The Journey of Flight.pdf - Valkyrie Cadet

The backbone of the German Air Force was the Messerschmitt bf-
109 similar to this Spanish version of the 109. (EAA)
80
The aircraft the Germans developed
worked well for combined arms
operations. Some, particularly the
ME-109, FW-190, and ME-262,
possessed outstanding qualities. The
Messerschmitt 109 was the backbone
fighter of the German Air Force and was
produced more than any other fighter
aircraft in World War II.
Turning to bomber aircraft,
Germany’s bombers did not compare to
the American B-17 or the British Sterling.
This was by design, since the German
doctrine of combined arms did not
emphasize long-range bombing. All the
Germans needed for combined arms operations were short-and medium-range bombers. It was the
British and the Americans who needed long-range bombers because they were located far away from
the fight in continental Europe.
The German bombers were two-engine mediums, chiefly the Heinkel III and the Dornier 17. They also
had the Junkers 87, the Stuka. The Stuka was perfectly designed for German Blitzkrieg, combined arms,
operations and became a very highly publicized dive-bomber during the war.
WWWWWar! ar! ar! ar! ar!
Austria was the first victim of German aggression. However, the Germans did not use warfare,
instead they used propaganda and assassination. German troops marched into Austria and occupied it
on March 11, 1938. On March 14, 1939, Germany took over Czechoslovakia in much the same manner.
Hitler tried the same tactics on Poland that had worked on Austria and Czechoslovakia. Poland,
however, had a fairly strong modern army, and also had a formal treaty with England and France that
promised armed support if attacked. Hitler was convinced that England and France would not intervene.
When Poland refused to surrender, Germany invaded. The date was September 1, 1939, and this date
marks the beginning of the fighting in World War II.
The German invasion of Poland was the first use of the German doctrine of combined arms operations,
called Blitzkrieg, and it surprised almost everyone. The closely coordinated effort between the Luftwaffe
and the German Army crushed all opposition.
The Luftwaffe first destroyed any opposing air force, generally by catching them on the ground
with a surprise strike. Once this was done, the German Air Force hit railroads, ammunition dumps and
troop concentrations without a fight. The German Army used their tanks and mobile artillery, called
armored divisions, to strike rapidly through enemy defensives lines. Any attempt to reinforce the
defenders or to retreat was immediately crushed by the Luftwaffe from the air. A new type of warfare
had begun, and it was highly successful. Poland’s Army, which was the fifth largest in Europe, was
defeated in 20 days.