HJ naval helper

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The articles Luftwaffe Helpers , Flak Helpers and HJ Marine Helpers overlap thematically. Help me to better differentiate or merge the articles (→  instructions ) . To do this, take part in the relevant redundancy discussion . Please remove this module only after the redundancy has been completely processed and do not forget to include the relevant entry on the redundancy discussion page{{ Done | 1 = ~~~~}}to mark. 92.194.124.51 18:32, Feb. 27, 2015 (CET)

The HJ naval helpers were underage auxiliaries in the German navy who were deployed in active arms service during the Second World War . The specific organizational form arose from the previously founded units of the Hitler Youth Air Force helpers , the so-called flak helpers . Despite their common origin, these units were not subordinate to the Air Force . This concerned not only the training and instruction times during the ordered forced service on the weapon , but also included a wide range of tasks for combating sea ​​targets . Naval helpers were under the sole authority of the Kriegsmarine. In contrast to the Luftwaffe helpers, who, depending on the location of their respective flak batteries, were deployed exclusively in the Reich territory, the area of ​​operations of the navy helpers encompassed almost the entire coastal region of the German Reich and the occupied areas with a total length of almost 3,000 kilometers. At the end of the war, naval helpers were also used in combat against Allied ground forces.

Legal basis and history of naval helpers

Parallel to the HJ air force helpers , the legal basis was the Emergency Service Ordinance of October 15, 1938, in which the naval helpers were not explicitly mentioned. The increasing duration of the war and especially the high losses on the Eastern Front up to the winter of 1941/42 forced the German army command to develop new personnel reserves (see human material ). The increase in army strength through the recruitment and deployment of soldiers from allied states could not be satisfactory in the long term. The hour of birth of the “Flakhelfer”, tens of thousands of teenagers at German schools and grammar schools, goes back to mid-1942. The flak helpers were initially assigned exclusively to the Air Force. Erich Raeder soon chalked up this grievance on a massive scale. Hermann Göring , however, categorically refused to make "his" air force helpers available to other parts of the armed forces, so that the chief of the high command of the armed forces, Wilhelm Keitel, called a conference on December 14, 1942, during which Göring had the chief of air defense announced that he was have "reconsidered" the problem and am now ready to make concessions regarding a naval flak. Raeder himself was not satisfied with Göring's verbal promise and demanded that the wording of the “Decree for the Air Force Flak Helpers”, which had been created specifically for this purpose, be legally changed. The word "Luftwaffe" should be deleted from the heading and in § 1 of the decree and supplemented by the word: "Wehrmacht". Section 5 of the decree was also fundamentally changed in favor of the navy. After his unsuccessful protest, Raeder broached the question of junior staff in general. Eventually Hitler stepped in and gave in to Raeder's insistence during a lecture at the Fuehrer's headquarters on December 22, 1942. This was the hour of birth of the naval aides.

Despite the agreement reached, difficulties soon arose. On the one hand, the Navy wanted to profit from the freed "human material", which it had achieved. On the other hand, the withdrawal of the young people to naval flak led to a drastic drop in the number of marines for the fleet. The same applied to the offspring of officers in the submarine fleet. Until the end of the war, the navy lacked young talent and enough helpers.

Creation of the addition "HJ"

On October 20, 1942, a representative of the Reich Aviation Ministry announced in a service meeting that the intention was to use the secondary schools in 1926 and 1927 to help with the Air Force, during which school lessons should be suspended. But then the Minister of Education protested vigorously and called for a kind of " duality " to be created. In addition to their service at the flak, the students should also be able to attend modified and stripped-down lessons. In the letter skirmish that followed, the word was used for the first time: Flak helper . Only later was it finally agreed on the term: Air Force or Navy helper . Now the Reich Youth Leader Artur Axmann demanded the addition HJ for these units, since all boys and girls between the ages of ten and eighteen belonged to his Reich Youth. On September 8, 1943, after renewed pressure from Axmann, an agreement was finally reached on the addition:

  • HJ Air Force Flak Helpers and
  • HJ naval anti-aircraft helper.

Despite the success of the Navy with regard to the distribution of flak helpers, the army did not have its own "Army flak helpers" until the end of the war. In addition to the deployed flak helpers of the Luftwaffe, there was also a third "special form" of flak defense, the so-called home flak cartillery, which had been founded from the workforce of particularly important armaments companies. Examples are the Leunawerke , the Bayerische Motorwerke , the Porsche-Werke and the Thyssen-Krupp-Werke .

