History of the German Army Aviators Corps
Encyclopedia
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
first began to develop helicopters.
The first helicopter flight in Germany took place on 26 June 1936 with a Focke-Wulf Fw 61
Focke-Wulf Fw 61
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Coates, Steve and Jean-Christophe Carbonel. Helicopters of the Third Reich. Crowborough, UK: Classic Publications Ltd., 2002. ISBN 1-903223-24-5....
. The Focke-Wulf Fw 61 was, however, an experimental helicopter and only two samples were ever built. Yet, Ernst Udet
Ernst Udet
Colonel General Ernst Udet was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus...
, head of the Reich Air Ministry
Reich Air Ministry
thumb|300px|The Ministry of Aviation, December 1938The Ministry of Aviation was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany...
development wing, having seen the demonstration flights, became a proponent of this relatively new type of aircraft.
During World War II, several types were considered to be procured for the three different branches of the Wehrmacht. The German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
initially ordered 1000 Flettner Fl 282
Flettner Fl 282
|- References :NotesBibliography* Coates, Steve and Jean-Christophe Carbonel. Helicopters of the Third Reich. Crowborough, UK: Classic Publications Ltd., 2002. ISBN 1-903223-24-5....
reconnaissance helicopters, however the production plant was destroyed and so only about 40 helicopters entered service. The same fate happened to the more complex Focke Achgelis Fa 223 multi-role helicopter, of which only 11 pieces were delivered.
The early years 1955 - 1960
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
in 1955, a decision was made that every branch of the Bundeswehr should have their own helicopter units, operating within the framework of the tasks designated to each branch of the armed forces. Thus, the Army Aviation Corps (Germany) was founded.
Even before helicopters had been purchased by the German government, the first officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
to become helicopter pilots in the newly-formed German Army began their training in August 1956 in the United States at Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
.
In September 1956, the German government purchased the following types of helicopters for the German Army Aviation Corps:
- 11 SkeetersSaro Skeeter|-See also:-References:* . Flight, 21 October 1948, pp. 477–478.* London, Peter. "Last of the Line: The Saro Skeeter". Air Enthusiast, No. 54, Summer 1994. ISSN 0143-5450. pp. 2–5....
- 14 Bell 47GBell 47The Bell 47 is a two-bladed, single engine, light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. Based on the third Model 30 prototype, Bell's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young, the Bell 47 became the first helicopter certified for civilian use on 8 March 1946...
- 26 Sikorsky H-34H-34 ChoctawThe Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw was a piston-engined military helicopter originally designed by American aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky for the United States Navy for service in the anti-submarine warfare role....
- 28 Vertol H-21CH-21 ShawneeThe Piasecki H-21 Workhorse/Shawnee is an American helicopter, the fourth of a line of tandem rotor helicopters designed and built by Piasecki Helicopter . Commonly called the "flying banana", it was a multi-mission helicopter, utilizing wheels, skis, or floats.The H-21 was originally developed by...
- 26 Sud-Ouest SO 1221 Djinn.
Additionally, with the Dornier Do 27
Dornier Do 27
-See also:-Bibliography:*Green, William. Macdonald Aircraft Handbook. London. Macdonald & Co. Ltd., 1964.*Jackson, Paul A. German Military Aviation 1956-1976. Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1976. ISBN 0-904597-03-2.-External links:**...
a conventional aircraft was also procured.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Horst Pape became the first head of Department German Army Aviation Corps within the General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
, after having been responsible since 1954 for the planning and setting up of the German Army Aviation Corps.
On 7 January 1957, the German Army Aviation Corps took over Niedermendig air base from the French Armed Forces
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
. The first aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
to be used was a Dornier Do 27.
In March 1957, 130 conscripts
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
started their basic training within units of the German Army Aviation Corps.
During 1957, several new bases and squadrons
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
were founded. Niedermendig, later renamed to Mendig
Mendig
Mendig is a municipality in the district Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated approx. 6 km north-east of Mayen, and 25 km west of Koblenz.Mendig is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Mendig....
, Fritzlar
Fritzlar
Fritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity.The...
and Celle
Celle Air Base
Celle Air Base is a military airbase of the German Army. The airfield is situated southwest of the city of Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was opened in 1934 and has been in military use ever since...
were the first bases with flying units.
The first German Army Aviation School (Heeresfliegerwaffenschule) was founded in Niedermendig on 1 July 1959. Its first commanding officer was Colonel Kuno Ebeling.
