Martin Fiebig

Martin Fiebig (7 May 1891 – 23 October 1947) was a German Luftwaffe general who commanded several air corps and equivalent-sized formations during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

After World War II had ended, Fiebig was extradited to Yugoslavia, where he was tried and convicted of war crimes, specifically for his role in the bombing of Belgrade in April 1941. Fiebig was sentenced to death and executed in 1947.

Early life and World War I

Martin Fiebig was born on 7 May 1891 in Rösnitz, Upper Silesia. He served in World War I, and was promoted to Oberleutnant on 18 June 1915. From August 1914 to 1915, he served in the 18th Infantry Regiment. Sometime during 1915, he was transferred from the infantry to become a pilot. From 1915 to 1 August 1918, he was a pilot and squadron leader in the 3rd Bomber Wing.

Interwar period

In May 1925, Fiebig, now a ''Hauptmann'' (captain), led a team of seven expert German World War I pilots (known as ''Gruppe Fiebig'') to the Soviet Union, where they were employed as special air force advisers and instructors at various training schools in the Moscow area. Fiebig was seconded to the command staff of the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy.

Despite his formal role, his input into the training of Soviet pilots was quite limited; for example, he had no control over the practical exercises undertaken by the students. His position did enable him to draw conclusions about Soviet air training, doctrine and strategy. He observed that Soviet air training was too focused on the quantity of pilots produced, and that there were significant deficiencies in theoretical instruction.

Moreover, his observations about the deficiencies of Soviet air training were echoed by the deputy director of the Academy. Further, Fiebig concluded that Soviet air doctrine was confused, largely due to the limited experience of the Soviet Union in air operations during World War I. He also recognised that Soviet air strategy was reactive, in sharp contrast to that of other European powers, especially Germany.

According to author Samuel Mitcham, in the late 1920s, Fiebig was trained in close air support techniques at the clandestine German air training school in the Soviet Union.

World War II

At the outbreak of war, Fiebig was an ''Oberst'' (colonel) commanding the 4th Bomber Wing (, KG4) which flew Heinkel He 111 medium bombers, which first saw operational service during the invasion of Poland. On 10 May 1940, in the early stages of the Battle of the Netherlands, he was shot down and captured by the Dutch during the initial attack on Rotterdam-Waalhaven airfield. He had led the attack by II ''Gruppe'' of KG 4 and his was one of the first planes shot down. He was released following the German victory and conquest of the Netherlands.

Fiebig then commanded KG4 during the Battle of Belgium, the Battle of France, and the Battle of Britain. On 8 May 1940, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In April 1941, he led KG4 during the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia including the bombing of Belgrade.

During the Battle of Stalingrad, Fiebig was commanding of the VIII Air Corps () in the Stalingrad sector. When the 250,000-strong 6th Army was encircled in that city in November 1942, Fiebig was tasked with supplying it from the air, despite protesting to the commander of the 6th Army, ''Generaloberst'' Friedrich Paulus that such an operation was not feasible. Fiebig appealed to the commander of the Luftwaffe 4th Air Fleet (, LF4), ''Generaloberst'' Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, who was responsible for all Luftwaffe operations in the southern Soviet Union. Richthofen agreed with Fiebig's assessment, and urged senior generals to order a breakout by the 6th Army. His pleas to ''Generaloberst'' Maximilian von Weichs at Army Group B, and even to the commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, '' Reichsmarshall'' Hermann Göring were rebuffed, and despite his good relationship with Adolf Hitler, no-one would allow him to express his opposition to the ''Führer'' himself. On 23 December 1942, Fiebig was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Ultimately, Fiebig's assessment regarding Stalingrad was proven correct; the necessary tonnages could not be flown in by the available transport aircraft, and the 6th Army ran out of ammunition and food in early February 1943, after which it surrendered.

In January 1943, Richthofen realised that elements of the German 17th Army were in danger of being encircled on the Taman Peninsula on the Black Sea, and tasked Fiebig with establishing an ad hoc airlift command to protect and supply the 17th Army while it was evacuated back to the Crimea. In a very short time Fiebig had assembled Air Transport Mission Crimea (), and had established a network of airfields for it to operate from.

Drawing one squadron from each of VIII Fliegerkorps' wings, he established new reconnaissance, bomber, fighter and transport wings and groups. These new formations immediately began operating, evacuating at least 50,000 soldiers over the next month, and supplying the remaining troops with an average of 500 tons of fuel and ammunition each day, protected by its own fighters. Fiebig's establishment and operation of Air Transport Mission Crimea has been used as an example of the flexibility demonstrated by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

In late 1943, Fiebig was commanding Luftwaffe Command South-East (), headquartered in Salonika in Axis-occupied Greece. In addition to ''Flak'' units, his command included the Luftwaffe Mission in Bulgaria.

From 1 September 1944 to 31 January 1945 Fiebig was in the reserve at the Air Force High Command. From 1 February to 12 April 1945 he again acted as Commanding General of the 2nd Air Corps, and then from 12 April to 8 May as commander of the Northeast Air Force Command.

Execution

On 8 May 1945 Fiebig was initially captured by the British, but was transferred to Yugoslavia on 6 February 1946, where he was found guilty in a war crime trial on 10 September and sentenced to death. The judgment was enforced on 23 October 1947.

Awards

* Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st Class
* Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd Class (18 September 1939)Thomas 1997, p. 165.
** 1st class (3 May 1940)
* German Cross in Gold on 4 May 1942 as ''Generalleutnant'' and Nakfü 2/VIII. FliegerkorpsNakfü is the abbreviation of ''Führer der Nahkampfverbände''—leader of the close air support units.
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross on 8 May 1940 as ''Oberst'' and ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever"Scherzer 2007, p. 306.
** 168th Oak Leaves on 23 December 1942 as ''Generalleutnant'' and commanding general of the VIII. FliegerkorpsFellgiebel 2000, p. 64.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fiebig, Martin
1891 births
1947 deaths
People from Kietrz
German World War I pilots
Luftstreitkräfte personnel
Reichswehr personnel
Shot-down aviators
German prisoners of war in World War II
World War II prisoners of war held by the Netherlands
Luftwaffe World War II generals
Executed military leaders
Nazis executed by Yugoslavia by hanging
Recipients of the Gold German Cross
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Prussian Army personnel
Military personnel from the Province of Silesia
Executed people from Opole Voivodeship
Generals of Aviators
Luftwaffe personnel convicted of war crimes