Background
Martin Harlinghausen was born on 17 January 1902 in Rheda, Westfalia as the son of the manufacturer Wilhelm Harlinghausen.
Martin Harlinghausen was born on 17 January 1902 in Rheda, Westfalia as the son of the manufacturer Wilhelm Harlinghausen.
After four years of elementary school he attended the Humanistisches Gymnasium (secondary school) in Gütersloh. He completed his secondary schooling in Soest and Gumbinnen, East Prussia. He received his Abitur (diploma) in 1922 and then studied one semester jurisprudence at the University of Göttingen.
The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. lieutenant was Germany"s highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Martin Harlinghausen. Harlinghausen joined the Reichsmarine (German Navy) on 1 April 1923.
Staying in the military, he transferred to the Luftwaffe in October 1933.
In December 1937, he took Command of AS 88, an anti-shipping unit in the Condor Legion and specialized in that type of aerial warfare. During, he operated as a pilot, gaining the Ritterkreuz on 5 May 1940 for sinking 100,000 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping.
Sent to Italy in December 1940, he sank another 27,000 GRT of shipping and was awarded the Oak Leaves (Eichenlaub) 30 January 1941. In March 1941 he was appointed Fliegerführer Atlantik, a post he held until July 1942.
During his time as Fliegerführer Atlantik, Harlinghausen was held responsible for the Luftwaffe"s failure to prevent the loss of the battleship Bismarck.
Harlinghausen was later appointed Fliegerführer Tunesien in July 1942. He remained in the Mediterranean theater until 18 June 1943, when disagreements with his superiors led to his replacement. He stood up to Hermann Göring in 1944, when Göring, without following proper procedure, arrested General Wilhelm Wimmer.
Harlinghausen successfully demanded release of Wimmer.
In December 1944 Harlinghausen was appointed Chef des Luftwaffenkommandos "West", a position he held until the cession of hostilities. He was captured by American troops and was released in 1947.
Harlinghausen served in the new West German Luftwaffe from 1957 to 1961. He was sent into retirement, having been politically uncomfortable during his post-war career, after demanding a proper investigation in the 1961 F-84 Thunderstreak incident, after which Oberstleutnant Siegfried Barth, commander of Jagdbombergeschwader (JaBoG) 32, was removed from his post without a proper investigation.
Harlinghausen died in Gütersloh in March 1986.
Wehrmachtbericht reference Bibliography.