Hitler's Squadron: The Fuehrer's Personal Aircraft and Transportation Unit

Adolf Hitler was the first head of state to have his own personal pilot and airplane. His interest in aviation as a propaganda weapon as well as transportation led him to order the establishment of a special air squadron, the Fliegerstaffel des Fuehrers. To command this unique unit, he chose Hans Baur, veteran World War I combat ace and pioneering airline pilot. During the 1930s and World War II, the Fuehrer's own pilot and special aircraft flew the famous and the infamous. Baur flew Hitler, his inner circle and visiting dignitaries throughout Europe, to Hitler's secret headquarters and to the far-flung battlefields of the Eastern Front. The aircraft used in the squadron were the Junkers Ju 52/2m, D-2600, the Focke-Qulf FW200 Condor and the Junkers Ju 290, a true "flying fortress". Sweeting discusses the wartime history of these types of aircraft beyond their service in Hitler's squadron, including their full combat role. Other topics in the book include an explanation of complex German aircraft numbering systems and designations, German civilian and military pilot licensing, a secret wartime plan to link Germany and Japan by a secure air corridor, and facts about Hitler's hidden headquarters behind the front in Russia.

C.G. Sweeting
Softcover large format 192 pages