Wolfram von Richthofen
Encyclopedia
Dr.-Ing. Wolfram Freiherr von RichthofenIn German a Doctorate
in engineering
is abbreviated as Dr.-Ing. (Doctor-Ingenieur). (10 October 1895 in Gut Barzdorf
, Silesia
– 12 July 1945 in Bad Ischl
) was a German
Generalfeldmarschall
(General Field Marshal) of the Luftwaffe
(German Air Force) during the Second World War. Born in 1895 to Prussian nobles, Wolfram grew up in wealthy surroundings. After attending school he opted to join the German Army
at the age of 18, rather than choose an academic career. He joined the army's Cavalry
arm in 1913.
On the outbreak of the First World War, he fought on the Western Front
, winning the Iron Cross
Second Class. He was redeployed to the Eastern Front
in 1915, where he stayed until 1917. The von Richthofen family produced several notable personalities that would become famous during the First War. His cousins, brothers Lothar
and Manfred von Richthofen
, both became flying aces and they encouraged him to join the Luftstreitkräfte
(German Imperial Air Service). He did so, and joined Manfred's Geschwader (Wing), Jagdgeschwader 1 (Fighter Wing 1). Manfred, known as the Red Baron, was the highest claiming ace of the war with 80 victories. On his first mission with his cousin, Manfred was killed in April 1918. Wolfram continued flying, and went on to claim eight aerial victories before the armistice in November 1918. His other cousin, Lothar, survived the war, but was killed in a flying accident in 1922.
After the war Richthofen resumed civilian life and discharged himself from the army. He studied Engineering at University before rejoining the Reichswehr
, the German armed forces in the Weimar Republic
era. In 1933 Adolf Hitler
and the Nazi Party seized power in Germany, and the Reichswehr was formed into the Wehrmacht
. Wolfram joined the new Luftwaffe. He served as part of the Condor Legion
which supported the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War
. During this time, he recognised the need for close air support
in military campaigns. He championed the dive bomber
, particularly the Junkers Ju 87
Stuka. He also believed in improving ground-air communications, which was put into effect in the Second World War, after his experiences in Spain
and Poland
. The combination of effective air-ground communications, and powerful concentrations of dive bombers would lead to personal success for Wolfram in the first half of the war. By 1941, a high standard of air to ground communications became a uniform facility in the Luftwaffe.
When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, he commanded a specialised ground-attack air unit Fliegerkorps VIII
(8th Air Corps), first as a small action unit in the Polish Campaign, and then as full-sized Air Corps in Western Europe
, from May to June 1940. The effectiveness of his units proved decisive at certain points in the French Campaign, particularly covering the German thrust to the English Channel
. He was awarded the Knight's Cross
on 23 May 1940, in view of his achievements. He continued in frontline service during the Battle of Britain
and Balkans Campaign in 1940 and 1941.
Richthofen achieved his greatest success on the Eastern Front
. In particular, he achieved notable success in the Crimean Campaigns during 1942. Despite offering vital tactical and operational support to Army Group South
, after the defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad
he was moved to the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, where he commanded Luftwaffe forces in the Italian Campaign
. He remained in active service until late 1944, when he was retired on medical grounds. Soon after the capitulation of Germany in May 1945, he was taken prisoner by the United States Army
, but died in captivity of a brain tumour on 12 July that same year.
estate (Gut Barzdorf), near Striegau, Lower Silesia
to an aristocratic family. His father, Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (1856–1922), and mother, Therese Gotz von Olenhusen (1862–1948) were of Silesian nobility, and the family had been nobles for 350 years prior to Wolfram's existence.
Von Richthofen was second child and oldest son of four children. His older sister, Sophie-Therese was born in 1891 (and died in 1971). His brother Manfred was born in 1898 and Gerhard in 1902. He was the fourth cousin of the German World War I flying ace
Manfred von Richthofen
, popularly known as the "Red Baron," and the baron's younger brother Lothar von Richthofen
. As the son of a noble, he enjoyed a life of privilege. The family’s noble status dated back to the 1500s, and by the 1700s the Richthofen’s owned 16 estates in Lower Silesia. When Frederick the Great annexed Silesia in 1740, he personally granted the title of Baron (Freiherr) to one of Richthofen’s ancestors. The family continued on in Silesia for a further three generations.
Richthofen’s home, an eighteenth century estate, was only one of 25 Richthofen-owned properties totalling 140 km² (34,594.7 acre; 54.1 sq mi). Barzdorf, where he lived, was a modest 350 ha (864.9 acre; 1.4 sq mi), of which 269 was cropland and the rest forest. Interestingly Wolfram, as the oldest son did not inherit the estate. Instead, on the death of his father in 1922, it was given to his younger brother, Manfred. Some years before, Wolfram’s uncle General of Cavalry Manfred von Richthofen, his father’s brother, had asked him to inherit his estate to keep it in the family, as he himself had no children. Wolfram inherited the estate after Manfred legally adopted him. The General did not die until 1939, having lived long enough to see his nephew win success in the Spanish Civil War
and in the Polish Campaign.
He had a distant relationship with his youngest brother, but a close one with Manfred. Unlike most Prussian nobles Richthofen went to the local Gymnasium (academic high school) and did not have private tutors at home. He attended school in Striegau. His grades at Mathematics and German language were good, but he did not excel at foreign languages (in which he scored average to poor results). He found studying language to be boring, but did learn Italian and could converse competently in it in later life.
He became good friends with his cousins, Lothar and Manfred von Richthofen, and he hunted game at the estate with them regularly. By the end of his teens he had become an established hunter and horse rider - interests which remained with him for the rest of his life. He enjoyed being outdoors and, while still at school, opted to apply for a commission in the German Army
(rather than choose an academic career).
In 1913, at the age of 18, he joined the army and took the officer course in Berlin. The Cavalry was the most prestigious arm, and he applied to join the 4th Hussars which belonged to the 12th Cavalry Brigade of the Sixth Army Corps in Breslau. He did not have much time to experience peacetime military service. In August 1914 the First World War began.
On 18 September 1920, he married Jutta von Selchow ( March 1896–1991) at a Lutheran church Breslau (now the city of Wrocław in Poland
). They had been introduced by her brother Gunther. Jutta was also of Silesian nobility, and had moved in the same circles. She had served as a nurse in the war. They lived in an apartment in Hanover
while Wolfram restarted his academic career in Engineering. During their marriage they rarely travelled abroad in the 1920s. In the 1930s they took Skiing holidays in Switzerland
. The couple had three children; Wolfram (born 25 May 1922), Götz (27 November 1925) and Ellen (15 February 1928)
that enacted the attack on France
and Belgium
in August 1914 as part of the pre-war Schlieffen Plan
. He crossed the Meuse river
at Dinant
. It was involved in heavy action against the French VIII Cavalry Corps and fought in Belgium at Namur
on 23–24 August and again at St. Quentin. The 5th Cavalry continued its drive into France after the Battle of the Frontiers
, but was stopped at the First Battle of the Marne
in September. In recognition for bravery in combat, Wolfram was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class (1914) on 21 September 1914. The modern combat environment damaged the effectiveness of cavalry, and thus Richthofen’s division was transferred to the Eastern Front
, in Poland that November.
On the Eastern Front, the Cavalry Division was mostly deployed in the south. Little combat took place, as the German army did not use cavalry as frequently. The division was kept mainly in reserve. Richthofen’s brigade served near Pinsk
in 1916, and the division would spend late 1915 to January 1917 of defensive operations in the Pripet Marshes. Richthofen was made commander of the horse depot of the Brigade in the autumn, 1916 and was promoted to Squadron Commander, with 160 men under his command. This was never going to garner him the level of fame his cousins, Lothar and Manfred, were now achieving in the Luftstreitkräfte
(Imperial Air Service). They personally encouraged him to join as an airman. He finally did so in June 1917.
(RFC), and at least equal to that given by Armee de l'Air and United States Army Air Service
(USAAS). His training lasted three months, and he was assigned to the 11th Flying Replacement Battalion for advanced training in March 1918. He reported to his cousin Manfred’s unit, Jagdgeschwader 1
(JG 1) on the 4 April 1918. On his first mission with his cousin, Manfred was killed in April 1918. Wolfram continued flying, and went on to claim eight aerial victories before the armistice in November 1918.
In 1933 von Richthofen joined the Luftwaffe, commanded by his former commanding officer at JG 1, in 1918, Hermann Göring. By 1934 he was in charge of developing and testing new aircraft in the Technisches Amt, under the overall direction of Ernst Udet
. Although Richthofen had known Göring, having served under him in the First World War in JG 1, the two did not get along. They both came from aristocratic backgrounds, but Richthofen was a drive commander, a good and hard working staff officer who enjoyed the company of engineers and like-minded men. Göring was more of a playboy, who enjoyed talking about First World War stories and his time as an ace, while he enjoyed the trappings of power. Göring preferred men like him, and promoted them on that basis. He overlooked the more qualified Richthofen in favour of Udet, a hard drinker and playboy, to head the Technisches Amt.
Richthofen's role was mainly concerned with aircraft procurement programs for the fledgling Luftwaffe. He was involved in the development of types such as the Dornier Do 23
, Heinkel He 111
and Junkers Ju 86
. In the event, only the He 111 would make a real impact during the war. Richthofen was following a considerably difficult assignment, stemming from a directive issued to the Reichswehr before Hitler's rise to power. In July 1932, the Reichswehr had been pursuing the Schnellbomber (fast bomber) concept. The need for modern and fast bombers was to meet the future vision of air warfare for bombers that were faster than fighter aircraft
.
As the 1930s progressed the He 111 was refined, and the Dornier Do 17
Schnellbomber entered planning, production and service in 1936-37. Even so, Göring as still interested in the heavy bomber
program, which would give the Luftwaffe a firm strategic bombing
capability. Richthofen was dubious about the employment of heavy bombers, and wanted the projects developing types like the Dornier Do 19 cancelled. Unfortunately for Richthofen, for the time being, the Luftwaffes first Chief of the General Staff, Walter Wever
, did believe in the heavy bomber program. The development of what Wever called the "Ural bomber
" designs continued. At the time, Göring and Wever also required a long-range fighter escort design for protecting the bombers over Britain
and the Soviet Union
, Germany's expected enemies. Richthofen joined Wever in moderating some of the design requests of Göring, who insisted on a fast, fighter, bomber, ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft rolled into one design. However, Richthofen used his position to split the specification into separate designs on 22 January 1935, viewing the request as impossible.
Wever was killed in an air accident in June 1936 and the emphasis shifted back to more affordable (in manpower and material terms) medium bomber
s. After Wever's death, Goring and Ernst Udet
became more active in the development programs. Udet favoured the close support designs, such as the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber, while Göring favoured having more medium bombers rather than a small number of heavy bombers. Richthofen did not get along with Udet, and did not believe in his ideas about dive bombing. Udet, much like Göring, favoured combining the qualities of aircraft. Udet sought out a design that could dog fight, dive bomb and carry out level bombing, much like Göring had requested. This was at odds with Wolfram's fundamental desire for aircraft that were easy to mass produce and designed for, and to excel at, specialised tasks.
Although Richthofen had managed to prevent aircraft design from heading into mediocrity, and kept them specialised for particular tasks, Udet still influenced the selection of the multi-purpose Messerschmitt Bf 110
and the Schnellbomber designed Junkers Ju 88
by the end of 1936. With the Ju 88, he insisted it have a dive bombing capability, though it was more suited to, and ideal for, the level bombing Schnellbomber concept. By the autumn, 1936, Richthofen decided he had had enough of working with Udet, whose ideas he thought were totally wrong. With an expanding Luftwaffe and a civil war starting in Spain
, an opportunity came for a field command.
In November 1936, Richthofen left the staff to take a field command in the Condor Legion
, a Luftwaffe contingent sent to support General Francisco Franco
's Fascists in the Spanish Civil War
. Udet continued with the dive bomber concept and the Ju 87 first saw action under Richthofen's command in Spain. Wolfram retained his position as Head of Development, but he was now tasked with the evaluation of aircraft under operational conditions. His role expanded in January 1937, and he became Chief of Staff to Hugo Sperrle
, who was to command the Legion.
Richthofen's experiences were to serve the Luftwaffe well in the long-term. His own learning curve in the war highlighted several issues that a modern air force would have to overcome. The most important issues concerned tactical and operational level warfare.
Unlike the Italian officers from the Regia Aeronautica
, the Germans put a great deal of effort into developing close support doctrine. Tactically, Richthofen found little need to retain anti-aircraft artillery to defend airfields. He pushed Flak units into the frontline to bolster the artillery units. Rapid fire 20 mm calibres and 88 mm weapons were first used in Spain. Their effectiveness was reported to Berlin. Soon this tactic became part of Luftwaffe doctrine. Richthofen was pleased with his idea, and the knowledge the "Flak" theorists in Berlin were not happy about using air defence artillery in the ground battle.
Another tactical consideration led to operational innovation. Richthofen adopted the shuttle air tactic. In order to maximise support over the frontline, aircraft operated from bases near the front to keep and gain an advantage. It was very successful in the 1937 battles. Aircraft were sent in small formations to bomb frontline positions, while other groups of ground attack aircraft were en route and refuelling. This way a constant air presence was maintained over the battlefield which eroded the effectiveness and morale of the enemy. In order for this to able to work effectively, three or more sorties needed to be flown per day. This required a large number of personnel to set up and man forward airfields. The Luftwaffes logistics units had to be completely motorised to bring in fuel, ammunition and spare parts. The logistics units had the opportunity to be tested under tough conditions.
These tactics and operational methods were employed during Battle of Bilbao
, which defeated the Republican forces in the north of Spain. The motorised logistics also helped during the rapid redeployment to the south, after the surprise Republican offensive at Brunette
in July 1937. The air support was vital in defeating the offensive, which was supported by modern aircraft sent to the Republicans from the Soviet Union
. German types like the Messerschmitt Bf 109
fighter, which replaced the Heinkel He 51
, the Do 17 and He 111 helped win and hold air superiority and interdict the battlefield, which decisively stopped the attack. The Republican's had spent most of their Gold
reserves on buying Soviet equipment. With most of that equipment used up, the Condor Legion and Nationalists would have the technological edge.
The most difficult aspect of close support was communication. Air-ground liaison officers had been used since 1935, when the Luftwaffe first set up a training program for this purpose. By 1937, precise procedures had yet to be worked through for air to ground coordination. Staff officers were trained to solve operational problems, and the lack of doctrine and reluctance of the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe
(OKL of High Command of the Air Force) to micromanage gave Sperrle and Richthofen a free hand to devise solutions. Aircraft could not communicate with the frontline. Instead they could communicate via radio with each other and their home base. One of the first innovations was to prepare signals staff on the frontline in the region of any planned air strikes, and equip them with telephones. The forward officers could telephone the base with updates, who in turn could radio the aircraft. It became an important standard operational practice. Liaison officers were attached to the Nationalist Army, and improved coordination continued in the second half of 1937 despite occasional friendly-fire incidents. In the Second World War, the Luftwaffe air units and liaison officers at the front could communicate directly with updated radios.
German air doctrine also led the way in transportation capability. The Condor Legion, with the chief of staff's input, had proven logistics could be helped using air transports. By 1939, it would have the largest, and most capable transport service in the World.
The Luftwaffe entered the Second World War with high standards of training. Although other air forces also had training programs and pilots equal to the Germans, the Luftwaffe emphasised trainings its large units, the Geschwader (Wings), Corps and Luftflotten (Air Fleet) staffs in large-scale manoeuvres with the army in the pre-war years. War games, communication exercises in a different variety of combat operations allowed the officers to familiarise themselves with mobile warfare, and it gave way to proficient doctrine and better prepared operational methods than most of its opponents. With notable exceptions, such as RAF Fighter Command
, most of the Allied air forces did not conduct large-scale unit and staff exercises, testing tactics and doctrine. Given the slight numerical and technological advantage of the Luftwaffe over its enemies in 1939-1941, its success during these years can largely be attributed to extensive officer and staff training programs along with the experiences of the Condor Legion in Spain.
During the Spanish Civil War the Condor Legion bombed Guernica
. Soon afterwards, and even in modern day studies, historians referred to it as a deliberate act of terror bombing designed to break civilian morale. Yet there is no evidence in German air doctrine, or in German battle plans to suggest Guernica was targeted to break Basque
civilian morale. Richthofen, who planned the raid, did not know much about Guernica. He was unaware there was a Basque parliament buildings in the city, a fact which he did not know until he toured the city on 30 April, after Franco's Nationalists captured it.
There is much debate as to why it was bombed. One simple, and possible reason for Richthofen sanctioning the bombing, was that two main roads were being used to supply 23 Basque battalions at Bilbao
intersected at Guernica. At least the 18th Loyala and Saseta battalions were stationed in the city at the time, making it a legitimate target. If the town was fortified (which it was not), it would have made a major obstacle to the Nationalist advance, which would be unable to pass beyond the town. If Guernica was levelled, the roads and train lines, as well as the bridges, would deny the enemy an escape route and also deny them the ability to evacuate heavy equipment. Another mitigating factor was the alleged "poor accuracy" of German bomb sights (which were the best in the world at that time) in early in 1937. Unable to hit targets with precision, carpet bombing was the only realistic option. In the event it was a success, closing the city to traffic for 24 hours. Richthofen regarded at a "technical success", but was disappointed the Nationalists did not follow it up quickly, missing a chance to cut off large portions of the enemy forces. The casualty rates among modern sources suggest the civilian deaths were between 200-600, not the 1,600-2'000 as claimed by the Basque and German Governments.
While there is no evidence Richthofen ever adopted "terror bombing" against cities, he was a ruthless commander who never expressed any sympathy or concern for civilians who might be located in the vicinity of the military target. Richthofen's attitude on this subject did not change throughout the Second World War.
Richthofen and Sperrle made an effective team in Spain. Sperrle was an experienced officer, and was intelligent with a good reputation. Richthofen was considered a good leader in combat. They combined to disagree with Franco on a number of topics and debates could become heated. Both men were blunt, and although the Germans and Spanish did not like each other, they had a healthy respect which translated into an effective working relationship. Richthofen even learned a little Spanish and Italian, an effort appreciated by Nationalist officers.
After Sperrle returned to Germany, Richthofen assumed command of the Condor Legion. Helmuth Volkman assumed his place, but his pessimistic reports to Berlin, continued demands for support and resources, and disagreements with Richthofen meant he was replaced by von Richthofen in October 1938, possibly at the request of the Nationalists. Richthofen was promoted to the rank of Major General
(Generalmajor) on 1 November 1938. He oversaw the final stages of the war, as the Nationalists defeated the Republican Spanish in early 1939. By this time, his belief in the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka was cemented. His earlier views about low-flying aircraft suffering unacceptably high losses were ill-founded. It had proved highly successful in its limited role and air superiority had contributed much to the success of the final battles.
Von Richthofen commanded Fliegerführer z.b.V. (zur besonderen Verwendung—for special deployment) during the Invasion of Poland
, which began on 1 September 1939, starting the war in Europe. This unit was a tactical formation, and was attached to 2nd Fliegerdivision, under the joint command of Bruno Loerzer
and Alexander Löhr
. The operational goal of Fliegerführer z.b.V., was to support the German Tenth Army
, under the command of anglophile Walter von Reichenau , who von Richthofen met shortly before the campaign. The army contained the majority of the motorised and armoured units and was to form the focus point, or Schwerpunkt of the offensive against Poland.
Von Richthofen's order of battle
included a powerful concentration of strike aircraft. The formation had its headquarters at Birkental-Oppeln, but its units were spread out. Schlosswalden was home to 1.(F)/AufklGr 124, a reconnaissance unit which operated Dornier Do 17
P aircraft. Lehrgeschwader 2
(Learning Wing 2), was based at Nieder-Ellguth, while the bulk of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77
(Dive Bombing Wing 77 or StG 77), which operated the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, was based at Neudorf. Von Richthofen also commanded Slovak Air Force
units (Slovenske Vzousne Zbrane); the 38th and 48th Fighter Squadrons and 16th Corps Squadron.
On the first day of the offensive StG 77 was committed to counter-air operations, striking Polish Air Force
(PAF) bases. The need for counter-air operations left only Major Werner Speilvogel's II.(Schlacht)/LG 2 to close support operations. The unit supported the German mechanised XVI Army Corps. Along with other units, von Richthofen's I./StG 77 decimated a Polish Cavalry Brigade of Armii Łódź during the Battle of Łódź.
Only eight days into the campaign, on 8 September, the Tenth Army had advanced so far into Poland, von Richthofen was obliged to move Geschwaderkommodore
(Wing Commander) Günter Schwartzkopff
's StG 77 into Polish airfields while von Reichenau closed in on Warsaw
. Richthofen was able to keep logistical elements functioning, which kept units flying three sorties per day. At the end of the first week of September, Richthofen's battle group was transferred to Luftflotte 4
(Air Fleet 4) without any problems. The supply of spare parts, ammunition and fuel were flown in by a large transport fleet of Junkers Ju 52
s. Richthofen had practiced with air transport extensively in peacetime.
The fast moving frontline meant that army headquarters lost touch with their forward units. The collapse of communications deprived commanders and squadrons of orders, a situation exacerbated by the lack of a common radio frequency and over-stretched logistics, which also forced them to scavenge enemy supply depots. Richthofen was the most effected. As early as the 3 September, he noted in his diary that the army headquarters had ceased to know where the frontline was, and he refused to respond to army requests of air support. Instead he responded according to his own interpretation of the situation. This method did cause friendly fire incidents. On one occasion, Ju 87s knocked out a bridge across the Vistula
river when a Panzer Division
was about to cross.
The air-ground coordination was the responsibility of Kolufts, who synthesised data from their own aerial reconnaissance and forward units, but they were only advisors, and had little experience in air warfare. They were controlled by the army (Nahaufklarungsstaffeln). The depended on the Luftwaffe's Air Liaison Officer (Fliegerverbindungsstaffeln or Flivo) for fighter or bomber support. However, Flivo units were responsible to the Luftwaffe, not the army, and their role was to keep air commanders informed of the situation through the use of radio-equipped vehicles.
Loerzer confessed he was out of contact with Reichenau's command post for three days, while von Richthofen was soon complaining to Löhr about the former's ignorance. Because he was impetuous and wanted to be in the thick of the action, von Richthofen began flying around over the frontline in a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch as air-ground liaison collapsed. His claims were not always believed, and these personal operations were a waste of time, which needlessly exposed him to danger. Indeed, Major Spielvogel was shot down over Warsaw in his Storch on 9 September, and killed. While the operational situation was not good, Löhr took command of Fliegerführer z.b.V. giving the unit virtual autonomy and allowing von Richthofen to build a personal empire of six Gruppen (Groups).