On 12 January 1960, the instruction unit was transferred to former RAF Bückeburg, now Bückeburg Air Base
Bückeburg Air Base
Bückeburg Air Base is located northeast of the city of Bückeburg, Lower Saxony, Germany....
, at Achum near Bückeburg
Bückeburg
Bückeburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It was once the capital of the tiny principality of Schaumburg-Lippe and is today located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge...
.
1961 - 1990
During the disastrous North Sea flood of 1962North Sea flood of 1962
The North Sea flood of 1962 was a natural disaster affecting mainly the coastal regions of Germany and in particular the city of Hamburg in the night from 16 February to 17 February 1962...
, the German Army Aviation Corps came to the rescue of the population of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and its surroundings, rescuing countless people from drowning.
On 1 April 1963, a teaching unit of the German Army Aviation Corps was established in Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...
. In 1967, this unit, too, was ultimately transferred to Bückeburg.
On 20 August 1963, the first Bell UH-1D
UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
was delivered to training units.
On 1 April 1968, Brigadier-General Kurt Kauffmann became the first General of the German Army Aviation Corps.
On 9 June 1971, the helicopter museum of the German Army Aviation Corps opened for the public in Bückeburg.
On 26 July 1971, the Sikorsky H-34 was replaced by the Sikorsky CH-53G
CH-53 Sea Stallion
The CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Originally developed for use by the United States Marine Corps, it is also in service with Germany, Iran, Israel, and Mexico...
.
In 1975, the German Army Aviation Corps received its first flight simulator
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
for the Bell 47G, not only to train crews for standard situations but also for SAR
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
situations.
During a spread of wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
in Germany in 1975 and 1976, helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps contributed to the extinguishing of the fires. During these tasks, the device Smokey for fighting large-scale fires was developed.
In January 1976, German Army Aviation Corps came to the rescue of the population of Cuxhaven and the Haseldorf
Haseldorf
Haseldorf is a municipality in the district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, approx. 13 km west of Pinneberg, and 27 km west of Hamburg....
Marshes, affected by severe flooding.
On 8 May 1978, the first MBB Bo 105P
Bölkow Bo 105
The MBB Bo 105 is a light, twin-engine, multi-purpose utility helicopter developed by Bölkow of Stuttgart, Germany. Production began under Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm , which became a part of Eurocopter in 1991...
, designed as an anti-tank helicopter, was delivered into service units. Consequently, three regiments were established in Celle, Roth bei Nürnberg
Roth bei Nürnberg
Roth is a town in Bavaria, Germany, the capital of the district Roth. It is located about 25 km south of Nuremberg.-History:...
and Fritzlar.
In August 1980, devastating wildfires on Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
in Greece, threatening century-old monasteries, were fought with the aid of German Army Aviation Corps, using their device Smokey.
Post 1990
Following the German reunificationGerman reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
(3 October 1990), 3rd and 5th wing
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
of the East German Airforce
Luftstreitkräfte der NVA
The Luftstreitkraefte / Luftverteidigung was the Air Force of East Germany . As with the Landstreitkräfte, the Volksmarine, and the Border troops, it was a military branch of the National People's Army ....
, part of the National People's Army NVA)
National People's Army
The National People’s Army were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic .The NVA was established in 1956 and disestablished in 1990. There were frequent reports of East German advisors with Communist African countries during the Cold War...
, became 70th, 80th and East Squadron of the German Army Aviation Corps. During a transitional period, German Army Aviation Corps flew Soviet-built Mil Mi-8
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
helicopters. The Mil Mi-24
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
fleet, however, was no longer used and subsequently sold off.
In 1991, German Army Aviation Corps helicopters provided humanitarian aid to Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
refugees in northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
From October 1991 onwards, Sikorsky CH-53G of the German Army Aviation Corps provided the means of transport for UN weapons inspectors
United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission
The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission was created through the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 1284 of 17 December 1999....
in Iraq.
In 1993 and 1994, in Somalia, Bell UH-1D helicopters equipped with machine-guns were used for the first time in earnest as a means for self-protection.
On 1 April 1994, the German Army Aviation Corps Brigade 10 was established. This brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
united all German Army Aviation Corps transport helicopter units under one leadership. The reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and liaison
Liaison officer
A liaison officer or LNO is a person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may...
units were also integrated into this brigade.
In December 1995, German Army Aviation Corps became part of IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
contingent, later to be renamed SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
, in the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, flying missions into the most remote mountainous regions. In 2004, NATO handed over the command of SFOR to the EU. The name of the mission changed then to EUFOR.