Wearing the swastika armband

As a side effect of the HJ addition, all HJ flak helpers, regardless of whether they were marine or air force, had to wear their HJ armband , even though the service at the weapon had nothing to do with the Hitler Youth. In addition, the service on the flak took place at the expense of the Hitler Youth service (flag roll calls, etc.), because the responsible Hitler Youth leaders and offices quasi "boycotted" the Hitler Youth service. Since those drafted into the flak with Hitler Youth armbands were now treated as "soldiers", the majority of those affected no longer put on these armbands when they left the house or took them off secretly at the next street corner. However, this was a criminal offense. Such violations were reported to the next line manager by overzealous Hitler Youth Pimpfen of the Hitler Youth patrol service , who were a few years younger than the flak helpers. The Reichsjugendführung felt compelled to intervene because of the negligently executed or refused Hitler salute and stipulated in writing that the HJ armbands were to be worn by all flak helpers, but that they could exceptionally be taken off if they were due to possible contamination during the flak service " unsightly ”.

Classification, recruiting numbers and duties of the naval helpers

Classification

The units of the naval helpers can be roughly divided into two large groups. The first wave of recruiting concerned those born in 1926 and 1927. After a period of 13 months they went regularly to the Reich Labor Service and then joined the Wehrmacht as soldiers. Groups born in 1928 or later also had to commence their service as flak helpers and spent their entire service time with the flak until the end of the war, but were in some places still appointed regular artillery soldiers in the last days of the war (see also international legal treatment of flak helpers ).

Recruitment numbers

For the year 1943, the Reich Minister for Science, Education and Public Education, Bernhard Rust , spoke of around 90,000 young people who would be eligible for service as flak helpers. How many of them actually served as naval aides cannot be determined. The year 1944 then brought another 58,000 young people. No figures were available for the months from January to May 1945, since at the end of September 1944 it was decided to set up the Volkssturm and thus all young people who had not yet been recorded were affected by this regulation. Cautious estimates now assume that around 200,000 air force and naval helpers had been deployed between their first deployment in February 1943 and the end of the war. With an average flak operation of nine men, this corresponds to approx. 22,000 flak positions.

tasks

So far, the erroneous assumption has been made that air force helpers, regardless of whether they were with the air force or the navy, were only used on the flak batteries. This also applies to the majority of the helpers, but the naval helpers in particular were also employed in the command staff of some units. In addition, they were used in property and guard protection of ammunition or food stores, as supply or reporters , but also for guard protection of foreign forced laborers , in telephone service, office room service or in the flight reporting service . Their assignment of tasks was usually based on the physical and mental aptitude of the helper. It was expressly forbidden to use the helpers for menial work, such as in the kitchen, casino and cleaning service.

Training and deployment locations for HJ naval helpers

Training locations

The training locations of the naval helpers were largely identical to the locations where they were deployed. However, some courses, but also entire training units, took place on the sailing training ship Gorch Fock .

Locations

The deployment locations extended to the entire German coastal area in which the air force was subordinate to the Navy, ie in the near coastal areas with an associated narrow strip of land. But this sometimes led to a confusion of competence, especially in the Hanseatic cities of Hamburg and Bremen . Both air force and naval helpers were deployed in these cities, so that some anti-aircraft batteries “had to” combat air targets for which they were not actually responsible. In such "parallel missions" there were also disputes and envy about the recognition of possible kill figures, which were considered objects of prestige for both naval and air force helpers. Usually, however, the naval helpers were responsible for the protection of airfields and ports, but also for securing shipping lines. Of all the flak helpers deployed, the naval helpers on the North Sea coast were given the worst of all lots. While there were anti-aircraft batteries in the interior of the empire which did not fire a single shot during the entire war, the naval helpers on the North Sea coasts were exposed to an almost constant air alarm. This was due to the fact that the allied bomber units on their way to targets in Germany inevitably had to cross the flak positions of the coastal batteries, but also fought them specifically. Hence, this is where the most casualties were made. The naval helpers fared particularly badly on Heligoland , where bomb attacks took place several times. The following events are representative of the fate of many other flak positions:

Attack on Heligoland

A bomb crater of a 5,000 kg bomb on Heligoland

By mid-April 1945, the naval flak batteries on Heligoland had an above-average high level of alert and operational readiness. Up until the end of the war there were an average of seven to nine air alarms per night for the 150 naval helpers stationed here. Of these, 50 high school students came from Schleswig-Holstein and 100 high school students from East Prussia . These were supervised by five teachers. On April 18, 1945, the long-awaited major attack on the island took place. From 12.25 p.m. to 1.50 p.m. the attack took place with around 1,000 to 1,200 bombers ( Fortress and Liberator ), which flew towards the island from the west, northwest and north. The situation on the island had been confused before. Among other things, it had been planned to attach a white sheet to the lighthouse and to take the fortress commanders and officers into custody. However, the plan was betrayed and 18 SS men reached Heligoland before the attack . However, the planned arrest of 15 people, including naval helpers, could no longer be carried out because the major attack had begun. Heligoland was bombed for almost two hours in several approaches. 95% of the houses were destroyed and around 80 naval helpers lost their lives, including 40 high school students from the Schröder battery , which also had 34 seriously injured. The persecution of the mutiny on Heligoland was resumed on April 20, 1945. However , it was not possible to ship them to Cuxhaven to be sentenced , so that those affected had to remain on the island until May 8, 1945 without a drinking water supply. They were given the task of patching up the guns and helping with the clean-up work. On May 11th, the naval helpers were taken from the island in a convoy and taken to an internment camp in Freiberg on the Elbe.

Air force helper in Auschwitz

Air raid on Auschwitz on September 13, 1944

It is known from correspondence that air force flak helpers from Hamburg and their entire teaching staff were relocated to the vicinity of Auschwitz concentration camp in the summer of 1944 in order to defend the airspace there. The relocated anti-aircraft battery took up its position about six kilometers from Auschwitz in the Bobrek Monastery (today Bytomia), as the quarters in Auschwitz were overcrowded by members of the Waffen SS and other armed forces. The air force helpers there saw themselves not only exposed to air attacks, but also a constant risk of partisans . These were fed by the rumor of an imminent "Polish Uprising", which was expected at any time. However, the flak battery also fought against the poor hygienic conditions of their accommodation: after a short time, most of the flak helpers fell ill with gastrointestinal infections. A supervisor died from flu . After the battery boss forbade drinking water from the nearby well, the battery was taken over by IG Farben . Whether the flak helpers knew about the mass extermination or kept silent out of fear cannot be conclusively determined. So far, no fundamental research work or documentation is available on the subject of “Air Force Aid in Auschwitz”. A supervisor of the flak battery concerned complained in writing to the responsible school director in Hamburg that it was "unpleasant" that thousands of convicts and inmates of the nearby concentration camp were employed as field and road workers and that their presence caused a kind of "discomfort" at the battery triggered ... A lesson was no longer possible due to the constant air alarms. Therefore, the battery was again ordered to Breslau in mid-September 1944. So far, the following confirmed air strikes on Auschwitz, in which naval and / or air force helpers were also involved, have been documented:

  • 1st attack: 4th / 5th May 1943 (Soviet bombing, no significant damage)
  • 2nd attack: August 20, 1944 (American bomb attack targeting IG Farbindustrie Auschwitz)
  • 3rd attack: September 13, 1944 (American bomb attack targeting IG Farbindustrie Auschwitz)
  • 4th attack: December 18, 1944 (American bomb attack targeting IG Farbindustrie Auschwitz)
  • 5th attack: January 19, 1945 (American bombing raid)

Naval flakings

Gun technology and devices

The training and the later use of the HJ naval helpers took place, among other things, on the most famous anti-aircraft gun of the Second World War, the 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun . Although the "88s" were used in the ranks of the naval helpers, the majority of them were used on the 10.5 cm Flak 38. Other training and operational anti-aircraft guns were:

Standard artillery weapons and equipment

Other artillery weapons / artillery prey weapons

An 8.5 cm anti-aircraft gun of Soviet design from 1939 was feared by the naval helpers themselves. The caliber size of this cannon was subsequently drilled out in order to be able to use it with the German anti-aircraft shells of the "88s", so that in many cases an irregular cannon caliber resulted, which caused dangerous " pipe crackers " with long sustained fire or with too high a rate of fire . Several statements by former naval and air force helpers prove such incidents with fatal results in the ranks of the operating team.

Gun operation using the example of the 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun

On the 8.8 cm anti-aircraft cannon , 9 anti-aircraft helpers were usually deployed as an operating team for the following tasks (K = gunner):

  • K1: Elevation gunner
  • K2: side gunner
  • K3: loading gunner
  • K4: ammunition gunner
  • K5: ammunition gunner
  • K6: ignition plate
  • K7: ammunition gunner
  • K8: ammunition gunner
  • K9: Flak commander

Melee weapons

The standard close combat weapons of the naval helpers were:

However, there were also outdated and partly unusable prey weapons from French, Soviet and Czech stocks in the ranks of the naval helpers , which were mostly either used as training weapons or for teaching purposes. Towards the end of the war, naval helpers were trained in various batteries, including flamethrowers and bazookas . From this point on, weapons training was also more and more focused on artillery ground combat. The anti-aircraft guns were used primarily for targeted anti-tank combat and, if mobile, also for infantry support.