By the 11 September, the fuel situation was acute and logistics failed. One the first day his units were flying three missions every day, now it was reduced to one per day. Despite the problems, by 8 September von Richthofen was preparing an assault on Warsaw for which he received Heinrich Seybald's Kampfgeschwader 77
(KG 77). The raids had barely begun when a major threat developed behind him. A Polish counter offensive engaged the German Eighth Army
, in an attempt to reach the Vistula river. Von Richthofen joined the assault and counter attack from the air. For three days the Germans bombed Polish forces. In the resulting Battle of Radom
and Battle of the Bzura
, which further Polish attacks were made, were won. Von Richthofen sent his air units up under orders to spend only 10 minutes over the battlefield, and to expend all ammunition. Polish forces sought refuge in the forests nearby, but were smoked out by incendiaries. Richthofen's men flew 750 sorties and dropped 388 tons of bombs. The air action destroyed remaining resistance, allowing the army to mop up.
The threat from the Polish generated calls for attacks on Warsaw. This had been planned for the first day, codenamed Wasserkante, or Operation Seaside. Just after midnight on 12/13 September, the Luftwaffe chief of staff Hans Jeschonnek
, ordered Löhr to prepare to attack Ghettos in northern Warsaw, in retaliation for unspecified war crimes against German soldiers in recent battles. Richthofen's airmen flew 183 to 197 sorties, dropping a 50/50 mixture of high explosive and incendiaries. Some bombs fell close to German forces, conducting the Siege of Warsaw
, while smoke made impossible to assess damage. Richthofen confronted Hermann Goring
over the need for a united air command for the Warsaw campaign, and hinted he was the man for the job. He did not get his way until the 21 September. Weather delayed the attack, which began on 22 September. Richthofen did not get the aircraft he wanted for the operation, in particular the Heinkel He 111
, and instead was handed old Junkers Ju 52
transports, which delivered bombs by airmen throwing them out of the doors. His Ju 87s were also banned from using bomb loads greater than 50 kg. On 22 September, Richthofen's command flew 620 sorties. German air units dropped 560 tonnes of high explosive and 72 tonnes of incendiaries. The bombing did great damage, causing 40,000 casualties and destroying 10 per cent of buildings in the city. Only two Ju 87s and a Ju 52 was lost. The army complained near friendly fire incidents and smoke made life difficult for German artillery. Hitler, despite the complaints, ordered the bombing to continue. Richthofen's force flew 450 against Modlin
, securing its surrender
on the 27 September after 318 tonnes of bombs been dropped on it in two days. Warsaw surrendered soon afterwards, and the campaign was declared over after the Polish surrender on 6 October 1939.
and France
to declare war on Germany. Through the winter, 1939–40, the Wehrmacht began preparations to invade the Netherlands
, Luxembourg
, Belgium
, and France. The basic plan called for an invasion of the Netherlands, by Army Group B
, and Belgium by Army Group B and Army Group A
. The operation, Case Yellow, was designed to suck in the Allied armies into the Low Countries
, and then breakout through the Ardennes
in southern Belgium and Luxembourg, and advance to the English Channel
to encircle and destroy them.
Originally, Richthofen's force had retained its original name, Fliegerfuhrer zbV, after Poland, but then was renamed Fliegerdivision 8 (Flying Division 8) on 1 October, but days later, it was given Corps status. Richthofen was given command of the unit, now a specialist ground-attack Corps, VIII. Fliegerkorps
(8th Flying Corps). Most of the Geschwader involved were based at Cologne
and Dusseldorf
. Included in the order of battle, was Jagdgeschwader 27
(JG 27), equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109
s; KG 77, equipped with Dornier Do 17
s; Sturzkampfgeschwader 2
(StG 2) and StG 77, equipped with Ju 87 Stukas; and LG 2, equipped with Ju 87s, Bf 109s, Ju 88s and He 111s. The Corps was a purpose-built ground attack organisation. By 10 May, the order of battle had changed. Only one gruppe (group) of LG 2 remained, III.(Schlacht). IV.(St)./Lehrgeschwader 1
(LG 1), with Ju 87s were added, as was I.Sturzkampfgeschwader 76 (StG 76).
The task of Richthofen varied. He was to support von Reichenau's German Sixth Army
in Belgium
and Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
's XXXXI
and XIX Corps. During the Phoney War period he established his headquarters at Koblenz on 18 October 1939 and thereafter, his Corps steadily rose in strength, from 46 Staffeln (Squadrons), 27 of them Ju 87 units, to 59 by the end of the month. In December, he was first assigned to support Reichenau. Attacks on enemy air bases were only to be carried out if Allied air power attempted to interdict the German ground forces. Ground support was the first priority.
This was reflected in Fliegerkorps VIII order of battle which contained six Ju 87 Gruppen (Groups, of 30 aircraft). Fliegerkorps V had the primary counter-air role and was positioned close to the front to provide air superiority support. But when a breakthrough took place, it was to exchange airfields with Fliegerkorps VIII, to allow for effective air support to the army. However, the Corps' war diary and Richthofen's personal diary make no mention of this order, which may indicate a breakdown in staff work at some level.
What did not breakdown was communication. Operationally, the air division and corps headquarters were placed alongside, and moved with, army equivalents. The air liaison teams attached to the corps and Panzer Divisions were directed to report the battle situation at the front, but were forbidden to advise the army, or request air support. The army sent separate reports, under the same conditions. The reports were digested by Kleist and Richthofen's chiefs of staff, and action was or was not taken with mutual agreement. Attack orders could be delivered in minutes to air units. A Guppe (Group) of Ju 87s and Bf 109s was ready in reserve to respond, and could do so within 45 to 70 minutes. Fliegerkorps VIII and Richthofen were led to believe they would spend the entire campaign supporting Reichenau in northern Belgium, but the OKL did not inform the Corps that it was going to be used in a Meuse river
breakthrough.
Richthofen knew Reichenau, and they had a close working relationship. During the planning for the Sixth Army's operations, Reichenau seemed to display a lack of interest when the subject turned to the capture of the bridges at Maastricht
, in the Netherlands, and Fort Eben-Emael
in Belgium. The defeat and or capture of these objectives were essential for the Sixth Army to advance into the Low Countries. So unenthusiastic was Reichenau by the suggested airborne operation by glider troops against the fort, he refused to allow the diversion of any artillery. Richthofen supplied a Flak battalion, Flakgruppe Aldinger, for the task of supporting them.
, the Fallschirmjäger paratrooper forces had been tasked with capturing The Hague
and the Dutch Royal Family
. In the subsequent Battle for The Hague
, German forces met heavy resistance. The French Seventh Army was also advancing through Belgium into the Netherlands near the Hague, increasing the threat in a situation which was getting out of control. Richthofen was ordered to throw in half of his force in the Hague battle and attack the Scheldt
estuary, near Antwerp, Belgium, on the Dutch border to stop the French Army before it took up position on the Dutch Moerdijk
bridgehead. Despite thick cloud, I. and III./Kampfgeschwader 4
(KG 4) and Kampfgeschwader 54
(KG 54), along with Richthofen's Ju 87s, drove the French back preventing them from supporting the Dutch at The Hague.
. Richthofen provided direct and indirect support to the German Sixth Army, in particular, to Erich Hoepner
's XVI Army Corps, part of the Sixth Army. His losses were light. Just 12 Ju 87s were lost, anti-aircraft fire accounted for six I./StG 76 machines. His support operations were usually 65 kilometres ahead of the forward edge of the battlefield, with even reconnaissance aircraft pressed into service as bombers. Army units carried flares and Swastika flags to prevent friendly fire incidents.
A major battle took place on 12 May 1940. Hoepner's Corps confronted René Prioux
's Corps de Cavalerie
during the Battle of Hannut
. Richthofen's forces proved effective against French armour during the battle. Richthofen also provided much needed support for the 3rd Panzer Division and 4th Panzer Division, which were heavily engaged on the 13 and 14 May. He also supported the German divisions a day or so later, at the Battle of Gembloux Gap
.
For the cost of 12 aircraft (four Ju 87s), he helped attack French communication and supply positions, and supported Reichenau as he reached the Dyle river. At that time, he had moved into the Netherlands, at a Hotel, near Maastricht. He had a basic room, with a bath that did not work. In the afternoon, he received an order to cease operations in Belgium, and send all he had to support Georg-Hans Reinhardt
's XLI Corps, north of Sedan. Von Richthofen was incredulous, and he had to move his entire infrastructure 100 kilometres to the south. The failure of the OKL to inform him he was to support the breakthrough is difficult to explain. He later noted in his diary that it was a major oversight for the OKL not to have informed him of his expected input, but his diary also suggests he relish the fog of war
and the unknown. His forces were split, with LG 1 and StG 2 continuing support in Belgium, while most were moved south. During the winding down of operations in the north, his units did help the Sixth Army capture Liege
in Belgium on 17 May.
. By this time, Richthofen had moved into St Trond-Liege in Belgium. The heavy German air assaults on French positions included 360 by his medium bombers, although his Ju 87 units could only fly 90 owing to the difficulties he had moving his Corps around. The Germans captured Sedan and crossed the Meuse river, which would enable Army Group A to continue to the English Channel. On 14 May Richthofen's JG 27 helped defend the bridgehead from Allied air attacks. Allied bomber strength was decimated. During the battle Richthofen suffered a personal blow. Günter Schwartzkopff, Geschwaderkommodore of StG 77, was killed when his Ju 87 was hit by ground fire. Schwartzkopff was one of the founding members of the German dive-bomber arm and had specialised knowledge on the method of attack. He had been ordered not to engage in combat, as he was too valuable to lose, but on 13 May he ignored orders. He was one of the very few German aerial casualties over Sedan.
Thereafter, events move quickly. After the German breakthrough at Sedan von Richthofen asked that Fliegerkorps VIII be allowed to support Kleist to the sea. One of the motivating reasons for this was the gap which had developed between the Panzer Divisions and infantry divisions struggling to catch up. Army Group A had wanted the Panzers to slow down, to allow the infantry to cover their flanks and rear, but Guderian ignored orders and continued on to the Channel under the pretext of a "reconnaissance in force". Von Richthofen convinced Göring to help press for the Panzers to continue, while his air Corps provided an aerial flank. It proved a wise decision. StG 2 and 77 Ju 87s broke up attacks on the flanks of Army Group A, most notably combining to repulse Charles de Gaulle
's Fourth Armoured Division on 16 and 19 May, at Montcornet, Aisne
and Crécy-sur-Serre
. This effectively decimated the remaining core of the French Ninth Army, through air power. Excellent ground-to-air communications throughout the campaign. Radio equipped forward liaison officers could call upon the Stukas and direct them to attack enemy positions along the axis of advance. In some cases the Luftwaffe responded to requests in 10–20 minutes. Oberstleutnant
Hans Seidemann
(Richthofen's Chief of Staff) said that "never again was such a smoothly functioning system for discussing and planning joint operations achieved".
Still, for him personally, there were problems. He moved his HQ to Ochamps to keep up with events, while he gambled on German air superiority holding out to fill forward airfields up with aircraft leading to overcrowding. He also had communication difficulties, and flew around in his Storch to organise air support for the army. Hugo Sperrle
, chief of Luftflotte 3
(Air Fleet Three) arrived at the same HQ, disrupting staff work and leading Richthofen to explode with rage. The pressures compelled him to risk being shot down in order to pass on orders, and while flying on 22 May he was forced to land owing to a fractured fuel tank. He organised support for Reinhardt and covered Heinz Guderian
's Corps, with KG 77, StG 77 and JG 27. While he complained about communication, by the standards of the day, it was efficient. The radio-equipped forward liaison officers assigned Fliegerkorps VIII new targets, while leaving less important orders to land line officers. The Ju 87s were on 20 minute alert, and within 45 to 75 minutes they were diving onto their targets. In some cases, they were able to respond in 10 minutes. By 21 May, with his fighters based at Charleville
, Ju 87s at St Trond, and his Do 17s back in Germany, Richthofen's logistics were overstretched and his fuel was running out.
By 21 May the Allied armies were encircled and counter attacks had been repulsed at Arras
. The Allies were evacuating the ports of Dunkirk and Calais
. During the Battle of Dunkirk
and Siege of Calais (1940)
, Richthofen supported the advance of Army Groups A and B. However, they were frequently meeting Royal Air Force
(RAF) fighters, flying across the Channel. Richthofen noted RAF Fighter Command
and its No. 11 Group RAF
were responsible for 25 per cent of German losses. On 22 May, StG 77 lost five Ju 87s, indicating increased difficulty. Sperrle asked for support and Richthofen helped capture Calais and was awarded the Knight's Cross
on 23 May. Richthofen was ordered to support the German Fourth Army
, though he showed little interest in the Dunkirk battles. He regarded them as a waste of time, and they disrupted preparations against southern France (Case Red). He believed the attempt to destroy Allied forces, or prevent the evacuation with the Luftwaffe was unrealistic. Over Dunkirk, losses were heavy and progress slow. On 26 May, Richthofen made a special effort to gain and hold air superiority. Overall, German air power failed to prevent the evacuation.
After the expulsion of the British Army
and the surrenders of the Dutch and Belgians, von Richthofen was ordered to support the German Ninth Army
, containing Guderian's Corps. The battles were swift. The French lost their most capable formations in the encirclement, and they capitulated on 22 June 1940, after the capture of Paris on 14th, and the encirclement of the Maginot Line
on 15 June.
. The British refusal to reach a compromise with Germany forced the OKL to prepare a plan for attaining air superiority, codenamed Operation Eagle Attack
. Should this have been successful, the Wehrmacht may have launched an invasion of Britain, codenamed Operation Sea Lion.
For the first time, the Luftwaffe was engaged in an offensive air war without the support of the German Army. Despite Richthofen's Corps being primarily a specialist ground assault organisation, which supported ground forces, he was expected to help lead the assault over Britain. His Stuka units were the best precision attack aircraft in the Luftwaffe and their 500 kg bombs were capable of sinking merchant shipping, and or seriously damaging warships. In June 1940, Richthofen and his Corps' specific mission was to establish air superiority over the southern part of the English Channel (near France) and to clear British shipping from the strip of sea altogether, particularly from the region between Portsmouth
and Portland
. Fliegerkorps VIII had a particular advantage; British fighters did not have enough radar warning and were operating at the limits of their range. This gave his Ju 87s a near-free hand in operations.
In July 1940, skirmishes took place, between Luftflotte 2
, under Albert Kesselring
and Hugo Sperrle
's Luftflotte 3
on one side, and Group Captain
Keith Park
's No. 11 Group RAF
of Fighter Command on the other. The initial battles revolved around the British southern coast. Attempts by German air fleets to interdict British shipping in the English Channel were met with a significance response from the RAF, and many air battles ensued over the Channel. They were referred to by the Germans as "the Channel battles". Richthofen made use of his Do 17P reconnaissance aircraft to locate convoys. When located, he usually dispatched a Gruppe (30 aircraft) to engage the convoy, holding other Stuka Gruppen back for repeat attacks. The campaign was complicated by the weather, which grounded the Corps for long periods, and while the Ju 87s proved effective, they proved vulnerable to RAF fighters. On 17 July 1940, Richthofen was promoted to the position of General der Flieger
in recognition of his service.
Operations over the Channel were successful. Although von Richthofen's force severely over-claimed the number of ships sunk, they did succeed in forcing the Royal Navy
to suspend convoys through the Channel temporarily, as well as forcing it to abandon Dover as a base. On 8 August 1940, during one of the last operations against shipping, his airmen claimed 48,500 tons of shipping sunk in one operation. The actual number was just 3,581 tons.
area, and in actions against RAF Warmwell
and RAF Middle Wallop. Cloudy skies were largely responsible for the failure of the raids. The campaign did not get much better for von Richthofen, on 15 August, known as the The Greatest Day. On 16 August, elements of StG 2 had success against RAF Tangmere
, in which they destroyed 15 aircraft (seven Hawker Hurricane
s and six Bristol Blenheim
night fighters. Damage was done to buildings and workshops, but for a loss on nine Ju 87s and three severely damaged. Three days later, the Ju 87s suffered their greatest defeat. On 18 August, a large group of air battles led the day to be called "The Hardest Day
". On that day, Richthofen sent his units against airfields in southern England. Faulty intelligence meant all those hit by his units were unimportant. StG 77 struck at Fleet Air Arm
bases, which had little to do with Fighter Command. In the process, the Geschwader took heavy losses.
Richthofen was not so much shocked by total Ju 87 losses, which were running at a bearable 15 per cent, assuming the raids were getting results and the battle short, but he was alarmed at the near destruction of entire Gruppe, a loss rate which ran at 50 per cent. It required a rethink of the types use in the campaign. The Battle of Britain amounted to a defeat for the Ju 87. The Ju 87s were removed from the battle, and were limited to small-scale attacks on shipping until the spring, 1941, by which time the Battle of Britain was over and the air war over Britain (The Blitz
) was winding down. Richthofen's force flew 100 sorties in October, compared to the 100 per day in July 1940. In December 1940, Fliegerkorps VIII ended its Ju 87s operations and entered intensive winter training to be ready for the resumption of operations in the spring.
and the Battle of Crete
. The failure of the Italian Army
in the Greco-Italian War
, Hitler was forced to intervene to secure the Axis flank, close to the Romanian oilfields. He approached Yugoslavia
, and asked them to join the Axis powers
in order to facilitate a quick victory in Greece. Initially the offer was accepted, only later to be rejected after a pro-Allied government assumed power. Operation Marita was expanded to involve the invasion of both countries.
Preparations began in early 1941, as Richthofen moved his units into Bulgaria via Romania. He found the country primitive, and resolved to improve the infrastructure, particularly communications, for the invasion of Yugoslavia. He intended to operate 120 aircraft from Bulgarian airfields and moved them into place on 1 March. While preparations were taking place he indulged in hunting and horse riding expeditions as a guest of the Bulgarian Royal Family. With Boris III of Bulgaria
, he discussed dive-bombing techniques and the Corps' new aircraft, such as the Junkers Ju 88
.
Richthofen's Corps was given two wings of Ju 87s for the task; Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2) and Sturzkampfgeschwader 3
(StG 3), based in Bulgaria
. With reinforcements, the German air contingent, under Luftflotte 4, would have a total of 946 combat aircraft supported by hundreds of transport machines. This force outnumbered the Greek, Yugoslav and RAF forces combined. Richthofen arranged to have the German Twelfth Army's air reconnaissance units cooperate with his own formations through the use of a liaison.
The Corps' operations supported the German Twelfth Army
in southern Yugoslavia, which cut the Yugoslav Army
off from Greece and the Allied forces there. The victory in Yugoslavia was complete with the bombing of Belgrade
, which facilitated a rapid victory by destroying command and control centres. Moreover, by adding Yugoslavia to its list of enemies, the Axis' operations were eased. Instead of attacking strong Greek fortifications on the Yugoslav-Greek border, the Germans could break through the weak southern Yugoslav defences, and then outflank the elite Greek forces defending the Metaxas Line
.
Richthofen's force did not participate in the bombing of Belgrade, but were engaged in attacking Yugoslav reinforcements, concentrated on the Austria
n and Hungarian
borders in the north, that were streaming south to block the break through. Mass columns of Yugoslav forces were caught in the open and decimated. The bombing of the capital disabled the command and control function of the Yugoslav Army, but it also convinced those in the government that further resistance would meet with even more destruction. Yugoslavia surrendered on 17 April.
allowed them to outflank the main Greek Army position and encircle the most effective Greek force. Richthofen's units supported the attack against the Line, without much interference from Allied air forces. Just 99 RAF aircraft (74 bombers) and 150 Greek aircraft opposed Richthofen's 500. By 15 April, the RAF had withdrawn. From this date, Fliegerkorps VIIIs main targets were Allied ships cramming the evacuation ports. Unlike the gross over claiming against British shipping in the English Channel in 1940, the claims of 280,000 tons of shipping (60 vessels) destroyed up until 30 April 1941 were approximately correct.
Allied forces withdrew down the east coast of Greece, where the Royal Navy
and Greek Navy began evacuating them from ports around southern Greece, including the capital, Athens
. Ju 87 units from von Richthofen's Corps inflicted high losses on shipping, eliminating the small Greek Navy and causing damage to British shipping. In two days, the Greek Naval base at Piraeus
lost 23 vessels to Stuka attack. From 21 to 24 April 43 ships were sunk on the southern coast. Total Allied shipping losses amounted to 360,000 tons.
, which lay off Grecce' southern coastline. During the Battle of Crete
Richthofen's Ju 87s also played a significant role. The operation came close to disaster on the first day. Most of the airborne forces that landed by Gilder or parachute lost most of their radios, which meant von Richthofen reliant on aerial reconnaissance aircraft. The German parachute troops were pinned down on the island, on the Cretan airfields they were supposed to capture. The level of effort Richthofen directed at relieving the pressure on them quite possibly saved the German units from destruction.
On 21–22 May 1941, the Germans attempted to send in reinforcements to Crete by sea, but lost 10 vessels to "Force D" under the command of Rear-Admiral Glennie. The force consisting of the cruisers , and forced the remaining German ships to retreat. The Stukas were called upon to deal with the British Naval threat. On 21 May, the destroyer was sunk, and the next day, the battleship was damaged and the cruiser was sunk with the loss of 45 officers and 648 ratings. The Ju 87s also crippled the cruiser that morning, (she was later finished off by Bf 109 fighter bombers) while sinking the destroyer with a single hit. As the Battle of Crete drew to a close the Allies began yet another withdrawal. On 23 May the Royal Navy
also lost the destroyers and sunk followed by on 26 May; Orion and Dido were also severely damaged. Orion had been evacuating 1,100 soldiers to North Africa and lost 260 of them killed and another 280 wounded during the attacks. Around eight British destroyers and four cruisers were sunk (not all by air attack), along with five destroyers of the Greek Navy.
, the invasion of the Soviet Union
. Richthofen continued his command of Fliegerkorps VIII which contained JG 27, StG 2, StG 3, 10./LG 2, and II.(S)./LG 2. Added to this force was II./Jagdgeschwader 52
(JG 52), I./Kampfgeschwader 2
(KG 2), III./Kampfgeschwader 3
(KG 3) and Zerstörergeschwader 26
(ZG 26). Initially his force supported Army Group Centre
, under the command of Kesselring's Luftflotte 2.
The Luftwaffe was numerically weaker than had been in May 1940, possessing 1,000 fewer aircraft. It had only 838 operational bombers, as opposed to double that number the previous spring. Whereas in France, it had to conduct operations 200 miles deep, it had to do this on a front six times as long, many times deeper, and with fewer aircraft. The failures of production aside, the Luftwaffe had made improvements on its operational organisation. The Flivos that Richthofen had championed in 1939 became a uniform facility throughout the Luftwaffe. Each Panzer and Motorised division, now had air liaison officers attached to them to allow for effective air support. The experiments in France and the low countries had paid off. By the summer, 1941, the Luftwaffe and its land-air liaison teams would dramatically reduce the number of friendly-fire incidents, as German assault aviation would have detailed knowledge of friendly and enemy dispositions. It would not be until the beginning of 1943, when the Western Allies
began adopting the same methods. In the opening phase of Barbarossa, Richthofen's units were able to perform very well. The response for air support did not usually exceed two hours.
