Waldemar Klepke

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Waldemar Klepke (born October 6, 1882 in Bromberg ; † May 5, 1945 in Berchtesgaden ) was a German officer , most recently General of the Air Force Aviators in World War II .

Life

Promotions

Early years and World War I

Klepke joined the 67th Infantry Regiment on April 20, 1903 as a flag junior . After successfully attending the war school in Kassel (October 1903 - June 1904) he was promoted to lieutenant on August 18, 1904 and then served as a company officer, from September 1908 to September 1911 as a battalion adjutant, and finally as a regimental adjutant until September 1912 Ordonnance officer in Infantry Regiment No. 67, where he was promoted to first lieutenant on August 18, 1912 . From October 1, 1912 to July 31, 1914 he was at the Prussian War Academy ; During this time he completed his training as a flight observer from April 1 to May 31, 1914 .

After the outbreak of the First World War , Klepke flew from August 2, 1914 to the end of April 1915 as an observer with Field Aviation Department 5 and then with Field Aviation Department 18 until the end of May 1915. He was promoted to captain on November 28, 1914 On May 31, 1915, Klepke became the leader of the field pilot's department 45, on December 16, 1916, the pilot of the pilot's department 259 (artillery). From August 3, 1917 to December 31, 1918 he was group leader of Flieger 16 at Army High Command 5.

Between the wars and the Second World War

December 31, 1918 to February 25, 1919 Klepke was on the air base Schneidemühl the Border Guard East . He then became the commander of the aviators at the XX. Army Corps , a position soon afterwards renamed Leader of the Voluntary Air Force 36. After the ban on military aviation in Germany due to the provisions of the Versailles Treaty , Klepke was transferred to Military District Command I in Königsberg on October 1, 1919 . From November 1, 1919 to May 8, 1920 he was in command of the Königsberg air base. He then served as an advisor at the military district command I until June 30, 1923.

On July 1, 1923, Klepke was transferred to the 1st Infantry Regiment , where he served first in the staff and then from January 1924 to the end of January 1927 as company commander. He was promoted to major on July 1, 1926 . From February to May 1927 Klepke completed a secret course, the details of which are not available; However, it must have been a special flight training course in the Soviet Union . Subsequently, on June 1, 1927, he became a teacher of aviation at the infantry school in Dresden . In the same year he became a member of the Corps Vandalia Königsberg. On October 1, 1930 he was transferred to the 15th Infantry Regiment , where he first served for two months in the regimental staff and then until September 30, 1932 as battalion commander and on February 1, 1931 became a lieutenant colonel .

In October 1932 Klepke became a teacher for aviation at the War Academy in Berlin . In this position he was promoted to colonel on July 1, 1933 and transferred to the Air Force on October 1, 1934 . On April 1, 1935, Klepke was appointed inspector of reconnaissance aircraft and aerial photography in the Reich Ministry of Aviation (RLM), followed on October 1, 1935 by promotion to major general . From October 29 to December 22, 1936 he was a substitute judge at the Reich Court Martial , then from December 23, 1936 a member of the Grand Senate at the Reich Court Martial. On August 1, 1937, he was promoted to lieutenant general .

On February 1, 1938, Klepke became General of the Air Force at the Army High Command and inspector of the reconnaissance aircraft and aerial photography. After his promotion to General der Flieger on January 1, 1939 , he served as an officer from February 1 to April 30, 1939 . b. V. in the Reich Aviation Ministry and the High Command of the Air Force before he retired from active service. In the course of the general mobilization he was reactivated on August 26, 1939 and appointed Higher Airman Training Commander 3. He held this position until the end of May 1943. On May 31, 1943, he finally resigned from military service.

On May 5, 1945 Klepke committed suicide in Berchtesgaden.

Awards

literature

  • Karl Friedrich Hildebrand: The Generals of the German Air Force 1935–1945, Part II, Volume 2: Habermehl – ​​Nuber , Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1991, ISBN 3-7648-1701-1 , pp. 185–186

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Erwin Willmann (Ed.): Directory of the old Rudolstädter Corps students. (AH. List of the RSC.) , 1928 edition, No. 2353
personal data
SURNAME Klepke, Waldemar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German officer, most recently General der Flieger in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH October 6, 1882
PLACE OF BIRTH Bromberg
DATE OF DEATH May 5, 1945
Place of death Berchtesgaden