competitions that resulted in ever-increasing technical perfection of the planes and an increase in performance.
Picture 5: In apprentice workshops the next generation is trained.
The technical prerequisites include a military establishment of the Reich Air Force Ministry. They have the task of making available a team of valuable, highly qualified personnel as guards for the maintenance of the planes. The training occurs in factories and technical schools of the air defense ministry and is completely free of charges.
Picture 6:
“The German military has arisen again, German cities and beautiful villages are protected. Above them is the pride of the nation, the air force.”
Adolf Hitler
Picture 7:
Even the soldier of the Air Force receives infantry training.
For three months every soldier of the Air Force must practice, march, and above all, shoot.
Only as a trained recruit does he have the choice of flying in the future, of helping his flying comrades or as a member of the ground personnel. Admittance to flying school depends on the result of special adaptability tests.
Picture 8:
In a flying classroom the recruit learns theory and practice.
A commercial airplane is the classroom. Here the recruit is trained in all branches of his obligations and can immediately apply that which he has learned in a practical sense.
Picture 9:
The first solo flight!
The flight school airplane is a two-seater machine. The instructor sits forward and his control column is coupled to that of the student. He can therefore observe every impact on the controls and its effect on the movement of the airplane. Slowly the airman learns flying. The first solo flight is a great experience, especially when the flight ends with a “clean” landing.
Picture 10:
The Air Force is organized into the flying group, flak artillery and information group. Each branch supports the other.
Picture 11:
Careful maintenance of the planes guarantees flight safety.
The ground crew has a tremendous responsibility. After each longer flight, each plane is overhauled, tested and prepared for the next flight. Not even a single screw can be overlooked. The smallest mistake can lead to the loss of personnel and plane.
Picture 12:
Defense is the job of the fighters.
Fighters are single-motor and single-seat airplanes whose task is to prevent enemy reconnaissance planes from completing their jobs and to destroy attacking fighter planes. In cooperation with the flak artillery they form the active air defense. Their main weapon is a fixed, built-in machine gun that fires through small openings in the plane. It is aimed by the movement of the airplane. In the wings there are also machine guns that are automatically fired. All types of guns overlap each other to a certain degree, so that all can hit the same target, when they are fired from the appropriate distance. The most desirable distance from the enemy is indicated, when the plane is visible in the illuminated sight, a glass disc in a golden circle. The “destroyer” is a two-seater airplane. In order to diminish the defenselessness of an attack from the rear, there is a moveable machine gun built in, the so-called “rear gunner.” This airplane is correspondingly bigger and has two motors.
Picture 13:
Against our speed, climbing ability and firing power the British bombers are powerless.
The fighter type Me 109 achieved the absolute speed record of 755 km/hour. What that speed means in an air battle is proven by our fighters in the biggest air battle up to this time over the German Bay on December 18, 1939. The decisive defeat of the English is the violent refutation of our planes in the English press.
Our picture is a drawing of Richard Hess who has provided an accurate picture according to military assessment.
Picture 14:
At the time when the light flak fends off low-level attacks…
Picture 15: the heavy flak destroys the high-flying opponents.
Picture 16: Listening devices and searchlights are aids for the ground defense.
The listening device determines the direction and height of the approaching enemy. If the searchlight locates an aircraft by night and captures it in its beam, there is no escape from the accuracy of the flak artillery.
The light flak has cannons up to a caliber of 3.7 cm, and the heavy flak shoots with a caliber of over 7 cm. Almost the entire flak system is motorized. The smallest unit is the section, and it consists of 3-5 batteries with each 2-4 guns.
Picture 17: The close-up reconnaissance plane scouts and observes for the army.
Close-up reconnaissance planes are usually single-engine and two-seater models. The pilot has two fixed machine guns, while the observation plane has a moveable one mounted on a turntable. The reconnaissance plane avoids an air battle if necessary, in order to provide his results to the command post quickly and accurately.
Picture 18: The photographs of the long-range reconnaissance planes provide…
Picture 19: documents for theleadership.
