Hugo Sperrle

Hugo Sperrle (7 February 1885 – 2 April 1953), was a German field marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Born in Ludwigsburg, he joined the German Army in 1903 and transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte (German Army Air Service) at the start of World War I, serving as an observer to the end of the war. Sperrle joined the Freikorps at the end of the war after the disbanding of the Air Service, before rejoining the German Army. He entered the n... more

Hugo Sperrle (7 February 1885 – 2 April 1953), was a German field marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Born in Ludwigsburg, he joined the German Army in 1903 and transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte (German Army Air Service) at the start of World War I, serving as an observer to the end of the war. Sperrle joined the Freikorps at the end of the war after the disbanding of the Air Service, before rejoining the German Army. He entered the newly formed Luftwaffe in 1935 and served as commander of the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War, with Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen serving as his chief of staff. He led the German Air Fleet 3 against France in May and June 1940. In July 1940, he was made a Generalfeldmarschall of the Luftwaffe. Sperrle advised that Britain's Royal Air Force had to be destroyed to ensure a successful invasion of Britain. Air Fleet 3, stationed in northern France, played a major role in the Battle of Britain, from June 1940 to April 1941. He continued... less