×
Home Intro People Events Equipment Places Maps Books Photos Videos Other Reference FAQ About
     

World War II Database

Milch file photo [7188]

Erhard Milch

SurnameMilch
Given NameErhard
Born30 Mar 1892
Died25 Jan 1972
CountryGermany
CategoryGovernment
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseErhard Milch was born in Wilhelmshaven, Germany to Jewish father Anton Milch and Christian mother Clara Milch (whose maiden name was Rosenau, suggesting possible Jewish ancestry). During WW1, Milch served in the German Army as an artillery officer and then as a pilot flying observation planes. By the end of WW1, he was commanding a squadron. He retired from the German Army in 1920 and formed the small airline company Lloyd Ostflug based out of the free city of Danzig, flying passengers from Danzig to the Baltic States. In 1923, he became the managing director of Danziger Luftpost. In 1925, he became the managing director of Junkers Luftverkehr, overseeing its merger with his previous employer Deutscher Aero Lloyd in 1926. He emerged from this merging as the first managing director of Deutsche Luft Hansa.

ww2dbaseIn 1933, Milch entered government service as the State Secretary of the newly formed Reichsluftfahrtministerium ("Reich Aviation Ministry"), answering to Hermann Göring. He was instrumental in establishing the German Air Force Luftwaffe. In 1935, as anti-Semitism sentiments rose in Nazi Germany, Milch's Jewish ancestry became a topic of discussion. He was investigated by the Gestapo, only getting a break after Göring stated that Milch's biological father was actually another man, Karl Brauer. Milch was able to receive a German Blood Certificate to avoid further troubles from the Gestapo. Göring's famous quote "Wer Jude ist, bestimme ich" (I decide who is a Jew) came out of this incidence.

ww2dbaseAt the rank of general in the Luftwaffe, Milch commanded Luftflotte ("Air Fleet") 5 during the Norwegian campaign. In 1940, he was given the title Air Inspector General and the rank of Field Marshal. He was placed in charge of the production of military aircraft in Germany. In this capacity, his frequent change of requirements was blamed for manufacturers not being able to produce at their full capacity. In 1944, Milch, together with Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler, attempted to convince Adolf Hitler to remove Göring from the top command of the Luftwaffe following the failed invasion of the Soviet Union, but Hitler refused. Göring retaliated by forcing Milch out of his position. For the remainder of the war, he worked under Albert Speer.

ww2dbaseAt the end of the European War, Milch attempted to flee Germany, but was captured on the Baltic coast on 5 May 1945. He surrendered his Field Marshal's baton to Commando-Brigadier Derek Mills-Roberts, who had previously seen the death camp at Bergen-Belsen, and broke the baton over Milch's head.

ww2dbaseIn 1947, Milch was tried at Nuremberg, Germany. He was convicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment at Landsberg prison in Bavaria, Germany. In 1951, his sentence was commuted to 15 years, and in Jun 1954 he was released. He passed away in Düsseldorf, Germany.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Feb 2009

Erhard Milch Interactive Map

Photographs

Milch and Osterkamp, Berlin, Germany, 1934Greater-Berlin Mayor Oskar Maretzky, Milch
See all 25 photographs of Erhard Milch

Erhard Milch Timeline

30 Mar 1892 Erhard Milch was born.
12 Apr 1940 Luftflotte 5 was formed in Hamburg, Germany under the command of Generaloberst Erhard Milch for operations in Norway. Milch would soon establish his headquarters in Oslo, Norway.
25 Aug 1941 Held responsible for the failure of the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, and believing that his superiors had abandoned him, and convinced that his arch rival Inspector General Erhard Milch was plotting his down fall, the normally ebullient Ernst Udet (who was already showing signs of illness through depression and strain) reported sick. His duties were assumed by Milch.
26 May 1943 At Peenemünde, Germany, before Hermann Göring, Erhard Milch, and other top German leaders, an A-4 rocket and a flying bomb were tested. The A-4 rocket flew perfectly, while the flying bomb crashed only after a mile or two of flight.
25 Jan 1972 Erhard Milch passed away.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Richard says:
12 Feb 2009 09:10:53 AM

Its astounding that someone of Jewish descent could have been involved in this although perhaps naive of me.
www.familytreeservice.co.uk
2. Commenter identity confirmed BILL says:
11 May 2009 05:07:32 PM

THINKING ABOUT YOUR OWN NECK, ITS EASY! HE WAS A RAT LIKE ALL THE REST OF THE NAZIS, AND TO HAVE YOUR FIELD MARSHAL BATON BROKEN OVER YOUR HEAD, I GUESS ITS BETTER THAN A SLUG TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD, LIKE SO MANY THOUSANDS GOT, AND THEY WERE GUILTY OF WHAT?BEING A HUMAN BEING! I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE THOUSANDS OR MILLIONS OF NAZIS AT THE END OF WWII? HOW MANY REALLY ESCAPED JUSTICE.............................
3. Anonymous says:
15 Dec 2014 05:52:26 AM

this is so CRAZY

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Change View
Desktop View

Search WW2DB
More on Erhard Milch
Event(s) Participated:
» Invasion of Denmark and Norway
» Nuremberg Trials and Other Trials Against Germany

Erhard Milch Photo Gallery
Milch and Osterkamp, Berlin, Germany, 1934Greater-Berlin Mayor Oskar Maretzky, Milch
See all 25 photographs of Erhard Milch


Famous WW2 Quote
"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You win the war by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country!"

George Patton, 31 May 1944


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!