In the opening rounds, Richthofen was involved in large pre-emptive strikes against the Red Air Force (Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, or VVS) airfields. The Luftwaffe lost 78 aircraft on 22 June, but destroyed 1,489 aircraft on the ground, though further research indicates the number exceeded 2,000 destroyed. It is likely that 1,800 aircraft were destroyed in the first strike (for two losses), and 700 in the second (for 33 losses). The VVS' officer corps had been decimated in the Great Purge
and although it possessed a large aviation industry, and large reserves, its modern aircraft were not up to the technical standards of the Luftwaffe. Around 91 percent of units’ commanders had been in their post less than six months. Most of the Soviet aircrews were poorly trained, and lacked radio communication between pilots, much less air to ground liaisons or effective ground support methods. The Soviet air forces in the Western Soviet Union were largely destroyed. In July, waves of unescorted Soviet bombers tried in vain to halt the German advance, only to suffer extremely high loses. Within three days, the close support units of Kesselring's Luftflotte 2, including Richthofen's Corps, were able to revert to close support and interdiction operations largely unhindered.
On 23 June, his Corps decimated the Soviet Western Front's 6th Cavalry Corps when they attempted a counter attack near Grodno. Richthofen threw all available aircraft at the thrust and played a vital role in its defeat. The Soviet Corps suffered 50 per cent casualties, mostly from air attack. Richthofen's Corps claimed 30 tanks, and 50 motor vehicles in 500 sorties. Army Group Centre continued to advance, reaching Vitebsk
. Fliegerkorps VIII supported the army in the Battle of Smolensk
only days later. In this phase he was also moved south, to support Panzer Group Guderian, which succeeded in supporting the capture of Orsha
. The encirclement of Soviet forces at Smolensk was complete on 17 July 1941. Three weeks later, the last Soviet forces in the pocket were eliminated. Fliegerkorps VIIIs achievements were important in defeating Soviet counterattacks and attempted breakouts. Richthofen was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross for an impressive performance. Results from the battles, and in particular the defeat of the Soviet counter attacks by the Soviet 13th and 24th Armies, were impressive. Richthofen's forces were credited with disrupting reinforcements and destroying 40 motor vehicles on 24 July alone.
However, logistically
, the Germans were starting to suffer serious problems in supplying their frontline just four weeks into the campaign. Wolfram Richthofen lamented, "the Germans are good at fighting but weak at logistics". While German production could make up for losses at the front, it took time to get aircraft to the sector. The common operating strength by late summer was 50 to 60 percent, including Fliegerkorps VIII. Between 19 July and 31 August, the Luftwaffe had lost 725 aircraft. Before the operations in the Soviet Union, scant attention had been made to logistical operations in the east, primarily because of German over-confidence.
The victories had been hard won, but growing Soviet resistance, increased counterattacks brought the front on the Smolensk-Moscow to a stalemate. Hitler wavered, and on 30 July ordered Army Group Centre to assume the strategic defensive. In Directive 34, he refocused the main effort of Barbarossa on Leningrad
because of strong concentrations of enemy forces west of Moscow. To this end, Wolfram von Richthofen and his Fliegerkorps was assigned to Luftflotte 1
(Air Fleet 1). During July 1941, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
(OKW, or German High Command) displayed a lack of coherent strategy. It shifted from pursuing one objective to the next. It first wanted to advance to Moscow, then Leningrad, before shifting operations further south.
Richthofen took almost all of his units, except JG 52, to support Army Group North
. In heavy combat, working with Fliegerkorps I, Richthofen's fleet flew 1,126 sorties on 10 August, supporting the German army's advance on Narva
. They claimed 10 tanks, more than 200 motor vehicles and 15 artillery batteries. Owing to increased Soviet aviation activity, Richthofen directed ZG 26 against Soviet airfields, with success. Further support was rendered to the German Sixteenth Army
at Novgorod near Lake Ilmen
. Experienced crews from Richthofen's Corps, flying He 111s from KG 4, attacked railways near Leningrad to disrupt reinforcements. Fliegerkorps VIIIs airmen noted Soviet resistance was far harder in the Lake Ilmen area than they had previously experienced. On 15 August, a major effort by StG 2 succeeded in softening up Soviet defences and destroying the main Soviet supply bridge over the Volkhov river
. The fortress of Novgorod was destroyed by Richthofen's Ju 87s, and was thus abandoned. The city fell on 16 August. Just 24 hours later, a major Soviet counter offensive by the Soviet Northwestern Front attempted to recapture the city. Richthofen, in conjunction with Fliegerkorps I destroyed the attackers almost completely near Staraya Russa
. KG 4 and KG 2 in particular were successful. The later wing knocked out 18 Soviet tanks in a single mission, despite the presence of strong Soviet fighter forces. Bf 110s from Richthofen's ZG 26 were directed to deal with Soviet aviation on the ground. On 19 August, for the cost of just three Bf 110s, they destroyed 40 Soviet aircraft on the ground and three in the air, easing the pressure on German air units which were meeting numerically superior numbers of the enemy.
The German Eighteenth Army
and the Sixteenth Army successfully conquered the remaining parts of Estonia
, seizing Chudovo, north of Novgorod, which severed one of the two main supply lines from Leningrad to Moscow. In support of these operations, von Richthofen's Corps dropped 3,351 tons of bombs in 4,742 attacks from 10 to 20 August 1941. On 20 August von Richthofen moved strike and fighter aircraft to Spasskaya Polist, 40 ki. north-east of Novgorod, to support an attack that would encircle Leningrad, and cut it off from Murmansk
. German XXXXI Panzer Corps sealed in Soviet forces in the Lake Ilmen-Luga-Novgorod sector. The Leningrad Front
attempted to relieve them, and von Richthofen was ordered to blunt the attack. The Soviets were supported by strong air units, and large air battles broke out. During the course of them Fliegerkorps VIII lost one of its most able Stuka aces, Anton Keil. The Germans succeeded in maintaining their lines, and could now turn to capturing Leningrad.
Before a main assault could be launched, Leningrad needed to be completely cut off from the Soviet hinterland which led to the Siege of Leningrad
. This was achieved by Fliegerkorps VIII, which supported the German Eighteenth Army in forcing the Soviet 54th Army from the shores of Lake Ladoga
and Leningrad was isolated. Thereafter, Fliegerkorps VIII and I concentrated on a 16 square kilometres of front over Leningrad, achieving numerical superiority. Richthofen's bombers participated in great efforts to destroy Leningrad from the air, some crews flying two missions per night. On 8 September, 6,327 incendiaries alone were dropped causing 183 fires. The German Army advanced into the breaches created by the Luftwaffe. However, by committing their last resources and reinforcing their 54th Army (later renamed the 48th Army), the Soviets stalled the German advance on 25 September. With the offensive stopped, Hitler returned Richthofen to Luftflotte 2. Operations had been expensive. In August Fliegerkorps VIII had lost 27 aircraft destroyed and 143 damaged.
Frustrated in the north, Hitler turned to Moscow. On 2 October 1941 he enacted Operation Typhoon, an offensive aimed at capturing Moscow via a pincer movement. It much early success and succeeded in enveloping considerable Soviet forces at Vyazma
and Bryansk
by 10 October. However, the initial success gave way to a grinding battle of attrition. By 11 November the situation in the air was also changing from a position of initial parity. Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 and the Headquarters of Fliegerkorps I were moved to the Mediterranean Theatre. This left von Richthofen's Fliegerkorps VIII in control of all Axis aviation supporting Army Group Centre against Moscow. The Soviet opposition was growing in number and quality. By 10 November, 1,138 aircraft (738 serviceable) including 658 fighters (497 serviceable) were defending Moscow. The weather slowed down operations until the 15 November, when the mud and rain water froze and mobile operations became possible. Richthofen threw all available aircraft into the Battle for Moscow whenever conditions permitted. Fliegerkorps VIII flew 1,300 sorties from the 15 to 24 November.
One last attempt to capture Moscow was made on 2 December, but lack of fuel and ammunition and increasingly stiff resistance prevented its success. By this time, the Soviet air forces had gained air superiority. By 5 December, when the counteroffensive drove Army Group Centre back, they could muster 1,376 aircraft against just 600 German. The Germans possessed just 487 fighters (200 serviceable) on the entire Eastern Front. There were 674 Soviet fighters (480 serviceable) on the Moscow front. When the Soviet offensive began it quickly gained ground. German morale sank and Army Group Centre, overstretched and exhausted, was threatened with collapse. Richthofen's forces, despite enemy air superiority, did all they could to blunt the attack. The effectiveness and determination of German air units improved the morale of the army. Concentrating aviation against Soviet ground forces, the Luftwaffe delivered a series of attacks that took the wind out of the Soviet offensive within two weeks. Richthofen's forces bore the main burden of the air defence against the Soviet attack, and had been reinforced with four Kampfgruppen. Hitler had forbidden a retreat, and Richthofen endorsed this view. His refusal to give ground and his tenacity saw him become one of Hitler's favourites. Hitler gave him a further five transport guppen to keep his Corps effective. Fliegerkorp VIII would say on the front until April 1942, fighting a series of Soviet counter offensives.
In the winter, 1941–1942, the stalemate on the north and central sectors was not mirrored in the south. Army Group South
had overrun the Ukraine
, were outside Rostov
, considered the gate to the Caucasus
and its rich oil fields, and had occupied most of the Crimea
. However, in December the Soviets made an amphibious landing at the Kerch Peninsula
, on the extreme east coast of the Crimea. The landing threatened to cut off the German Eleventh Army commanded by Erich von Manstein
, which were engaged in the siege of Sevastopol on the southern-central tip of the Crimea. Manstein called off the siege and prepared, though outnumbered and refused army reinforcements by Hitler who was building Army Group South for a different operation (Case Blue), to repel the danger. On 31 March, he laid down his plans and called his offensive Operation Trappenjagd (Bustard Hunt).
On 17 April, he demanded massed close support aviation for his offensive. Manstein turned to Richthofen and Fliegerkorps VIII, which had returned to the front after resting and refitting in Germany. Hitler encouraged the reinforcement of German aviation in the area, regarding Manstein's operation of great importance. The Soviets not only had the chance to relieve Sevastopol, which would allow the Black Sea Fleet
to continue operating against Axis shipping in the Black Sea
, it would also provide air bases for the VVS to attack the Romania
n oil fields. Thus Hitler called for the greatest possible concentration of air power to support the operation.
Richthofen had arrived in Luneberg on 12 April, ready for a four-week period of leave. On 18 April he received a call from the Luftwaffe's Chief of the General Staff Hans Jeschonnek
informed him he was to leave for Kerch immediately. He commented in his diary, "By order of the Fuhrer, I must immediately leave again, to work at Kerch. Get there quickly and get everything started! Formal orders still to come". After meeting Hitler he wrote, "The Fuhrer insisted in a very respectful manner that I should take part at Kerch, because I'm the only person who can do the job". Hitler clearly had a high opinion of von Richthofen and believed the Corps' record, as a specialised close-support force, was unparalleled and would guarantee success. He was right. Richthofen was arrogant, aggressive and harsh, but he was a driven, pro-active, successful and influential tactical air commander.
His Corps had been resting in Germany, rebuilding after the winter battles. This was still in progress when Richthofen landed at Luftflotte 4s headquarters at Nikolayev
on 21 April. The discussion that Richthofen had with Löhr, the air fleet's commander, was unique in Luftwaffe history. For the first time organisational custom, which was to place Corps level units under the command of an air fleet in whatever region the Corps was deployed, was abandoned. Richthofen was allowed to operate independently alongside Luftflotte 4. Fliegerkorps VIII was under his command at all times and would provide the lion's share of close support operations. All offensive air operations were the responsibility of Richthofen, and he was only answerable to Hermann Göring. This news was not received well by Löhr or his chief of staff at Luftflotte 4, Günther Korten
. Korten demanded that he should be given command of the Corps. His request was ignored, though he later fulfilled some of his ambitions by succeeding Hans Jeschonnek as Chief of the General Staff after the latter’s suicide.
Von Richthofen met with von Manstein on 28 April, and largely got on with von Manstein. Despite being conceited personalities, they both genuinely respected each other. Though on one occasion Richthofen claimed in his diary to have taken great delight in beating Manstein in a debate over tactical differences. Manstein and Richthofen determined that the limited land forces available meant communication between land and air forces were critical. The main points of effort were discussed and each man's staff was ordered to deal directly with each other to facilitate rapid cooperation.
Von Richthofen was incredibly pro-active. He flew in his Storch around the front, often coming under enemy fire and on occasion force-landing. He urged his Corps to speed up preparations and openly criticised his superiors, including Löhr of Luftflotte 4, over what he considered to be "inferior" preparations. The difficulty in getting units out of Germany quickly, where they were refitting, prompted Richthofen, in consultation with Jeschonnek and Manstein, to ask for a postponement of the offensive for two days until they could be brought in. His request was granted, and the offensive was moved to the 7 May 1942. When the reinforcements arrived, he had 11 bomber, three dive-bomber and seven fighter Gruppen at his disposal.
The ensuing operation led to the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula
. Richthofen's forces quickly established air superiority, destroying 82 enemy fighters within the first day. Richthofen arrived at his command post as the bombs first fell. He was impressed with the 2,100 sorties flown on 7 May. Inter service communication was facilitated by Fliegerverbindungsoffizier (air liaison officers or Flivos), specially trained air force officers attached to ground units. They advised the air Corps on the situation and intentions of the ground forces and also advised the army of the best use of air power. This operational style was effective against fixed targets in slow-moving operations, but was more difficult in fast-moving operations such as Bustard Hunt. The advance meant Richthofen had to keep moving forward. He complained bitterly about the inability of his signals teams to set up new telephone and radio communications quickly enough.
Operations were successful. The Corps flew 1,700 missions on the 9 May, destroying 42 enemy aircraft for two losses. On 10 and 11 May, bad weather prevented large-scale operations, but on the 12 May they flew 1,500 sorties. On this day, the Soviet line in the Crimea collapsed. Enjoying air supremacy
, they Wehrmacht made large gains. Near the Sea of Azov
, Soviet infantry, massed and unprotected, suffered heavy losses to Richthofen's units which were using Cluster bomb
s. Richthofen was delighted at the "wonderful scene"; "we are inflicting the highest losses of blood and material". He was amazed at the scale of destruction; "Terrible! Corpse-strewn fields from earlier attacks....I have seen nothing like it so far in this war". He was so shocked, he felt compelled to show the Luftwaffe's signals officer, Wolfgang Martini
, the carnage.
However, that same evening, Richhofen received bad news. He was ordered to send one fighter, one dive-bomber and two bomber Gruppen to help contain a Soviet breakthrough in the north, and the developing Second Battle of Kharkov
. Richthofen complained in his diary, claiming success was now in question at Kerch. The statement was likely hyperbole. By this time the Soviets had collapsed in the Crimea, and were streaming back to the port of Kerch. Kerch fell on 15 May. Richthofen then complained he did not have the adequate forces to stop the Soviets evacuating by sea, but Axis aviation did inflict considerable attrition on Soviet units on the beaches and sank a number of vessels. German artillery and air attack brought the Dunkirk-style evacuation to an end on 17 May. Manstein praised Richthofen's support, describing his air operations as decisive in the Kerch victory. The Corps had flown between 1,000 to 2,000 missions per day before the Kharkov withdrawal, and 300 to 800 afterwards. It effectively decimated Soviet air power in the region, reducing it to barely 60 aircraft from over 300 in 10 days. Other sources give a total of 3,800 sorties flown in support of Trappenjagd.
On 20 May, Richthofen met Manstein again to discuss preparations for overcoming the fortress port of Sevastopol. It was emphasised that the same level of air support offered at Kerch was needed. On 22 May, Richthofen had the chance to meet with Hitler, who once again flattered the Luftwaffe commander and his abilities, referring to him as "his specialist". The aim of the discussion as far as Richthofen was concerned, was to impress upon Hitler the importance of not diverting forces away from the front as had been done at Kerch. Hitler listened closely and agreed.
Hitler and the Luftwaffe Chief of the General Staff Hans Jeschonnek intended to promote Richthofen to command Luftflotte 4, while sending Alexander Löhr to the Balkans. Göring wanted Bruno Loerzer
, his friend and commander of Fliegerkorps II
to take the job, but Hitler wanted a hands on commander. Jeschonnek agreed that the higher command of the air force was lousy, and needed a competent combat leader. On 25 May he flew the six our flight back to Simferopol.
During the planning phase he ordered anti-shipping operations to cease in the Black Sea and ordered Admiral Schwarzes Meer (Admiral Black Sea) to stay in port. Richthofen feared that the coming operations would mean friendly fire incidents against Axis shipping near Sevastopol. Admiral Götting and Fliegerführer Süd (Flying Leader South) Wolfgang von Wild, responsible for all naval aviation in the region, ignored the request as they saw it as absurd. It was only necessary to abandon operations in the Crimean shipping lanes, not the whole expanse of the Black Sea.
Richthofen pooled his resources with von Wild and Kurt Pflugbeil
's Fliegerkorps IV. This gave the Luftwaffe some 600 aircraft to support Manstein. Richthofen scrapped all the forces he could for the assault, getting three dive-bombers, six medium bomber and three fighter Gruppen for the operation. He was not overly concerned with his fighter strength, as his fighters outnumbered the 60-odd aircraft of the Soviet air defence. He could begin close support operations immediately and did not have to wait to conduct time-wasting battles for air superiority. So confident was Richthofen that the VVS posed no threat, he lent his Flak forces to the army, though he retained operational control.
The stages of the air campaign were managed into three; attacking Soviet reserves beyond German artillery; raids against harbour facilities, airfields, fortresses and shipping; cooperating with German artillery to cancel out Soviet mortar and gun batteries. Richthofen acknowledged that not all of these components could be conducted simultaneously. He chose shattering the fortifications through relentless air bombardment as the most important tactic.
Richthofen garnered most of the air units into supporting the land operations. His view of anti-shipping operations, and von Wild’s conduct of them, was scathing. However, he did not take into account the systemic technical problems with German U-Boat and aerial torpedoes which were unreliable, and blamed von Wild and the air units instead for failing to achieve much success.
When the operation, Sturgeon Catch, began on 2 June 1942, von Richthofen watched it all unfold. He awoke at 03:30 and by 05:45 was watching the first waves of bombers hit Sevastopol from his own Storch, in company with his chief of staff. The air units of Fliegerkorps VIII were positioned close to the front, some 70 kilometres away. The aircraft barely had time to reach altitude before reaching the target, but the close proximity of the front allowed for short flights and low fuel consumption which eased logistics. Richthofen's forces flew 723 sorties and dropped 525 tons of bombs. The bombs included the fortress busting 1,400, 1,700 and 1,800 kg bombs. Between the 3 and 6 June, 2,355 missions showered 1,800 tons of bombs and 23,000 incendiaries. On 7 June 1,300 tons of bombers were dropped in 1,368 air attacks and were followed on 8 June by another 1,200 sorties. The mechanics were working around the clock to keep the aircraft operational in sweltering heat (up to 105 degrees F). On 9 June 1,044 sorties and 954 tons of bombs were dropped, followed by 688 sorties and 634 tons the next day. Richthofen's logistics were stretched after a weak of action. On 11 June another effort dropped 1,000 tons of bombs in 1,070 sorties. Richthofen noted that he now had only enough supplies for 36 hours of operations. He ordered only important and fewer targets attacked, ordering aircraft to attack in columns to reduce the wastage of bombs and keep the pressure up on the fortifications. It failed to solve the "bomb calamity", Richthofen noted on 14 June and three days later he could only drop 800 of the planned 1,000 tons.
Richtofen's participation on the operation came to an abrupt end on 23 June 1942. Having been informed by Jeschonnek and Hitler that he was to assume command of Luftlfotte 4 after the fall of Sevastopol earlier, they decided not to wait. They ordered him to Kursk
in order to take up his command, leaving his Corps behind, and Sevastopol air operations under the command of von Wild. Richthofen was disgusted. He felt it was ridiculous to move him mid-operation, and he had wanted to be there when the fortress fell. He wrote, "It is a pity that one can never finish what one starts in the east. After a while, it takes away all the pleasure".
Without von Richthofen, Fliegerkorps VIII continued to contribute to the successful but costly operation. The Corps flew 23,751 sorties and dropped 20,000 tons of bombs, losing just 31 aircraft. The Axis finally achieved victory on 4 July 1942, when the last defenders were routed. The Luftwaffe’s close support arm reached a peak over Sevastopol. From then on, it would be dispersed over the Eastern Front.
On 28 June 1942 the Axis began their major summer offensive, Case Blue. Army Group South
's objective was to advance towards the Stalingrad and Caucasus
regions. Now commanding Luftflotte 4, Generaloberst Richthofen was one of the largest commands supporting the effort. The Luftwaffe concentrated its largest single force since Barbarossa. Of the 2,690 aircraft supporting Case Blue, 52 per cent (1,400) were under the command of Richthofen. A further 265 Romanian, Hungarian, Italian and Slovak aircraft were also present. Opposing them were 2,800 aircraft (900 in reserve) including 1,200 fighters of the southern VVS front. To the north, the Soviets had been convinced the main attack was to come against Moscow owing to the German deception plan Operation Kremlin
.
The offensive opened on the 28 June, and the Red Army put the German forces on the boundary of Army Groups Centre and South under severe pressure in the belief the main thrust to Moscow would emanate from that region. The battles of Voronezh
cost the Soviets 783 aircraft by the 24 July, but it meant Richthofen had to divert Fliegerkorps VIII, now under the command of Martin Fiebig
, north to deal with the threats while Pflugbeil's Fliegerkorps IV covered the advance into the Caucasus. On 18 July Richthofen moved Luftflotte 4 and its head quarters to Mariupol
on the Sea of Azov
. On 2 August Richthofen created the Gefechtsverband Nord under the command of Alfred Bulowius Nahaufklarung, Jadg, Kampf and Stuka gruppen and combined these groups on an ad-hoc basis to support the hard-pressed Heer. Hungarian and Italian air units also assisted. Within six weeks, Richthofen had lost 350 aircraft and objected to Hitler's directive splitting the two armies (Army Group A and B) to pursue the capture of Stalingrad and the Baku oilfields at the same time, as he now had to support two lines of logistics which he could ill-afford. Nevertheless he committed himself to his task, and ordered Feibig to destroy rail links around Stalingrad, where the German Sixth Army, despite having 1,000 aircraft supporting its drive to the city, were struggling to make rapid headway.
