Josef Kammhuber – 1. Nachtjagd-Division & Kammhuber Line

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Josef Kammhuber. General der Flieger Josef Kammhuber (19 August 1896, Minden † 25 January 1986, Bonn) was a German Luftwaffe officer who rose to the rank of General der Flieger and became the founding commander of Germany’s night fighter arm. He was decorated with the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross and was cited several times in the Wehrmachtbericht for the success of his units. After the war, he joined the Bundeswehr, where he became the first Inspector of the Air Force (Inspekteur der Luftwaffe), shaping West Germany’s postwar air defense.

Awards and Decorations:

• Wehrmachtbericht Mention – 10 April 1941: Night fighter units under Kammhuber, along with flak and naval artillery, shot down 16 aircraft in one night and 7 the night before.

• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) – 9 July 1941, as Generalmajor and Kommandeur of 1. Nachtjagd-Division.

• Wehrmachtbericht Mention – 27 March 1942: Night fighter units under Kammhuber’s leadership celebrated their 500th aerial victory.

• Wehrmachtbericht Mention – 31 May 1942: His night fighter units achieved their 600th aerial victory. On this night, Hauptmann Streib claimed his 25th and 26th night victories, while Oberleutnant Knacke achieved his 20th.

Career Highlights:

• Veteran of the First World War, later returning as a professional officer in the Luftwaffe.

• Appointed commander of the newly created 1. Nachtjagd-Division, becoming the first general of night fighters.

• Creator of the “Kammhuber Line”, a radar-guided system of defensive night fighter sectors, pioneering integrated air defense concepts.

• Though eventually compromised by Allied countermeasures, his system laid the groundwork for modern air defense doctrine.

• Clashed with Erhard Milch and was removed from night fighter command in 1943, later serving as Luftwaffe commander in Scandinavia.

• After the war, joined the Bundeswehr in 1956, reaching the rank of General der Flieger and serving as the Luftwaffe’s first Inspector.

• Retired in 1962 and lived in Bonn until his death in 1986.

Item Details:

• Authentic postwar signature of General der Flieger Josef Kammhuber.

• Signed on a postwar photograph.

• Condition: Clear, well-preserved autograph.

Collector’s Note:
As the architect of the Luftwaffe night fighter arm, a Knight’s Cross recipient, and a multiple Wehrmachtbericht honoree, Kammhuber’s signature is highly sought after. His postwar career as the Bundeswehr’s first Inspector of the Air Force gives his autograph a rare dual importance — bridging the Luftwaffe of the Second World War with NATO’s Cold War air defense.