Josef Kammhuber
| Josef Kammhuber | |
|---|---|
Josef Kammhuber as Inspector of the West German Air Force
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| Born | 19 August 1896 |
| Died | 25 January 1986 (aged 89) Munich |
| Place of burial | Westfriedhof (Munich) |
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| Service/branch | |
| Years of service |
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| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Josef Kammhuber (August 19, 1896 – January 25, 1986) was a career officer in the Luftwaffe and post-World War II German Air Force. During World War II, he was the first general of night fighters in the Luftwaffe.
Kammhuber created the night fighter defense system, the so-called Kammhuber Line, but the detailed knowledge of the system provided to the Royal Air Force by British military intelligence allowed them to render it ineffective. Personal battles between him and Erhard Milch, director of the Reich Air Ministry, led to his dismissal in 1943. After the war, he the joined the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of West Germany.
Kammhuber joined the staff of General Walter Wever, chief of staff of the Luftwaffe prior to World War II.
Kammhuber returned to active duty in February 1939 and was assigned as chief-of-staff of Luftflotte 2. On January 11, 1940, he was reprimanded by Hitler personally because of the Mechelen Incident. He was then transferred to the Western Front where he became commander of KG 51. One 3 June 1940, he flew with the wing on Operation Paula. He was shot down and briefly became a prisoner of war. Kammhuber was released upon the Armistice of 22 June 1940. In July 1940 he was placed in command of coordinating flak, searchlight and radar units at Luftwaffe's General Staff. The result was the 12th Air Corps, a new dedicated night-fighting command. He reached the rank of Generalleutnant by October 1941 and General der Flieger on 1 January 1943.
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