On 3 September, the Luftwaffe began it major effort against the city by beginning several destructive raids. The Battle of Stalingrad
initiated a regression in air tactics back to the First World War, where a few flights of aircraft made pin-point attacks against enemy infantry and acted as an extension of the infantry. The Ju 87 units usually flew four sorties per day. Their bombing was so accurate that Richthofen commented in his diary that they dropped bombs within hand-grenade distances. In October, the Romanian Air Corps arrived (180 aircraft) which attacked rail targets north east of Stalingrad and eased the air situation. Logistics were stretched and the front in Stalingrad formed into a stalemate, with the Germans having taken central and southern Stalingrad. With no reinforcements, and having lost 14 percent of his strength, Richthofen turned to support the German Army in the Caucasus. Goring ordered him to concentrate on Stalingrad, but Richthofen refused to return. This prompted a meeting between Hitler, Jeschnonnek and Goring on 15 October. Hitler was in a good mood, and he had taken personal command of Army Group Bs operations in the Caucasus on 9 September. He supported Richthofen and gave him the authority to continue, partly in the belief that the battle in Stalingrad was nearly over.
This had not always been the case. Most of German aviation had been concentrated on the Stalingrad Front in August, on Hitler's orders. Pflugbeil's Fliegerkorps IV was over-stretched for over a month from 28 July. Richthofen had wanted to support Army Group B in the south, but despite the Caucasus oilfields being the primary target for German strategy, the Army Group received poor air support. Richthofen's arm-chair general tactics were important in deciding where air power was to be used, and would be done so only if he rated the army's chances of success as reasonable. He allowed some raids against Grozny
's oilfields and close support operations, but the mountain terrain in the region made it difficult for the Panzer Divisions to exploit the actions of his air units. In a fit of pique at the army's failures, Richthofen refused to provide support for the Caucasus front. This remained the situation until mid-October. For a few days, a concentrated effort was made in the Caucasus. Hitler's realisation that the oilfields at Baku could not be captured meant that he was forced to order the Luftwaffe to eliminate them. The operations had limited success.
In the winter, Richthofen was forced to reshuffle his units around to meet threats and offer support. By 7 November, he had helped the German Sixth Army eliminate nearly all of the Soviet forces in Stalingrad. But the effort created a supply crisis. The Luftwaffes railheads 100 kilometres west of Stalingrad, and regardless of the army's difficulties, his units got logistical priority. Richthofen recommended this be amended. The battle in Stalingrad had meant, in Richthofen's view, that air units could not be effective in close-quarter combat. Until this point, Richthofen had received 42,630 tons of supplies and 20,713 tons of fuel while the army received 9,492 tons of fuel. Richthofen rationed his own fuel stocks which allowed him to create a reserve but also increased, by air lift, the tonnage from 2,000 to 5,000 tons.
On 19 November the Red Army began a counter offensive, named Operation Uranus
. Within days, the Soviets had encircled the German, Italian, Romanian and Hungarian forces in the city of Stalingrad. It was decided by Hitler and the OKL to supply the Axis forces by air. Richthofen was horrified. He telephoned Berchtesgarten and tried to get through to Hitler, but none of his aids would put him through. He tried to convince Göring that his air fleet did not have the resources to sustain an air lift, and that the best option would be to attempt a breakout before the Soviet forces entrenched. He flew to von Manstein's head quarters, and the Field Marshal agreed a breakout must take place. With the Sixth Army preserved, the initiative could be regained later. He made this request to Hitler. The Soviet divisions were smaller than their German counter parts, but they had 97 of them. Holding Stalingrad was now impossible.
In the event, Hitler chose to continue with the airlift, perhaps influenced by the Luftwaffes success in the Demyansk Pocket
. Luftflotte 4 failed to alter the situation. The best air lift operation took place on 7 December 1942, when 363.6 tons was flown in. However, the concentration of Soviet aviation disrupted the intended supply operations and German transport losses were heavy. Some 266 Junkers Ju 52s were destroyed, three quarters of the fleet's strength on the Eastern Front. The He 111 gruppen lost 165 aircraft in transport operations. Other losses included 42 Junkers Ju 86
s, nine Fw 200 Condors, five Heinkel He 177
bombers and a Junkers Ju 290
. The Luftwaffe also lost close to 1,000 highly experienced bomber crew personnel. So heavy were the Luftwaffes losses that four of Luftflotte 4's transport units (KGrzbV 700, KGrzbV 900, I./KGrzbV 1 and II./KGzbV 1) were "formally dissolved". In the air, the Luftwaffe had sustained its heaviest defeat since the Battle of Britain. The remnants of the German Sixth Army surrendered on 2 February 1943.
A complete disaster was averted by Army Group South, largely thanks to Richthofen's Luftflotte 4 and his former Fliegerkorps VIII, under his overall command. The loss of Stalingrad left Rostov-on-Don
the only bottleneck supplying Army Group A in the Caucasus. In December 1942, Luftflotte 4 was still one of the most powerful single air commands in the world. On 15 January 1943, 1,140 of the 1,715 aircraft on the Eastern Front were under Richthofen's command. Its attacks on the Soviet Southwestern Front prevented the Soviets from achieving the goal of isolating the Army Group in the Caucasus. Its air operations proved decisive in this regard.
Although defeated, Luftflotte 4 had flown 24,760 wounded and 5,150 technical personnel out of Stalingrad, which was 11 per cent of the total German manpower. It delivered only 19 per cent of the required supplies. It had four fewer transport groups than at Demyansk, so failed in its overall task despite Feibig ordering his bombers onto transport operations. They managed an average of 68 sorties per day, delivering 111 tons of supplies against the requirement of 300 tons for the Sixth Army.
After the defeat, Richthofen travelled to see Hitler on 11 February. He first met with Goring, who was worried that Richthofen would use the opportunity to criticise his leadership. In the event he did not, but Richthofen did criticise Goring's reluctance to disagree with Hitler and attacked his willingness to allow him to receive what he considered to be faulty advice. When Richthofen did meet Hitler he criticised him openly for micromanagement, though he did insist he had been let down by his advisors. Hitler took all of this calmly, and admitted (as he had done to Erhard Milch
) that he bore the ultimate responsibility for the air lift fiasco. Richthofen argued commanders needed more tactical and operational freedom, as had Manstein. Hitler agreed. Richthofen was probably helped, regardless of his criticism, by the fact that Hitler genuinely liked him, and believed him to be loyal. Four days later Richthofen was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall
.
as a springboard. It strained the logistics of Soviet forces and presented an ideal chance for von Manstein to counterattack. Radio intercepts suggested the Soviets were low on fuel, for their ground forces and the VVS, giving more urgency for a counter stroke. It would lead to the Third Battle of Kharkov
, where von Manstein would win a major victory.
To support his attack Richthofen sent eight of his weakest Gruppen home to rest and refit, which allowed the machines left to be redistributed among stronger units. With congestion eased the infrastructure could cope with serviceability, which improved dramatically. The Luftwaffe was also now back near to pre-prepared air bases, near logistical railheads at Nikolaiev and Poltava
which enabled accelerated rates of re-equipment. After allowing his forces to re-equip near Rostov, he moved his units on 18 February. Richthofen moved his forces closer to the front; Fliegerkorps I, now under Günther Korten
was moved from Borispol, near Kiev
to Poltava
, Fliegerkorps IV under Feibig was moved to the Kuban
and Fliegerkorps V under Pflugbeil was moved to Dnepropetrovsk in the centre of the German offensive thrust. These forces were to support the First Panzer Army and the Fourth Panzer Army. Korten began his support for the Fourth Panzer Army on 19 February 1943. By the 21 February 1,145 sorties had been flown, and another 1,486 were flown the following day. With the offensive going well, Richthofen took the time to rest. The Luftwaffe flew a daily average of 1,000 sorties, with total air superiority owing to the absence of the VVS. In the event Manstein encircled and destroyed a large number of enemy forces, stabilising the front, but leaving a bulge in the east, around the city of Kursk
.
Throughout the spring and early summer, 1943, von Richthofen began preparing his air fleet for Operation Citadel, and the Battle of Kursk, the major summer campaign which was supposed to repeat the Kharkov victory on a larger scale, and turn the tide in the east back in the Axis favour. Richthofen did not take part. Third Kharkov proved to be his last battle in the Soviet Union, and he was transferred to the Mediterranean to begin operations there.
. He was sent on medical leave to the Luftwaffe hospital for neurological injuries at Bad Ischl
. On 27 October 1944, Von Richthofen was operated on by chief brain surgeon Professor Dr. Wilhelm Tönnis. Tönnis, a former professor at the University of Würzburg
, was one of the most noted German specialists. Initially it was thought that the operation was successful, but the tumor had only been slowed. In November 1944 von Richthofen was officially relieved of his command in Italy and transferred to the Führerreserve
. His condition declined steadily in early 1945. It is thought likely that Professor Tönnis attempted a second operation but the tumor had progressed beyond hope for recovery. Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945. The hospital was taken over by the American Third Army
and von Richthofen became a prisoner of war
. Wolfram von Richthofen passed away on 12 July 1945.
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in engineering
Engineer's degree
An engineer's degree is an advanced academic degree in engineering that is conferred in Europe, some countries of Latin America, and a few institutions in the United States....
is abbreviated as Dr.-Ing. (Doctor-Ingenieur). (10 October 1895 in Gut Barzdorf
Bartoszówek
Bartoszówek is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Strzegom, within Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
, Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
– 12 July 1945 in Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden Ahorn, Bad Ischl, Haiden, Jainzen, Kaltenbach, Lauffen, Lindau, Pfandl, Perneck, Reiterndorf and Rettenbach...
) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
(General Field Marshal) of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
(German Air Force) during the Second World War. Born in 1895 to Prussian nobles, Wolfram grew up in wealthy surroundings. After attending school he opted to join the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
at the age of 18, rather than choose an academic career. He joined the army's Cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
arm in 1913.
On the outbreak of the First World War, he fought on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, winning the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
Second Class. He was redeployed to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
in 1915, where he stayed until 1917. The von Richthofen family produced several notable personalities that would become famous during the First War. His cousins, brothers Lothar
Lothar von Richthofen
Lothar-Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 40 victories...
and Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
, both became flying aces and they encouraged him to join the Luftstreitkräfte
Luftstreitkräfte
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...
(German Imperial Air Service). He did so, and joined Manfred's Geschwader (Wing), Jagdgeschwader 1 (Fighter Wing 1). Manfred, known as the Red Baron, was the highest claiming ace of the war with 80 victories. On his first mission with his cousin, Manfred was killed in April 1918. Wolfram continued flying, and went on to claim eight aerial victories before the armistice in November 1918. His other cousin, Lothar, survived the war, but was killed in a flying accident in 1922.
After the war Richthofen resumed civilian life and discharged himself from the army. He studied Engineering at University before rejoining the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
, the German armed forces in the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
era. In 1933 Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and the Nazi Party seized power in Germany, and the Reichswehr was formed into the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. Wolfram joined the new Luftwaffe. He served as part of the Condor Legion
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force and from the German Army which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War...
which supported the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. During this time, he recognised the need for close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
in military campaigns. He championed the dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
, particularly the Junkers Ju 87
Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
Stuka. He also believed in improving ground-air communications, which was put into effect in the Second World War, after his experiences in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The combination of effective air-ground communications, and powerful concentrations of dive bombers would lead to personal success for Wolfram in the first half of the war. By 1941, a high standard of air to ground communications became a uniform facility in the Luftwaffe.
When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, he commanded a specialised ground-attack air unit Fliegerkorps VIII
8th Air Corps (Germany)
VIII. FliegerkorpsFor more details see Luftwaffe Organization was formed 19 July 1939 in Oppeln as Fliegerführer z.b.V. The abbreviation z.b.V. is German and stands for zur besonderen Verwendung . Fliegerführer z.b.V was renamed to VIII. Fliegerkorps on 10 November 1939...
(8th Air Corps), first as a small action unit in the Polish Campaign, and then as full-sized Air Corps in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, from May to June 1940. The effectiveness of his units proved decisive at certain points in the French Campaign, particularly covering the German thrust to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. He was awarded the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
on 23 May 1940, in view of his achievements. He continued in frontline service during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
and Balkans Campaign in 1940 and 1941.
Richthofen achieved his greatest success on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. In particular, he achieved notable success in the Crimean Campaigns during 1942. Despite offering vital tactical and operational support to Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
, after the defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
he was moved to the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, where he commanded Luftwaffe forces in the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
. He remained in active service until late 1944, when he was retired on medical grounds. Soon after the capitulation of Germany in May 1945, he was taken prisoner by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, but died in captivity of a brain tumour on 12 July that same year.
Early life
Richthofen was born on 10 October 1895, at the von Richthofen BarzdorfBartoszówek
Bartoszówek is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Strzegom, within Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
estate (Gut Barzdorf), near Striegau, Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
to an aristocratic family. His father, Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (1856–1922), and mother, Therese Gotz von Olenhusen (1862–1948) were of Silesian nobility, and the family had been nobles for 350 years prior to Wolfram's existence.
Von Richthofen was second child and oldest son of four children. His older sister, Sophie-Therese was born in 1891 (and died in 1971). His brother Manfred was born in 1898 and Gerhard in 1902. He was the fourth cousin of the German World War I flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
, popularly known as the "Red Baron," and the baron's younger brother Lothar von Richthofen
Lothar von Richthofen
Lothar-Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 40 victories...
. As the son of a noble, he enjoyed a life of privilege. The family’s noble status dated back to the 1500s, and by the 1700s the Richthofen’s owned 16 estates in Lower Silesia. When Frederick the Great annexed Silesia in 1740, he personally granted the title of Baron (Freiherr) to one of Richthofen’s ancestors. The family continued on in Silesia for a further three generations.
Richthofen’s home, an eighteenth century estate, was only one of 25 Richthofen-owned properties totalling 140 km² (34,594.7 acre; 54.1 sq mi). Barzdorf, where he lived, was a modest 350 ha (864.9 acre; 1.4 sq mi), of which 269 was cropland and the rest forest. Interestingly Wolfram, as the oldest son did not inherit the estate. Instead, on the death of his father in 1922, it was given to his younger brother, Manfred. Some years before, Wolfram’s uncle General of Cavalry Manfred von Richthofen, his father’s brother, had asked him to inherit his estate to keep it in the family, as he himself had no children. Wolfram inherited the estate after Manfred legally adopted him. The General did not die until 1939, having lived long enough to see his nephew win success in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
and in the Polish Campaign.
He had a distant relationship with his youngest brother, but a close one with Manfred. Unlike most Prussian nobles Richthofen went to the local Gymnasium (academic high school) and did not have private tutors at home. He attended school in Striegau. His grades at Mathematics and German language were good, but he did not excel at foreign languages (in which he scored average to poor results). He found studying language to be boring, but did learn Italian and could converse competently in it in later life.
He became good friends with his cousins, Lothar and Manfred von Richthofen, and he hunted game at the estate with them regularly. By the end of his teens he had become an established hunter and horse rider - interests which remained with him for the rest of his life. He enjoyed being outdoors and, while still at school, opted to apply for a commission in the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
(rather than choose an academic career).
In 1913, at the age of 18, he joined the army and took the officer course in Berlin. The Cavalry was the most prestigious arm, and he applied to join the 4th Hussars which belonged to the 12th Cavalry Brigade of the Sixth Army Corps in Breslau. He did not have much time to experience peacetime military service. In August 1914 the First World War began.
On 18 September 1920, he married Jutta von Selchow ( March 1896–1991) at a Lutheran church Breslau (now the city of Wrocław in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
). They had been introduced by her brother Gunther. Jutta was also of Silesian nobility, and had moved in the same circles. She had served as a nurse in the war. They lived in an apartment in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
while Wolfram restarted his academic career in Engineering. During their marriage they rarely travelled abroad in the 1920s. In the 1930s they took Skiing holidays in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The couple had three children; Wolfram (born 25 May 1922), Götz (27 November 1925) and Ellen (15 February 1928)
Fighting in the Army
The Hussars of the 12th Cavalry Brigade were attached to the 5th Cavalry Division, which was subordinated to the First Cavalry Corps. It formed part of the German Third ArmyGerman Third Army
The 3rd Army was a German field army that fought during :World War I and :World War II.-World War I:Upon the mobilization Max von Hausen was given command of the 3rd Army which mainly consisted of Saxons. The army participated in the battle of the Frontiers, mainly in the battles of Dinant and...
that enacted the attack on France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in August 1914 as part of the pre-war Schlieffen Plan
Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was the German General Staff's early 20th century overall strategic plan for victory in a possible future war in which the German Empire might find itself fighting on two fronts: France to the west and Russia to the east...
. He crossed the Meuse river
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
at Dinant
Dinant
Dinant is a Walloon city and municipality located on the River Meuse in the Belgian province of Namur, Belgium. The Dinant municipality includes the old communes of Anseremme, Bouvignes-sur-Meuse, Dréhance, Falmagne, Falmignoul, Foy-Notre-Dame, Furfooz, Lisogne, Sorinnes, and Thynes.-Origins to...
. It was involved in heavy action against the French VIII Cavalry Corps and fought in Belgium at Namur
Namur
Namur may refer to:*Namur in Belgian context:**Namur , a municipality and a city of Belgium, the capital of Wallonia**Namur , a province in Wallonia, Belgium, named after the provincial capital city...
on 23–24 August and again at St. Quentin. The 5th Cavalry continued its drive into France after the Battle of the Frontiers
Battle of the Frontiers
The Battle of the Frontiers was a series of battles fought along the eastern frontier of France and in southern Belgium shortly after the outbreak of World War I. The battles represented a collision between the military strategies of the French Plan XVII and the German Schlieffen Plan...
, but was stopped at the First Battle of the Marne
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
in September. In recognition for bravery in combat, Wolfram was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class (1914) on 21 September 1914. The modern combat environment damaged the effectiveness of cavalry, and thus Richthofen’s division was transferred to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
, in Poland that November.
On the Eastern Front, the Cavalry Division was mostly deployed in the south. Little combat took place, as the German army did not use cavalry as frequently. The division was kept mainly in reserve. Richthofen’s brigade served near Pinsk
Pinsk
Pinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and Pina rivers. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk. It is a fertile agricultural center. It lies south-west of Minsk. The population is about 130,000...
in 1916, and the division would spend late 1915 to January 1917 of defensive operations in the Pripet Marshes. Richthofen was made commander of the horse depot of the Brigade in the autumn, 1916 and was promoted to Squadron Commander, with 160 men under his command. This was never going to garner him the level of fame his cousins, Lothar and Manfred, were now achieving in the Luftstreitkräfte
Luftstreitkräfte
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...
(Imperial Air Service). They personally encouraged him to join as an airman. He finally did so in June 1917.
Transfer to the Luftstreitkräfte
Before his joined the Air Service, Wolfram took leave in Germany until he reported to the 14th Flying Replacement Regiment based at Halle, one of several large flight schools. At this point in the war, German training was more thorough and longer than the British’ Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC), and at least equal to that given by Armee de l'Air and United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
(USAAS). His training lasted three months, and he was assigned to the 11th Flying Replacement Battalion for advanced training in March 1918. He reported to his cousin Manfred’s unit, Jagdgeschwader 1
Jagdgeschwader 1
Jagdgeschwader 1 may refer to one of two German military units:*Jagdgeschwader 1 , a unit of the Luftstreitkräfte in World War I, commanded by Manfred von Richthofen ; also known as Jagdgeschwader 1 Flying Circus...
(JG 1) on the 4 April 1918. On his first mission with his cousin, Manfred was killed in April 1918. Wolfram continued flying, and went on to claim eight aerial victories before the armistice in November 1918.
Academia and Reichswehr
Von Richthofen studied aeronautical engineering from 1919 to 1922 at the Technical University of Hanover. He served in Rome in 1929-1931 as an "informal" air attache in violation of the disarmament clauses of the Versailles Treaty.Wehrmacht
Ernst Udet
Colonel General Ernst Udet 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 . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus...
. Although Richthofen had known Göring, having served under him in the First World War in JG 1, the two did not get along. They both came from aristocratic backgrounds, but Richthofen was a drive commander, a good and hard working staff officer who enjoyed the company of engineers and like-minded men. Göring was more of a playboy, who enjoyed talking about First World War stories and his time as an ace, while he enjoyed the trappings of power. Göring preferred men like him, and promoted them on that basis. He overlooked the more qualified Richthofen in favour of Udet, a hard drinker and playboy, to head the Technisches Amt.
Richthofen's role was mainly concerned with aircraft procurement programs for the fledgling Luftwaffe. He was involved in the development of types such as the Dornier Do 23
Dornier Do 23
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography*Donald, David . The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Aerospace Publishing. 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X....
, Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
and Junkers Ju 86
Junkers Ju 86
The Junkers Ju 86 was a German monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed in the early 1930s, and employed by both sides during World War II. The civilian model Ju 86B could carry 10 passengers. Two were delivered to Swissair and five to Luft Hansa...
. In the event, only the He 111 would make a real impact during the war. Richthofen was following a considerably difficult assignment, stemming from a directive issued to the Reichswehr before Hitler's rise to power. In July 1932, the Reichswehr had been pursuing the Schnellbomber (fast bomber) concept. The need for modern and fast bombers was to meet the future vision of air warfare for bombers that were faster than fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
.
As the 1930s progressed the He 111 was refined, and the Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
Schnellbomber entered planning, production and service in 1936-37. Even so, Göring as still interested in the heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
program, which would give the Luftwaffe a firm strategic bombing
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
capability. Richthofen was dubious about the employment of heavy bombers, and wanted the projects developing types like the Dornier Do 19 cancelled. Unfortunately for Richthofen, for the time being, the Luftwaffes first Chief of the General Staff, Walter Wever
Walther Wever (general)
Walther Wever was a pre-World War II Luftwaffe Commander.-Early life:Walther Wever was born on 11 November 1887 in Wilhelmsort in the county of Bromberg . He was the son of Arnold Wever, the one-time director of a Berlin bank and the grandson of the Prussian Prosecutor-General Dr...
, did believe in the heavy bomber program. The development of what Wever called the "Ural bomber
Ural bomber
The Ural bomber was a program to develop a long-range bomber for the Luftwaffe, created and led by General Walther Wever in the early 1930s. Wever died in an air crash in 1936 and the program ended almost immediately...
" designs continued. At the time, Göring and Wever also required a long-range fighter escort design for protecting the bombers over Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Germany's expected enemies. Richthofen joined Wever in moderating some of the design requests of Göring, who insisted on a fast, fighter, bomber, ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft rolled into one design. However, Richthofen used his position to split the specification into separate designs on 22 January 1935, viewing the request as impossible.
