It’s debatable whether German pilots in 1937 were helping Hitler take over Spain, or if Herrmann’s flying in Spain helped prevent the Communists from gaining a foothold in Western Europe where they would have infiltrated France, Portugal, and other countries.
Debate continues whether the small Basque town of Guernica was heavily bombed on April 26th, 1937 by the German Condor Legion as witnesses supposedly said, or whether Franco’s followers razed most buildings and blamed the Germans to invoke international sympathy, the evidence being British journalist Brian Crozier, who arrived there first, saw no bomb crators and believed the Republicans had dynamited and burned the buildings to blame the Germans for bombing.
It’s debatable whether Germany wanted to take over Europe, or if WW2 developed after Britain and western European countries had not recognized the threat Soviet Russia posed for Europe and the west, and Germany in 1940 fought to persuade it’s neighbours to join in it’s fight against the Soviet Red Army.
It’s a matter of record that Britain first attacked German cities east of the Rhine on May 15th, 1940, and continued for 2 1/2 months until Germany started bombing British airfields and boat harbours in August, 1940 to halt this bombing. Hitler ordered civilian targets not be bombed as shown by Hitler’s Directive 17 dated August 1st, 1940, however after August 15th German aircraft conducted night raids and stray bombs hit civilian targets like the outskirts of London.
German pilots were very skilled and Allied pilots learned from watching their tactics and how they performed in dogfights. German pilots needed a witness from another plane to report a “kill”, whereas Allied pilots could report a “kill” without witnesses.
After 1980, Herrmann’s knowledge and understanding of WW2 would have helped him as a lawyer and he obviously wanted to help people defending themselves in Germany where there is no freedom to publically question some aspects of WW2.
My father bombed Germany for 3 years but after 1945 forgave eveyone and conversed with German and British flyers. I respect and salute both Herrmann and his son.
B Herrmann [son]
The initial section describes him as a Nazi. I would describe him as a Nationalist.
He neither was a member of the NSDAParty, nor any other party of post war Germany.
The development of WW2 and the role of the participating states is still under discussion. Following his opinion – the escalation of WW2 was – unavoidable.
During the last phase of WW2 German fighter pilots did not need any motivation by political speeches. What to expect by the allied after the lost war were obvious during every raid where civilians where the declared targets. See „Among the dead cities“ – Grayling. The other questions – who started aerial bombing – is also subject of discussions.
My father never blamed a single allied bomber crew executing their mission but had close friends among British and American WW2 pilots instead. They respected each other.
His post war activities were driven by his desire that his comrades – either dead or alive – are respected for doing their duty for Germany. Germany nowadays treats these pilots/soldiers in many aspects like idiots or even criminals, because they served under a government, that is nowadays designated to be criminal. Would England’s people ever do that?
Germany does not offer any neutral platform to present or discuss these issues. He always admired the English/American culture for the significance of freedom of speech. Germany’s §130 of criminal code, limits the freedom of speech concerning these matters. Would England’s people ever accept this for themselves?
German newspapers reaction his death was exactly – Zero.
I don`t care. I know how he was and what he stood for.
B Herrmann
