Robert Ritter von Greim

Robert Ritter von Greim (* June 22nd 1892 with Bayreuth; † May 24th 1945 with Salzburg) was a German officer of the Army and air, named Generalfeldmarschall (marshal) in 1945. It was, after the dismissal of Göring, the last commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe at the end of the Second world war.

Biography

Robert Greim began his military career in 1911, when it integrated, as a candidate, the " railway battalion bavarois". In 1912 it was transferred to the 8th field artillery regiment located at Nuremberg.

After having followed the courses of the school of war of Munich, it regained its regiment with the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant).

First World War

At the beginning of the war, Greim was engaged as an officer of battery within his artillery regiment. In 1915 it obtained a post of aide-de-camp within the 1st section and, the same year, it went voluntary to follow a formation of air observer. At the conclusion of its formation, Greim was useful as an observer in the Fliegerabteilung 3b (section of planes 3b).

In 1916, Greim followed the training of pilot of plane to Schleißheim and it was promoted Oberleutnant (lieutenant) in January 1917. After having obtained its pilot's license, Greim again joined his unit which then carried, following reorganizations, number 46.

As from April 1917 it served within the Jagdstaffel 34 (fighter squadron n°34) and obtained the title of Staffelkapitän (section head) the same year. At the time of a mission in March 1918, Greim succeeded, probably as a first German fighter pilot, to destroy a British tank since the airs.

At the time of the German offensive in spring 1918, Greim ordered several escadrilles. It had obtained 28 air victories meanwhile and was decorated on several occasions, inter alia also with highest German decoration, the order " For Mérite". The October 23rd 1918 it was also decorated with Bavarian decoration with the military Ordre with Max-Joseph , which been worth to him to be anobli and to carry from now on the title of " Ritter von Greim" (knight of Greim).

Interval wars

In 1920 Greim left the active military service with the rank of Hauptmann (captain) and began from the studies of right to the university Ludwig-Maximilian of Munich. At the end of its studies, in 1922, it was engaged by a bank. And as Greim was always very interested by aviation, it took part in air sporting events. In 1924 it went, for one three years duration, in China when it took part in the development of the air force for the nationalist government.

Of return in Germany in 1927, Greim became the principal of piloting of Würzburg.

January 1st 1934, Greim took again service in the Reichswehr, where it was affected initially with the 7th artillery regiment, with the rank of Major (commander).

But, after little time, it was transferred to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (ministry for aeronautics) lately created where it was affected with the secret creation of the squadron of hunting " Richthofen " .

In summer 1935 Greim became inspector of air hunting and on September 1st 1935 it was promoted Oberstleutnant (lieutenant-colonel). The April 20th 1936 it was named Oberst (colonel) and became on the same occasion inspector of air safety and the equipment.

In parallel, Greim occupied a post office with the staff management of the Luftwaffe before becoming about it officially the department head in 1938. February 1st 1938 it was promoted Generalmajor (air major general) and, beginning 1939, it took the command of the 5th air division.

Second world war

In October 1939, after the end of the countryside of Poland, Greim became, with the rank of Generalleutnant (brigadier general air), the commander-in-chief of the 5th air body. After the countryside of the west, it was named General der Flieger (lieutenant-general of air army) the July 19th 1940 and its air body took part then in the Bataille of England. April 1st 1942 Greim was placed at the head of the Luftwaffe on the face of the east and in spring of the following year it was named Generaloberst (general air). In May 1943 the Luftwaffenkommando Ost was famous in Luftflotte 6 (air fleet n°6) and this unit had then charges the air support with it with the " group armies center" ( Heeresgruppe Mitte ).

In July 1943, at the time of the operation Zitadelle, the third and last offensive of summer allemande in Russia, the air fleet of Greim still entered a total of 730 apparatuses. But, following severe losses and with many breakdowns, related to the increasingly problematic provisioning of the spare parts, only 50 planes were still in a position to fly at the beginning of the offensive of Soviet summer of 1944, with the result that the Luftwaffe did not have almost anything any more to oppose to the enemy.

The April 23rd 1945, Hitler dislocated Hermann Göring of all his functions. The April 26th, whereas Berlin was already encircled by the Russian troops, Greim was taken along, in a plane manually-controlled by Hanna Reitsch, near the Führer which named it, as a successor of Göring, commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe and the rank of Generalfeldmarschall gave him (marshal).

A few days later, Greim was captured in the south of the Germany by American who took it along to Salzburg. There he learned that American envisaged to deliver it to Russian, which pushed it to commit suicide the May 24th 1945.

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