Kurt Student
| Kurt Student | |
|---|---|
Kurt Student
|
|
| Born | 12 May 1890 Birkholz, German Empire |
| Died | 1 July 1978 (aged 88) Lemgo, West Germany |
| Allegiance |
|
| Service/branch |
Imperial German Army Reichswehr  Luftwaffe
|
| Years of service | 1910–45 |
| Rank | Generaloberst |
| Commands held |
7th Air Division XI Fliegerkorps 1st Parachute Army |
| Battles/wars |
World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Kurt Student (12 May 1890 – 1 July 1978) was a German paratroop general in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He lost the first major airborne operation of the war, the Battle for The Hague in May 1940. The highest-ranking member of Germany's parachute infantry, Student commanded the Fallschirmjäger throughout World War II. In 1947, Student was tried and convicted of war crimes committed while in command on Crete.
Student entered the Imperial German Army as an officer candidate in 1910 and was commissioned a lieutenant in March 1911. He underwent pilot training in 1913 and served during World War I. In July 1916, he became a charter member of the Fokker Scourge, when he scored his first confirmed victory, forcing Nieuport 11 no. 1324 to land behind German lines. He then served in aerial units of the Third Army on the Western Front, including Jagdstaffel 9 (Jasta 9), which he commanded from 5 October 1916 – 2 May 1917, when he was wounded. He scored six air-to-air victories over French aircraft between 1916 – 1917, with two coming after his wound. He left Jasta 9 on 14 March 1918.
In the immediate post-war years, Student was assigned to military research and development. He became involved in military gliders, since gliding was not forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. He also attended the Red Army Air Forces maneuvres, where he first came in contact with the idea of airborne operations. After Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, the Luftwaffe was secretly reestablished. Student transferred from the Army to the air force and was appointed by Hermann Göring to be the head of its training schools. In July 1938, he was named commander of airborne and air-landing troops, and in September commanding general of the 7th Air Division, Germany's first paratroop division.
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