{{short description|Paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party}} {{Infobox government agency |agency_name = National Socialist Flyers Corps |nativename = ''Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps - NSFK'' |nativename_a = |nativename_r = |logo = NSFK Wimpel Fördernde Mitglieder.svg |logo_width = 150 |logo_caption = <div style="margin-top: 0.5em; line-height: 1.2em"> NSFK pennant</div> |seal = |seal_width = |seal_caption = |picture = |picture_width = 250px |picture_caption = |formed = 15 April 1937 |preceding1 = German Air Sports Association |preceding2 = |dissolved = 8 May 1945 |superseding = |jurisdiction = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Nazi Germany<br />Occupied Europe |headquarters = |coordinates = |employees = |budget = |minister1_name = |minister1_pfo = |minister2_name = |minister2_pfo = |chief1_name = Friedrich Christiansen |chief1_position = ''Korpsführer'' |chief2_name = ''Obergruppenfuher'' Gerhard Sporleder {{small|1936-1940}} |chief2_position = ''Stabsführer'' |chief3_name = ''Obergruppenfuhrer'' {{ill|Karl Sauke|de}} {{small|1940-1945}} |chief3_position = ''Stabsführer'' |agency_type = |parent_agency = |child1_agency = |child2_agency = |child3_agency = |child4_agency = |website = |footnotes = |chief4_name=|chief4_position=|chief5_name=|chief5_position=|chief6_name=|chief6_position=|chief7_name=|chief7_position=|chief8_name=|chief8_position=|chief9_name=|chief9_position=|parent_department=}} {{Nazism sidebar |expanded=Organizations}} The '''National Socialist Flyers Corps''' ({{langx|de|Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps}}; '''NSFK''') was a paramilitary aviation organization of the Nazi Party.
==History== NSFK was founded 15 April 1937 as a successor to the German Air Sports Association; the latter had been active during the years when a German air force was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. The NSFK organization was based closely on the para-military organization of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA). A similar group was the National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK). During the early years of its existence, the NSFK conducted military aviation training in gliders and private airplanes.
==Leadership== Friedrich Christiansen, originally a ''Generalleutnant'' then later a Luftwaffe ''General der Flieger'', was NSFK ''Korpsführer'' from 15 April 1937 until 26 June 1943, followed by ''Generaloberst'' Alfred Keller until 8 May 1945. Hermann Goering as Reich Marshal was nominal head of the NSFK and was occasionally consulted on issues surrounding heavy transport, as at the Battle of Stalingrad.
==Ranks, uniforms and other insignia== The paramilitary rank system was in use by the NSFK between the years of 1933 and 1945. The ranks were designed after paramilitary rank titles of the ''Sturmabteilung''. Most ranks of the NSFK were also used by the National Socialist Motor Corps which maintained its own paramilitary rank system.
As with most Nazi paramilitary groups, rank patches were worn on a single collar opposite a badge of unit membership. The exception was for the ranks ''Standartenführer'' and above which displayed rank insignia on both collars.
===Rank insignia=== As of 1937, the final rank pattern of the National Socialist Flyer Corps was as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=Uniform und Rangabzeichen des NSFK |url=https://i.pinimg.com/750x/59/b0/01/59b001a74fd86752dc523cc64cfe3416.jpg |access-date=26 November 2018 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ley |first1=Robert |author-link1=Robert Ley |title=Organisationsbuch der NSDAP |date=1937 |publisher=Zentralverlag |url=https://memberfiles.freewebs.com/49/75/32877549/photos/undefined/OBN%201943%202700x3400%20T%2073.png |language=de |chapter=Table 73}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps (NSFK) Regulation Collar Tabs |url=http://www.germandaggers.com/Gallery/CT4W.php |website=German Daggers |access-date=5 April 2019 |date=2013}}</ref> {| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;" |- style="text-align:center;" ! colspan=2| Insignia ! rowspan=2| NSFK Rank ! rowspan=2| Translation ! rowspan=2| ''Luftwaffe'' equivalent |- ! Collar ! Shoulder |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | 100px | ''Korpsführer'' | Corps Leader | ''Generalfeldmarschall'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | rowspan=5| 100px | ''Ehrenführer'' | Honorary Leader | ''Generaloberst'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | ''Obergruppenführer'' | Senior Group Leader | ''General'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | ''Gruppenführer'' | Group Leader | ''Generalleutnant'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | ''Brigadeführer'' | Brigade Leader | ''Generalmajor'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | ''Oberführer'' | Senior Leader | ''Oberst'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | rowspan=3| | ''Standartenführer'' | Regiment Leader | ''Oberst'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | ''Obersturmbannführer'' | Senior Assault Unit Leader | ''Oberstleutnant'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | ''Sturmbannführer'' | Assault Unit Leader | ''Major'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | rowspan=3| 100px | ''Hauptsturmführer'' | Chief Assault Leader | ''Hauptmann'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | ''Obersturmführer'' | Senior Assault Leader | ''Oberleutnant'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 25px | ''Untersturmführer'' | Junior Assault Leader | ''Leutnant'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 75px | rowspan=8| 100px | ''Obertruppführer'' | Senior Troop Leader | ''Stabsfeldwebel'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 75px | ''Truppführer'' | Troop Leader | ''Hauptfeldwebel'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 75px | ''Oberscharführer'' | Senior Squad Leader | ''Oberfeldwebel'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 75px | ''Scharführer'' | Squad Leader | ''Unteroffizier'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 75px | ''Rottenführer'' | Section Leader | ''Obergefreiter'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 75px | ''Sturmmann'' | Storm Trooper | ''Gefreiter'' |- style="text-align:center;" | 75px | ''Mann'' | Trooper | ''Flieger'' |- style="text-align:center;" | '''None''' | ''Anwärter'' | Candidate | '''None''' |}
===Uniforms=== <gallery mode=nolines heights=170>
Organisationsbuc00nati 0 orig 0711 ORGANISATIONSBUCH DER NSDAP 1943 Tafel 70 Das Nationalsozialistische Fliegerkorps NSFK. Standarte Sturmfahne Public domain CROPPED.jpg Organisationsbuc00nati 0 orig 0712 ORGANISATIONSBUCH DER NSDAP 1943 Tafel 71 Das Nationalsozialistische Fliegerkorps NSFK. Rottenführer im grosse Dienstanzug, Standartenführer im kleinen Dienstanzug Public domain CROPPED.jpg Organisationsbuc00nati 0 orig 0713 ORGANISATIONSBUCH DER NSDAP 1943 Tafel 72 Das Nationalsozialistische Fliegerkorps NSFK. Standartenführer im Ausgehanzug, Sturmbannführer im Abendanzug Public domain CROPPED.jpg Organisationsbuc00nati 0 orig 0714 ORGANISATIONSBUCH DER NSDAP 1943 Tafel 73 Das Nationalsozialistische Fliegerkorps NSFK. Dienstgradabzeichen (Kragenspiegeln u. Schulterklappen) etc. Public domain CROPPED.jpg </gallery> Source:<ref>Ley, Robert (1943). ''Organisationsbuch der NSDAP.'' Zentralverlag der NSDAP, images 70–73.</ref>
===Rank flags=== <gallery class="center"> File:Standarte Korpsführer NSFK.svg|NSFK Korpsführer File:Standarte Stabsführer NSFK.svg|NSFK Stabsführer File:Standarte Gruppenführer NSFK.svg|NSFK Gruppenführer File:Standarte Standartenführer NSFK.svg| NSFK Standartenführer File:Wimpel Sturmangehörige NSFK.svg|NSFK Sturmangehörige File:Wimpel Sturmführer NSFK.svg|NSFK Sturmführer File:NSFK.jpg|NSFK Standarte File:NSFK Wimpel Fördernde Mitglieder.svg|NSFK Vehicle pennant File:NSFK white vehicle pennant.png|NSFK White vehicle pennant File:NSFK blue vehicle pennant.png|NSFK Blue vehicle pennant </gallery> Source:<ref>Herzfeld, Andreas (2013). ''Die Riemann'sche Sammlung deutscher Autoflaggen und Kfz-Stander'', vol. 1. p. 170, and image 71.</ref>
==NSFK badges== * The Free Balloon Pilot Badge (''Das Abzeichen für Freiballonführer''). This was authorized on 10 March 1938 by NSFK ''Korpsführer'', Christiansen.{{sfn|Doehle|1995|p=122}} * The Motor Aircraft Pilot Badge (''Das Abzeichen für Motorflugzeugführer''). This was authorized on 12 July 1938 by Christiansen.{{sfn|Doehle|1995|p=122}} * The Large Glider Flyer Badge (''Das Große Segelfliegerabzeichen''). This was authorized on 26 January 1942 by Christiansen.{{sfn|Doehle|1995|p=122}}
==References== {{reflist}}
===Further reading=== *{{cite book | last = Doehle | first = Heinrich | title = Medals & Decorations of the Third Reich: Badges, Decorations, Insignia | publisher = Reddick Enterprises | year = 1995 | orig-year = 1943 | isbn = 0962488348 }} *{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Victoria |title=Fledglings of the Third Reich: The National Socialist Flyers Corps |journal=Journal of Aeronautical History |date=2022 |issue=11 |pages=1–28 |url=https://www.aerosociety.com/media/18220/2022-01-fledglings-of-the-third-reich-taylor.pdf}}
{{Uniforms, insignia and ranks of Nazi Germany}} {{Nazism}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1937 establishments in Germany Category:1945 disestablishments in Germany Category:Air sports in Germany Category:Gliding associations Category:Gliding in Germany Category:Irregular military air services Category:Military gliding Category:Nazi Party paramilitary organisations Category:Organizations disestablished in 1945 Category:Organizations established in 1937 Category:Paramilitary organisations based in Germany