Headlight devices

The searchlights were irreplaceable for the members of the HJ-Marine helpers, but also for the Luftwaffe anti-aircraft helpers for the fulfillment of their tasks. The following headlight types were used in the context of the missions :

  • 60-cm searchlight
  • 150 cm guide lights type 34 and 37
  • 200 cm headlight (with self-regulating invert high-performance direct current lamp with a current of 450 amps at 110 volts)

The headlight units were not only used to brighten up the airspace, but were also used specifically by air force helpers as glare headlights to dazzle deep-attacking pilots due to the lack of other close combat weapons. Confirmed crashes of allied pilots are due to these "glare attacks". These units were summarized under the heading: headlight batteries.

Other devices

Command auxiliary device 35
  • Command device 40
  • Command auxiliary device 35
  • Flak evaluation device Malsi type 41 to 43 (named after Major Malsi, who was significantly involved in the construction of the machine in Rerik )
  • Mecke table
The Mecke table was the counterpart to the Malsi corrector used by air force helpers. It consisted of a circular board that could be rotated around a center using a hand crank. The focus was on the flak battery. The table itself was divided into grid squares, so the locations of the attacking machines could be shown at any time.

Notice of draft and draft

"I promise to do my duty as an air force helper at all times, faithfully and obediently, brave and ready for action, as befits a Hitler Youth."

This was the form of commitment for the Hitler Youth Air Force helpers , although the word Air Force helpers was of course changed for the Navy helpers. The obligation took place at the deployment sites (batteries) by order of the commander by an officer and in the presence of a Hitler Youth area leader. The obligation was to be carried out in a dignified manner. With the draft notice previously received, the prospective naval flak helpers received a leaflet analogous to the air force helpers, in which under "General orders" it was required to comply with the notice of appeal and to prove prevention due to illness with a doctor's certificate. The list of items to be brought with you contained not only items for daily use (replacement clothing, hygiene items) but also “1 padlock (if available)” and “writing and sewing tools”.

HJ air force resp. HJ naval helpers received a "notification card" in postcard format on arrival at the scene of action to be forwarded to their parents. In practice, apart from the home students, this gesture was almost useless, since most of the naval and air force volunteers were stationed in the immediate vicinity. When changing the position of the battery, however, the card was not available.

The police registration authorities and the food card office were to be informed if home students were deployed abroad.

The service as a naval helper and as an air force helper was considered to be the fulfillment of youth service obligations . Supervision was the responsibility of the Reich Youth Leadership. The deployment of the flak helpers also had to be planned and carried out according to their level of development. Incidentally, the budding flak helpers were only drafted "in classes"; they were deployed in the immediate vicinity of the previous school location.

Medical preliminary examination and classification

Before they were called in, the future naval helpers concerned were checked for the first time by the health authorities in their hometowns by youth doctors for possible infectious diseases and obvious unsuitability. Anyone who was not suitable for light office work was considered unsuitable as a naval helper. These then had to be put back. The second aptitude test for the young people was carried out immediately by the troop doctors on site. The suitability certificates of the Hitler Youth were used for this. The result of the examination could be as follows:

  • usable (v.)
  • limited usability (bv)
  • temporarily unusable (z. vu.)
  • unusable (vu.)

Prospective helpers with the note z. vu. and vu. were to be deferred and immediately dismissed by the disciplinary superior. As the end of the war approached, however, these "unfit for military service" were also "pressed" into service as flak helpers.

Daily schedule as well as rights and duties of a marine helper

Flak shelters near Rellingen
Marine helper training plan
The flak combat badge was also awarded to members of the flak helpers
A common sight for the naval helpers; a flak battery in firing position

The information available was taken from the leaflet that the helpers received with their draft notice. It applies to both navy and air force helpers. The same applies to the internal document also used on the use of air force helpers (file number 11 b No. 1/43), as the instructions there were also used for naval helpers.

Morning roll call

The day always began with the same ritual for the navy helper (and air force helper), the morning roll call. They had to line up outside of their accommodation in uniform and then marched as one group to the roll call area. Always carry a flag of the Hitler Youth. During the march, the usual battle songs were sung together with a marching band. The appeal was then opened with the song “Heilig Vaterland”. In the subsequent reading by the site leader, the new order of the day was announced and ended with further chants. Afterwards the march back to the starting point followed by going to school.

School attendance

The HJ naval helpers were not permanently deployed to their flak positions, but, like their comrades in the HJ air force helpers, had to attend the school at least 18 hours a week, which was run by their old teachers, but only after a 4-week training unit. The school took place in the immediate vicinity of the flak position, mostly in makeshift barracks. In practice, however, it was sometimes impossible to run the school, especially after anti-aircraft missions last night, which could sometimes last into the morning. The hours after that, the naval helpers first had to clean the flak weapons and wait for the next use. During the day, too, as the war continued, there was an air alarm and the little remaining time besides maintaining the weapons was used by the naval helpers to sleep and rest or for combat exercises. The lessons were carried out until the young person had passed his school leaving examination, with simpler assessment criteria than with a regular school leaving certificate. 6th grade pupils who had been drafted as flak helpers from March 1943 were dismissed from school service with a diploma.

