All the Badges of the Luftwaffe – Photos, Recipients, and History

The German Luftwaffe was established in 1933. During its history, it awarded several flight qualification badges (or Luftwaffe Badges) that were rather unique in design. The Luftwaffe was, also, a significant departure from the more conservative, Prussian-style uniforms – a reflection of Germany’s powerful air force in the late 1930s.

The Luftwaffe only had two commanders-in-chief throughout its entire history: Hermann Göring during the war and Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim (for just the last two weeks of the conflict).

A Short History of the Luftwaffe and its Badges

When it was founded in 1933, the German Luftwaffe was comprised of some of the best air-minded youth. Senior leadership was quite special too; recruited from civilian corporations and German services, they were some of the country’s best and brightest.

During 1939 and 1940, the Luftwaffe was instrumental in the German victories across Poland and Western Europe (as well as operations over the Soviet Union, North Africa, and Southern Europe), although they failed to secure a victory during the Battle of Britain. From 1942 on, Allied bombing nearly destroyed the Luftwaffe’s fighting arm (which triggered a transition of its ground support towards the Luftwaffe Field Divisions).

The Luftwaffe was disbanded in 1946, after the defeat of Germany during the Second World War. It’s estimated that over 75,000 Luftwaffe aircraft were destroyed or significantly damaged during the war (even though German pilots claimed 70,000 aerial victories). The Luftwaffe was deeply involved in Nazi war crimes, and a significant percentage of aircraft were produced in concentration camps. The Luftwaffe ground troops also committed bloody massacres in Italy, Greece, and Poland.

What Are All the Luftwaffe Badges?

The complete list of Luftwaffe badges is as follows (you can click on these to find out more, or scroll down to see images of all the badges. Clicking on those can also take you to the independent pages):

The Luftwaffe's Organization and Ranks

The Luftwaffe had, at the start of the war, four fleets (each responsible for about a quarter of Germany). More fleets were created as the war progressed and German rule expanded. The ranks were similar to other air forces of the time, although the officers maintained their rank while performing functions.

The Luftwaffe Badges and Images

It’s worth noting that the Luftwaffe badges are qualification awards, representing an attained skill (and not someone’s participation in a combat operation). This is why these badges are different when compared to other Wehrmacht war badges.

The Luftwaffe badges were produced from the mid-1930s until 1945, making them some of the longest-running series of Third Reich awards. You can click on the images below to go to each of the badge’s individual page: