Show I Perfect Organization Called Secret o of Nazi Air Force l Editors Editor's note Following Is b a J report on the German air force loree its as one of 01 the three equal co-equal units of the German German German Ger Ger- man fighting machine and its role In the war An article on one I e Great air forces will r appear Tuelda Tuesday By RICHARD C. C HOTTELET BERLIN July 29 The CUP UP The I German air force which started I from scratch scratch si six sift years ago has become indisputably the worlds world's greatest Witness Poland Norway the thelow thelow thelow low countries France The one factor which more I than any other made the reich's what it is today was unified unWed organization organization organization tion so perfect in detail that the German air force can function in one capacity or a dozen in whole or In part in offense or defense without a hitch and at a moments moment's moments moment's moments moment's mo mo- ments ment's notice The is modern and streamlined in all its parts As one of Germanys Germany's three armed services with which it is coequal the air force has its own commander in chief With the army and navy it is subject to orders from Adolf Adoll Hitler's high comm command nd which is the supreme supreme supreme su su- su- su preme unifying and coordinating power Under the commander In chiefare chiefare chief chiefare are military commanders and administrative administrative administrative ad ad- officers who are in charge of personnel equipment and supply Non German experts acquainted acquaint acquaint- ed with the air forces force's organization tion have reported that it functions functions tunc with an efficiency rare in such large and ramified bodies The methods of organization and and the routines folIo followed wed not only ar are brand new these experts experts experts ex ex- have discovered but are also completely flexible so that they may be changed to meet new situations and to all allow w the greatest possible discretion to the numerous responsible officials The air force is not as recent history may have seem seemed d to indicate In Indicate Indicate In- In a purely offensive ice It includes every branch of ol Germanys Germany's defense against air attack including all antiaircraft artillery It also has its own signal signal signal sig sig- nal and medical corps as well as u other specialized groups which enable it to operate as a self con tamed unit The air force may operate in independently independently independently in- in dependently or in conjunction with the army and navy Air force units may be detached for service under army or navy com com- mand Discretion for such employment employment employment em em- of the air force lies exclusively exclusively exclusively ex ex- with the high com com- mand Although Reich Field Marshal Hermann Wilhelm Goering outranks outranks outranks out out- ranks Admiral Erich Raeder commander in chief of ol the navy and General Field Marshal Walther Walther Walther Wal- Wal ther von commander commander commander comman comman- der in chief of the army the air force itself enjoys no precedence over the other two branches Frequently the three commanders commanders commanders com com- manders in chief confer with Hitler and the high command providing the views and data necessary to enable the high command to coordinate all 1111 ef efforts efforts ef ef- forts of the armed forces Centralization of ol authority In Inthe Inthe inthe the Hitler high command was designed designed designed de de- de- de signed to prevent confusion and andis v s sis js is generally credit credited d with J for the smoothness and efficiency with which the German German German Ger Ger- man military machine in all its branches has operated since last September The past 11 months of warfare have nave illustrated how the air force works In an operation like the Polish campaign the army would request a certain num number r of planes and antiaIrcraft antiaircraft antiaircraft craft batteries for local reconnaissance reconnaissance reconnaissance recon recon- artillery observation and protection These units would be temporarily temporarily temporarily tempo tempo- detached by the high command command command com com- mand and placed under direct command of ol the army Meanwhile Meanwhile Meanwhile Mean Mean- while the main body of the air force would be operating in its sphere bombing enemy lines of communication and air bases and fighting enemy airplanes In an operation over difficult terrain and across a body of ol water as aJ in the Norwegian campaign campaign campaign cam cam- the air force would be closely coordinated with the navy as aSwell well as with the army In a mixed campaign involving ing land as well as water operations operations op op- op- op as In the western offensive offensive of of- against France and Great Britain air power would be used constantly both Independently and in coordination with land and sea forces At the outset of the drive actIng acting acting act act- ing in its own realm the air force would strike en masse against enemy air bases with a avIew aview aview view to seizing air superiority at once If success met this attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt large units might then be detached for army service to air ground forces to smash their way deep deeper r into enemy territory Always however whatever its function of the moment the air force is cooperating with its brother services In driving to toward toward to to- ward some specific strategic ob ob- ob- ob In France apart from its normal normal normal nor mal duties the air force was called upon to attack enemy land troops and bomb enemy tank concentrations concentrations concentrations con con- and fortifications The air forces force's antiaircraft batteries were employed against enemy tanks and even warships as well as against enemy air air- planes In all instances the greatest flexibility of operation was main main- There was no adherence to set schemes of action merely for the schemes scheme's sake As the army moves into enemy territory the air force moves along with it One comparable to a land unit might move in side by side with ground troops to set up air fields and its own signal and supply netI net net- I f work |