During civil unrest in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
in March 1997, the German Army Aviation Corps flew several missions into Albania in order to evacuate foreign citizens.
On 3 April 1997, a new brigade was established, Air-Motorised Brigade 1, combining several German Army Aviation Corps forces into one unit, in order to create more rapidity in response, flexibility and fighting power.
During flooding in July and August 1997, the dikes along the river Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were on the verge of collapsing. The German Army Aviation Corps flew numerous mission in order to save the dikes and the population.
In February 1999, following a devastating avalanche in Galtür
Galtür
Galtür is a village and ski resort in the upper Paznaun valley in Tyrol . Located in the Central Eastern Alps 35 km southwest of Landeck near the border of Vorarlberg and Switzerland, its population is about 878.-History:...
in Austria, ten helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps took part in evacuation missions as part of the international aid effort.
In March 1999, German Army Aviation Corps' mission in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
began when the first base was established in Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. The helicopters were part of KFOR. Later that year, the unit was transferred to Kosovo proper.
On 9 September 1999, the new helicopter LTH NATO-Helicopter 90 was presented to the public at the German Army Aviation School in Bückeburg. Delivery to active units is planned to be taking place from the second half of 2006 onwards, after the manufacturer, NH Industries, encountered several problems causing a delay in production.
On 13 September 1999, the first Eurocopter EC 135
Eurocopter EC 135
The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services and for executive transport. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules .-Development:...
was brought into action as a training helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, eventually to supersede the Alouette II. The last flight of a German Army Aviation Corps' Alouette II took place early in 2006.
On 14 December 1999, an improved version of the CH-53G, the CH-53GS, was introduced, easily recognisable because of their large pair of auxiliary fuel tanks.
During the flooding of the river Elbe
2002 European floods
In August 2002 a 100-year flood caused by over a week of continuous heavy rains ravaged Europe, killing dozens, dispossessing thousands, and causing damage of billions of euros in the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Croatia....
in 2002, the German Army Aviation Corps flew countless missions in order to rescue people, strengthening the crumbling dikes and flying in supplies into areas cut-off by the high waters.
Beginning with the transfer of four helicopters to Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in April 2002, the German Army Aviation Corps' mission as part of ISAF
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
started, the units either being based in Afghanistan proper or in neighbouring Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
at the air base of Termez
Termez
Termez is a city in southern Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan.Some link the name of the city to thermos, "hot" in Greek, tracing its name back to Alexander the Great. Others suggest that it came from Sanskrit taramato, meaning "on the river bank". It is the hottest point of Uzbekistan...
. In November 2007 the helicopters moved their base to Mazari Sharif.
Towards then end of 2003, the first Eurocopter Tiger
Eurocopter Tiger
The Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre.-Origins:...
helicopters were delivered for testing and evaluation purposes to the German Army's Office of Defense Technology and Procurement.
In 2005, Eurocopter Tigers were delivered to the Franco-German Training Centre in Le Luc
Le Luc
Le Luc is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Le Luc is the capital of its own canton Canton of Luc.Residents of Luc are called the Lucois....
where the initial pilot training scheme takes place. Delivery to combat units is expected to take place in the second half of 2006. German Army Aviation Corps Attack Helicopter Regiment 26 Franken based in Roth
Roth Air Base
Roth Air Base is located south of the city of Roth in Bavaria, Germany.Planning for a base for the nascent Luftwaffe near Roth started in the mid-1930s. Building works not only for an air base but also for regular barracks started in 1937 and were completed in 1938...
is to be equipped with the Eurocopter Tiger as well as German Army Aviation Corps Attack Helicopter Regiment 36 based in Fritzlar.
During yet another flooding of the river Elbe in April 2006, the German Army Aviation Corps again contributed to the aid of the population by flying numerous SAR missions.
Helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps were part of EUFOR RD Congo
EUFOR RD Congo
EUFOR RD Congo was a short European Union deployment in 2006 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 25 April 2006, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1671 , authorising the temporary deployment of a European Union force to support the United Nations Mission in the...
in support of UN mission MONUC to monitor the general elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. This mission lasted from June 2006 and ended with the last soldiers returning in December of the same year.
In August 2007 helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps were part of the international force assisting the Greek authorities in fighting the catastrophic forest fires
2007 Greek forest fires
The 2007 Greek forest fires were a series of massive forest fires that broke out in several areas across Greece throughout the summer of 2007. The most destructive and lethal infernos broke out on August 23, expanded rapidly and raged out of control until August 27, until they were put out in early...
on the Peloponnese.