The Luftwaffe Facts, Figures and Data for the German Air Force, 1933–45

The Luftwaffe – the German Air Force – played a crucial role in the Wehrmacht’s blitzkrieg tactics, providing both air cover and air artillery for Germany’s panzer troops on the ground. Germany’s successful invasions of France, the Low Countries, the Balkans and the Soviet Union are due in no small part to the professionalism, dedication and skill of the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe gets behind this massive organization to reveal the workings of the German Air Force through its command structure, economic resources, production figures, recruitment, training and philosophy. Broken down by key campaigns and subject areas, the book includes reference tables, diagrams, color maps and charts, presenting all the core data in easy-to-follow formats. The Luftwaffe is an essential reference guide for anyone interested in the history and structure of Germany’s wartime air force.

S. Mike Pavelec is author of The Jet Race and the Second World War and contributed to the World History Encyclopedia. He is Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS) Maxwell AFB, Alabama.