. THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958 D ur i n th e L uftw a f fe ' s a e r i S a l ope r a t io n s in 19 4 0 in th e W e s t e r n T h e a t e r of Qp e r . a t i o n s a ga i n s t B r it a in th e r e w a s s o m e ev i de n c e o f t h e s t ra t e g ic u s e of a i r p o w e r T . o a c e r t a i n e x t e nt th i s wa s a l s o t r ue o f a i r op e r a t i on s i n th e E a s t in 194 1 T h . u s , th e a tt a c k s fl ow n a ga i ns t M o s c o w a n d in dus t r ia l ta r ge t s in V o r o ne zh i , n th e T ul a a r e a in L , e nin g r a d , a n d a ga i ns t th e l o c k s of th e St a h i n Ca na l a nd B l a c k Se a p o rt s c a n b e c on s i de r e d a s s t r a t e gi c in ch a r a c t e r H . ow e v e r b , y th e w i nt e r of 19 4 1 - 4 2 th e s t r at e gi c m i s s i o n of a i r p ow e r h a d be e n c om p l et e ly e c l ip s e d by th e v a s t e x pa ns e s o f R u s s i a D . ur in g th e s e v e r e c r i s e s in wh i ch the G e rm a n A r m y f o und it s e l f , th e L uftw a ff e w a s o bl i g e d t o e x p e n'd it s p o w e r ex c l us iv e l y i n op e r at i on s a g a in s t S ov i et gr o un d f o r c e s a n d S ov i e t a i r fo r c e s ba s e d on o r n e a r fr o nt a i r f i e l d s S . upp o rt o f g r oun d op e r at i on s i n al l a r e a s h a d be c om e th e o r de r of th e da y . N o o ne a t th e h i g h e s t c o m m a n d l e v e l s o f th e L u ftw a ff e h a d opp o s e d th i s e x c l us i v e us e o f a i r p ow e r i n s upp o rt o f th e . 4 rm y . On th e c o nt r a r y , G o e r in g an d J e s c h o nne k s upp o r t e d th i s e m pl o y m e nt o f th e w e apo n w h i c h h a d o r i g i nal l y b e e n c r e a t e d i n c o n s o na nc e w ith th e t r ue s t r a t e gi c c o nc e pt s o f D o uh e t . H a v ing n o s p e c if i c s t r a t e gi c m i s s i on o f it s o w n , th e L uftw af f e i n th e E a s t e r n T h e a t e r of Op e r a ti on s g ra dua ll y be c a m e n oth in g but a s upp o r t i ng a r m o f th e g r o un d f o r c e s , b e i n g us e d m o r e o r l e s s a s l on g - ra nge a rt il l e r y . O ne A r m y gr o up c o m m a nde r la t e r de m a n d e d th at "i t w a s h i gh t im e t o pl a c e it un de r A r m y c o m m a nd . " 12 6 T h i s v i e w w a s l o ng h e l d b y h i g h e r ra n k i n g A r m y o ff i c e r s . A c t ua l l y f , r o m th e _ r m y ' s p o i nt o f v i ew , c o ns ta nt c l o s e a i r s upp o rt , b oth in de f e ns e an d a tt a ck h , a d b e c o m e a n i ne s ca p a bl e n e c e s s it y b e c a us e of th e pa uc it y of h e av y w e a p o n s s uch a s a rt i ll e r y , m o r ta r s , a nd a nt it a nk g un s av a il a bl e t o g r o un d fo r c e unit s T h . e L uft w a ff e w a s th e n ob l i ge d t o a s s i s t th e m P la . ns f o r th e s um m e r o ff e n s iv e o f 19 4 2 th us p r e s c r ib e d s upp o rt of A rm y . n it s a s th e "s ol e m i s s io n " o f th e F o ur th A i r F l e e t , a nd th i s c on c ept o f op e r a t i o n s w a s c on s i de r a b l y s t r en gth e ne d b y th e c om m a n d c ha n g e s m a de in th e F o urth A i r F l e e t at th e e n d o f J u l y 19 4 2 . F r e ih e r r v o n R i chth o fe n c on s i de r e d ta c ti c a l v i c t o r y a s th e ba s i s f o r s uc c e s s i n th e ov e r a l l c o n du ct o f th e w a r H i , s g ift f o r qu i ck un de r - s ta ndi n g h i , s ab i l it y t o s i z e up s it uat i o n s a n d m a k e q ui c k de c i s i o ns h i , s v e r s a t il it y , a n d h i s w il l in gne s s t o de m a nd th e ut m o s t f r o m h im s e l f a n d o th e r s in c o m b at p r ov i de d th e b e s t c o nc e iv a bl e c o n dit i o n s fo r s uc c e s s in th i s t yp e o f o pe r a t i on It . w a s on l y pu r s uan t t o o r de r s fr om h i gh e r h e a d - q ua r t e r s th a t h e ca r r i e d o ut op e ra t i on s de s i gn e d t o p r o duc e s t r a t e g i c e ff e ct s , s uc h a s att a ck s a ga i n s t p o r t s a n d Sov i e t s h ipp i ng o n th e B l a ck a nd 331 THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958
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