Flexibility Is Held To Be Secret Of Luftwaffe Strength

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1942, Page 3

Flexibility Is Held To Be Secret Of Luftwaffe Strength

By Our Special Observer.

Ability to concentrate speedily where needed

Soviet reports make it clear tnat the grave danger to Stalingrad has arisen since the Germans succeeded in forcing a bridgehead across the Don, for which purpose the enemy used terrific concentrations of aircraft. Having regard to all the fronts on which the Luftwaffe must fight, does this fresh manifestation of Nazi air might suggest that the German air force is increasing in strength as time goes on? Competent observers at London believe that the Luftwaffe is actually declining numerically, but attribute its amazing successes to specialisation upon flexibility, which enables German air strength of any type to be concentrated speedily where needed at the right time and redistributed rapidly afterwards.

Examples of Method. Examples given of this power are the whirlwind capture of Tobruk with divebombers ready in strength to blow theplace to pieces unless the garrison surrendored. The concentration on Sebastopol was another example of this efficlent timing. Forcing of the Don crossing was the latest illustration. A classic example of these quick-time mobilisation possibilities was the elaborate fighter and bomber protection given to the Nazi battleships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and the cruiser Prinz Eugen from airfields from as far away as Italy during the historic naval breakaway through the English Channel from Brest. Certainly the Luftwaffe was not able to win control of the air over Dieppe during the recent landing operation, but this supports the theory rather than weakens it because it suggests that the Nazis rely upon the mobility of their air armies to defend the vital Channel coast instead of keeping an abnormally high number of pilots and planes tied up awaiting an, operation that may or may not develop. This does not discount the fact that for consistently maintained all-round operational quality the strongest of the German air forces is considered to be the one keeping a watchful eye on the approaches to Britain, but the specialists are believed to be only called on for specific jobs. Travelling Formations. Among the Luftwaffe's strongest military assets are the much travelled divebomber formations which owe so much to the training of Colonel General von Richthofen. They have showed up at various times oyer Poland. Norway, Holland, Belgium, France, Britain. Mediterranean territories, Yugoslavia and Russia. General Richthofen himself is a pioneer in the development of close teamwork between tanks and aircraft^ and_ the formations he commands contain a highet proportion of Stukas than any other German corps. They are called upon preferentially for special jobs. Particular attention to-day focuses on the reported accession of Nazi gliders and troop carriers in Greece and Crete,

where bombers and fighters have been operating under General Gelmy. Mention of a concentration of this type takes on special significance with the news that activity has flared up again in Egypt and that Allied aircraft have directed their heaviest attacks on Suda Bay in Crete and southern Greece, where supplies for these concentrations would be centred.

Assessment of Strength. According to a report by Mr. Maillard Stead, of the Christian Science Monitor, formulated from information gleaned from usually reliable sources at London, the total strength of the Luftwaffe is estimated to be about 5000 first -line operational aircraft. As the situation is assessed, according to Mr. Stead's information, about 4500 Nazi first-line planes are split almost equally three ways— in Russia, in the Mediterranean territories, including Africa, and in western Europe. The remaining 500 or so are believed to be stationed in Central Europe. The Luftwaffe's battle order is thought to consist of five main fleets of varying sizes. These are dispersed among the various theatres of war, according to the Nazi High Command's 'assessment of the priority of military requirements. Four air fieet commanders are said to be concerned with the • Russiaii front, General Stumpl who commands in NorWay • and Firland, but, in addition to watching the Finnish. end of the front, also guards the North Sea. In ths Leningrad and Baltic area General Keller is in command. On the southern front is the 4th Air Fieet commanded by General Lohr. In the Moscow sector which the Germans still consider highljf important is part of the 2nd Air Fieet commanded by famous Marshal Kesselring. .... His name and fame are more mtimately associated now, however, with the other part of the Luftwaffe's 2nd Air Fieet, located in Italy proper and Sicily. and combined with the Italian air force. This force has caused immense trouble over Mediterranean waters and Malta and haS also operated in North Africa with General Frohlich's force there. The 3rd Air Fieet is in northern and southern France and the Low Countries under Marshal Sperrle. There is in addition a Fighter Corps, principally of night-fighters, for the defence of Germany. itself. Overall the dive-bomber corps of General Richthofen exercises a roving commission. Far Flung Circle. Enormous demands are made on the Luftwaffe's strength by need to keep this far-flung circle of operational areas in proper fighting order. The campaign in south Russia must be literally burning up aircraft. The Luftwaffe's power is, of course, still great enough to portend a tremendous battle in European skies before the United Nations can establish conclusive air superiority essential for winning the war. Yet it remains to be seen how the Luftwaffe will stand up to its spreading responsibilities if it has to fight hard, as seems probable, simultaneously in western Europe. in central as well as southern. Russia, and in Egypt. This would appear to be the supreme test of Luftwaffe flexibility and of the air fleet switching made possible by a mulliplicity of airfields and store depots on internal lines of communication.