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Austrian Air Force (1927-1938)
Encyclopedia
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
began as a paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organisation (1927) and was secretly built up by the government before union with Germany
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
(1938).
History
In 1919 the peace treatyTreaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
meant the Republic of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
was forbidden to operate military aircraft.
In 1927 the paramilitary Heimwehr
Heimwehr
The Heimwehr or sometimes Heimatschutz were a Nationalist, initially paramilitary group operating within Austria during the 1920s and 1930s; they were similar in methods, organisation, and ideology to Germany's Freikorps...
organisation set up an air corps using Austrian, British and Italian aircraft (dissolved after the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
in 1938). Its emblem was a red-white-red flag, with a white eagle on a green circle at its centre.
In 1928 the Bundesheer (federal army) began secretly training pilots. In further consequence a technical infrastructure was created and aircraft ordered from Italy. In August 1933 the first military aeroplanes ordered by the republic (five Fiat CR.20 biplanes) were supplied. The Bundesheer began secretly equipping flying clubs in Vienna-Aspern
Aspern
Aspern is part of Donaustadt, the 22nd district of Vienna.In 1904, the formerly independent village was incorporated into Vienna as part of the 21st district, Floridsdorf. Only in 1946 did it become part of the newly created 22nd district, Donaustadt. The area is known because of the Battle of...
and Graz-Thalerhof
Graz Airport
Graz Airport , also known as Thalerhof, serves Graz, Austria. It is located in the municipalities of Feldkirchen and Kalsdorf, south of Graz city centre.-Transportation:...
with Italian-built aircraft (Fiat Ansaldo and Caproni).
In 1936, flight engineer Rosner from the Graz-Thalerhof base won the competition for designing a new national emblem, which was introduced in the same year. The white, equilateral triangle with the point facing downwards in a red disc was a completely new design and had (other than the flag or coats of arms) no prior basis.
The airmens' barracks at Aspern
Aspern
Aspern is part of Donaustadt, the 22nd district of Vienna.In 1904, the formerly independent village was incorporated into Vienna as part of the 21st district, Floridsdorf. Only in 1946 did it become part of the newly created 22nd district, Donaustadt. The area is known because of the Battle of...
were the only new barracks built in Vienna between the wars. The Austrian government planned the establishment of an air base at Tullnerfeld, however this plan was realised only by the German armed forces (nowadays: Brumowski Air base
Fliegerhorst Brumowski
Fliegerhorst Brumowski is an Austrian Air Force air force base located approximately 5 km east-southeast of Tulln; about 30 km northwest of Vienna....
, near Langenlebarn). The uniform departed from all traditions and followed the international model: Grey jacket with four buttons as well as rocker emblem on the chest, and soft garrison caps more reminiscent of British models.
Fliegerregiment Nr. 1
The regiment was set up 1934 and had its location in Vienna.Commander
- Oberstleutnant Josef Brunner (2 May 1934 - March 1938)
Units
(as of 1934)
- Jagdgeschwader -3 Staffeln (Fighter wing - three squadrons)
- Bombengeschwader - 3 Staffeln (Bomber wing - three squadrons)
- Schulgeschwader - 3 Staffeln (Training wing - three squadrons)
- Flughafenkompanie Nr. 2, 4, 6 & 8 (Aerodrome companies)
- Flieger-Parkkompanie Nr. 2 & 3 (Aircraft park companies)
- Fliegerwaffenkompanie (Air armament company)
Fliegerregiment Nr. 2
The regiment was set up 1934 and had its location in Graz.Commanders
- Oberst Julius Yllam (1 April 1934 - 28 February 1937)
- Oberstleutnant Viktor Seebauer (1 March 1937 - March 1938)
Units
(as of 1934)
- Jagdgeschwader - 3 Staffeln (Fighter wing - three squadrons)
- Aufklärungsgeschwader - 3 Nahaufklärungsstaffeln (Reconnaissance wing - three squadrons)
- Flughafenkompanie Nr. 1, 3, 5, & 7 (Aerodrome companies)
- Flieger-Parkkompanie Nr. 1 (Aircraft park companies)
- Beobachterkompanie (Observer company)
- Flugfunkkompanie (Air radio company)
- Luftbildkompanie (Aerial photography company)
Air defence units
(as of 1938)- Kommando der Luftschutztruppen (Air Defence Command), Vienna
- Schwere Flugabwehr-Batterie (Heavy air defence battery) with five 8-cm-Flak M14
- Two Flugabwehr-Maschinenkanonen-Abteilungen (anti-aircraft units) each with 3 batteries of 4-cm-Flak
- Leichte Flugabwehr-Kompanie (Light anti-aircraft company) with 2-cm-Flak
- Leichte Flugabwehr-Kompanie with anti-aircraft machine-guns
- Flug-Nachrichten-Kompanie (Air message company)
- Luftschutzschule (Air defence school)
Ground units
(as of 1938)- Flugzeugwerft in Graz (Aircraft works)
- Fliegertelegraphen-Kompanie (Air telegraph company)
- Aerodromes at:
- AigenAigenAigen is a district in the city of Salzburg, Salzburgerland, Austria and is known as one of the most expensive residential areas of the provincial capital.It is one of the 24 districts in which Salzburg is organized...
