Rise and Fall of the Luftwaffe (Paperback)

Hauptmann Hermann

ISBN 10: 1781550069 / ISBN 13: 9781781550069

Published by Fonthill Media Ltd, Toadsmoor Road, 2012

About this Item

Paperback. "The Luftwaffe - the German Air Force - will no longer have a decisive influence on the outcome of World War II, no matter how long it takes to beat Hitler." It is more than two years since I first heard these words. The man who spoke them to me continued: "No doubt, we will hear of the Luftwaffe before the war is over. We will hear a lot. But don't let us be deceived. No matter what happens, the Luftwaffe can never be used as a strategic first-line weapon within the Nazi plan. It can play no role but that of a tactical and auxiliary weapon." Curt Reiss, December 1943. Can it really be true that in 1941 insiders knew the Luftwaffe was a spent force; and a failed organization? This remarkable, but little-known book was written in 1943 and published in 1944. It argues, with remarkable clarity how incompetence at the highest level, both in planning and strategy led the Luftwaffe - pushed by the Nazi Party - to adopt a policy that left it hopelessly stretched and exposed. Little known facts shine out - such as the policy of failing to produce spares led the Luftwaffe to lose 2,500 aircraft during the invasion of Poland alone. The regime designed the Luftwaffe for Blitzkrieg, and Blitzkrieg alone. When a long-haul set in on an eastern front, on an African front and later on a western front, the collapse of Germany became simply inevitable. Crammed full of fascinating detail, and displaying much prescience, this book leaves the reader with the distinct impression that the much-vaunted German efficiency suffered from the dead-hand of the Nazi Party with its corruption and its contradictions. The insights into Goering and his wholesale thefts to fund a lavish life-style add colour to the picture of his incompetence. This remarkable, but little-known book was written in 1943 and published in 1944. It argues, with remarkable clarity how Nazi incompetence at the highest level, both in planning and strategy led the Luftwaffe to adopt a policy whereby it was doomed to fail. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781781550069

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Rise and Fall of the Luftwaffe (Paperback)
• Publisher: Fonthill Media Ltd, Toadsmoor Road
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1781550069
• ISBN 13: 9781781550069
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

"The Luftwaffe - the German Air Force - will no longer have a decisive influence on the outcome of World War II, no matter how long it takes to beat Hitler. No doubt, we will hear of the Luftwaffe before the war is over. We will hear a lot. But don't let us be deceived. No matter what happens, the Luftwaffe can never be used as a strategic first-line weapon within the Nazi plan. It can play no role but that of a tactical and auxiliary weapon." Can it really be true that in 1941 insiders knew the Luftwaffe was a spent force and a failed organization? This remarkable, but little-known book, first published in 1943, argues how pure incompetence in planning and strategy left the Luftwaffe hopelessly stretched and exposed. The Nazi regime designed its airforce for Blitzkrieg, and Blitzkrieg alone. During the invasion of Poland, 2,500 aircraft were lost on account of a failure to produce any spare parts. When long campaigns set in in Russia, North Africa and Western Europe, the collapse of the Luftwaffe became inevitable. Crammed full of fascinating detail, this prescient book shows how German efficiency was fatally paralyzed by the dead-hand of the corrupt Nazi Party. Hermann Göring, the head of the Luftwaffe, was chiefly responsible; his wholesale thefts to fund a lavish lifestyle add particular color to this picture of woeful neglect.

About the Author

Hauptmann Hermann was a pseudonym, the exact authorship remains unknown, but he was clearly well-connected; and an influential insider in the aviation industry who left Nazi German for the United States before the beginning of the war. Curt Reiss, (1902-1993) escaped to the United States in 1933 and led a distinguished life as a journalist. He wrote a biography of Joseph Goebbels in 1948.