468195p2 - Air Force Historical Research Agency

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I n t he nc i ch s i n i s t r y of D e f en s e , on t ' . c o t :z er hand , e r my and b` avy
l ead er s c o oper a t cd c l o s el y i n t he e s t abl i s hment of a new G er man ai r f or c e ,
par t i cul ar l y i n r e s pe c t t o t e chno l o ca l r e s e ar ch and d ev e l oF ment , qu i t e
apar t f r om th F f a c t t r _at nei t her was wi l l i n t o or eg o i t s c l a i m t o a s e-
paratcly organized taetical air foree such as hud becn the case d uring
tiYor l d r s . r I .
t h e o t h er hand ,
Th c a i r f or c e l eadcr s i n t :we cie i chs iai n i s t r y o f Def en$ e , on
i nf l u enc e d by 'r Yor l d 'r', ar I pl anni ng i n t erms of a s e par at a
air f orcc as well as by th e exalnple set by oth -r nutions , Were s trongly in
f av or o f t lia e s t abl i s lunent o f an i ndependent a i r ;rn , ;rh i ch wa s t o hav e
t s, ctical as Ne11 as strategi c f uncti ons. This, o f course, presupposed that
a l l qu e s t i ons c onc erni ng mi l i t a . ry av i s . t i on c ou l d s . n1 rou l d b e c en t r al i z ed
i n a s i n -l e n ex of f i c e - s t i l l t o be cr Aa t e d - of t h e ri e i ch s It'ii ni s t ry of
D ef ens e .
'1'hi s ,
i n t urn , was a t hou gh t vrhi ch vra e bound t o enc ount er r e s i s -
t a _ nc e on t he p tir t of t h e r my anu t avy - p ar t i cu l ; : r l y t l e . Ar ny .
I n th z mean t i mc ,
t i c of f i ce o f t h e Re i chg Commi s s i oncr o f v i a t i on ,
Gerrnany ' s highest -rank :ng aeronautical agency , was estar lished under Goering .
The consolidation of all aeronau tical c . ff airs und er one authority served to
open up new perspec tives in tt e field of military aviEtion . 5pecifically ,
it showed up thc traditional division of railit- ry aviation into rmy and
N avy avie . tion as compl etely out -of - ds . te and force d nrmy nd N avy representa-
tiv es to give up - albeit reluctantly -
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