Back office and leisure activities

The back office was rather sparse for most naval helpers, even though they were allowed to go out until 9 p.m. In addition to school, maneuvering exercises and the hours of mandatory cleaning of weapons, there were also numerous air raid alarms, so that the naval helper had very little time to pursue meaningful leisure activities. The efforts of the Reich Youth Leadership to fill the remaining free time with physical exercise, etc., were again thwarted by the daily work at the weapon. The Reich Youth Leadership at least provided for the supply of literature or, if not available, provided people's receivers for radio broadcasts and music.

accommodation

The accommodations provided for the naval helpers as well as for the air force flak helpers were sparse, but were made available free of charge by the navy and air force. In addition to the usual bedrooms, there were also day or craft rooms. Both the training rooms and the quarters consisted mostly of simple wooden barracks or brick buildings and offered little protection in the event of a bomb attack. In more fortified facilities, flak helpers were quartered in underground bunkers or flak towers made of concrete. In northern Germany, which is more rural, there were fortified stone houses near flak positions or temporary bunkers built by the Todt Organization , but these were mostly used by higher-ranking officials. Incidentally, the regular soldiers of the Wehrmacht, if they were on duty in parallel with flak helpers in an anti-aircraft battery, were expressly forbidden to enter the rooms of the flak helpers, except on official orders. The purpose of this instruction can no longer be clarified.

Orders and decorations

The naval and air force helpers were honored with the following awards:

In addition, according to contemporary witness reports, there were also public commendations in front of the assembled team. For example, a naval helper for the downing of a fighter plane a chocolate bar. Occasionally, however, there were also certificates of recognition from the commanders.

Medical care and compulsory insurance

The medical care of the naval and air force helpers was incumbent on the troop doctors on site, i.e. either the doctors of the air force or the navy. The social security of the naval and air force helpers was based on the regulations for those in need.

Care and care for wounded

If the naval or air force helper was injured or damaged as a result of his service or deployment, he was granted care and support in accordance with the Personal Injury Ordinance of October 10, 1940.

Personal papers

Personnel logs, assessment notes and the health booklet were kept by the competent authorities via both naval and air force helpers. Assessments should be made at least once a year or upon leaving the service. Disciplinary sanctions, however, were not listed in the final assessment.

vacation

Both naval and air force helpers were given 14 days' vacation twice a year (a total of 28 days) plus any arrival days if the young person had a longer journey to and from their parents. Local helpers were allowed to visit their parents for several hours a week. With the approval of the unit leader, one was allowed to stay at home from time to time. In order to avoid resentment among the home students, they were given preferential weekend leave with their parents.

Food and remuneration

In principle, the meals of the flak helpers were free and took place according to the troop feed rates of the Wehrmacht. In addition, the young naval helpers were regularly supplied with "food packages" by their parents or were able to bring them with them from a home visit. The consumption of alcohol and tobacco portions was prohibited in the camp barracks and in public. It was suggested that the young people should be provided with vitamin drops or sweets through their parents' home instead. In addition, all flak helpers received a daily severance payment of 0.50 Reichsmarks and, if they left the flak helper service, 15 Reichsmarks for every commenced month of service after the age of 16.

Disciplinary penalty and its enforcement

For all naval helpers under the age of 18, as for air force helpers, the following disciplinary rules applied:

  • § 1 Disciplinary violations are:
  1. Intentional and negligent violations (acts and omissions) against discipline and order that are not covered by any criminal law,
  2. Violations of criminal law if they are not punished by a court.
  • § 2 Disciplinary penalties are:
  1. Reference,
  2. Strict reprimand,
  3. Out-of-order work for one or more days, at most 3 days,
  4. Withdrawal of the free disposal of the cash payment up to 1 month,
  5. Exit restriction or exit ban for up to 4 weeks,
  6. Barracks arrest (by the hour or by the day) for up to 10 days.
  • § 3 The following can be imposed:
  1. In addition to barracks arrest: withdrawal of the free disposal of the cash remuneration, exit restriction or exit ban, alone or side by side,
  2. In addition to exit restrictions: withdrawal of free disposal of the cash remuneration.

