Hitler Youth Activities: War Work--Civil Defense

Figure 1.--Here HJ boys probably in 1944 help search and clear burning Berlin building for survivors. Put your cursor on the image to see more of the rescue operation.

Hitler Youth boys as the War continued eventually took other activites such as air raid wardens. Hitler Youth boys were involved in fighting fires and police work. The ininital British air raids were on a relatively small scale, generally within the ability of the municipal fire services to deal with. This began to change in 1942. Bomber Command began to build up in forces with improved aircraft types. This included the Avril Lancaster-arguably the best bomber of the War until the arrival of the massive Boeing B-29. Also in 1942 the American 8th Air Force began arriving in Britin and after ininital operations mostly in France was ready by the end of the Year to join Bomber Command in the strategic bombarment of Germany. Roosevelt and Churchill meeting in Casabalanca announced both unconditional surrender and the around-the-clock bombardment of Germany (January 1943). The Americans bombed by day and the British by night. The Luftwaffe fought fiercly to defend German cities for all of 1943, but the arrival of long-range escorts meant the destruction of the Luftwaffe (December 1943). The first major result of the air war over northern Europe was the destruction of the Luftwaff. Ny early 1944 the Luftwaffe was not only unable to defend German cities, but to support Wehrmacht units in the field. When the Allies landed in Normandy, the Luftwaffe was unable to oppose the landings. This left German cities for the rest of the War primarily defended by FLAK. The principallimit on Allied bombardment was the need to support the D-Day landings. The resulting pouning of German cities was beyond the capablities of the fire services and emergency services. HJ boys had to increasingly fill in to assist in CD operations. They came to play an increasigly important role on CD operations. Older boys served as actual firemen. Youngr boys not banning FLAK batteries helped to assist the surviving civilans and to recover some of their possessions. The Volskssturm call ups, however, depleted the CD efforts of the older HJ boys.

Strategic Bombing Campaign

The ininital British air raids were on a relatively small scale, generally within the ability of the municipal fire services to deal with. This began to change in 1942. Bomber Command began to build up in forces with improved aircraft types. This included the Avril Lancaster-arguably the best bomber of the War until the arrival of the massive Boeing B-29. Also in 1942 the American 8th Air Force began arriving in Britin and after ininital operations mostly in France was ready by the end of the Year to join Bomber Command in the strategic bombarment of Germany. Roosevelt and Churchill meeting in Casabalanca announced both unconditional surrender and the around-the-clock bombardment of Germany (January 1943). The Americans bombed by day and the British by night. The Luftwaffe fought fiercly to defend German cities for all of 1943, but the arrival of long-range escorts meant the destruction of the Luftwaffe (December 1943). The first major result of the air war over northern Europe was the destruction of the Luftwaff. Ny early 1944 the Luftwaffe was not only unable to defend German cities, but to support Wehrmacht units in the field. When the Allies landed in Normandy, the Luftwaffe was unable to oppose the landings. This left German cities for the rest of the War primarily defended by FLAK. The principallimit on Allied bombardment was the need to support the D-Day landings.

Civil Defense

Germany set up perhaps the best Civil defensesystem of the War. This was a factor in limiting civilian casualties. The German term was Luftschutz (Air Protection) as opposed to the active defense forces (fighters, FLAK, searchlights, and brage baloons) which were called Air Defense. Hitler Youth boys as the War continued eventually took other activites such as civil defense. Hitler Youth boys served as air raid wardens and actually fighting fires. Others were involved in police work. The Allied pouning of German cities was beyond the capablities of the fire services and emergency services. Mot only did the Allied raids increase in severity, but the conscription of avled-bodies men left the fire services to be carried on by older men. HJ boys had to increasingly fill in to assist in CD operations. They came to play an increasigly important role on CD operations. Older boys served as actual firemen. Youngr boys not banning FLAK batteries helped to assist the surviving civilans and to recover some of their possessions as well as the cleanup. They assusted the civilkians who were bombed out, not having a home which they coukd return to or a least one tgat was safe. The HJ youth canvased the ciommunity, knocking on doors in an effort to find unused rooms in undamaged houses or apartments for those bombed out. People varied on this. Some elcomed those bombed out. Others did not want strangers in their home. The HJ workers reported home owners who were uncooperative to the police.

Flak Units

The Luftwaffe installed massive batteries of anti-aircraft batteries called Fliegerabwehrkanone. The Allies began calling the resulting shells and shell fragments tearing through their planes flak. The Germans produced a range of these artillery pieces, including light, medium, and heavy artillery pieces. The artillery ranged in size from 12.7-128 mm flak guns. The light and medium guns were used to protect German field armies as well as facilities like important bridges, ports, and dams fim low-level attck. The heavy batterie were used to target the high-altitude strategic bombers. The Germans by 1942 had installed . over 15,000 88 mm flak guns in cannons Flak belts stretching across the route into the Reich's industrial heartland. They streached grom the Netherlands through Belgium and western Germany. At some points they were 20 km thick. The Flak batteries were an important part of the Kammhuber Line. The Germans had radar directed batteries and searchlights to direct the fire. There were also Flak batteries installed around major German cities and high priority tasrgets like Ploesti and U-Boat facilities. Some Luftwaffe analysts were dubious about the huge effort involved. It was very difficult to shoot diwn a bomber. One Luftwaffe study estimated it took over 3,300 88 mm shells to sucessfully shoot down a bomber. The principal German anti-aircraft weapon was the 88 mm artilery piece. These weapons were in great demand as early in the war it was discovered to be a very effective against tanks. Thus these weapons were needed on the Eastern Front to stop the steadily increasing Red rmy armor driving the Wehrmact east. The Germans also begn deploying 128 mm guns which were even more effective. The Luftwaffe deployed rectactular formations of 40 AA pieces in Grossbatterien able to deal out box bax barrages. These defenses were manned by the diverse personnel, but included many Hitler Youth boys.

Volkssturm

The Volskssturm call ups, however, depleted the CD efforts of the older HJ boys. Hitler Youth boys, along with old men, were hastily trained, ill-equipped and not terribly well led were the major recruits for the Volkssturm in the closing months of the year. The HJ boys, however, went into battle with a fervor even beyond that of the Waffen SS. Many accounts exist of battle hardeneded Wehrmacht and and SS troops who met these boy soldiers on the way to battle. Their advise was almost often "Its over. Go home!" The boys, however, armed with a few anti-tank weapons like Panzerfauts and perhaps a machinegun if one could be found, these Hitler Youth schoolboys went into battle. Often they performed amazingly well, even when given hopeless assignments. A book and movie addressing this is The Bridge. Many HJ boys, of course, did not survive. For many, their commiment to Hitler was absolute, even in the boys involved in the hopeless defense of Berlin (April-May 1945).