Luftwaffe personnel and Nazi-party membership

[Graham Boak]

Rudel was another staunch Nazi - though we could fill entire noticeboards listing them one at a time!

Moelders apparently was a staunch Catholic. Conspiracy theories about his death centre around a letter of protest said to have been written by him, after certain Nazi policies were introduced that discriminated against Catholics, or certain Catholics, or some things that Catholics held to be important.

If true, then given that Nazi-ism was based on pagan pre-Christian ideologies, it seems strange that he took so long to cotton on. But it seems that persecution of Jews, Slavs, Communists, socialists, gypsies and homosexuals were ok, just not Catholics. I suppose there is a last straw for everyone, and we all turn blind eyes to aspects of our own societies that we would not personally favour.

It has been said, in several sources, that the Luftwaffe was the most nazified of the German armed services, presumably excluding the SS. However, there are equally as many tales of more traditional a-political attitudes, and distaste for the politically-driven (and those who chose the political route largely to further their career).

Nazi society was devoted to the elite: favours given to those who rose to the top and displayed signs of superior capabilities. The heads of major industries would naturally fall into this category, and anyone standing out would be suspect and a target for the Party. The fate of the Junkers company was perhaps an early lesson to the others.

[sveahk]

Hello!

No, Moelders was never a member of the Party, not even Hans-Ulrich Rudel ever entered the NSDAP, although his ideals during and after the war were very much stuck in the Nazi mold!

Roger is correct, from 21.05.1935 on, an active member of the Wehrmacht was not allowed to be a member of the NSDAP ( this didn’t apply to a soldier in the reserve). This ended though on the 24.09.45., when it was cancelled. From that date on, no problem with a membership.

Friendly greetings

Hans Krensler

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hans, I guess you did a typo with the date 24.9.45. I doubt much people joined the Nazi party at this date....

The Luftwaffe being the most recent branch of the military (not counting SS) probably had the most of Nazi party members joining it.

I think part of the anti-nazi attitude, or rather no-nazi attitude (anti-nazi implies for me to fight the Nazi regime, and very few airmen did this as far as I know), is probably rather a form of the usual behaviour of pilots that tend to ignore rules, or at least give this impression, in all countries, than a real political position.

In all probability the Luftwaffe was at least as much nazified as the German society of the time.

[Dick Powers]

I seem to remember this (approximate) quote in a recent book. Hitler once said:

"I have an imperial army, a catholic navy and a nazi air force."

Of course he was referring the the Luftwaffe being established during his regime, not necessarily it's political tendencies.

[sveahk]

oops!
Yes, 24.09.1944, that's the date!
Hans

[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

Moelders apparently was a staunch Catholic. Conspiracy theories about his death centre around a letter of protest said to have been written by him, after certain Nazi policies were introduced that discriminated against Catholics, or certain Catholics, or some things that Catholics held to be important.

It seems the whole story was an invention of British intelligence and did not happen actually. I think at this point any discussions on this particular subject may stop, apart of short note, that Third Reich's regime was not very religious, either Protestant or Catholic, and was supported by Germans of all religions and atheists.

[Michael Miller]

Rudel was a member of the Allgemeine-SS, joining in 1936. His rank as of 19. October 1943 was SS-Sturmmann. I don't know if he held NSDAP membership, but it's not out of the question- he could have joined prior to joining the Luftwaffe. If one held Party membership BEFORE entering any branch of the Wehrmacht, he retained that membership. However, prior to the aftermath of the 20. July 1944 plot against Hitler, serving members of the armed forces were prohibited from joining any political party (although there were a few exceptions- GFM von Blomberg, Grossadmiral Raeder, and others somehow managed to join the Party after Hitler came to power in 1933; Erhard Milch was another member, but he joined in 1931 at which time he was not a member of the armed forces but was a leading Lufthansa figure). After the bomb plot, Wehrmacht members were permitted to join the NSDAP.

Here are a few notes on Rudel:

Hans-Ulrich Rudel
Oberst (Luftwaffe) /
SS-Sturmmann


* 02.07.1916 in Konradswaldau / Kreis Landshut.
+ 18.12.1982 in Rosenheim / Oberbayern.

NSDAP-Nr.:
SS-Nr.: 206 913 (Joined 00.00.1936)

Promotions:
01.01.1939 Leutnant
01.09.1940 Oberleutnant
01.04.1943 Hauptmann (mit RDA vom 01.04.1942)
[19.10.1943] SS-Sturmmann
01.03.1944 Major (mit RDA vom 01.10.1942)
01.09.1944 Oberstleutnant
01.01.1945 Oberst

Decorations & Awards:
29.12.1944 Goldenes Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Only recipient) Schlachtgeschwader 2 “Immelmann”
29.03.1944 Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (10.) as Major and Kdr. III.Gruppe / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
25.11.1943 Schwertern zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (42.) as Hauptmann and Kdr. III.Gruppe / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
14.04.1943 Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (229.) as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän 1.Staffel / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
06.01.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 9.Staffel / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
08.12.1941 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 9.Staffel / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
18.07.1941 1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
10.11.1939 1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
00.05.1944 Gemeinsames Flugzeugführer und Beobachterabzeichen in Gold mit Brillanten
00.06.1944 Frontflug-Spange für Schlachtflieger in Gold & Platinum mit Anhänger (“2000” in diamonds)
20.10.1941 Ehrenpokal für Besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg
00.00.194_ Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Gold mit Anhänger
18.07.1941 Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Gold
00.00.194_ Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Silber
00.00.194_ Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Bronze
00.00.19 Flugzeugführerabzeichen
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Gold
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Silber
27.03.1944; 28.03.1944; Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
03.06.1944; 06.08.1944;
and 10.02.1945
00.00.1942 Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”
ca. 1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
00.00.194_ Goldenes Hitler-Jugend Ehrenzeichen
16.01.1945 Officer’s Large Gold Bravery Medal (Hungary)

Wartime Accomplishments:
Flew 2,530 sorties (all but approximately 400 in the Ju-87; the remainder in a Focke-Wulf Fw-190), destroying the following Soviet military assets:

9 aircraft (7 fighters and 2 Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack planes; scored while flying the FW-190)
519 tanks
150 artillery pieces
1000 vehicles
70 landing craft
4 warships (including the battleship “Marat”, two cruisers, and a destroyer)
Numerous bunkers, bridges, and supply lines




Best wishes,
~ Mike Miller

[Graham Boak]

The answer to your comment, Franek, is Dieter Bonhoeffer , who was leader (or spokesman for) a sizeable branch of the German Protestant church that stood out against the Nazis. He died in a concentration camp.

[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

The answer to your comment, Franek, is Dieter Bonhoeffer , who was leader (or spokesman for) a sizeable branch of the German Protestant church that stood out against the Nazis. He died in a concentration camp.

Graham, I am not sure what your point is.

[odybvig]

The point is that not all germans was nazis, as you more or less claims


Best :-)
Olve Dybvig