Wever was killed in an air accident in June 1936 and the emphasis shifted back to more affordable (in manpower and material terms) medium bomber
Medium bomber
A medium bomber is a bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium bombloads over medium distances; the name serves to distinguish them from the larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers...
s. After Wever's death, Goring and Ernst Udet
Ernst Udet
Colonel General Ernst Udet 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 . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus...
became more active in the development programs. Udet favoured the close support designs, such as the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber, while Göring favoured having more medium bombers rather than a small number of heavy bombers. Richthofen did not get along with Udet, and did not believe in his ideas about dive bombing. Udet, much like Göring, favoured combining the qualities of aircraft. Udet sought out a design that could dog fight, dive bomb and carry out level bombing, much like Göring had requested. This was at odds with Wolfram's fundamental desire for aircraft that were easy to mass produce and designed for, and to excel at, specialised tasks.
Although Richthofen had managed to prevent aircraft design from heading into mediocrity, and kept them specialised for particular tasks, Udet still influenced the selection of the multi-purpose Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
and the Schnellbomber designed Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
by the end of 1936. With the Ju 88, he insisted it have a dive bombing capability, though it was more suited to, and ideal for, the level bombing Schnellbomber concept. By the autumn, 1936, Richthofen decided he had had enough of working with Udet, whose ideas he thought were totally wrong. With an expanding Luftwaffe and a civil war starting in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, an opportunity came for a field command.
Innovation and experiences
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force and from the German Army which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War...
, a Luftwaffe contingent sent to support General Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's Fascists in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. Udet continued with the dive bomber concept and the Ju 87 first saw action under Richthofen's command in Spain. Wolfram retained his position as Head of Development, but he was now tasked with the evaluation of aircraft under operational conditions. His role expanded in January 1937, and he became Chief of Staff to Hugo Sperrle
Hugo Sperrle
Hugo Sperrle was a German field marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II. His forces were deployed solely on the Western Front and the Mediterranean throughout the war...
, who was to command the Legion.
Richthofen's experiences were to serve the Luftwaffe well in the long-term. His own learning curve in the war highlighted several issues that a modern air force would have to overcome. The most important issues concerned tactical and operational level warfare.
Unlike the Italian officers from the Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
, the Germans put a great deal of effort into developing close support doctrine. Tactically, Richthofen found little need to retain anti-aircraft artillery to defend airfields. He pushed Flak units into the frontline to bolster the artillery units. Rapid fire 20 mm calibres and 88 mm weapons were first used in Spain. Their effectiveness was reported to Berlin. Soon this tactic became part of Luftwaffe doctrine. Richthofen was pleased with his idea, and the knowledge the "Flak" theorists in Berlin were not happy about using air defence artillery in the ground battle.
Another tactical consideration led to operational innovation. Richthofen adopted the shuttle air tactic. In order to maximise support over the frontline, aircraft operated from bases near the front to keep and gain an advantage. It was very successful in the 1937 battles. Aircraft were sent in small formations to bomb frontline positions, while other groups of ground attack aircraft were en route and refuelling. This way a constant air presence was maintained over the battlefield which eroded the effectiveness and morale of the enemy. In order for this to able to work effectively, three or more sorties needed to be flown per day. This required a large number of personnel to set up and man forward airfields. The Luftwaffes logistics units had to be completely motorised to bring in fuel, ammunition and spare parts. The logistics units had the opportunity to be tested under tough conditions.
These tactics and operational methods were employed during Battle of Bilbao
Battle of Bilbao
The Battle of Bilbao was part of the War in the North, during the Spanish Civil War where the Nationalist Army captured the city of Bilbao and the remaining parts of the Basque Country still held by the Republic....
, which defeated the Republican forces in the north of Spain. The motorised logistics also helped during the rapid redeployment to the south, after the surprise Republican offensive at Brunette
Battle of Brunete
The Battle of Brunete , fought 15 miles west of Madrid, was a Republican attempt to alleviate the pressure exerted by the Nationalists on the capital and on the north during the Spanish Civil War...
in July 1937. The air support was vital in defeating the offensive, which was supported by modern aircraft sent to the Republicans from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. German types like the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
fighter, which replaced the Heinkel He 51
Heinkel He 51
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Donald, David, ed. Warplanes of the Luftwaffe. London: Aerospace, 1994. ISBN 1-874023-56-5.* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The Cadre Creator...Heinkel's Last Fighting Biplane". Air Enthusiast No. 36, May-August 1988. pp. 11–24. ISSN 0143-5450.*...
, the Do 17 and He 111 helped win and hold air superiority and interdict the battlefield, which decisively stopped the attack. The Republican's had spent most of their Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
reserves on buying Soviet equipment. With most of that equipment used up, the Condor Legion and Nationalists would have the technological edge.
The most difficult aspect of close support was communication. Air-ground liaison officers had been used since 1935, when the Luftwaffe first set up a training program for this purpose. By 1937, precise procedures had yet to be worked through for air to ground coordination. Staff officers were trained to solve operational problems, and the lack of doctrine and reluctance of the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe
Oberkommando der Luftwaffe
The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe was the air force High Command of the Third Reich.Air Force Commanders-in-Chief* Reich Marshal Hermann Göring * Field Marshal Robert Ritter von Greim -History:...
(OKL of High Command of the Air Force) to micromanage gave Sperrle and Richthofen a free hand to devise solutions. Aircraft could not communicate with the frontline. Instead they could communicate via radio with each other and their home base. One of the first innovations was to prepare signals staff on the frontline in the region of any planned air strikes, and equip them with telephones. The forward officers could telephone the base with updates, who in turn could radio the aircraft. It became an important standard operational practice. Liaison officers were attached to the Nationalist Army, and improved coordination continued in the second half of 1937 despite occasional friendly-fire incidents. In the Second World War, the Luftwaffe air units and liaison officers at the front could communicate directly with updated radios.
German air doctrine also led the way in transportation capability. The Condor Legion, with the chief of staff's input, had proven logistics could be helped using air transports. By 1939, it would have the largest, and most capable transport service in the World.
The Luftwaffe entered the Second World War with high standards of training. Although other air forces also had training programs and pilots equal to the Germans, the Luftwaffe emphasised trainings its large units, the Geschwader (Wings), Corps and Luftflotten (Air Fleet) staffs in large-scale manoeuvres with the army in the pre-war years. War games, communication exercises in a different variety of combat operations allowed the officers to familiarise themselves with mobile warfare, and it gave way to proficient doctrine and better prepared operational methods than most of its opponents. With notable exceptions, such as RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
, most of the Allied air forces did not conduct large-scale unit and staff exercises, testing tactics and doctrine. Given the slight numerical and technological advantage of the Luftwaffe over its enemies in 1939-1941, its success during these years can largely be attributed to extensive officer and staff training programs along with the experiences of the Condor Legion in Spain.
Bombing of Guernica
Bombing of Guernica
The bombing of Guernica was an aerial attack on the Basque town of Guernica, Spain, causing widespread destruction and civilian deaths, during the Spanish Civil War...
. Soon afterwards, and even in modern day studies, historians referred to it as a deliberate act of terror bombing designed to break civilian morale. Yet there is no evidence in German air doctrine, or in German battle plans to suggest Guernica was targeted to break Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
civilian morale. Richthofen, who planned the raid, did not know much about Guernica. He was unaware there was a Basque parliament buildings in the city, a fact which he did not know until he toured the city on 30 April, after Franco's Nationalists captured it.
There is much debate as to why it was bombed. One simple, and possible reason for Richthofen sanctioning the bombing, was that two main roads were being used to supply 23 Basque battalions at Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
intersected at Guernica. At least the 18th Loyala and Saseta battalions were stationed in the city at the time, making it a legitimate target. If the town was fortified (which it was not), it would have made a major obstacle to the Nationalist advance, which would be unable to pass beyond the town. If Guernica was levelled, the roads and train lines, as well as the bridges, would deny the enemy an escape route and also deny them the ability to evacuate heavy equipment. Another mitigating factor was the alleged "poor accuracy" of German bomb sights (which were the best in the world at that time) in early in 1937. Unable to hit targets with precision, carpet bombing was the only realistic option. In the event it was a success, closing the city to traffic for 24 hours. Richthofen regarded at a "technical success", but was disappointed the Nationalists did not follow it up quickly, missing a chance to cut off large portions of the enemy forces. The casualty rates among modern sources suggest the civilian deaths were between 200-600, not the 1,600-2'000 as claimed by the Basque and German Governments.
While there is no evidence Richthofen ever adopted "terror bombing" against cities, he was a ruthless commander who never expressed any sympathy or concern for civilians who might be located in the vicinity of the military target. Richthofen's attitude on this subject did not change throughout the Second World War.
Richthofen and Sperrle made an effective team in Spain. Sperrle was an experienced officer, and was intelligent with a good reputation. Richthofen was considered a good leader in combat. They combined to disagree with Franco on a number of topics and debates could become heated. Both men were blunt, and although the Germans and Spanish did not like each other, they had a healthy respect which translated into an effective working relationship. Richthofen even learned a little Spanish and Italian, an effort appreciated by Nationalist officers.
After Sperrle returned to Germany, Richthofen assumed command of the Condor Legion. Helmuth Volkman assumed his place, but his pessimistic reports to Berlin, continued demands for support and resources, and disagreements with Richthofen meant he was replaced by von Richthofen in October 1938, possibly at the request of the Nationalists. Richthofen was promoted to the rank of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
(Generalmajor) on 1 November 1938. He oversaw the final stages of the war, as the Nationalists defeated the Republican Spanish in early 1939. By this time, his belief in the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka was cemented. His earlier views about low-flying aircraft suffering unacceptably high losses were ill-founded. It had proved highly successful in its limited role and air superiority had contributed much to the success of the final battles.
Polish Campaign
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
, which began on 1 September 1939, starting the war in Europe. This unit was a tactical formation, and was attached to 2nd Fliegerdivision, under the joint command of Bruno Loerzer
Bruno Loerzer
Bruno Loerzer was an officer in the German Luftstreitkräfte during World War I and Luftwaffe during World War II....
and Alexander Löhr
Alexander Löhr
Alexander Löhr was an Austrian Air Force commander during the 1930s and, after the "Political Union of Germany and Austria" , he was a German Air Force commander...
. The operational goal of Fliegerführer z.b.V., was to support the German Tenth Army
German Tenth Army
The 10th Army was a World War I and World War II field army. During World War I the 10th army was stationed at the Eastern Front against Russia, and occupied Poland and Belorussia at the end of 1918 when the war ended....
, under the command of anglophile Walter von Reichenau , who von Richthofen met shortly before the campaign. The army contained the majority of the motorised and armoured units and was to form the focus point, or Schwerpunkt of the offensive against Poland.
Von Richthofen's order of battle
Order of battle
In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
included a powerful concentration of strike aircraft. The formation had its headquarters at Birkental-Oppeln, but its units were spread out. Schlosswalden was home to 1.(F)/AufklGr 124, a reconnaissance unit which operated Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
P aircraft. Lehrgeschwader 2
Lehrgeschwader 2
Lehrgeschwader 2 was a Luftwaffe unit during World War II, operating three fighter, night fighter, reconnaissance and ground support Gruppen ....
(Learning Wing 2), was based at Nieder-Ellguth, while the bulk of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77
Sturzkampfgeschwader 77
Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber-wing of World War II.-History:Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 was formed on 1 May 1939, I. Group in Brieg, Stab and II. Group in Breslau-Schöngarten . The III. Group was formed from II...
(Dive Bombing Wing 77 or StG 77), which operated the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, was based at Neudorf. Von Richthofen also commanded Slovak Air Force
Slovak Air Force
The Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic , is the aviation and air defense branch of the Slovak Armed Forces. Operating 70 aircraft from 3 major bases - Kuchyňa, Sliač, Prešov...
units (Slovenske Vzousne Zbrane); the 38th and 48th Fighter Squadrons and 16th Corps Squadron.
On the first day of the offensive StG 77 was committed to counter-air operations, striking Polish Air Force
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
(PAF) bases. The need for counter-air operations left only Major Werner Speilvogel's II.(Schlacht)/LG 2 to close support operations. The unit supported the German mechanised XVI Army Corps. Along with other units, von Richthofen's I./StG 77 decimated a Polish Cavalry Brigade of Armii Łódź during the Battle of Łódź.
Only eight days into the campaign, on 8 September, the Tenth Army had advanced so far into Poland, von Richthofen was obliged to move Geschwaderkommodore
Geschwaderkommodore
Geschwaderkommodore is a Luftwaffe position , originating during World War II, that is the equivalent of a RAF Group Commander or USAF Wing Commander. A Geschwaderkommodore is usually of Oberstleutnant or Oberst rank...
(Wing Commander) Günter Schwartzkopff
Günter Schwartzkopff
Günter Schwartzkopff was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
's StG 77 into Polish airfields while von Reichenau closed in on Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. Richthofen was able to keep logistical elements functioning, which kept units flying three sorties per day. At the end of the first week of September, Richthofen's battle group was transferred to Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on March 18, 1939 from Luftwaffenkommando Österreich in Vienna. The Luftflotte was redesignated on April 21, 1945 to Luftwaffenkommando 4, and became subordinated to Luftflotte 6. It was the...
(Air Fleet 4) without any problems. The supply of spare parts, ammunition and fuel were flown in by a large transport fleet of Junkers Ju 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
s. Richthofen had practiced with air transport extensively in peacetime.
The fast moving frontline meant that army headquarters lost touch with their forward units. The collapse of communications deprived commanders and squadrons of orders, a situation exacerbated by the lack of a common radio frequency and over-stretched logistics, which also forced them to scavenge enemy supply depots. Richthofen was the most effected. As early as the 3 September, he noted in his diary that the army headquarters had ceased to know where the frontline was, and he refused to respond to army requests of air support. Instead he responded according to his own interpretation of the situation. This method did cause friendly fire incidents. On one occasion, Ju 87s knocked out a bridge across the Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
river when a Panzer Division
Panzer Division
A panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
was about to cross.
The air-ground coordination was the responsibility of Kolufts, who synthesised data from their own aerial reconnaissance and forward units, but they were only advisors, and had little experience in air warfare. They were controlled by the army (Nahaufklarungsstaffeln). The depended on the Luftwaffe's Air Liaison Officer (Fliegerverbindungsstaffeln or Flivo) for fighter or bomber support. However, Flivo units were responsible to the Luftwaffe, not the army, and their role was to keep air commanders informed of the situation through the use of radio-equipped vehicles.
Loerzer confessed he was out of contact with Reichenau's command post for three days, while von Richthofen was soon complaining to Löhr about the former's ignorance. Because he was impetuous and wanted to be in the thick of the action, von Richthofen began flying around over the frontline in a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch as air-ground liaison collapsed. His claims were not always believed, and these personal operations were a waste of time, which needlessly exposed him to danger. Indeed, Major Spielvogel was shot down over Warsaw in his Storch on 9 September, and killed. While the operational situation was not good, Löhr took command of Fliegerführer z.b.V. giving the unit virtual autonomy and allowing von Richthofen to build a personal empire of six Gruppen (Groups).
By the 11 September, the fuel situation was acute and logistics failed. One the first day his units were flying three missions every day, now it was reduced to one per day. Despite the problems, by 8 September von Richthofen was preparing an assault on Warsaw for which he received Heinrich Seybald's Kampfgeschwader 77
Kampfgeschwader 77
Kampfgeschwader 77 was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II.Its units participated on all of the major fronts in the European Theatre until its dissolution in 1944...
(KG 77). The raids had barely begun when a major threat developed behind him. A Polish counter offensive engaged the German Eighth Army
German Eighth Army
The 8th Army was a World War I and World War II field army.-World War I:At the outbreak of World War I, the 8. Armee was stationed in East Prussia to defend against the expected Russian attack, Plan XIX. After the scrappy Battle of Gumbinnen, 8. Armee commander Generaloberst Maximilian von...
, in an attempt to reach the Vistula river. Von Richthofen joined the assault and counter attack from the air. For three days the Germans bombed Polish forces. In the resulting Battle of Radom
Battle of Radom
The Battle of Radom, also known as the Battle of Iłża, was part of the Invasion of Poland during the Second World War. It lasted from 8 September 1939 to 9 September 1939. Polish troops of the Prusy Army, under General Stanisław Skwarczyński, defended the city of Iłża and road from Sandomierz to...
and Battle of the Bzura
Battle of the Bzura
The Battle of the Bzura was a battle in the opening campaign of World War II during the 1939 German invasion of Poland, fought between 9 and 19 September, 1939, between Polish and German forces...
, which further Polish attacks were made, were won. Von Richthofen sent his air units up under orders to spend only 10 minutes over the battlefield, and to expend all ammunition. Polish forces sought refuge in the forests nearby, but were smoked out by incendiaries. Richthofen's men flew 750 sorties and dropped 388 tons of bombs. The air action destroyed remaining resistance, allowing the army to mop up.
The threat from the Polish generated calls for attacks on Warsaw. This had been planned for the first day, codenamed Wasserkante, or Operation Seaside. Just after midnight on 12/13 September, the Luftwaffe chief of staff Hans Jeschonnek
Hans Jeschonnek
Hans Jeschonnek was a German Generaloberst and a Chief of the General Staff of Nazi Germany′s Luftwaffe during World War II. He committed suicide in August 1943.-Biography:...
, ordered Löhr to prepare to attack Ghettos in northern Warsaw, in retaliation for unspecified war crimes against German soldiers in recent battles. Richthofen's airmen flew 183 to 197 sorties, dropping a 50/50 mixture of high explosive and incendiaries. Some bombs fell close to German forces, conducting the Siege of Warsaw
Siege of Warsaw (1939)
The 1939 Battle of Warsaw was fought between the Polish Warsaw Army garrisoned and entrenched in the capital of Poland and the German Army...
, while smoke made impossible to assess damage. Richthofen confronted Hermann Goring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
over the need for a united air command for the Warsaw campaign, and hinted he was the man for the job. He did not get his way until the 21 September. Weather delayed the attack, which began on 22 September. Richthofen did not get the aircraft he wanted for the operation, in particular the Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
, and instead was handed old Junkers Ju 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
transports, which delivered bombs by airmen throwing them out of the doors. His Ju 87s were also banned from using bomb loads greater than 50 kg. On 22 September, Richthofen's command flew 620 sorties. German air units dropped 560 tonnes of high explosive and 72 tonnes of incendiaries. The bombing did great damage, causing 40,000 casualties and destroying 10 per cent of buildings in the city. Only two Ju 87s and a Ju 52 was lost. The army complained near friendly fire incidents and smoke made life difficult for German artillery. Hitler, despite the complaints, ordered the bombing to continue. Richthofen's force flew 450 against Modlin
Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress is one of the biggest 19th century fortresses in Poland. It is located the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, some 50 kilometres north of Warsaw...
, securing its surrender
Battle of Modlin
The Battle of Modlin took place during the German invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War. Modlin Fortress was initially the headquarters of the Modlin Army until its retreat eastwards. From 13 September to 29 September in 1939 it served as a defensive citadel for Polish forces...
on the 27 September after 318 tonnes of bombs been dropped on it in two days. Warsaw surrendered soon afterwards, and the campaign was declared over after the Polish surrender on 6 October 1939.
Planning
The invasion of Poland prompted the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to declare war on Germany. Through the winter, 1939–40, the Wehrmacht began preparations to invade the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and France. The basic plan called for an invasion of the Netherlands, by Army Group B
Army Group B
Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.-Battle for France:The first was involved in the Western Campaign in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands which was to be aimed to conquer the Maas bridges after the German airborne actions in Rotterdam...
, and Belgium by Army Group B and Army Group A
Army Group A
Army Group A was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.-Western Front, 1940:During the German invasion of the Low Countries and France Army Group A was under the command of General Gerd von Rundstedt, and was responsible for the break-out through the Ardennes...
. The operation, Case Yellow, was designed to suck in the Allied armies into the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
, and then breakout through the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
in southern Belgium and Luxembourg, and advance to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to encircle and destroy them.
Originally, Richthofen's force had retained its original name, Fliegerfuhrer zbV, after Poland, but then was renamed Fliegerdivision 8 (Flying Division 8) on 1 October, but days later, it was given Corps status. Richthofen was given command of the unit, now a specialist ground-attack Corps, VIII. Fliegerkorps
10th Air Corps (Germany)
X. FliegerkorpsFor more details see Luftwaffe Organization was a formation of the German Luftwaffe in World War II, which specialised in coastal operations. It was formed 2 October 1939, in Hamburg from the 10...
(8th Flying Corps). Most of the Geschwader involved were based at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and Dusseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. Included in the order of battle, was Jagdgeschwader 27
Jagdgeschwader 27
Jagdgeschwader 27 Afrika was a World War II Luftwaffe Geschwader. It was most famous for service in the North African Campaign, supporting the Deutsches Afrikakorps.- Formation:...
(JG 27), equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
s; KG 77, equipped with Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
s; Sturzkampfgeschwader 2
Sturzkampfgeschwader 2
Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 Immelmann was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber-wing of World War II. It was named after Max Immelmann in 1939.The unit was originally formed as Fliegergruppe Schwerin in 1934; the first Stuka wing of its type, attaining the sobriquet 'Immelmann' in 1935...
(StG 2) and StG 77, equipped with Ju 87 Stukas; and LG 2, equipped with Ju 87s, Bf 109s, Ju 88s and He 111s. The Corps was a purpose-built ground attack organisation. By 10 May, the order of battle had changed. Only one gruppe (group) of LG 2 remained, III.(Schlacht). IV.(St)./Lehrgeschwader 1
Lehrgeschwader 1
Lehrgeschwader 1 formerly Lehrgeschwader Greifswald was a Luftwaffe multi-purpose unit during World War II, operating fighter, bomber and dive-bomber Gruppen. The unit was formed in July 1936...
(LG 1), with Ju 87s were added, as was I.Sturzkampfgeschwader 76 (StG 76).
The task of Richthofen varied. He was to support von Reichenau's German Sixth Army
German Sixth Army
The 6th Army was a designation for German field armies which saw action in World War I and World War II. The 6th Army is best known for fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad, during which it became the first entire German field army to be completely destroyed...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist was a leading German field marshal during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
's XXXXI
XXXXI Panzer Corps (Germany)
XXXXI Panzer Corps was a tank corps in the German Army during World War II.-Formation and actions:...
and XIX Corps. During the Phoney War period he established his headquarters at Koblenz on 18 October 1939 and thereafter, his Corps steadily rose in strength, from 46 Staffeln (Squadrons), 27 of them Ju 87 units, to 59 by the end of the month. In December, he was first assigned to support Reichenau. Attacks on enemy air bases were only to be carried out if Allied air power attempted to interdict the German ground forces. Ground support was the first priority.
This was reflected in Fliegerkorps VIII order of battle which contained six Ju 87 Gruppen (Groups, of 30 aircraft). Fliegerkorps V had the primary counter-air role and was positioned close to the front to provide air superiority support. But when a breakthrough took place, it was to exchange airfields with Fliegerkorps VIII, to allow for effective air support to the army. However, the Corps' war diary and Richthofen's personal diary make no mention of this order, which may indicate a breakdown in staff work at some level.
