|
The Luftwaffe (literally, "air weapon") is the air force of
Germany.
World War I
Founded during World War I with the emergence of military aircraft, it was
dissolved after the war, as a part of the Treaty of
Versailles. On February 26, 1935,
Adolf Hitler ordered WW I flying ace Hermann Göring to re-instate the Luftwaffe, although the treaty was still in force.
World War II
By 1939, on the eve of the outbreak of 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 concept, much thanks to the use of the innovative Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber (Sturzkampfflugzeug -
"Stuka"). A contingent from the Luftwaffe (The Legion Condor) was sent to support Franco's forces in the
Spanish Civil War with planes (notably the Ju 87) and
personnel.
The inability of the Luftwaffe to control the skies in the Battle
of Britain after the tactical mistake of bombing industrial targets in cities instead of British airfields formed a key point
in the war. German air power, which suffered from a shortage of fuel and less than perfect management, diminished further with
the arrival of the Americans, though it remained strong, especially on
the Eastern Front. The Luftwaffe was the first air force to fly a jet
fighter - the Messerschmitt Me 262 (although it was little
used as a fighter in the war after the plane, designed for speed, was converted by Hitler into a bomber), and they also developed
the first cruise missile, the V1 flying bomb.
See also
Post War
Following the war, German aviation in general was severely curtailed, and military aviation completely forbidden until
West Germany joined the NATO in the
1950s. Throughout the following decades, the West German Luftwaffe was equipped mostly with US-designed aircraft manufactured locally under licence.
During the 1960s, the Starfighter crisis was a big problem for
German politics, as many of these Lockheed F-104 fighters crashed after being
modified to serve for the Luftwaffe purposes. Therefore the Starfighter was called "widow-maker" (German: Witwenmacher).
The Luftwaffe of East Germany flew Soviet-built aircraft, like MIG 29. After reunification
they were taken over by unified Germany but will be taken out of order due to budget cuts during the next years.
Since the 1970s, the Luftwaffe of West Germany and then the reunited Germany has actively pursued the construction of European
combat aircraft such as the Panavia Tornado and more recently, the
Eurofighter. Some Soviet-built planes were taken over and used by the united
Luftwaffe, but most of these were taken out of service or sold to the new Eastern European allies.
In 1999, for the first time since 1945 the Luftwaffe engaged in combat operations as
part of the NATO-led Kosovo War. No
strike sorties were flown and the role of the Luftwaffe was restricted to providing support, for example with suppression of
enemy air defence (SEAD) sorties.
No Luftwaffe aircraft were lost during the campaign, but the force's role proved to be controversial in Germany because of the
strong sentiment still present in the population that is opposed to the use of force by Germany in international affairs.
See also
External link
|