The reconnaissance plane pilot fulfills his task of identifying the movements of the opposing army and its artillery through the use of eye contact and a hand camera. The importance of these results for deployment and forward march can be illustrated by our picture showing a bridge destroyed by retreating Poles.
Picture 20: The long-range reconnaissance planes make advances even overseas.
Long-range reconnaissance planes over England; almost every day the report of the supreme command confirms it. Especially this war has shown that important tasks have fallen to long-range reconnaissance. The enemy mainland is its goal as well as war ships and commercial ships on the high seas. The planes must be superior in speed, climbing ability and range. As multiple-use planes they also carry mid-sized bombs. Often flying boats are deployed.
Picture 21: Radio reports are received from the ground station and…
Picture 22: relayed to the military airfields.
The most important instrument for successful reconnaissance is a radio. Not just because all announcements and observations must be relayed immediately to the troops waiting for deployment, but also the reconnaissance must be informed by the ground station about weather, orientation or change of command. The air information group is an important part of the air force.
Picture 23: Fighter planes and stukas (dive bombers) are the attackers of the air force.
Picture 24: The fighter planes are loaded.
Fighters are the actual supports of the air war. Their goals are enemy deployment areas, junctions, military and economic installations such as harbors, airfields, factories, and so on. Their planes are high-quality performance machines that are strongly armed; in three battle stations moveable machine guns or canons are mounted, so that in no position a blind area is possible.
Their main attack weapons are the bombs. The fragmentation bomb with a weight of up to 12 kg is used on living targets while the mine bomb is used on non-living targets, such as buildings.
Picture 24: The squadron is ready to start.
The fighters’ attack usually occurs in formation, except at night. Flying in formation requires considerable aeronautical ability and masterful control of the aircraft. The transmission of commands within the formation is done through radio telephones;
microphone and head phone are built into the pilot’s headgear. The formation sizes are:
flight….…………….3 airplanes
squadron……………3 flights
group………………..3 squadrons
squadron…………….3 groups
(total 81 planes)
Pictures 25-31 provide details and moments of an enemy flight. They make a complete number. The necessary explanations have been removed from the above.
Picture 26: The last discussion concerning the approaching attack…
Picture 27: and then the flight begins.
Picture 28: Flying in higher altitudes requires the use of an oxygen mask.
Since fighters reach an altitude of 10 000 meters, an oxygen mask is indispensable
Picture 29: Attacking enemy planes are fought off by machine guns.
Picture 30: The bombs fall in rows.
Picture 31: The command has been completed.
The picture shows a completely destroyed Polish airport.
Picture 32: Dive-bombers are used for definite targets.
Dive-bombers are planes that are used to attack targets from high altitudes, such as bridges, ships, etc. They swoop down in a nosedive on the target in which speeds of 600 km can be obtained, and at the moment of pulling out of the dive they release the bombs.
Picture 33: In a wild nosedive the plane swoops down.
The picture, a drawing by Richard Hess, illustrates the first phase of a nosedive, the tilting of the plane.
Picture 34: The effect of the nosedive.
This tank train, the only one that Poland had, was a target of a dive-bomber attack. The bomb landed close to the tracks; concussion and splintering sufficed to make the train completely unusable.
Picture 35: “According to the German soldier tradition, we make the helmet tighter
after a victory. Whatever commands the Leader gives us: Onward for our eternal Germany!”
From the daily command of General Field Marshall Hermann Göring to the Air Force on the day of capitulation of Warsaw, September 27, 1939.
Picture 36: England is no longer an island.
If the English had believed at the beginning of the war, in view of their superiority and the hope of defeating or even destroying Germany in a short time, then the successes of the German fleet and the German Air Force in the first half-year would have made this optimistic claim irrelevant. Due to the range of our planes, England is really no longer an island.
Picture 37: The picture shows the Leader presenting the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross to General Field Marshall Hermann Göring after conclusion of the Poland campaign.