What did not breakdown was communication. Operationally, the air division and corps headquarters were placed alongside, and moved with, army equivalents. The air liaison teams attached to the corps and Panzer Divisions were directed to report the battle situation at the front, but were forbidden to advise the army, or request air support. The army sent separate reports, under the same conditions. The reports were digested by Kleist and Richthofen's chiefs of staff, and action was or was not taken with mutual agreement. Attack orders could be delivered in minutes to air units. A Guppe (Group) of Ju 87s and Bf 109s was ready in reserve to respond, and could do so within 45 to 70 minutes. Fliegerkorps VIII and Richthofen were led to believe they would spend the entire campaign supporting Reichenau in northern Belgium, but the OKL did not inform the Corps that it was going to be used in a Meuse river
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
breakthrough.
Richthofen knew Reichenau, and they had a close working relationship. During the planning for the Sixth Army's operations, Reichenau seemed to display a lack of interest when the subject turned to the capture of the bridges at Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, in the Netherlands, and Fort Eben-Emael
Fort Eben-Emael
Fort Eben-Emael is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, and designed to defend Belgium from a German attack across the narrow belt of Dutch territory in the region. Constructed in 1931–1935, it was reputed to be...
in Belgium. The defeat and or capture of these objectives were essential for the Sixth Army to advance into the Low Countries. So unenthusiastic was Reichenau by the suggested airborne operation by glider troops against the fort, he refused to allow the diversion of any artillery. Richthofen supplied a Flak battalion, Flakgruppe Aldinger, for the task of supporting them.
Battle of the Netherlands
Richthofen found himself under pressure in other sectors on the 10 May, the first day of the offensive. In the early phase of the Battle of the NetherlandsBattle of the Netherlands
The Battle of the Netherlands was part of Case Yellow , the German invasion of the Low Countries and France during World War II. The battle lasted from 10 May 1940 until 14 May 1940 when the main Dutch forces surrendered...
, the Fallschirmjäger paratrooper forces had been tasked with capturing The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and the Dutch Royal Family
Monarchy of the Netherlands
The Netherlands has been an independent monarchy since 16 March 1815, and has been governed by members of the House of Orange-Nassau since.-Constitutional role and position of the monarch:...
. In the subsequent Battle for The Hague
Battle for The Hague
The Battle for the Hague was the first paratroop assault in history. It took place on 10 May 1940 as part of the Battle of the Netherlands between the Royal Netherlands Army and Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger . German paratroopers dropped in and around The Hague and were given orders to capture Dutch...
, German forces met heavy resistance. The French Seventh Army was also advancing through Belgium into the Netherlands near the Hague, increasing the threat in a situation which was getting out of control. Richthofen was ordered to throw in half of his force in the Hague battle and attack the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
estuary, near Antwerp, Belgium, on the Dutch border to stop the French Army before it took up position on the Dutch Moerdijk
Moerdijk
Moerdijk is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant.- History :The municipality of Moerdijk was founded in 1997 following the merger of the municipalities of Fijnaart en Heijningen, Klundert, Standdaarbuiten, Willemstad and Zevenbergen. At that...
bridgehead. Despite thick cloud, I. and III./Kampfgeschwader 4
Kampfgeschwader 4
Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever" was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. The unit was formed in May 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 111 medium bombers, with later service on the Heinkel He 177 heavy bomber...
(KG 4) and Kampfgeschwader 54
Kampfgeschwader 54
Kampfgeschwader 54 "Totenkopf" was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II .Its units participated on all of the fronts in the European Theatre until it was disbanded in May 1945. It operated two of the major German bomber types; the Heinkel He 111 and the Junkers Ju 88...
(KG 54), along with Richthofen's Ju 87s, drove the French back preventing them from supporting the Dutch at The Hague.
Battle of Belgium
Fliegerkorps VIII had to turn its attention to supporting Reichenau, in the Battle of BelgiumBattle of Belgium
The Battle of Belgium or Belgian Campaign formed part of the greater Battle of France, an offensive campaign by Germany during the Second World War...
. Richthofen provided direct and indirect support to the German Sixth Army, in particular, to Erich Hoepner
Erich Hoepner
Erich Hoepner was a German general in World War II. A successful panzer leader, Hoepner was executed after the failed 20 July Plot in 1944.- Life :Hoepner was born in Frankfurt an der Oder, Brandenburg...
's XVI Army Corps, part of the Sixth Army. His losses were light. Just 12 Ju 87s were lost, anti-aircraft fire accounted for six I./StG 76 machines. His support operations were usually 65 kilometres ahead of the forward edge of the battlefield, with even reconnaissance aircraft pressed into service as bombers. Army units carried flares and Swastika flags to prevent friendly fire incidents.
A major battle took place on 12 May 1940. Hoepner's Corps confronted René Prioux
René Prioux
René Jacques Adolphe Prioux was a general of the French Army who served in both world wars. A cavalry officer of great talent, Prioux rapidly rose through the officer ranks and commanded the Cavalry Corps of the First Army during the Battle of Belgium in May 1940. He was captured by the Germans...
's Corps de Cavalerie
Cavalry Corps (France)
The Cavalry Corps was a French mechanized army corps established in 1939 and inactivated in 1940 after the defeat of France by Germany. Commanded by General René Prioux, the Cavalry Corps advanced into Belgium in May 1940 and imposed significant delay on the advance of the German XVI Corps...
during the Battle of Hannut
Battle of Hannut
The Battle of Hannut was a Second World War battle fought during the Battle of Belgium which took place between 12 and 14 May 1940 at Hannut, Belgium...
. Richthofen's forces proved effective against French armour during the battle. Richthofen also provided much needed support for the 3rd Panzer Division and 4th Panzer Division, which were heavily engaged on the 13 and 14 May. He also supported the German divisions a day or so later, at the Battle of Gembloux Gap
Battle of Gembloux (1940)
The Battle of Gembloux was a battle fought between French and German forces in May 1940 during the Second World War....
.
For the cost of 12 aircraft (four Ju 87s), he helped attack French communication and supply positions, and supported Reichenau as he reached the Dyle river. At that time, he had moved into the Netherlands, at a Hotel, near Maastricht. He had a basic room, with a bath that did not work. In the afternoon, he received an order to cease operations in Belgium, and send all he had to support Georg-Hans Reinhardt
Georg-Hans Reinhardt
Georg-Hans Reinhardt was a German general of World War II. He commanded Third Panzer Army from 1941 to 1944, and Army Group Centre in 1944 and 1945. His highest rank was Generaloberst . He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
's XLI Corps, north of Sedan. Von Richthofen was incredulous, and he had to move his entire infrastructure 100 kilometres to the south. The failure of the OKL to inform him he was to support the breakthrough is difficult to explain. He later noted in his diary that it was a major oversight for the OKL not to have informed him of his expected input, but his diary also suggests he relish the fog of war
Fog of war
The fog of war is a term used to describe the uncertainty in situation awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign...
and the unknown. His forces were split, with LG 1 and StG 2 continuing support in Belgium, while most were moved south. During the winding down of operations in the north, his units did help the Sixth Army capture Liege
Liege
Liège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...
in Belgium on 17 May.
Battle of France
The most notable actions of his Corps took place during the Battle of SedanBattle of Sedan (1940)
The Battle of Sedan or Second Battle of Sedan was a Second World War battle fought during the French Campaign. The battle was part of the German Wehrmacht's operational plan codenamed Fall Gelb , to encircle the Allied armies in Belgium and north-eastern France...
. By this time, Richthofen had moved into St Trond-Liege in Belgium. The heavy German air assaults on French positions included 360 by his medium bombers, although his Ju 87 units could only fly 90 owing to the difficulties he had moving his Corps around. The Germans captured Sedan and crossed the Meuse river, which would enable Army Group A to continue to the English Channel. On 14 May Richthofen's JG 27 helped defend the bridgehead from Allied air attacks. Allied bomber strength was decimated. During the battle Richthofen suffered a personal blow. Günter Schwartzkopff, Geschwaderkommodore of StG 77, was killed when his Ju 87 was hit by ground fire. Schwartzkopff was one of the founding members of the German dive-bomber arm and had specialised knowledge on the method of attack. He had been ordered not to engage in combat, as he was too valuable to lose, but on 13 May he ignored orders. He was one of the very few German aerial casualties over Sedan.
Thereafter, events move quickly. After the German breakthrough at Sedan von Richthofen asked that Fliegerkorps VIII be allowed to support Kleist to the sea. One of the motivating reasons for this was the gap which had developed between the Panzer Divisions and infantry divisions struggling to catch up. Army Group A had wanted the Panzers to slow down, to allow the infantry to cover their flanks and rear, but Guderian ignored orders and continued on to the Channel under the pretext of a "reconnaissance in force". Von Richthofen convinced Göring to help press for the Panzers to continue, while his air Corps provided an aerial flank. It proved a wise decision. StG 2 and 77 Ju 87s broke up attacks on the flanks of Army Group A, most notably combining to repulse Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
's Fourth Armoured Division on 16 and 19 May, at Montcornet, Aisne
Montcornet, Aisne
Montcornet is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Battle of Montcornet:On 14 May 1940, Charles de Gaulle was given command of the new 4th Armored Division and ordered to execute a counterattack toward Montcornet, with the objective of slowing the German advance...
and Crécy-sur-Serre
Crécy-sur-Serre
Crécy-sur-Serre is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardie in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
. This effectively decimated the remaining core of the French Ninth Army, through air power. Excellent ground-to-air communications throughout the campaign. Radio equipped forward liaison officers could call upon the Stukas and direct them to attack enemy positions along the axis of advance. In some cases the Luftwaffe responded to requests in 10–20 minutes. Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
Hans Seidemann
Hans Seidemann
Hans Seidemann was a World War II Luftwaffe general. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(Richthofen's Chief of Staff) said that "never again was such a smoothly functioning system for discussing and planning joint operations achieved".
Still, for him personally, there were problems. He moved his HQ to Ochamps to keep up with events, while he gambled on German air superiority holding out to fill forward airfields up with aircraft leading to overcrowding. He also had communication difficulties, and flew around in his Storch to organise air support for the army. Hugo Sperrle
Hugo Sperrle
Hugo Sperrle was a German field marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II. His forces were deployed solely on the Western Front and the Mediterranean throughout the war...
, chief of Luftflotte 3
Luftflotte 3
Luftflotte 3 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on February 1, 1939 from Luftwaffengruppenkommando 3 in Munich and redesignated Luftwaffenkommando West on September 26, 1944...
(Air Fleet Three) arrived at the same HQ, disrupting staff work and leading Richthofen to explode with rage. The pressures compelled him to risk being shot down in order to pass on orders, and while flying on 22 May he was forced to land owing to a fractured fuel tank. He organised support for Reinhardt and covered Heinz Guderian
Heinz Guderian
Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was a German general during World War II. He was a pioneer in the development of armored warfare, and was the leading proponent of tanks and mechanization in the Wehrmacht . Germany's panzer forces were raised and organized under his direction as Chief of Mobile Forces...
's Corps, with KG 77, StG 77 and JG 27. While he complained about communication, by the standards of the day, it was efficient. The radio-equipped forward liaison officers assigned Fliegerkorps VIII new targets, while leaving less important orders to land line officers. The Ju 87s were on 20 minute alert, and within 45 to 75 minutes they were diving onto their targets. In some cases, they were able to respond in 10 minutes. By 21 May, with his fighters based at Charleville
Charleville
Charleville can refer to:* Charleville, County Cork, a town in Ireland**Charleville railway station**Charleville GAA**Charleville * Charleville, Queensland, a town in Australia...
, Ju 87s at St Trond, and his Do 17s back in Germany, Richthofen's logistics were overstretched and his fuel was running out.
By 21 May the Allied armies were encircled and counter attacks had been repulsed at Arras
Battle of Arras (1940)
The Battle of Arras took place during the Battle of France, in the early stages of World War II. It was an Allied counterattack against the flank of the German army, that took place near the town of Arras, in north-eastern France. The German forces were pushing north toward the channel coast, in...
. The Allies were evacuating the ports of Dunkirk and Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
. During the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
and Siege of Calais (1940)
Siege of Calais (1940)
The Siege of Calais was a battle for the port and town of Calais during the German blitzkrieg which overran northern France in 1940. It immediately preceded Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force through Dunkirk....
, Richthofen supported the advance of Army Groups A and B. However, they were frequently meeting Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) fighters, flying across the Channel. Richthofen noted RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
and its No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
were responsible for 25 per cent of German losses. On 22 May, StG 77 lost five Ju 87s, indicating increased difficulty. Sperrle asked for support and Richthofen helped capture Calais and was awarded the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
on 23 May. Richthofen was ordered to support the German Fourth Army
German Fourth Army
The 4th Army was a field army of Imperial Germany during World War I and of the Wehrmacht during World War II-World War I:At the outset of war, the Fourth Army, with the Fifth Army, formed the center of the German armies on the Western Front, moving through Luxembourg and Belgium in support of the...
, though he showed little interest in the Dunkirk battles. He regarded them as a waste of time, and they disrupted preparations against southern France (Case Red). He believed the attempt to destroy Allied forces, or prevent the evacuation with the Luftwaffe was unrealistic. Over Dunkirk, losses were heavy and progress slow. On 26 May, Richthofen made a special effort to gain and hold air superiority. Overall, German air power failed to prevent the evacuation.
After the expulsion of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and the surrenders of the Dutch and Belgians, von Richthofen was ordered to support the German Ninth Army
German Ninth Army
The 9th Army was a World War II field army.The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command.-1940:The 9th Army first saw service along the Siegfried Line when it was involved in the invasion of France...
, containing Guderian's Corps. The battles were swift. The French lost their most capable formations in the encirclement, and they capitulated on 22 June 1940, after the capture of Paris on 14th, and the encirclement of the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
on 15 June.
Channel battles
Richthofen continued, after the French capitulation to command VIII. Fliegerkorps during the Battle of BritainBattle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. The British refusal to reach a compromise with Germany forced the OKL to prepare a plan for attaining air superiority, codenamed Operation Eagle Attack
Operation Eagle Attack
Adlertag was the first day of Unternehmen Adlerangriff , which was the codename of a German military operation by the Luftwaffe to destroy the British Royal Air Force . By June 1940, the Allies had been defeated in Western Europe and Scandinavia...
. Should this have been successful, the Wehrmacht may have launched an invasion of Britain, codenamed Operation Sea Lion.
For the first time, the Luftwaffe was engaged in an offensive air war without the support of the German Army. Despite Richthofen's Corps being primarily a specialist ground assault organisation, which supported ground forces, he was expected to help lead the assault over Britain. His Stuka units were the best precision attack aircraft in the Luftwaffe and their 500 kg bombs were capable of sinking merchant shipping, and or seriously damaging warships. In June 1940, Richthofen and his Corps' specific mission was to establish air superiority over the southern part of the English Channel (near France) and to clear British shipping from the strip of sea altogether, particularly from the region between Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
. Fliegerkorps VIII had a particular advantage; British fighters did not have enough radar warning and were operating at the limits of their range. This gave his Ju 87s a near-free hand in operations.
In July 1940, skirmishes took place, between Luftflotte 2
Luftflotte 2
Luftflotte 2 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed February 1, 1939 in Braunschweig and transferred to Italy on November 15, 1941...
, under Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring was a German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. In a military career that spanned both World Wars, Kesselring became one of Nazi Germany's most skilful commanders, being one of 27 soldiers awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords...
and Hugo Sperrle
Hugo Sperrle
Hugo Sperrle was a German field marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II. His forces were deployed solely on the Western Front and the Mediterranean throughout the war...
's Luftflotte 3
Luftflotte 3
Luftflotte 3 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on February 1, 1939 from Luftwaffengruppenkommando 3 in Munich and redesignated Luftwaffenkommando West on September 26, 1944...
on one side, and Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Keith Park
Keith Park
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC, RAF was a New Zealand soldier, First World War flying ace and Second World War Royal Air Force commander...
's No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
of Fighter Command on the other. The initial battles revolved around the British southern coast. Attempts by German air fleets to interdict British shipping in the English Channel were met with a significance response from the RAF, and many air battles ensued over the Channel. They were referred to by the Germans as "the Channel battles". Richthofen made use of his Do 17P reconnaissance aircraft to locate convoys. When located, he usually dispatched a Gruppe (30 aircraft) to engage the convoy, holding other Stuka Gruppen back for repeat attacks. The campaign was complicated by the weather, which grounded the Corps for long periods, and while the Ju 87s proved effective, they proved vulnerable to RAF fighters. On 17 July 1940, Richthofen was promoted to the position of General der Flieger
General der Flieger
General der Flieger was a General’s rank of the German Luftwaffe.The rank was equivalent to the long established General der Kavallerie, General der Artillerie and General der Infanterie...
in recognition of his service.
Operations over the Channel were successful. Although von Richthofen's force severely over-claimed the number of ships sunk, they did succeed in forcing the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
to suspend convoys through the Channel temporarily, as well as forcing it to abandon Dover as a base. On 8 August 1940, during one of the last operations against shipping, his airmen claimed 48,500 tons of shipping sunk in one operation. The actual number was just 3,581 tons.
Campaign against the RAF
In mid-August, the Luftwaffe was ready to begin the main assault over Britain proper. The campaign opened on 13 August 1940, christened Adlertag (Eagle Day), by Hermann Goring. The entire day met with repeated German failures, in communication, intelligence, and coordination. The objective of the raids, Fighter Command's airfields, remained unscathed. von Richthofen's Ju 87s were involved over the PortlandIsle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
area, and in actions against RAF Warmwell
RAF Warmwell
RAF Warmwell was a Royal Air Force station near Warmwell in Dorset, England from 1937 to 1946, located about 5 miles east-southeast of Dorchester; 100 miles southwest of London....
and RAF Middle Wallop. Cloudy skies were largely responsible for the failure of the raids. The campaign did not get much better for von Richthofen, on 15 August, known as the The Greatest Day. On 16 August, elements of StG 2 had success against RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, located at Tangmere village about 3 miles east of Chichester in West Sussex, England. American RAF pilot Billy Fiske died at Tangmere and was the first American aviator to die during World War II...
, in which they destroyed 15 aircraft (seven Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s and six Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
night fighters. Damage was done to buildings and workshops, but for a loss on nine Ju 87s and three severely damaged. Three days later, the Ju 87s suffered their greatest defeat. On 18 August, a large group of air battles led the day to be called "The Hardest Day
The Hardest Day
The Hardest Day was the name of a Second World War air battle fought during the Battle of Britain on 18 August 1940, by the Luftwaffe and British Royal Air Force . By June 1940 the Allies had been defeated in Western Europe and Scandinavia...
". On that day, Richthofen sent his units against airfields in southern England. Faulty intelligence meant all those hit by his units were unimportant. StG 77 struck at Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
bases, which had little to do with Fighter Command. In the process, the Geschwader took heavy losses.
Richthofen was not so much shocked by total Ju 87 losses, which were running at a bearable 15 per cent, assuming the raids were getting results and the battle short, but he was alarmed at the near destruction of entire Gruppe, a loss rate which ran at 50 per cent. It required a rethink of the types use in the campaign. The Battle of Britain amounted to a defeat for the Ju 87. The Ju 87s were removed from the battle, and were limited to small-scale attacks on shipping until the spring, 1941, by which time the Battle of Britain was over and the air war over Britain (The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
) was winding down. Richthofen's force flew 100 sorties in October, compared to the 100 per day in July 1940. In December 1940, Fliegerkorps VIII ended its Ju 87s operations and entered intensive winter training to be ready for the resumption of operations in the spring.
Battle of Yugoslavia
In April 1941 VIII. Fliegerkorps were tasked with supporting the German invasion of Yugoslavia and the German Army in the Battle of GreeceBattle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
and the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
. The failure of the Italian Army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
in the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
, Hitler was forced to intervene to secure the Axis flank, close to the Romanian oilfields. He approached Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and asked them to join the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
in order to facilitate a quick victory in Greece. Initially the offer was accepted, only later to be rejected after a pro-Allied government assumed power. Operation Marita was expanded to involve the invasion of both countries.
Preparations began in early 1941, as Richthofen moved his units into Bulgaria via Romania. He found the country primitive, and resolved to improve the infrastructure, particularly communications, for the invasion of Yugoslavia. He intended to operate 120 aircraft from Bulgarian airfields and moved them into place on 1 March. While preparations were taking place he indulged in hunting and horse riding expeditions as a guest of the Bulgarian Royal Family. With Boris III of Bulgaria
Boris III of Bulgaria
Boris III the Unifier, Tsar of Bulgaria , originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver , son of Ferdinand I, came to the throne in 1918 upon the abdication of his father, following the defeat of the Kingdom of Bulgaria during World War I...
, he discussed dive-bombing techniques and the Corps' new aircraft, such as the Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
.
Richthofen's Corps was given two wings of Ju 87s for the task; Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2) and Sturzkampfgeschwader 3
Sturzkampfgeschwader 3
Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber-wing of World War II. It was formed on 9 July 1940 in Dinard from the Stab/Kampfgeschwader 28 and redesignated to Schlachtgeschwader 3 on 18 October 1943.-Kommodore:...
(StG 3), based in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. With reinforcements, the German air contingent, under Luftflotte 4, would have a total of 946 combat aircraft supported by hundreds of transport machines. This force outnumbered the Greek, Yugoslav and RAF forces combined. Richthofen arranged to have the German Twelfth Army's air reconnaissance units cooperate with his own formations through the use of a liaison.
The Corps' operations supported the German Twelfth Army
German Twelfth Army
- History :The 12th Army was activated on October 13, 1939 with General Wilhelm List in command. First seeing defensive action along the Siegfried Line, the army was involved in the invasion and occupation of France...
in southern Yugoslavia, which cut the Yugoslav Army
Yugoslav Army
Aside from the Yugoslav People's Army, the terms Yugoslav Army, Army of Yugoslavia, or Military of Yugoslavia may refer to:* Yugoslav Partisans , the Yugoslav resistance army during World War II...
off from Greece and the Allied forces there. The victory in Yugoslavia was complete with the bombing of Belgrade
Bombing of Belgrade in World War II
The city of Belgrade was bombed during two campaigns in World War II, the first undertaken by the Luftwaffe in 1941, and the latter by Allied air forces in 1944.- German bombing :...
, which facilitated a rapid victory by destroying command and control centres. Moreover, by adding Yugoslavia to its list of enemies, the Axis' operations were eased. Instead of attacking strong Greek fortifications on the Yugoslav-Greek border, the Germans could break through the weak southern Yugoslav defences, and then outflank the elite Greek forces defending the Metaxas Line
Metaxas Line
The Metaxas Line was a chain of fortifications constructed along the line of the Greco-Bulgarian border, designed to protect Greece in case of a Bulgarian invasion after the rearmament of Bulgaria. It was named after Ioannis Metaxas, the then Prime Minister of Greece, and chiefly consists of...
.
