GENERAL JOSEF KAMMHUBER - COMMEMORATIVE ENVELOPE SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: CAPTAIN HEINZ ROKKER, LT. COLONEL HERMANN GREINER, HANS-GEORG SCHIERHOLZ, MAJOR WERNER HUSEMANN, MAJOR WERNER HOFFMANN - HFSID 74818

GERMAN LUFTWAFFE: WORLD WAR II
This envelope, commemorating joint British and American missile warning system, has been signed by members of the Luftwaffe who were involved in Nazi Germany's night fighter defense against Allied night bombing
Commemorative Envelope Signed: "Hans-Georg Schierholz/I.N.J.G.3","Herman Greiner","Werner Hofmann/ [difficult to decipher] I/NJG5","I.NJG2/H. Rökker", "Josef Kammhuber"/[illegible]",and"Werner Hüseman/Major [difficult to decipher] I.NJG3", 6½x4¼.Commemorates a joint American and British BMEWS (Ballistic Missile Early Warning System) operation at RAF Flyingdales, North York Moors, England. Postmarked August 25, 1971 with a special "70th Anniversaryof the Royal Aero Club" postmark, one 3-pence stamp celebrating the 50th anniversary of the British Legion affixed. This envelope has a color cachet on left of a World War II Halifax B.3 bomber and, on right, a short caption that says this envelope was carried over the magnetic north pole. With biographical ink stamps of the signers on verso, as well as ink stamps for a New York City APO, Goose Airport in Newfoundland and RAF Flyingdales. Contains seven b/w photos of German military personnel and aircraft. JOSEF KAMMHUBER (1896-1986) was a German Luftwaffe general during World War II. He developed the Kammhuber Line, which is generally considered to be the first successful night fighter defense system. In July 1940, Nazi Reichsmarschall Herman Göring placed Generalleutnant Kammhuber, formerly a bomber commander, in charge of night air defenses. Kammhuber constructed a network of searchlights, radar and night fighters based in occupied France, Belgium and Holland, covering the approaches that British bombers took to reach their targets. Searchlights illuminated each bomber as a Bf-110 or Ju-88 night fighter closed in for the kill. A radar controlled master searchlight introduced in 1941 made the Kammhuber Line even more effective by locking onto bombers automatically with a pale blue beam until other searchlights picked it up. It wasn't until the British developed new tactics and used electronic counter-measures that the Kammhuber Line became far less effective. He was awarded the Knight's Cross on July 9, 1941. HEINZ RÖKKER (b. 1920) was a night fighter ace with the German Luftwaffe during World War II. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and mostly flew the G-1 night fighter variant of the Junkers Ju88 fighter/bomber. He shot down 64 British bombers during the war - all but one at night. These included six Lancaster downed during a remarkable 33 minutes on Feb. 21, 1945, less than three months before the war in Europe ended. Adolf Hitler awarded him the Knight's Cross on July 27, 1944 and the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on March 12, 1945 - again, less than two months before Germany's surrender. GEORG-HERMANN GREINER (1920-2014) was a night fighter ace with Germany's Luftwaffe during World War II. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1938 and, between June 6, 1942 and March 3, 1945, shot down 51 American and British bombers, with most of his victories coming at night. Greiner claimed four of these victories within ten minutes during the evening of Jan. 5, 1945. He received the Knight's Cross on July 27, 1944 and the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on Aug. 17, 1945. WERNER HUSEMANN (1919-2014) was a night fighter ace with Germany's Luftwaffe during World War II. Husemann had a total of 34 air victories during the war, all of which he earned at night. He received the Knight's Cross on Sept. 30, 1944. WERNER HOFFMANN (1918-2011) was a night fighter ace with Germany's Luftwaffe during World War II. Husemann had a total of 52 air victories during the war, 51 of which he earned at night. HANS-GEORGSCHIERHOLZ (1921-1996) was a radio operator on a Luftwaffe night fighter. Schierholz participated in 57 air victories, but in the face of terrible danger; he had to bail out of his plane on four separate occasions. He was awarded the Knight's Cross on Oct. 29, 1944. Identities and accomplishments of signers neatly stamped in German on verso. Lightly toned. Corners and edges gently worn. Stain toward lower right-hand corner resulting from previously adhered sticker. Schierholz' signature is lightly smeared. Otherwise, fine condition.