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VA eB =
LUFTWAFFE
ee a
UTR
ATES LUFTWAFFE TRANSPORT UNITS
“Ihave no wish to belittle in any way the sacrifices made by the
air transport forces or the feats accomplished by them [but] it
might have been better if the Demyansk action had failed
completely in its initial phase. This would have forced German
leaders to order the 2,Armeekorps to attempt a breakthrough
towards the west and to initiate simultaneous small-scale counter
attacks in order to relieve the pressure at Demyansk. At the same
time, German leaders would bave been forced to realise that the
personnel and material resources available were inadequate to
assure fulfilment by air of the entire supply requirements of an
Army unit numbering 100,000 men. Whether this would have had
any effect on the decisions made later in connection with
Stalingrad and North
ica is, of course, another question”
From a postavar report by Generalmajor A.D. Preidrich- Wilhelm Morzik,
formerly Wehemacht Lufitransportchet OKL
“I want Transportei
Transporters and more Transporte
Adolf Hitler to Generalfeldmarschall Erhard Milch, 4 February 1945 2 @ Luftwaffe Transport Units
Pre-War Development
See pees tee rec ere
linked to the Junkers Ju 52/3m. This aircraft, although obsoles
remained in production as an all-purpose transport and training n
nit ong before the war began, fuithana machine
chine unti October 1944 and fuly Wr 4.
justified that measure by showing such astonishing reality and longevity that it was stil the mamedalter the
Luftwatfe's standard transport aircraft in 1945, ee
During the period between 1933 and 1935, when most Germandesigned alrcraft were presented Dore wiw few ay
to the world as civil or sports types, the Ju 52/3m proved to be an extremely reliable passenger aircraft anit a
and was employed in some numbers by the German airline Deutsche Lufthansa. With the creation of | "SMW
the Luftwaffe in 1935, the aircraft emerged as 2 bomber and subsequently took part in several — victories
rar
ABOVE: an bombing missions with the Legion Condor during the Spanish Civil War. From 1937 however, with the
example of development of more modern bomber aircraft, the Ju 52/3m was gradually withdrawn from this role
sfhansa and replaced by the new Do 17 and He 111 types.
markings low Although some Ju 52/3ms were then handed over to various special staff and courier units, the
the swastika majority found their way into advanced pilot and instrument schools where they were
required to increase taining capacity commensurate with the growth of the Luftwaffe. BHLOW: During the Spanish Civil
banner on the tl
Uesiguom andthe hough already obsolescert, production of the Ju 52/Im was maintained in order to wiven ens Franco rented
WAs01LTHS provide the Luftwarfe with an aircraft which could be employed as a transport for the Monaccs tu sj Hes hum
Pare uehP® growing German paratroop, or Fallschirmjager, and Luftiande, or airianding forces, That promised 20 Ju $2/3ms forthe task
thc vist wort ar the rapt commitment of troops by air was both desirable and possible nad already been Moroci ser are ows
fighter plot Werner amply demonstrated atthe beginning of the Spanish Civil War when large Moroccan troop to Span, Some 10.000
Ywssicredited With units were flown into Spain from Tetuan, in Moroceo, by Ju 52/3ms. This was an Moroccan t
vei tismame undertaking which, a8 well as having a decisive effect on the ensuing land batte, also Sit Dut sa the okt ered
ter the confirmed the suitablity of the Ju 52/3m for such purposes. fe Sea abel ti ht
Vain beaeod The Ju 52/3m was finally abandoned as a bomber in 1938, by which time most tobe cleaned quite fequent
Sindinituniansa bomber Gruppen had converted to more modern
Scheme wisan types. Meanwhile, in October 1937, 1./KG 152
aver eh sor Hindenburg” at FUrstenwalde/Spree was
Sintuckseavon redesignated KGrbV I, the abbreviation zb¥
thenose-engine standing for zur besonderen Verwendung, i.e. for
arcasand whetl_ special employment: the special employment
envisaged being the dropping of parachutists and
Spats. Although
shown here with
rexron ere Coeeie ese is/are ad la took op
DBIsi teams Nemdquerters at Burg and. Gerdelogen, On
FE icist fo) score Cree, nara 11 bn
formed at Brandenburg-Briest and Stendal, both
Units being controlled by the parachute and
airborne troops command, 7. Flegerdivision.
The air transport units played little part in the
Anschluss, the annexation of Austria, which
1. The Fallschirmiager were intended to parachute into action whereas the troops of the Luftande Division were
aiid into hatte, The Lufande troops belonged to the Army, and although the Army also had paratroops,
the majorly comprised Luftwaffe personne
