Josef Kammhuber | |
|---|---|
 Josef Kammhuber as Inspector of the West German Air Force | |
| Born | 19 August 1896 Tüßling, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire |
| Died | 25 January 1986 (aged 89) Munich, West Germany |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | |
| Service |
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| Years of service |
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| Rank | General |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Josef Kammhuber (August 19, 1896 – January 25, 1986) was a career officer who served in the Imperial German Army, the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany and the post-World War II German Air Force. During World War II, he was the first general of night fighters in the Luftwaffe.
Kammhuber created the night fighter defense system, the so-called Kammhuber Line, but the detailed knowledge of the system provided to the Royal Air Force by British military intelligence allowed them to render it ineffective. Personal battles between him and Erhard Milch, director of the Reich Air Ministry, led to his dismissal in 1943. After the war, he joined the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of West Germany serving as the first Inspector of the Air Force.