*** World War II Second World War II German air defense systems civil defense Luftschutz








German World War II Air Defene Systems


Figure 1.--Here we see Germans sheltering from an Allied air attack. We are not sure just where the photograph was taken and by who. There are too many children for it to be a family group in a basement shelter. They are in fairly comfortable conditions. There is even a white table cloth. We are not at all sure that German shelters were nearly as comfortable as suggested here. Perhaps it was a Propasganda Ministry photograph showing the Germans holding up under the strategic bombing campaign. It looks like a professionaly posed photograph rather than a family snapshot. We are not sure when this photograph was taken, probably 1943 or 44.

Unlike many countries the Germsns attacked, the Germans had air defenses--primarily the powerful Luftwaffe. The delay in the Allied strategic bombing campaign gave the Germans the time to build not only a formidable air defence line, but also a first-class Civil Defense system. There was both Air Defenses and Air Protection (Luftschutz). The German air defenses were formidavle. The Kamhuber Line radars not only directed the German fighters, but alerted the cities of an coming boming raid. The British fought the campaign at first with obsolete aircraft. But by the end of 1942 the Lancaster was ready and tthe American 8th AirForce with its B-17s and B-24s were in place. President Roossevelt and Primeminisyer Churchill agreed to a round-the-clock bombing campaign (January 1943). The strength of the Kamhuber Line and the Luftwaffe took a deadly toll on Allied formations (1943). The arrival of the long-range P-51 escorts changed this and the Luftwaffe could no longer defend the Reich's cities. The basic defense becme the anti-aircraft Flak batteries. The Flak batteries could take a toll on the bomber formations, but could not stop them. The Germans called Civil Defense Luftschutz (Air Prorection). German civilians had to rely on the the bomb sheters and civilian defense facilities from the increasingly heavy Allied raids. In the end the Allies leved virtually every major German city. The civil defense program, however, proved very effective in protecting civilians.

Air Defenses

The German Western offensive (May-June 1940) was so successful, that German cities were largely out of range from the planes available to RAF Bomber Command. Only in 1942 did Bomber Command get effective long-range planes like the Lancaster that brought German cities in range. By this time the Germans had constructed a forbiddening degensive line beginning with the Netherlands, Belgium, and Northerm France. They had also begun to develop effective night fighters. The Americans joined the British stategic bombing campaign, bombing by day while the British bombed by night, hoping to overstress the German defenses. The Americans found that only contrary to expectations that the havily armed bombers could not fight through the German defenses without havy losses. German defenses took a terrible toll on Allied bomber formations until 1944 when long-range fighter escorts became available. The Luftwaffe could in most cases carefully consider engagements. Here it was rise to resist the American bombers are allow them to pulverize their cities. The bombers essentially forced the Luftwaff to give battle to protect German cities. The bombers and especially the escorts also took a heavy toll on the Lufwaffe. Here in the skies over Germany the 8th Air Force essentially destoyed the Luftwaffe.

Civilan Defense (Luftschutz)

The Germans called Civil Defense Luftschutz (Air Prorection).The Civil Defense sydtem involved air raid warnings, fire service, bomb disposal, smole screens, decoy sites, and camouflage. Preparations for civil defense became very early in the NAZI era with he creation of the Reichcluftschutzbund (REB--State Air Protection League) (April 1933). The goal was to train every housholder in the basics of air raid protection. This was even before the first steps toward the creation of Luftwaffe had been taken. After the Govern,ent announced the creation of the Luftwaffe in violation of the Versailles Treaty (1935), the new Air Ministry assumed responsibility for civil defense, but other agencies were involved. When the War began (1939), beligerant countries did not have the capability of bomving Germany, especially after the fall of Frajnce (1940). As Allied air strength grew, increasing effective Luftwaffe air defenses protected German cities. (1942-43). Military reverses ikn the East meant the conscription of virtually all adult German males. This meant that HJ boys and older men had to increasinglt taken on civil defense duties. The combined impact of the bomber defensive guns and the American long-range fighters esstentially defeated the Luftwaffe (January-March 1944). From that point on, German civilians had to rely primarily on the the bomb sheters and civilian defense facilities for protection from the increasingly heavy Allied raids. In the end the Allies leveled virtually every major German city. The civil defense program, however, proved very effective in protecting civiians. The casulasties were substantial, an estimated 0.3-0.5 million million Germans, but a fraction of what could have happened with out an effective civil defense program.

KLV Evacuation of Children

The Germans also evacuated the children from the cities. Kinderlandverschickung (KLV) operated during World War II (1939-1945). The children had to go to rural areas on "holiday" but really they should be out of the cities and towns that had difficulties feeding them and were being bombed by the Allies. I believe that both schools and the Hitler Jugend were involved in organizing thd KLV. One reader reports that the HJ was especially important in the KLV organiation beginning in 1940. About 2.5 million children were send to 9,000 camps until end of World War II. I believe in many cases their teachers accompanied them. Strangely, unlike the extensive discussion of the British evacuation of children (1940-41), the German KLA evacuation and camps are little discussed.







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Created: 1:06 AM 12/20/2009
Last updated: 1:06 AM 12/20/2009