Richthofen's force did not participate in the bombing of Belgrade, but were engaged in attacking Yugoslav reinforcements, concentrated on the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n and Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
borders in the north, that were streaming south to block the break through. Mass columns of Yugoslav forces were caught in the open and decimated. The bombing of the capital disabled the command and control function of the Yugoslav Army, but it also convinced those in the government that further resistance would meet with even more destruction. Yugoslavia surrendered on 17 April.
Battle of Greece
Operations shifted to Greece. The Axis success in the Battle of the Metaxas LineBattle of Metaxas Line
The Battle of Metaxas Line, also known as Battle of the Forts , or Struggle for the Metaxas Line , was the first battle during the Greek campaign of World War II...
allowed them to outflank the main Greek Army position and encircle the most effective Greek force. Richthofen's units supported the attack against the Line, without much interference from Allied air forces. Just 99 RAF aircraft (74 bombers) and 150 Greek aircraft opposed Richthofen's 500. By 15 April, the RAF had withdrawn. From this date, Fliegerkorps VIIIs main targets were Allied ships cramming the evacuation ports. Unlike the gross over claiming against British shipping in the English Channel in 1940, the claims of 280,000 tons of shipping (60 vessels) destroyed up until 30 April 1941 were approximately correct.
Allied forces withdrew down the east coast of Greece, where the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and Greek Navy began evacuating them from ports around southern Greece, including the capital, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Ju 87 units from von Richthofen's Corps inflicted high losses on shipping, eliminating the small Greek Navy and causing damage to British shipping. In two days, the Greek Naval base at Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
lost 23 vessels to Stuka attack. From 21 to 24 April 43 ships were sunk on the southern coast. Total Allied shipping losses amounted to 360,000 tons.
Battle of Crete
The end of the campaign on the mainland meant the sole remaining objective was the island of CreteCrete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, which lay off Grecce' southern coastline. During the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
Richthofen's Ju 87s also played a significant role. The operation came close to disaster on the first day. Most of the airborne forces that landed by Gilder or parachute lost most of their radios, which meant von Richthofen reliant on aerial reconnaissance aircraft. The German parachute troops were pinned down on the island, on the Cretan airfields they were supposed to capture. The level of effort Richthofen directed at relieving the pressure on them quite possibly saved the German units from destruction.
On 21–22 May 1941, the Germans attempted to send in reinforcements to Crete by sea, but lost 10 vessels to "Force D" under the command of Rear-Admiral Glennie. The force consisting of the cruisers , and forced the remaining German ships to retreat. The Stukas were called upon to deal with the British Naval threat. On 21 May, the destroyer was sunk, and the next day, the battleship was damaged and the cruiser was sunk with the loss of 45 officers and 648 ratings. The Ju 87s also crippled the cruiser that morning, (she was later finished off by Bf 109 fighter bombers) while sinking the destroyer with a single hit. As the Battle of Crete drew to a close the Allies began yet another withdrawal. On 23 May the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
also lost the destroyers and sunk followed by on 26 May; Orion and Dido were also severely damaged. Orion had been evacuating 1,100 soldiers to North Africa and lost 260 of them killed and another 280 wounded during the attacks. Around eight British destroyers and four cruisers were sunk (not all by air attack), along with five destroyers of the Greek Navy.
Operation Barbarossa
On 22 June 1941 the Wehrmacht launched Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the invasion of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Richthofen continued his command of Fliegerkorps VIII which contained JG 27, StG 2, StG 3, 10./LG 2, and II.(S)./LG 2. Added to this force was II./Jagdgeschwader 52
Jagdgeschwader 52
Jagdgeschwader 52 of the Luftwaffe, was the most successful fighter-wing of all time, with a claimed total of more than 10,000 victories over enemy aircraft during World War II. It was the unit of the top three scoring Fighter aces of all time, Erich Hartmann, Gerhard Barkhorn and Günther Rall...
(JG 52), I./Kampfgeschwader 2
Kampfgeschwader 2
Kampfgeschwader 2 " Holzhammer " was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during the Second World War. The unit was formed in May 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17 light bomber, Dornier Do 217 and Junkers Ju 188 heavy bombers....
(KG 2), III./Kampfgeschwader 3
Kampfgeschwader 3
Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz" was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II .Its units participated on all of the fronts in the European Theatre until it was disbanded in September-October 1944...
(KG 3) and Zerstörergeschwader 26
Zerstörergeschwader 26
Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel" was a Luftwaffe heavy/destroyer Fighter Aircraft-wing of World War II.-History:Zerstörergeschwader 26 was formed in early 1936 from the Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel". The Geschwaderstab and I. Gruppe was located in Dortmund, II. Gruppe in Werl and III....
(ZG 26). Initially his force supported Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
, under the command of Kesselring's Luftflotte 2.
The Luftwaffe was numerically weaker than had been in May 1940, possessing 1,000 fewer aircraft. It had only 838 operational bombers, as opposed to double that number the previous spring. Whereas in France, it had to conduct operations 200 miles deep, it had to do this on a front six times as long, many times deeper, and with fewer aircraft. The failures of production aside, the Luftwaffe had made improvements on its operational organisation. The Flivos that Richthofen had championed in 1939 became a uniform facility throughout the Luftwaffe. Each Panzer and Motorised division, now had air liaison officers attached to them to allow for effective air support. The experiments in France and the low countries had paid off. By the summer, 1941, the Luftwaffe and its land-air liaison teams would dramatically reduce the number of friendly-fire incidents, as German assault aviation would have detailed knowledge of friendly and enemy dispositions. It would not be until the beginning of 1943, when the Western Allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
began adopting the same methods. In the opening phase of Barbarossa, Richthofen's units were able to perform very well. The response for air support did not usually exceed two hours.
In the opening rounds, Richthofen was involved in large pre-emptive strikes against the Red Air Force (Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, or VVS) airfields. The Luftwaffe lost 78 aircraft on 22 June, but destroyed 1,489 aircraft on the ground, though further research indicates the number exceeded 2,000 destroyed. It is likely that 1,800 aircraft were destroyed in the first strike (for two losses), and 700 in the second (for 33 losses). The VVS' officer corps had been decimated in the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
and although it possessed a large aviation industry, and large reserves, its modern aircraft were not up to the technical standards of the Luftwaffe. Around 91 percent of units’ commanders had been in their post less than six months. Most of the Soviet aircrews were poorly trained, and lacked radio communication between pilots, much less air to ground liaisons or effective ground support methods. The Soviet air forces in the Western Soviet Union were largely destroyed. In July, waves of unescorted Soviet bombers tried in vain to halt the German advance, only to suffer extremely high loses. Within three days, the close support units of Kesselring's Luftflotte 2, including Richthofen's Corps, were able to revert to close support and interdiction operations largely unhindered.
On 23 June, his Corps decimated the Soviet Western Front's 6th Cavalry Corps when they attempted a counter attack near Grodno. Richthofen threw all available aircraft at the thrust and played a vital role in its defeat. The Soviet Corps suffered 50 per cent casualties, mostly from air attack. Richthofen's Corps claimed 30 tanks, and 50 motor vehicles in 500 sorties. Army Group Centre continued to advance, reaching Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
. Fliegerkorps VIII supported the army in the Battle of Smolensk
Battle of Smolensk (1941)
The Battle of Smolensk was a largely successful encirclement operation by the German Army Group Centre's 2nd Panzer Group led by Heinz Guderian and the 3rd Panzer Group led by Hermann Hoth against parts of four Soviet Fronts during World War II...
only days later. In this phase he was also moved south, to support Panzer Group Guderian, which succeeded in supporting the capture of Orsha
Orsha
Orsha is a city in Belarus in Vitebsk voblast on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers.-Facts:*Location: *Population: 125,000 *Phone code: +375 216*Postal codes: 211030, 211381–211394, 211396–211398-History:...
. The encirclement of Soviet forces at Smolensk was complete on 17 July 1941. Three weeks later, the last Soviet forces in the pocket were eliminated. Fliegerkorps VIIIs achievements were important in defeating Soviet counterattacks and attempted breakouts. Richthofen was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross for an impressive performance. Results from the battles, and in particular the defeat of the Soviet counter attacks by the Soviet 13th and 24th Armies, were impressive. Richthofen's forces were credited with disrupting reinforcements and destroying 40 motor vehicles on 24 July alone.
However, logistically
Military logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
, the Germans were starting to suffer serious problems in supplying their frontline just four weeks into the campaign. Wolfram Richthofen lamented, "the Germans are good at fighting but weak at logistics". While German production could make up for losses at the front, it took time to get aircraft to the sector. The common operating strength by late summer was 50 to 60 percent, including Fliegerkorps VIII. Between 19 July and 31 August, the Luftwaffe had lost 725 aircraft. Before the operations in the Soviet Union, scant attention had been made to logistical operations in the east, primarily because of German over-confidence.
The victories had been hard won, but growing Soviet resistance, increased counterattacks brought the front on the Smolensk-Moscow to a stalemate. Hitler wavered, and on 30 July ordered Army Group Centre to assume the strategic defensive. In Directive 34, he refocused the main effort of Barbarossa on Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
because of strong concentrations of enemy forces west of Moscow. To this end, Wolfram von Richthofen and his Fliegerkorps was assigned to Luftflotte 1
Luftflotte 1
Luftflotte 1 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed February 1, 1939 from Luftwaffengruppenkommando 1 in Berlin...
(Air Fleet 1). During July 1941, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
(OKW, or German High Command) displayed a lack of coherent strategy. It shifted from pursuing one objective to the next. It first wanted to advance to Moscow, then Leningrad, before shifting operations further south.
Richthofen took almost all of his units, except JG 52, to support Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
. In heavy combat, working with Fliegerkorps I, Richthofen's fleet flew 1,126 sorties on 10 August, supporting the German army's advance on Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
. They claimed 10 tanks, more than 200 motor vehicles and 15 artillery batteries. Owing to increased Soviet aviation activity, Richthofen directed ZG 26 against Soviet airfields, with success. Further support was rendered to the German Sixteenth Army
German Sixteenth Army
The 16th Army was a World War II field army.It took part in the Battle of France. It was then deployed with Army Group North during Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It fought its way into northern Russia where in January 1942 it was encircled by the Soviets near...
at Novgorod near Lake Ilmen
Lake Ilmen
Ilmen is a historically important lake in the Novgorod Oblast of Russia, formerly a vital part of the Trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The city of Novgorod lies six kilometers below the lake's outflow....
. Experienced crews from Richthofen's Corps, flying He 111s from KG 4, attacked railways near Leningrad to disrupt reinforcements. Fliegerkorps VIIIs airmen noted Soviet resistance was far harder in the Lake Ilmen area than they had previously experienced. On 15 August, a major effort by StG 2 succeeded in softening up Soviet defences and destroying the main Soviet supply bridge over the Volkhov river
Volkhov River
Volkhov is a river in Novgorod Oblast and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia.-Geography:The Volkhov flows out of Lake Ilmen north into Lake Ladoga, the largest lake of Europe. It is the second largest tributary of Lake Ladoga. It is navigable over its whole length. Discharge is highly...
. The fortress of Novgorod was destroyed by Richthofen's Ju 87s, and was thus abandoned. The city fell on 16 August. Just 24 hours later, a major Soviet counter offensive by the Soviet Northwestern Front attempted to recapture the city. Richthofen, in conjunction with Fliegerkorps I destroyed the attackers almost completely near Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located south of Veliky Novgorod. It is a wharf on the Polist River in the Lake Ilmen basin. It serves as the administrative center of Starorussky District, although administratively it is not a part of it...
. KG 4 and KG 2 in particular were successful. The later wing knocked out 18 Soviet tanks in a single mission, despite the presence of strong Soviet fighter forces. Bf 110s from Richthofen's ZG 26 were directed to deal with Soviet aviation on the ground. On 19 August, for the cost of just three Bf 110s, they destroyed 40 Soviet aircraft on the ground and three in the air, easing the pressure on German air units which were meeting numerically superior numbers of the enemy.
The German Eighteenth Army
German Eighteenth Army
The 18th Army was a World War I and World War II field army.-World War I:The 18th Army was formed in 1918 by the German OHL and commanded by General Oskar von Hutier.-World War II:...
and the Sixteenth Army successfully conquered the remaining parts of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, seizing Chudovo, north of Novgorod, which severed one of the two main supply lines from Leningrad to Moscow. In support of these operations, von Richthofen's Corps dropped 3,351 tons of bombs in 4,742 attacks from 10 to 20 August 1941. On 20 August von Richthofen moved strike and fighter aircraft to Spasskaya Polist, 40 ki. north-east of Novgorod, to support an attack that would encircle Leningrad, and cut it off from Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
. German XXXXI Panzer Corps sealed in Soviet forces in the Lake Ilmen-Luga-Novgorod sector. The Leningrad Front
Leningrad Front
The Leningrad Front was first formed on August 27, 1941, by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front, during the German approach on Leningrad .-History:...
attempted to relieve them, and von Richthofen was ordered to blunt the attack. The Soviets were supported by strong air units, and large air battles broke out. During the course of them Fliegerkorps VIII lost one of its most able Stuka aces, Anton Keil. The Germans succeeded in maintaining their lines, and could now turn to capturing Leningrad.
Before a main assault could be launched, Leningrad needed to be completely cut off from the Soviet hinterland which led to the Siege of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
. This was achieved by Fliegerkorps VIII, which supported the German Eighteenth Army in forcing the Soviet 54th Army from the shores of Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
and Leningrad was isolated. Thereafter, Fliegerkorps VIII and I concentrated on a 16 square kilometres of front over Leningrad, achieving numerical superiority. Richthofen's bombers participated in great efforts to destroy Leningrad from the air, some crews flying two missions per night. On 8 September, 6,327 incendiaries alone were dropped causing 183 fires. The German Army advanced into the breaches created by the Luftwaffe. However, by committing their last resources and reinforcing their 54th Army (later renamed the 48th Army), the Soviets stalled the German advance on 25 September. With the offensive stopped, Hitler returned Richthofen to Luftflotte 2. Operations had been expensive. In August Fliegerkorps VIII had lost 27 aircraft destroyed and 143 damaged.
Frustrated in the north, Hitler turned to Moscow. On 2 October 1941 he enacted Operation Typhoon, an offensive aimed at capturing Moscow via a pincer movement. It much early success and succeeded in enveloping considerable Soviet forces at Vyazma
Vyazma
Vyazma is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk and Mozhaysk. Throughout its turbulent history, the city defended western approaches to the city of Moscow...
and Bryansk
Bryansk
Bryansk is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Moscow. Population: -History:The first written mention of Bryansk was in 1146, in the Hypatian Codex, as Debryansk...
by 10 October. However, the initial success gave way to a grinding battle of attrition. By 11 November the situation in the air was also changing from a position of initial parity. Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 and the Headquarters of Fliegerkorps I were moved to the Mediterranean Theatre. This left von Richthofen's Fliegerkorps VIII in control of all Axis aviation supporting Army Group Centre against Moscow. The Soviet opposition was growing in number and quality. By 10 November, 1,138 aircraft (738 serviceable) including 658 fighters (497 serviceable) were defending Moscow. The weather slowed down operations until the 15 November, when the mud and rain water froze and mobile operations became possible. Richthofen threw all available aircraft into the Battle for Moscow whenever conditions permitted. Fliegerkorps VIII flew 1,300 sorties from the 15 to 24 November.
One last attempt to capture Moscow was made on 2 December, but lack of fuel and ammunition and increasingly stiff resistance prevented its success. By this time, the Soviet air forces had gained air superiority. By 5 December, when the counteroffensive drove Army Group Centre back, they could muster 1,376 aircraft against just 600 German. The Germans possessed just 487 fighters (200 serviceable) on the entire Eastern Front. There were 674 Soviet fighters (480 serviceable) on the Moscow front. When the Soviet offensive began it quickly gained ground. German morale sank and Army Group Centre, overstretched and exhausted, was threatened with collapse. Richthofen's forces, despite enemy air superiority, did all they could to blunt the attack. The effectiveness and determination of German air units improved the morale of the army. Concentrating aviation against Soviet ground forces, the Luftwaffe delivered a series of attacks that took the wind out of the Soviet offensive within two weeks. Richthofen's forces bore the main burden of the air defence against the Soviet attack, and had been reinforced with four Kampfgruppen. Hitler had forbidden a retreat, and Richthofen endorsed this view. His refusal to give ground and his tenacity saw him become one of Hitler's favourites. Hitler gave him a further five transport guppen to keep his Corps effective. Fliegerkorp VIII would say on the front until April 1942, fighting a series of Soviet counter offensives.
The Crimean campaign: Kerch
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
had overrun the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, were outside Rostov
Rostov
Rostov is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:...
, considered the gate to the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and its rich oil fields, and had occupied most of the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. However, in December the Soviets made an amphibious landing at the Kerch Peninsula
Kerch Peninsula
The Kerch Peninsula is a major and prominent geographic feature located at the eastern portion of Crimea. Stretching towards the Taman peninsula, it is reminiscent of an isthmus between two neighboring seas: Azov Sea and Black Sea...
, on the extreme east coast of the Crimea. The landing threatened to cut off the German Eleventh Army commanded by Erich von Manstein
Erich von Manstein
Erich von Manstein was a field marshal in World War II. He became one of the most prominent commanders of Germany's World War II armed forces...
, which were engaged in the siege of Sevastopol on the southern-central tip of the Crimea. Manstein called off the siege and prepared, though outnumbered and refused army reinforcements by Hitler who was building Army Group South for a different operation (Case Blue), to repel the danger. On 31 March, he laid down his plans and called his offensive Operation Trappenjagd (Bustard Hunt).
On 17 April, he demanded massed close support aviation for his offensive. Manstein turned to Richthofen and Fliegerkorps VIII, which had returned to the front after resting and refitting in Germany. Hitler encouraged the reinforcement of German aviation in the area, regarding Manstein's operation of great importance. The Soviets not only had the chance to relieve Sevastopol, which would allow the Black Sea Fleet
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
to continue operating against Axis shipping in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, it would also provide air bases for the VVS to attack the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n oil fields. Thus Hitler called for the greatest possible concentration of air power to support the operation.
Richthofen had arrived in Luneberg on 12 April, ready for a four-week period of leave. On 18 April he received a call from the Luftwaffe's Chief of the General Staff Hans Jeschonnek
Hans Jeschonnek
Hans Jeschonnek was a German Generaloberst and a Chief of the General Staff of Nazi Germany′s Luftwaffe during World War II. He committed suicide in August 1943.-Biography:...
informed him he was to leave for Kerch immediately. He commented in his diary, "By order of the Fuhrer, I must immediately leave again, to work at Kerch. Get there quickly and get everything started! Formal orders still to come". After meeting Hitler he wrote, "The Fuhrer insisted in a very respectful manner that I should take part at Kerch, because I'm the only person who can do the job". Hitler clearly had a high opinion of von Richthofen and believed the Corps' record, as a specialised close-support force, was unparalleled and would guarantee success. He was right. Richthofen was arrogant, aggressive and harsh, but he was a driven, pro-active, successful and influential tactical air commander.
His Corps had been resting in Germany, rebuilding after the winter battles. This was still in progress when Richthofen landed at Luftflotte 4s headquarters at Nikolayev
Nikolayev
Nikolayev, also spelled Nikolaev , or Nikolayeva , is a Russian last name and may refer to:*Aleksey Nikolayev , Uzbekistani football player*Alene Nikolayev, Bulgarian civic society leader...
on 21 April. The discussion that Richthofen had with Löhr, the air fleet's commander, was unique in Luftwaffe history. For the first time organisational custom, which was to place Corps level units under the command of an air fleet in whatever region the Corps was deployed, was abandoned. Richthofen was allowed to operate independently alongside Luftflotte 4. Fliegerkorps VIII was under his command at all times and would provide the lion's share of close support operations. All offensive air operations were the responsibility of Richthofen, and he was only answerable to Hermann Göring. This news was not received well by Löhr or his chief of staff at Luftflotte 4, Günther Korten
Günther Korten
Günther Korten was a German Colonel General and Chief of the General Staff of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He died from injuries suffered in the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler in July 1944....
. Korten demanded that he should be given command of the Corps. His request was ignored, though he later fulfilled some of his ambitions by succeeding Hans Jeschonnek as Chief of the General Staff after the latter’s suicide.
Von Richthofen met with von Manstein on 28 April, and largely got on with von Manstein. Despite being conceited personalities, they both genuinely respected each other. Though on one occasion Richthofen claimed in his diary to have taken great delight in beating Manstein in a debate over tactical differences. Manstein and Richthofen determined that the limited land forces available meant communication between land and air forces were critical. The main points of effort were discussed and each man's staff was ordered to deal directly with each other to facilitate rapid cooperation.
Von Richthofen was incredibly pro-active. He flew in his Storch around the front, often coming under enemy fire and on occasion force-landing. He urged his Corps to speed up preparations and openly criticised his superiors, including Löhr of Luftflotte 4, over what he considered to be "inferior" preparations. The difficulty in getting units out of Germany quickly, where they were refitting, prompted Richthofen, in consultation with Jeschonnek and Manstein, to ask for a postponement of the offensive for two days until they could be brought in. His request was granted, and the offensive was moved to the 7 May 1942. When the reinforcements arrived, he had 11 bomber, three dive-bomber and seven fighter Gruppen at his disposal.
The ensuing operation led to the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula
Battle of the Kerch Peninsula
Battle of the Kerch Peninsula was a World War II offensive by German and Romanian armies against the Soviet Crimean Front forces defending the Kerch Peninsula, in the eastern part of the Crimea. It was launched on 8 May 1942 and concluded around 18 May 1942 with the near complete destruction of...
. Richthofen's forces quickly established air superiority, destroying 82 enemy fighters within the first day. Richthofen arrived at his command post as the bombs first fell. He was impressed with the 2,100 sorties flown on 7 May. Inter service communication was facilitated by Fliegerverbindungsoffizier (air liaison officers or Flivos), specially trained air force officers attached to ground units. They advised the air Corps on the situation and intentions of the ground forces and also advised the army of the best use of air power. This operational style was effective against fixed targets in slow-moving operations, but was more difficult in fast-moving operations such as Bustard Hunt. The advance meant Richthofen had to keep moving forward. He complained bitterly about the inability of his signals teams to set up new telephone and radio communications quickly enough.
Operations were successful. The Corps flew 1,700 missions on the 9 May, destroying 42 enemy aircraft for two losses. On 10 and 11 May, bad weather prevented large-scale operations, but on the 12 May they flew 1,500 sorties. On this day, the Soviet line in the Crimea collapsed. Enjoying air supremacy
Air supremacy
Air supremacy is the complete dominance of the air power of one side's air forces over the other side's, during a military campaign. It is the most favorable state of control of the air...
, they Wehrmacht made large gains. Near the Sea of Azov
Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov , known in Classical Antiquity as Lake Maeotis, is a sea on the south of Eastern Europe. It is linked by the narrow Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea to the south and is bounded on the north by Ukraine mainland, on the east by Russia, and on the west by the Ukraine's Crimean...
