The senior Luftwaffe officer responsible for the bombing Attack , `` Generaloberst '' Alexander Löhr , was captured Conquering by the Yugoslavs at the end Process_end of the war Hostile_encounter and was tried and executed for war Hostile_encounter crimes , in part for his involvement in the bombing Attack of Belgrade .

The Americans counted 367 different German Luftwaffe aircraft attacking Attack the bridge over the next 10 days .

It was the last major operation launched Military_operation by the `` Luftwaffe '' `` Nachtjagdgeschwader '' ( Night Fighter Wings ) during the conflict .

By March 1945 the `` Luftwaffe '' had lost Earnings_and_losses air superiority over all fronts .

In the West the defeat in Normandy and the Allied advance across Western Europe had significant consequences Causation for the `` Luftwaffe 's '' ability to defend Germany from British night attacks .

Along with the battlefield reverses was the inability of the `` Luftwaffe '' to produce Creating enough experienced night fighter crews which was exacerbated Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale by the crippling shortage of fuel at this stage in the war which contributed Causation to the collapse of training programs and grounded combat units .

Hermann Göring , commander-in-chief of the `` Luftwaffe '' sanctioned Agree_or_refuse_to_act the operation .

In response to the crisis , and the poor state of Axis forces Military_operation , reinforcements for the German `` Afrika Korps '' , Italian Army and `` Luftwaffe '' were dispatched Sending by sea and air .

In July 1940 , the air and sea blockade Besieging began Process_start , with the Luftwaffe mainly targeting Aiming coastal-shipping convoys , ports and shipping Sending centres , such as Portsmouth .

On 1 August , the Luftwaffe was directed Aiming to achieve Achieve air superiority over the RAF with the aim of incapacitating Destroying RAF Fighter Command Request ; 12 days later , it shifted Change the attacks Attack to RAF airfields and infrastructure .

As the battle Hostile_encounter progressed Cause_to_make_progress , the Luftwaffe also targeted Aiming factories involved Cause_to_be_included in aircraft production Manufacturing and strategic infrastructure .

On 16 July , Adolf Hitler ordered Arranging the preparation of Operation Sea Lion as a potential amphibious and airborne assault Attack on Britain , to follow once the Luftwaffe had air superiority over the UK .

In September , RAF Bomber Command night raids Attack disrupted Hindering the German preparation of converted Change barges , and the Luftwaffe 's failure to overwhelm the RAF forced Causation Hitler to postpone Hindering and eventually cancel Process_end Operation Sea Lion .

German personnel and , later , Luftwaffe aircraft ( in the concluding stages of the engagement ) also sustained heavy losses Earnings_and_losses .

The Beaufighters and their escort of Mustang Mk III fighters from 65 Squadron RAF , were intercepted Preventing_or_letting by twelve Focke-Wulf Fw 190s of `` Jagdgeschwader 5 '' ( Fighter Wing 5 ) of the `` Luftwaffe '' .

In the final phase the withdrawing British ships were attacked Attack on 27 May by aircraft of the `` Luftwaffe '' , resulting in Causation the loss Earnings_and_losses of the destroyer .

However , in 1942 the air war had begun Process_start to heat up over the Bay of Biscay , north of Spain and off the west coast of France ; the Douglas DC-3 lost Damaging in this attack Attack had survived attacks Attack by Luftwaffe fighters in November 1942 and April 1943 .

After having several peace offers rejected Agree_or_refuse_to_act by the British , Adolf Hitler ordered Request the `` Luftwaffe '' to destroy Destroying the RAF in order to gain Getting air superiority or air supremacy as a prelude to launching Motion Operation Sea Lion , an amphibious assault Hostile_encounter by the `` Wehrmacht '' ( German armed forces ) onto the British mainland .

In July 1940 , the `` Luftwaffe '' started Process_start by closing Process_end the English Channel to merchant shipping .

By the first week of September , the `` Luftwaffe '' had not gained Getting the results desired by Hitler .

On Sunday , 15 September 1940 , the `` Luftwaffe '' launched its largest and most concentrated attack Attack against London in the hope of drawing Conquering out the RAF into a battle of annihilation .

The `` Luftwaffe '' formations were dispersed Dispersal by a large cloud base and failed to inflict severe damage Damaging on the city of London .

Having been defeated Conquering in daylight , the `` Luftwaffe '' turned Becoming its attention to The Blitz night campaign which lasted Being_in_operation until May 1941 .

The Germans needed air superiority over southern England before the invasion and the `` Luftwaffe '' was to destroy Destroying the RAF , assume command of the skies and protect Defending the cross-channel invasion from the Royal Navy .

To engage RAF Fighter Command , the `` Luftwaffe '' attacked Attack convoys in the English Channel .

During the `` Kanalkampf '' , the `` Luftwaffe '' received Receiving modest support from shore artillery and the E-Boats of the `` Kriegsmarine '' ( German navy ) .

On 1 August , Hitler issued Statement Directive 17 , extending Expansion `` Luftwaffe '' operations to the British mainland and RAF-related targets and on `` Adlertag '' ( Eagle Day , 13 August ) the main air offensive against the RAF began Process_start .

Both sides had suffered Bodily_harm losses but the `` Luftwaffe '' failed Earnings_and_losses to inflict Causation a decisive defeat on Fighter Command and the RAF ; the `` Luftwaffe '' had yet to gain Getting air superiority for Operation Sea Lion .

Both sides had suffered Bodily_harm losses but the `` Luftwaffe '' failed Earnings_and_losses to inflict Causation a decisive defeat on Fighter Command and the RAF ; the `` Luftwaffe '' had yet to gain Getting air superiority for Operation Sea Lion .

Supported Supporting by three armoured brigades , the British I Corps made gradual progress against the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend and the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division .

Destroying Destroying the trapped BEF , French , and Belgian armies was left to the `` Luftwaffe '' until the order Arranging was rescinded Removing on 26 May .

The mission was also known as the `` double-strike mission '' because it entailed two large forces of bombers attacking Attack separate targets in order to disperse Dispersal fighter reaction by the Luftwaffe , and was the first American `` shuttle '' mission , in which all or part of a mission landed at a different field and later bombed Attack another target before returning to its base .

On the other side , both Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy supplied Supply Franco with air cover and armoured units for his assault on Madrid , while the Luftwaffe units in Spain , the Condor Legion , were commanded Control independently of Franco 's officers .

Action in the air began Process_start on 16 October 1939 when the Luftwaffe launched air raids Attack on British warships .

The Defence of the Reich ( ) is the name given Giving to the strategic defensive Defending aerial campaign Social_event fought Hostile_encounter by the `` Luftwaffe '' over German-occupied Europe and Nazi Germany during World War II .

In the early years , the `` Luftwaffe '' was able to inflict Causation a string of defeats Conquering on Allied strategic air forces .

Chronic fuel shortages , severe curtailment of flying Motion training Education_teaching and further accelerated deterioration in pilot quality steadily decreased Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale the `` Luftwaffe '' s effective fighting Hostile_encounter capabilities in the last months .

The airborne assault was preceded Process_start by heavy bombing Attack of the town by the Luftwaffe .