Erhard Milch | |
|---|---|
 Milch in March 1942 | |
| Born | 30 March 1892 Wilhelmshaven, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, German Empire |
| Died | 25 January 1972 (aged 79) Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
| Allegiance |  German Empire  Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Imperial German Army Luftstreitkräfte Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1910–1922 1933–1945 |
| Rank | Generalfeldmarschall |
| Commands | Luftflotte 5 Jägerstab |
| Battles / wars | World War I
|
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Relations | Werner Milch (brother) |
Erhard Milch (30 March 1892 – 25 January 1972) was a German Generalfeldmarschall (field marshal) who oversaw the development of the German air force (Luftwaffe) as part of the re-armament of Nazi Germany (1933-1945) following World War I (1914-1918). He served as State Secretary in the Reich Ministry of Aviation from May 1933 until June 1944 and as Inspector General of the air force from February 1939 to January 1945. During most of World War II he was in charge of German aircraft production and supply. In the Milch Trial of 1947, a U.S. military court convicted Milch of war crimes and of crimes against humanity, sentencing him to life imprisonment. However, in 1951 John J. McCloy, the U. S. High Commissioner for Germany, commuted Milch's sentence to 15 years. Paroled in 1954, Milch died in 1972.