, Soviet infantry, massed and unprotected, suffered heavy losses to Richthofen's units which were using Cluster bomb
Cluster bomb
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller sub-munitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles...
s. Richthofen was delighted at the "wonderful scene"; "we are inflicting the highest losses of blood and material". He was amazed at the scale of destruction; "Terrible! Corpse-strewn fields from earlier attacks....I have seen nothing like it so far in this war". He was so shocked, he felt compelled to show the Luftwaffe's signals officer, Wolfgang Martini
Wolfgang Martini
Wolfgang Martini was a Career Officer in the German Air Force, and largely responsible for promoting early radar development and utilization in that country.-Early career:...
, the carnage.
However, that same evening, Richhofen received bad news. He was ordered to send one fighter, one dive-bomber and two bomber Gruppen to help contain a Soviet breakthrough in the north, and the developing Second Battle of Kharkov
Second Battle of Kharkov
The Second Battle of Kharkov, so named by Wilhelm Keitel, was an Axis counter-offensive against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted from 12 May to 28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front during World War II. Its objective was to eliminate the Izium bridgehead over Seversky Donets, or the...
. Richthofen complained in his diary, claiming success was now in question at Kerch. The statement was likely hyperbole. By this time the Soviets had collapsed in the Crimea, and were streaming back to the port of Kerch. Kerch fell on 15 May. Richthofen then complained he did not have the adequate forces to stop the Soviets evacuating by sea, but Axis aviation did inflict considerable attrition on Soviet units on the beaches and sank a number of vessels. German artillery and air attack brought the Dunkirk-style evacuation to an end on 17 May. Manstein praised Richthofen's support, describing his air operations as decisive in the Kerch victory. The Corps had flown between 1,000 to 2,000 missions per day before the Kharkov withdrawal, and 300 to 800 afterwards. It effectively decimated Soviet air power in the region, reducing it to barely 60 aircraft from over 300 in 10 days. Other sources give a total of 3,800 sorties flown in support of Trappenjagd.
The Crimean campaign: Sevastopol
Hitler and the Luftwaffe Chief of the General Staff Hans Jeschonnek intended to promote Richthofen to command Luftflotte 4, while sending Alexander Löhr to the Balkans. Göring wanted Bruno Loerzer
Bruno Loerzer
Bruno Loerzer was an officer in the German Luftstreitkräfte during World War I and Luftwaffe during World War II....
, his friend and commander of Fliegerkorps II
2nd Air Corps (Germany)
II. FliegerkorpsFor more details see Luftwaffe Organization was formed 11 October 1939 in Frankfurt am Main from the 2. Flieger-Division. The Corps was relocated to the Mediterranean theatre of operations on 15 November 1941...
to take the job, but Hitler wanted a hands on commander. Jeschonnek agreed that the higher command of the air force was lousy, and needed a competent combat leader. On 25 May he flew the six our flight back to Simferopol.
During the planning phase he ordered anti-shipping operations to cease in the Black Sea and ordered Admiral Schwarzes Meer (Admiral Black Sea) to stay in port. Richthofen feared that the coming operations would mean friendly fire incidents against Axis shipping near Sevastopol. Admiral Götting and Fliegerführer Süd (Flying Leader South) Wolfgang von Wild, responsible for all naval aviation in the region, ignored the request as they saw it as absurd. It was only necessary to abandon operations in the Crimean shipping lanes, not the whole expanse of the Black Sea.
Richthofen pooled his resources with von Wild and Kurt Pflugbeil
Kurt Pflugbeil
Kurt Pflugbeil was a highly decorated General der Flieger in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
's Fliegerkorps IV. This gave the Luftwaffe some 600 aircraft to support Manstein. Richthofen scrapped all the forces he could for the assault, getting three dive-bombers, six medium bomber and three fighter Gruppen for the operation. He was not overly concerned with his fighter strength, as his fighters outnumbered the 60-odd aircraft of the Soviet air defence. He could begin close support operations immediately and did not have to wait to conduct time-wasting battles for air superiority. So confident was Richthofen that the VVS posed no threat, he lent his Flak forces to the army, though he retained operational control.
The stages of the air campaign were managed into three; attacking Soviet reserves beyond German artillery; raids against harbour facilities, airfields, fortresses and shipping; cooperating with German artillery to cancel out Soviet mortar and gun batteries. Richthofen acknowledged that not all of these components could be conducted simultaneously. He chose shattering the fortifications through relentless air bombardment as the most important tactic.
Richthofen garnered most of the air units into supporting the land operations. His view of anti-shipping operations, and von Wild’s conduct of them, was scathing. However, he did not take into account the systemic technical problems with German U-Boat and aerial torpedoes which were unreliable, and blamed von Wild and the air units instead for failing to achieve much success.
When the operation, Sturgeon Catch, began on 2 June 1942, von Richthofen watched it all unfold. He awoke at 03:30 and by 05:45 was watching the first waves of bombers hit Sevastopol from his own Storch, in company with his chief of staff. The air units of Fliegerkorps VIII were positioned close to the front, some 70 kilometres away. The aircraft barely had time to reach altitude before reaching the target, but the close proximity of the front allowed for short flights and low fuel consumption which eased logistics. Richthofen's forces flew 723 sorties and dropped 525 tons of bombs. The bombs included the fortress busting 1,400, 1,700 and 1,800 kg bombs. Between the 3 and 6 June, 2,355 missions showered 1,800 tons of bombs and 23,000 incendiaries. On 7 June 1,300 tons of bombers were dropped in 1,368 air attacks and were followed on 8 June by another 1,200 sorties. The mechanics were working around the clock to keep the aircraft operational in sweltering heat (up to 105 degrees F). On 9 June 1,044 sorties and 954 tons of bombs were dropped, followed by 688 sorties and 634 tons the next day. Richthofen's logistics were stretched after a weak of action. On 11 June another effort dropped 1,000 tons of bombs in 1,070 sorties. Richthofen noted that he now had only enough supplies for 36 hours of operations. He ordered only important and fewer targets attacked, ordering aircraft to attack in columns to reduce the wastage of bombs and keep the pressure up on the fortifications. It failed to solve the "bomb calamity", Richthofen noted on 14 June and three days later he could only drop 800 of the planned 1,000 tons.
Richtofen's participation on the operation came to an abrupt end on 23 June 1942. Having been informed by Jeschonnek and Hitler that he was to assume command of Luftlfotte 4 after the fall of Sevastopol earlier, they decided not to wait. They ordered him to Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
in order to take up his command, leaving his Corps behind, and Sevastopol air operations under the command of von Wild. Richthofen was disgusted. He felt it was ridiculous to move him mid-operation, and he had wanted to be there when the fortress fell. He wrote, "It is a pity that one can never finish what one starts in the east. After a while, it takes away all the pleasure".
Without von Richthofen, Fliegerkorps VIII continued to contribute to the successful but costly operation. The Corps flew 23,751 sorties and dropped 20,000 tons of bombs, losing just 31 aircraft. The Axis finally achieved victory on 4 July 1942, when the last defenders were routed. The Luftwaffe’s close support arm reached a peak over Sevastopol. From then on, it would be dispersed over the Eastern Front.
Case Blue
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
's objective was to advance towards the Stalingrad and Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
regions. Now commanding Luftflotte 4, Generaloberst Richthofen was one of the largest commands supporting the effort. The Luftwaffe concentrated its largest single force since Barbarossa. Of the 2,690 aircraft supporting Case Blue, 52 per cent (1,400) were under the command of Richthofen. A further 265 Romanian, Hungarian, Italian and Slovak aircraft were also present. Opposing them were 2,800 aircraft (900 in reserve) including 1,200 fighters of the southern VVS front. To the north, the Soviets had been convinced the main attack was to come against Moscow owing to the German deception plan Operation Kremlin
Operation Kremlin
Operation Kremlin was a successful German deception operation against Soviet forces in May-June 1942.After German troops captured the city of Kharkov in October 1941, the German High Command planned an offensive to destroy the Soviet forces toward the southern sector of the Eastern Front...
.
The offensive opened on the 28 June, and the Red Army put the German forces on the boundary of Army Groups Centre and South under severe pressure in the belief the main thrust to Moscow would emanate from that region. The battles of Voronezh
Voronezh
Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...
cost the Soviets 783 aircraft by the 24 July, but it meant Richthofen had to divert Fliegerkorps VIII, now under the command of Martin Fiebig
Martin Fiebig
Martin Fiebig was a German general of Luftwaffe, serving during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, north to deal with the threats while Pflugbeil's Fliegerkorps IV covered the advance into the Caucasus. On 18 July Richthofen moved Luftflotte 4 and its head quarters to Mariupol
Mariupol
Mariupol , formerly known as Zhdanov , is a port city in southeastern Ukraine. It is located on the coast of the Azov Sea, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Mariupol is the largest city in Priazovye - a geographical region around Azov Sea, divided by Russia and Ukraine - and is also a popular sea...
on the Sea of Azov
Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov , known in Classical Antiquity as Lake Maeotis, is a sea on the south of Eastern Europe. It is linked by the narrow Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea to the south and is bounded on the north by Ukraine mainland, on the east by Russia, and on the west by the Ukraine's Crimean...
. On 2 August Richthofen created the Gefechtsverband Nord under the command of Alfred Bulowius Nahaufklarung, Jadg, Kampf and Stuka gruppen and combined these groups on an ad-hoc basis to support the hard-pressed Heer. Hungarian and Italian air units also assisted. Within six weeks, Richthofen had lost 350 aircraft and objected to Hitler's directive splitting the two armies (Army Group A and B) to pursue the capture of Stalingrad and the Baku oilfields at the same time, as he now had to support two lines of logistics which he could ill-afford. Nevertheless he committed himself to his task, and ordered Feibig to destroy rail links around Stalingrad, where the German Sixth Army, despite having 1,000 aircraft supporting its drive to the city, were struggling to make rapid headway.
On 3 September, the Luftwaffe began it major effort against the city by beginning several destructive raids. The Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
initiated a regression in air tactics back to the First World War, where a few flights of aircraft made pin-point attacks against enemy infantry and acted as an extension of the infantry. The Ju 87 units usually flew four sorties per day. Their bombing was so accurate that Richthofen commented in his diary that they dropped bombs within hand-grenade distances. In October, the Romanian Air Corps arrived (180 aircraft) which attacked rail targets north east of Stalingrad and eased the air situation. Logistics were stretched and the front in Stalingrad formed into a stalemate, with the Germans having taken central and southern Stalingrad. With no reinforcements, and having lost 14 percent of his strength, Richthofen turned to support the German Army in the Caucasus. Goring ordered him to concentrate on Stalingrad, but Richthofen refused to return. This prompted a meeting between Hitler, Jeschnonnek and Goring on 15 October. Hitler was in a good mood, and he had taken personal command of Army Group Bs operations in the Caucasus on 9 September. He supported Richthofen and gave him the authority to continue, partly in the belief that the battle in Stalingrad was nearly over.
This had not always been the case. Most of German aviation had been concentrated on the Stalingrad Front in August, on Hitler's orders. Pflugbeil's Fliegerkorps IV was over-stretched for over a month from 28 July. Richthofen had wanted to support Army Group B in the south, but despite the Caucasus oilfields being the primary target for German strategy, the Army Group received poor air support. Richthofen's arm-chair general tactics were important in deciding where air power was to be used, and would be done so only if he rated the army's chances of success as reasonable. He allowed some raids against Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
's oilfields and close support operations, but the mountain terrain in the region made it difficult for the Panzer Divisions to exploit the actions of his air units. In a fit of pique at the army's failures, Richthofen refused to provide support for the Caucasus front. This remained the situation until mid-October. For a few days, a concentrated effort was made in the Caucasus. Hitler's realisation that the oilfields at Baku could not be captured meant that he was forced to order the Luftwaffe to eliminate them. The operations had limited success.
In the winter, Richthofen was forced to reshuffle his units around to meet threats and offer support. By 7 November, he had helped the German Sixth Army eliminate nearly all of the Soviet forces in Stalingrad. But the effort created a supply crisis. The Luftwaffes railheads 100 kilometres west of Stalingrad, and regardless of the army's difficulties, his units got logistical priority. Richthofen recommended this be amended. The battle in Stalingrad had meant, in Richthofen's view, that air units could not be effective in close-quarter combat. Until this point, Richthofen had received 42,630 tons of supplies and 20,713 tons of fuel while the army received 9,492 tons of fuel. Richthofen rationed his own fuel stocks which allowed him to create a reserve but also increased, by air lift, the tonnage from 2,000 to 5,000 tons.
Disaster at Stalingrad
Operation Uranus
Operation Uranus was the codename of the Soviet strategic operation in World War II which led to the encirclement of the German Sixth Army, the Third and Fourth Romanian armies, and portions of the German Fourth Panzer Army. The operation formed part of the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad, and was...
. Within days, the Soviets had encircled the German, Italian, Romanian and Hungarian forces in the city of Stalingrad. It was decided by Hitler and the OKL to supply the Axis forces by air. Richthofen was horrified. He telephoned Berchtesgarten and tried to get through to Hitler, but none of his aids would put him through. He tried to convince Göring that his air fleet did not have the resources to sustain an air lift, and that the best option would be to attempt a breakout before the Soviet forces entrenched. He flew to von Manstein's head quarters, and the Field Marshal agreed a breakout must take place. With the Sixth Army preserved, the initiative could be regained later. He made this request to Hitler. The Soviet divisions were smaller than their German counter parts, but they had 97 of them. Holding Stalingrad was now impossible.
In the event, Hitler chose to continue with the airlift, perhaps influenced by the Luftwaffes success in the Demyansk Pocket
Demyansk Pocket
The Demyansk Pocket was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around Demyansk , south of Leningrad, during World War II on the Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February-21 April 1942. A much smaller pocket was simultaneously surrounded in Kholm, about ...
. Luftflotte 4 failed to alter the situation. The best air lift operation took place on 7 December 1942, when 363.6 tons was flown in. However, the concentration of Soviet aviation disrupted the intended supply operations and German transport losses were heavy. Some 266 Junkers Ju 52s were destroyed, three quarters of the fleet's strength on the Eastern Front. The He 111 gruppen lost 165 aircraft in transport operations. Other losses included 42 Junkers Ju 86
Junkers Ju 86
The Junkers Ju 86 was a German monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed in the early 1930s, and employed by both sides during World War II. The civilian model Ju 86B could carry 10 passengers. Two were delivered to Swissair and five to Luft Hansa...
s, nine Fw 200 Condors, five Heinkel He 177
Heinkel He 177
The Heinkel He 177 Greif was the only operational long-range bomber to be operated by the Luftwaffe. Starting its existence as Germany's first purpose-built heavy bomber just before the war, and built in large numbers during World War II, it was also mistakenly tasked, right from its beginnings,...
bombers and a Junkers Ju 290
Junkers Ju 290
The Junkers Ju 290 was a long-range transport, maritime patrol aircraft and heavy bomber used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II.-Design and development:...
. The Luftwaffe also lost close to 1,000 highly experienced bomber crew personnel. So heavy were the Luftwaffes losses that four of Luftflotte 4's transport units (KGrzbV 700, KGrzbV 900, I./KGrzbV 1 and II./KGzbV 1) were "formally dissolved". In the air, the Luftwaffe had sustained its heaviest defeat since the Battle of Britain. The remnants of the German Sixth Army surrendered on 2 February 1943.
A complete disaster was averted by Army Group South, largely thanks to Richthofen's Luftflotte 4 and his former Fliegerkorps VIII, under his overall command. The loss of Stalingrad left Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...
the only bottleneck supplying Army Group A in the Caucasus. In December 1942, Luftflotte 4 was still one of the most powerful single air commands in the world. On 15 January 1943, 1,140 of the 1,715 aircraft on the Eastern Front were under Richthofen's command. Its attacks on the Soviet Southwestern Front prevented the Soviets from achieving the goal of isolating the Army Group in the Caucasus. Its air operations proved decisive in this regard.
Although defeated, Luftflotte 4 had flown 24,760 wounded and 5,150 technical personnel out of Stalingrad, which was 11 per cent of the total German manpower. It delivered only 19 per cent of the required supplies. It had four fewer transport groups than at Demyansk, so failed in its overall task despite Feibig ordering his bombers onto transport operations. They managed an average of 68 sorties per day, delivering 111 tons of supplies against the requirement of 300 tons for the Sixth Army.
After the defeat, Richthofen travelled to see Hitler on 11 February. He first met with Goring, who was worried that Richthofen would use the opportunity to criticise his leadership. In the event he did not, but Richthofen did criticise Goring's reluctance to disagree with Hitler and attacked his willingness to allow him to receive what he considered to be faulty advice. When Richthofen did meet Hitler he criticised him openly for micromanagement, though he did insist he had been let down by his advisors. Hitler took all of this calmly, and admitted (as he had done to Erhard Milch
Erhard Milch
Erhard Milch was a German Field Marshal who oversaw the development of the Luftwaffe as part of the re-armament of Germany following World War I, and served as founding Director of Deutsche Luft Hansa...
) that he bore the ultimate responsibility for the air lift fiasco. Richthofen argued commanders needed more tactical and operational freedom, as had Manstein. Hitler agreed. Richthofen was probably helped, regardless of his criticism, by the fact that Hitler genuinely liked him, and believed him to be loyal. Four days later Richthofen was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
.
Recovery at Third Kharkov
The frontline threatened to collapse altogether in the east, but the Red Army had not yet learned the full lessons of manoeuvre warfare. At Stalin's behest, it attempted to cut off the Axis forces in the Caucasus by advancing to Rostov, using Kharkov and BelgorodBelgorod
-Twin towns/sister cities:Belgorod is twinned with: Wakefield, England, United Kingdom Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia Opole, Poland Vyshhorod, Ukraine Kharkiv, Ukraine-External links:...
as a springboard. It strained the logistics of Soviet forces and presented an ideal chance for von Manstein to counterattack. Radio intercepts suggested the Soviets were low on fuel, for their ground forces and the VVS, giving more urgency for a counter stroke. It would lead to the Third Battle of Kharkov
Third Battle of Kharkov
The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of offensive operations on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov , between 19 February and 15 March 1943...
, where von Manstein would win a major victory.
To support his attack Richthofen sent eight of his weakest Gruppen home to rest and refit, which allowed the machines left to be redistributed among stronger units. With congestion eased the infrastructure could cope with serviceability, which improved dramatically. The Luftwaffe was also now back near to pre-prepared air bases, near logistical railheads at Nikolaiev and Poltava
Poltava
Poltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 ....
which enabled accelerated rates of re-equipment. After allowing his forces to re-equip near Rostov, he moved his units on 18 February. Richthofen moved his forces closer to the front; Fliegerkorps I, now under Günther Korten
Günther Korten
Günther Korten was a German Colonel General and Chief of the General Staff of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He died from injuries suffered in the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler in July 1944....
was moved from Borispol, near Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
to Poltava
Poltava
Poltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 ....
, Fliegerkorps IV under Feibig was moved to the Kuban
Kuban
Kuban is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, Volga Delta and the Caucasus...
and Fliegerkorps V under Pflugbeil was moved to Dnepropetrovsk in the centre of the German offensive thrust. These forces were to support the First Panzer Army and the Fourth Panzer Army. Korten began his support for the Fourth Panzer Army on 19 February 1943. By the 21 February 1,145 sorties had been flown, and another 1,486 were flown the following day. With the offensive going well, Richthofen took the time to rest. The Luftwaffe flew a daily average of 1,000 sorties, with total air superiority owing to the absence of the VVS. In the event Manstein encircled and destroyed a large number of enemy forces, stabilising the front, but leaving a bulge in the east, around the city of Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
.
Throughout the spring and early summer, 1943, von Richthofen began preparing his air fleet for Operation Citadel, and the Battle of Kursk, the major summer campaign which was supposed to repeat the Kharkov victory on a larger scale, and turn the tide in the east back in the Axis favour. Richthofen did not take part. Third Kharkov proved to be his last battle in the Soviet Union, and he was transferred to the Mediterranean to begin operations there.
Death
Von Richthofen was suffering from headaches and exhaustion and was diagnosed as having a brain tumorBrain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
. He was sent on medical leave to the Luftwaffe hospital for neurological injuries at Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden Ahorn, Bad Ischl, Haiden, Jainzen, Kaltenbach, Lauffen, Lindau, Pfandl, Perneck, Reiterndorf and Rettenbach...
. On 27 October 1944, Von Richthofen was operated on by chief brain surgeon Professor Dr. Wilhelm Tönnis. Tönnis, a former professor at the University of Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
, was one of the most noted German specialists. Initially it was thought that the operation was successful, but the tumor had only been slowed. In November 1944 von Richthofen was officially relieved of his command in Italy and transferred to the Führerreserve
Führerreserve
The Führerreserve was a section set up in 1939 in many army units, in which high officers waited for a new assignment. Also, troublesome officers were sometimes shifted into the Führerreserve, since the High Command believed that they would be less dangerous there...
. His condition declined steadily in early 1945. It is thought likely that Professor Tönnis attempted a second operation but the tumor had progressed beyond hope for recovery. Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945. The hospital was taken over by the American Third Army
United States Army Central
United States Army Central is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and is also dual-hatted as the "United States Third Army". It is the Army Component of U.S...
and von Richthofen became a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. Wolfram von Richthofen passed away on 12 July 1945.
Promotions
- FähnrichFähnrichFähnrich is a German and Austrian military rank in armed forces which translates as "Ensign" in English. The rank also exists in a few other European military organizations, often with historical ties to the German system. Examples are Sweden, Norway and Finland . The French Army has a similar...
- 22 March 1913 - Leutnant - 19 June 1914
- Temporary OberleutnantOberleutnantOberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
- 29 February 1920 - Rejoined the Army with rank of Leutnant - 1 November 1923
- Oberleutnant - 31 July 1925
- HauptmannHauptmannHauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
- 1 February 1929 - MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
- 1 June 1934 - OberstleutnantOberstleutnantOberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
- 20 April 1936 - OberstOberstOberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
- 23 January 1938 - Generalmajor - 1 November 1938
- General der FliegerGeneral der FliegerGeneral der Flieger was a General’s rank of the German Luftwaffe.The rank was equivalent to the long established General der Kavallerie, General der Artillerie and General der Infanterie...
- 19 July 1940 - Generaloberst - 1 February 1942
- GeneralfeldmarschallGeneralfeldmarschallField Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
- 16 February 1943
See also
- The Red Baron (film)The Red Baron (film)The Red Baron is a German biopic by Nikolai Müllerschön from 2008, about the legendary World War I fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen. It was filmed in the Czech Republic, France and Germany, entirely in English to improve its international commercial viability.-Plot:In 1906, a young Baron...
, which has a fictionalized version of Wolfram von Richthofen