Graham Robert Ritter von (Greim)

Graham, Robert Ritter von (Greim), (1892-1945), General of the Luftwaffe, the latter, whom Hitler awarded the rank of Field Marshal. Born June 22, 1892 in Bayreuth. In the 1 st World War I was a fighter pilot. In 1935, Hermann Goering appointed him commander of the First Squadron, had just created new Air Force. In 1939 von Graham became chief personnel of the Luftwaffe. In the first 2 battles of World War II headed the various fighter units. Since February 1943 commanded the Air Force (Luftflotte) on the Eastern front, and personally showed himself as one of the best pilots of the Luftwaffe.
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. April 24, 1945, Hitler sent a telegram from the bunker von Graham, in command of the VI Air Force in Munich, ordering him to appear for a report to the Reich Chancellery
. To break in Berlin was a very difficult task, but the background Graham and his accompanying Hanne Reytsh, instructor pilot, managed to do. Early in the morning of 25 April they arrived in Rechlin where going to move to the helicopter to land in the garden office or somewhere near. Since only one helicopter was damaged, they commandeered "Focke-Wulf - 190 and ordered his chief pilot to take them to the bunker. Fragile little Hannah Reytsh squeezed the tail of the aircraft. Accompanied by fighter cover, the plane overshot at low level flight of Soviet anti-aircraft fire of batteries and landed safely at the airport Gatov. Hence background Graham tried to call the office, but to no avail. Taking the old training aircraft "Arado-60, two pilots flew to their goal, barely touching the tops of trees. Above the Tiergarten they were met by Soviet anti-aircraft artillery, and von Graham was wounded in the leg. Hannah Reytsh took control over and landed on the highway near the office.

Hitler met his guests in the bunker and immediately called the doctor that he assisted the wounded von graham. When he was done dressing, Hitler said: "I had to call you, because Goering had betrayed me and the fatherland. Behind my back, he establishes contact with the enemy. I am obliged to arrest him as a traitor, to deprive all the posts and dismiss him from all the organizations. That's why I called you ". Hitler appointed astonished von Graham new Luftwaffe commander and awarded him the rank of field marshal.
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. Despite the injury, and heavy artillery fire of the advancing Soviet troops, von Graham flew into captivity in the rate of Admiral Karl Doenitz
. From there he told Himmler that Hitler accused him of treason. Von Graham committed suicide May 24, 1945 in Salzburg.