- Graz-ThalerhofGraz AirportGraz Airport , also known as Thalerhof, serves Graz, Austria. It is located in the municipalities of Feldkirchen and Kalsdorf, south of Graz city centre.-Transportation:...
- KlagenfurtKlagenfurt AirportKlagenfurt Airport is a small international airport in the state of Carinthia, Austria. It is located in the borough of Annabichl, only north northeast from the city centre of Klagenfurt. The airport is accessible by shuttle bus or city bus from Klagenfurt central station.- History :In 1905,...
- WelsWelsWels is the second largest city of the state of Upper Austria, located in the north of Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is not part of its surrounding Wels County , but a so-called Statutarstadt . However, Wels is the county seat of Wels-Land.- Geography :Wels is located in the...
- Wien (Vienna-AspernAspernAspern is part of Donaustadt, the 22nd district of Vienna.In 1904, the formerly independent village was incorporated into Vienna as part of the 21st district, Floridsdorf. Only in 1946 did it become part of the newly created 22nd district, Donaustadt. The area is known because of the Battle of...
) - Wiener NeustadtWiener Neustadt-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
- ZeltwegZeltweg AirfieldZeltweg Airfield, now known as Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser, is a military airfield in Styria, Austria near Zeltweg. It is the main airfield of the Austrian Air Force.-Motorsports:...
- Aigen
Aircraft
(as of March 1938)Fliegerregiment Nr. 1
- Jagdstaffel 1: 12 Fiat CR.20Fiat CR.20|-See also:-References:* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York:Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8....
bis/bip as well as trainer aircraft Falke RVa, Focke-Wulf Fw 44Focke-Wulf Fw 44-External links:* * * * * * *...
, Focke-Wulf Fw 56Focke-Wulf Fw 56-See also:-External links:* http://aviationtrivia.info/Focke-Wulf-FW-56-Stosser.php* http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/fw56.html* http://www.luftfahrtmuseum.com/htmi/itf/fw56.htm...
, Gotha Go 145Gotha Go 145-See also:-Bibliography:* Bishop, C. Luftwaffe Squadrons, 1939–1945. Amber Books, 2006.* Donald, D. Warplanes of the Luftwaffe: Combat aircraft of Hitler’s Luftwaffe, 1933 -1945. Aerospace Publishing, 2001....
, Phoenix L2c - Jagdstaffel 2: 12 Fiat CR.20bis/bip as well as trainer aircraft Falke RVa, Focke-Wulf Fw 44, Breda Ba 28 and Gotha Go 145
- Jagdstaffel 3: 12 Fiat CR.20bis/bip as well as trainer aircraft Focke-Wulf Fw 56 and Breda Ba 28
- Bomberstaffel 1: Focke-Wulf Fw 58, Caproni Ca 133Caproni Ca.133|-See also:-References:*Ca.133 reconnaissance table, Storia militare magazine n.83. *Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 0-753714-60-4....
as well as trainer aircraft Breda Ba 28 and Focke-Wulf Fw 44 - Bomberstaffel 2: Caproni Ca 133, Focke-Wulf Fw 58 and trainer aircraft Junkers F 13
- Schulstaffel A: Caproni Ca 100Caproni Ca.100|-References:...
, De Havilland DH.60GIII, Hopfner HS 9/35Hirtenberg HS.9-References:* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2173* A.J.Jackson, British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3, Putnam & Company, London, 1974, ISBN 370 10014 X, Page 369...
and Udet U 12Udet U 12|-References:* * -See also:... - Schulstaffel B: De Havilland DH.60GIII, Focke-Wulf Fw 44, Gotha Go 145 and Hopfner HM 13/34
Fliegerregiment Nr. 2
- Jagdstaffel 4: 12 Fiat CR.32Fiat CR.32The Fiat CR.32 was an Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. This nimble little Fiat was compact, robust and highly manoeuvrable and gave impressive displays all over Europe in the hands of the Pattuglie Acrobatiche. The CR.32 fought in North and East Africa, in...
bis as well as trainer aircraft Fiat CR.30Fiat CR.30|-See also:-References:*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1794...
and de Havilland DH.60GIII - Jagdstaffel 5: 12 Fiat CR.32 as well as trainer aircraft Fiat CR.30 and Udet U 12Udet U 12|-References:* * -See also:...
a - Jagdstaffel 6: 12 Fiat CR.32 as well as trainer aircraft Fiat CR.30 and De Havilland DH.60GIII
- Aufklärungsstaffel 1: 8 Fiat A 120/A and trainer aircraft Udet 12a
- Aufklärungsstaffel 2: 8 IMAM Ro.37 and trainer aircraft Hopfner 8/29
- Schulstaffel Thalerhof: DFS HabichtDFS Habicht-External links:**...
, Falke RVa, Focke Wulf Fw 44 and Gotha Go 145
Of the 45 Fiat CR.32 originally procured, 36 were still in service in 1938 and after the Anschluss were handed over by Germany to their Hungarian allies.
The CR20 and CR32 were in their time very modern combat aircraft, however were obsolete by 1938. Their type designation "CR" stood for Caccia (Italian: "Hunt") and the name of the technical designer Rosatelli. "A" in the type designation Fiat A120 stands for the aircraft section of the Ansaldo company, taken over by Fiat in 1926.