In the case of naval helpers, the disciplinary superior was responsible for pronouncing penalties at least in the rank of first lieutenant in the sea , in the case of members of the air force in the rank of squadron commander . He was able to issue exit bans for up to five days and seven days of barracks arrest. Any further penalties (up to the maximum) were imposed by the group commander. So-called “criminal records” were kept for this purpose. The assessment of the severity of the offense - possibly mitigating the penalty - depended on the age of the Hitler Youth, but also concerned cases of youthful exuberance. Strict reprimands were issued publicly in front of the assembled unit. An arrest to be imposed was from waking up to the tattoo, whereby the Hitler Youth was locked in his room for the time being. During this time he was also not allowed to be engaged in official or useful (criminal) work. Disciplinary punishments, however, were not communicated to the Reich Labor Service or the Armed Forces services after a dismissal as a marine or air force helper .

Examples of disciplinary proceedings

At the turn of the year 1943/1944, 16 naval helpers were charged with eavesdropping on enemy transmitters and degrading military strength in a naval flak department on Wangerooge . Although most of the helpers got off lightly, two members of the Navy received prison terms of up to nine months. Other procedures ended with the immediate evacuation to the front for some naval helpers, which meant death for many victims.

Uniforms and promotions

Uniformity

All naval helpers wore the uniform of the Marine HJ , a dark blue uniform with a double row button, as was customary in the Kriegsmarine, and their other HJ badges and traditional arm triangles also with dark blue undergarments. On the epaulettes was centered a stylized anchor, the symbol of the Navy, be woven into yellow threads. On top of it rested a small anti-aircraft grenade with wings on both sides, also woven in yellow. The collar tabs were light blue, but kept empty. The dress uniform consisted, in the sense of the Navy, of the overalls, with the boat serving as headgear. On the left forearm of the uniform there was a light blue sleeve band with the yellow embroidered inscription: Marinehelfer or Marine Oberhelfer . Like the Hitler Youth armband mentioned above, it was usually removed again after leaving the base. In addition, for the female naval helpers, who were there to a small extent, a special sleeve was issued with the inscription: Navy helper . For members of the Navy helper and the Navy Hitler Youth there were numerous cap ribbons such as the inscription: Maritime Vocational School, Reichsseesportschule and sailing training ship Horst Wessel . Arm bands with braids are also known .

Transports and their marking

The ranks of the HJ naval helpers comprised, as with their counterpart, the air force helpers, only two ranks, on the one hand the naval helper, on the other hand the naval helper. With good leadership and performance, however, the promotion to senior naval helper could only take place after 9 months (of 13 months of service) and was usually given by the next disciplinary superior. Once promotions were given, they could not be revoked. It was expressly regulated that a "superior relationship" between senior helper and helper did not arise through the promotion , so the senior helper did not gain any authority over his subordinates. The only distinguishing feature, which identified the victims as marine shells helper was simultaneously handed out to the carriage Ärmelband marine shells helper An extension of the shoulder straps or the like did not exist.

Well-known naval helpers

Treatment of anti-aircraft workers under international law

The question of whether the naval and air force helpers were to be regarded as combatants within the meaning of the international law of the Hague Convention was already known to the Army High Command when it was founded and led to several legal reports being commissioned to clarify this. In a report by Professor Bruns it was stated, among other things:

International law makes the right to participate in hostilities dependent on the external appearance of the combatants. According to Article 1 of the Land War Regulations, the provisions of which are applicable to the present war as principles of common international law regardless of the all-participation clause (Article 2 of the IV. Hague Agreement of October 18, 1907), the armies of those waging war as well as the Militias and Volunteer Corps provided that

  1. someone at their head who is responsible for his subordinates,
  2. they wear a specific badge that can be recognized from a distance,
  3. they wield their arms openly and
  4. they observe the laws and customs of war in their ventures.

The state law (of the country that is at war) determines who is a soldier or who is not. International law then has to recognize this “internal” regulation and to regard those groups as legitimate fighters. As a result, members of the Wehrmacht who took part in the fighting in civilian clothes did not fall under the protection of the Hague Agreement. Applied to the naval and air force helpers, this meant:

  1. The air force and naval helpers were deployed in small groups in units of the German Wehrmacht, always headed by a commander,
  2. the air force and naval helpers took part in combat operations by the German armed forces,
  3. to the enemy who fought this unit, they were recognizable as members of the armed forces.

