How do I become an Officer of the Luftwaffe?

How do I become an Officer of the Luftwaffe? by Hermann Adler Colonel in the Army High Command 1943 Published by E.S. Mittler & Son / Berlin

All rights reserved, including translation, in accordance with the Law of June 19, 1901. Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Son, Printers, Berlin

Preface to the fourth edition There is an ever increasing number of young German men who pose the question: How do I become an officer of the Luftwaffe? The goal of this pamphlet is to give you and your parents an extensive answer. This fourth edition has been completely revised to give details of the newest specifications for enlistment as an officer in the Luftwaffe. Berlin, June 1943                                           The Publisher

The Duty of German Soldiers The army is the defender of the German people. It protects the German Empire and Fatherland with National Socialism uniting its people and its boundries. The root of its power lies in a glorious past, one Germanic heritage, the German homeland and German toil. Service in the army is honorable service to the German people. The soldier's honor is bound in unconditional dedication of his being to the people and his fatherland even unto offering up his own life. A soldier's greatest virtue is his fighting spirit. He is relentless and determined. Cowardice is shameful and hesitation is unsoldierlike. Obedience is the foundation of the army and trust is the foundation of obedience. The leadership of soldiers relies upon accountability, superior ability and untiring caution. The greatest achievements in war and peace have originated from the unbreakable warrior bond between the leader and his troops. The unbreakable warrior bond leads to comradeship. It especially proves itself in times of need and danger. Confident yet humble, upright and true, god-fearing and truthful, bold and uncorruptable shall the soldier be an example of manly power to his entire race. Only achievement justifies pride. The soldier finds the greatest reward and optimal happiness in self-aware, joyously carried out duty. Character and achievement determine his value and his path

Table of contents Introduction ................. 8 Divisions of the Luftwaffe .................... 10 Courses of training ...................... 11   Officers of the   flying squads ............. 12   Aircraft engineering   officers ..................... 14   Flak artillery officers ... 16   Air reconnaissance    officers ..................... 18   Paratrooper officers ..... 21   Hermann Göring     Division tank officers .. 23   Medical officers ........... 24   How do I become    an Air Force Officer .... 26   A. Troop officers ......... 26    1. Requirements ........ 26    2. Preconditions & requirements        for enlistment ........ 26    3. Operations .............30       Flight troops, flak       artillery, reconnaissance       troops, paratroopers and       Hermann Göring       Division tank troops ... 30       Engineering officers ... 30       Medical officers ......... 32       Soldier applications .... 37    4. Recruitment ............. 37    5. Training ................. 38    6. Promotion ................. 38    7. Salary ....................... 39   B. Furlough officer .......... 40    1. Conditions ................ 40    2. Operations ................ 41    3. Training .................... 41    4. Promotion ................. 41    5. Salary ...................... 41

Career development of volunteers for regular and medical officers ................ 42    1. General Information ......... 42    2. Flight troops .................... 44    3. Flight engineering officers .. 44    4. Flak artillery ..................... 45    5. Reconnaissance troops ....... 45    6. Paratroopers ..................... 46    7. Hermann Göring         tank division .................... 46    8. Medical officers ................. 46 Career development of battle officer candidates    1. Flight troops .................... 47    2. Aviation ground troops      and air weapon assembly ..... 47    3. Flak artillery ..................... 48    4. Reconnaissance troops ....... 48    5. Paratroopers ..................... 48    6. Hermann Göring         tank division .................... 49    7. Battlefield medical officers ... 49 Cost for training and salary until promotion to officer .................................. 49 Prospects for promotion and officer salaries ..................... 50    1. Troop officers ..................... 50    2. Medical officers ................... 51 Officer service ranks ................... 52 Blank forms Directions for documentation of education ............................... 53 Certification for proof of Germanic blood ........................ 53 Personnel record ........................... 54 Questionnaire ............................... 56 Declaration of obligations for army service ............................ 58 Service statement ......................... 59 Questionnaire about proof of Aryan heritage .................. 60 Certification .................................. 62 Registration form for enlistment of volunteers ............ 64

Preface In war and peace the officer is the epitome of the people's values which serve as the basis for the successful outcome of every battle and which find their foremost expression in soldierly conduct. Joyful acceptance of responsibility, reasoned ability, courage, bravery, comradeship and untiring benevolence must exist in great measure in his life along with conscientious attention to duty, obedience, loyalty, humility and truthfulness. All these characteristics unite with unwavering belief in the people and the fatherland and transform the officer into the zealous leader and fighter required to face the harshness of warfare. Without a doubt such requirements for true leadership could only be found in the best features of a people. Only the best men may be called to leadership especially when it means the survival or annihilation of a nation. They grow out of the collective culture of the people from whose blood one finds the primal source of outstanding characteristics, which are not bound by class, vocation, scholastic accomplishment, etc. Each member of our people has the capacity to attain the highest leadership rank in the army provided he is in the position to fulfill certain necessary requirements. When Reichs Marshal Göring in his capacity as Minister of Aviation was entrusted by our leader with the task of building a combat-ready German Air Force in the name of National Socialism these men provided fertile ground in which seeds shall soon be planted. By virtue of the uniqueness of its assignments and the highly technical nature of its equipment and weaponry the Air Force requires a maximum amount of audacity, dedication to service and awareness of duty. This applies to all branches of service; our air force and flight troops as well as flak artillery, reconnaissance troops, paratroopers, Hermann Göring tank personnel, etc. The service must resonate with the enthusiasm

Caption under photograph reads: Of course you want to fly with us!

of a Richthofen, a Boelcke and an Immelmann. Those unforgettable glory days of the First World War became the models for all German youth. In this spirit and attitude the new German Air Force is rising again. Men like Mölders, Wieck, Marseille, Galland, Graf and Philip, naming only the greatest of a long line, have taken up this tradition and carried it on triumphantly. Imitating them means bringing to fruition true patriotism in German youth. It will be with honor and pride that all German young men will take up where these men left off, fight with them to achieve a final victory and secure the freedom of German and Europe. Air Force Branches of Service The Air Force branches of service are: flight troops, flak artillery and air reconnaissance troops. The paratroopers and the Herman Göring Tank Division are special units. Flight troops are subdivided into operation units, groups and squadrons. Flight troops receive support with airdromes and general facilites from ground units and duty stations. Training is performed by instruction regiments and flight schools. Flight crews receive technical training and special instruction on various equipment to complete assignments in reconnaissance aviation, bomber aviation, dive bomber aviation, close air support aviation, fighter piloting and twin engine fighter piloting. Flak artillery is a motorized troop division. Its duty is to protect airspace in the homeland as well to protect combat troops from airborne enemy attack. Under certain combat conditions it is especially useful in shattering enemy bunker and combat installations in conjunction with tank and ground troops.

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Imaging and translation by Susan Kriegbaum-Hanks