Blue air raid protection
As Blue air raid was passive air protection in Switzerland during World War II because of the blue Over clothes and uniforms colloquially. The civilian local air raid protection was unarmed and could be supported by the military air raid troops.
history
Based on the experiences during the First World War ( air bombing and chemical attacks ), the Federal Council set up a mixed commission in 1928 to examine various suggestions received from the International Red Cross ( ICRC recommendation to the governments to protect the population against chemical warfare ) to create a Swiss air defense.
On September 29, 1934, the Federal Assembly adopted the Federal Decree (based on Article 85 of the Federal Constitution) on passive air defense of the civilian population and immediately put it into force as urgent. The resolution contained measures against the threat from aircraft and war gas. The federal decree formed the basis for women's participation in civil air protection.
In 1936 the department for passive air defense was created, which was subordinate to the Federal Military Department and was headed by Eduard von Waldkirch until 1945 .
With the ordinance of the Federal Council of January 29, 1935, all Swiss villages with more than 3000 inhabitants were obliged to form local air protection organizations. In addition, there were places that, according to the assessment of the General Staff of the Army, would be particularly exposed to air attacks (quarters of higher staffs, army stockpiles, transport hubs, strategic military situation, important industries). In towns with more than 40,000 inhabitants, the local air raid protection should be 5–15 per thousand, in smaller towns 15–40 per thousand. Larger industrial companies, hospitals, public administration buildings and licensed companies, structural air protection and road traffic regulations had to organize a similarly prescribed air protection of their own.
Swiss nationals were recruited for local air raid protection who, in the event of general mobilization, neither had to do military service nor were indispensable due to their official civil status. The individual branches of the local air raid protection should show the following percentage of the total stock:
- Bars and connection 5%
- Alarm and observation (aviator observation post, public alert ) 5%
- Police with auxiliary police (review of ordered measures such as darkening , guarding air raids, defense against acts of sabotage) 16%
- Fire brigade with auxiliary fire brigade (war fire brigade, fire protection, clearing out, fire water supply) 40%
- Medical (rescue of injured persons, first aid, treatment) 18%
- Chemical service (detection of toxins, detoxification) 8%
- Technical service (debris clearance, damage repair) 8%.
In total, more than 70,000 people were assigned and trained in the local air raid protection department in 1939.
Each air protection member received uniform blue overalls, a coat, a belt, a steel helmet, a hat and a gas mask as personal equipment. The troops had corps material with protective suits, rebreather devices and special material from the various branches of service. Half of the equipment costs were covered by the federal government and the cantons and communes.
With the Federal Council resolution of September 21, 1951, the members of the local air raid protection formations were integrated into the military air raid troops.
With the message of the Federal Council of 1961 on a federal law on civil protection , the previous combined solution (civil protection organizations with assistance from air raid troops) was retained.
See also
Web links
- Christoph Flury: Civil Defense. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- Hans Speck: Netstaler air raid protection company during World War II
- City of Zurich: Chronicle of civil protection 1939-1949
- NZZ of April 10, 2011: The Cold War is also coming to an end in the basement
- Stein am Rhein: Bombing on February 22, 1945
- Liestal: In order to confuse possible invaders, all signposts have been removed.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jürg Burlet: Swiss National Museums. The Collection magazine, volume 2006–2007
- ^ The air raid troops. In: Swiss soldier. Monthly magazine for the army and cadres with FHD newspaper. Volume 15, Issue 3 1939-1940
- ↑ Message from the Federal Council to the Federal Assembly on a federal law on civil protection (6 October 1961)