Although the treatment of flak helpers in German military law had a special position, initially nothing changed in their position under international law. However, it was explicitly stated in this report that the flak helpers did not fight in the usual uniforms of the Wehrmacht, but in the HJ pilot uniforms or HJ naval uniforms. Under international law, these uniforms were clearly classified as civilian clothing, which meant that the Hague Convention could not apply to the members of the flak helpers. According to the expert opinion, however, a distinction between fighters and civilians was, according to the general opinion, to be limited to the visual range of the naked eye . Although the flak helpers wore their swastika armbands and corresponding marks, it was not clear whether they could be clearly identified from a distance of eyes. The report therefore listed the steel helmet of the German Wehrmacht as further evidence and stipulated that the German soldier would be clearly recognizable as such . But here too, Reich Minister of the Interior Wilhelm Frick raised doubts, as the steel helmets were also used by civil authorities, e.g. B. were used by the Reich fire brigade and air raid protection ... Instead, he suggested that the affected flak helpers be clearly marked as combatants with a yellow armband. However, Hitler refused this on July 20, 1943. The status of the air force helpers remained unclear until the end of the war. In the Luftwaffe and the Navy, however, most flak helpers were appointed regular flak soldiers before surrendering or giving up their position and were given their pay book (instead of the Luftwaffe or Navy ID). The Kriegsmarine also appointed naval helpers as naval artillerymen on a larger scale, but stamped the back of the naval ID with a specially made stamp that bore the inscription: The holder of this ID belongs as a naval helper to an auxiliary corps of the German Navy within the meaning of Article 1 The Hague Land Warfare Regulations of 1907 . Meanwhile, some naval auxiliaries were on the eastern front after eyewitness accounts summarily by the Red Army as guerrillas shot.

End of war

Towards the end of the war, anti-aircraft bombardment of bombers and fighter pilots was severely restricted in many places among naval helpers, and even officially prohibited in order to conserve the increasingly scarce supplies of ammunition. The remaining grenades were instead used to combat land targets. The Coast Commander Middle Baltic Sea Rear Admiral Joachim Plath stated in a report for the period from 7th to 13th October 1944 that so far "only" 13 aircraft, including the Ilyushin Il-2 type, had been shot down by the naval flak, but the same Period 53 Red Army tanks plus several anti-tank guns and assault guns were successfully fought. In the best case scenario, the actual end of the war, with a corresponding “mild” superior, was unproblematic for the young people. Most of the naval aides were officially released from flak service in the last April / May days of 1945 and returned home as civilians. Others simply left the scene without permission due to a lack of command and stripped of their uniforms. Still other naval aides had nothing more to do and, waiting for the end of the war (and beyond), received awards from their superior officers. For example, on May 18, 1945, eight members of the naval helpers on Wangerooge who were in the Saline flak position were awarded the Iron Cross II class and the flak combat badge by their coastal commander . So while the navy in the coastal strip of Germany on the western front laid down their weapons in a more or less orderly manner, the eastern front was still directly engaged in tough warfare. Since February / March 1945, the flak batteries there have only been about survival. Due to high casualties and a lack of close combat weapons, most of the flak positions that were still held by naval helpers on individual coastal strips ( Courland , East Prussia ) were simply overrun and / or completely wiped out by the Red Army. With a lot of luck, a few naval helpers (including the wounded) could be evacuated by sea ​​from Koenigsberg and Danzig and thus escape destruction. In most cases, the remaining naval helpers were not treated by the Red Army as irregulars, but as regular Wehrmacht soldiers. This did not protect them, although they were minors, from being a Soviet prisoner of war for several years. Those who were able to make their way to the German lines by land remained in many places in the ranks of the German Volkssturm until the end of the war.

Others

Complaints from a battery boss

The often close involvement of the young people's helpers with their place of residence also brought unexpected difficulties. For example, the (Luftwaffe) Flak Battery L51 704 in Helmstedt ( Harz ) received numerous requests from parents who wanted to bring their sons home over the weekend or requested days off because of “urgent family” problems. The responsible battery boss then banned the parents concerned from telephoning vacation requests in a circular and complained that half of all parents sent their underage sons cigarettes (a sign that the private mail was opened by the official authorities). Anti-aircraft helpers who were caught with a cigarette in their mouths or who turned up late for anti-aircraft missions with a half-smoked cigarette received severe disciplinary punishments. The last complaint from the battery boss was about sick leave. As an example, he cited that an anti-aircraft helper was dismissed as healthy and fit for duty by a military doctor on February 3rd, but was again on sick leave the next day, February 4th, by another doctor. The fact that the flak helpers, but also the parents, were able to use any means to “free” their offspring from service with the flak, could only be changed inadequately by the end of the war.

Marine aides word phrases and command messages

In addition to the so-called national language , the naval helpers also had their own internal language, which was derived from the general language jargon of the time or simply resulted from the short version of a word that was too long. Allied bomber attacks were called Thommy attacks , although the correct spelling could not be clearly clarified even then. Soviet air and later ground offensives were titled Iwan , parallel to the Wehrmacht concept . There were also a number of shortcuts for operating the gun, for example:

  • Pipe free! - Confirmation of the loading gunners, after checking the flak tube for " gunshot "
  • Open fire! - Order from the flak commander to the flak battery to open fire
  • Salvage act! - Order of the flak commander to the flak to accelerate the firing sequence (see also salvo )
  • Gun continuous fire! - Order of the flak commander for an uninterrupted sequence of fire
  • Barrage ! - Command of the flak commander to move attacking aircraft / tanks to turn away in order to protect a certain target

Historical evaluation

Graphic representation of the operational area of ​​the naval helpers in the coastal regions of the Reich

Although almost 200,000 naval and air force helpers performed their service in the Wehrmacht from 1943 until the end of the war, their operational success, measured in terms of benefit, can only be viewed as "low". Individual successes of the naval helpers were of little effect due to the material superiority of the Allies. Overall, the flak helpers only had a small, passive role in the Reich air defense. With the “anti-aircraft defense bar” of almost 3000 km of coastline, the hopeless overload of the anti-aircraft batteries becomes clear. The “coastal front” was even longer than the eastern front with an initial 1600 km. The "breakwater" of the streams of bombers on Germany's coasts, previously praised by the party leadership of the NSDAP, turned out to be pure propaganda . In the final battle in spring 1945, the remaining batteries were thrown onto the collapsing fronts as a kind of “front fire brigade” alongside regular Wehrmacht units. Inferior in terms of material and personnel, they were only used selectively without any decisive influence on the course of the war. It is not known how many flak helpers were killed or suffered permanent damage from wounds. Likewise, the number of those who suffered serious psychological damage for the rest of their lives due to the traumatic experiences. Abused as child soldiers , many naval helpers felt deprived of their youth. Although efforts were made in post-war Germany to compensate for the school and professional deficits they had suffered as quickly as possible through appropriate evening schools (e.g. introduction of a high- school diploma, promotion of goodwill, etc.), the majority of the former naval helpers were at least disturbed or disturbed in their further professional development. been inhibited. Nevertheless, some naval aides were able to achieve high positions in later professional life. The supervisors of the naval helpers on site were not involved in the military process of their "students", but often shared their fatal fate. On October 10, 1945, the Hitler Youth, together with all other organizations affiliated with the NSDAP, including the HJ naval helpers, were banned and dissolved by the Control Council Act No. 2 . In the post-war period, some traditional associations were formed from former naval helpers. B. the former naval aides from Wangerooge . In the Bundeswehr founded in 1955, there are no longer any naval helpers.

See also

literature

  • Claude Fröhle, Hans Kühn: Heligoland offshore fortress . Part 2: 1934-1947. Self-published, 2001, ISBN 3-9805415-3-3 .
  • Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: The flak helpers - air force helpers and naval helpers in the Second World War. Ullstein, 1981, ISBN 3-550-07949-4 .
  • Gregoria Palomo Suárez: Child soldiers and international criminal law: the criminal liability of the recruitment and use of child soldiers according to international law. Berliner Wiss.-Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3-8305-1651-4 , p. 34ff. (Googlebooks)

Web links

Notes and individual references

  1. ↑ Coast length FRG: 2389 km, coast length Poland: 491 km, coast length Lithuania: 99 km
  2. ^ Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: Die Flakhelfer - Luftwaffe and naval helpers in World War II. P. 149.
  3. ^ Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: Die Flakhelfer - Luftwaffe and naval helpers in World War II. P. 151.
  4. ^ Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: Die Flakhelfer - Luftwaffe and naval helpers in World War II. P. 10.
  5. ^ Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: Die Flakhelfer - Luftwaffe and naval helpers in World War II. P. 238.
  6. ^ Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: Die Flakhelfer - Luftwaffe and naval helpers in World War II. Pp. 87-97.
  7. Hans-Martin Stimpel: Student soldiers 1943–1945: High school students as air force helpers in Berlin, at Auschwitz and as paratroopers in the "Harz Fortress"; Experiences, causes and connections. Cuvillier, Göttingen 2004, ISBN 3-86537-181-7 . (Googlebooks)
  8. ^ Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: Die Flakhelfer - Luftwaffe and naval helpers in World War II. Pp. 141-147.
  9. ^ A b Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: Die Flakhelfer - Luftwaffe and naval helpers in World War II. P. 69.
  10. Illustration of the command device 40
  11. Illustration of the auxiliary command device 35
  12. ^ Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: Die Flakhelfer - Luftwaffe and naval helpers in World War II. P. 236.
  13. Information sheet for flak helpers to be called up, point 4
  14. ^ Hans-Dietrich Nicolaisen: Die Flakhelfer - Luftwaffe and naval helpers in World War II. Pp. 183-187.