Robert Ritter von Greim
Robert Ritter von Greim or Robert Greim (June 22, 1892 - May 24, 1945) was a German pilot and army officer.
Son of a Bavarian police captain. Greim was an army cadet before World War I and initially served in the artillery before transferring to the German Air Service (Fliegertruppe) in 1915. First flying two seaters Greim then joined the Jasta 34b flyers for a period in 1918, after Jasta 34b had been equipped with 'cast-off's from Jagdgeschwader (I). Even though the machines were second hand, they were warmly welcomed by Jasta 34b as being superior to the older Albatros and Pfalz fighters they had been previously equipped with. In June 1918 Greim had an encounter with a Bristol Fighter, and his aircraft lost its cowling. This struck and damaged his top wing, along with the lower left interplane strut, but he managed to land the machine successfully.
By the war's end he had scored 28 victories, and had been awarded the Pour le Mérite, and the Bavarian Max-Joseph Order. This latter award made him a Knight (Ritter), and allowed him to add the title 'von' to his name.
Greim was invited by Hermann Göring in 1933 to help rebuild the German Air Force and in 1934 was nominated for the command of the first school of fighter pilots. In 1938 he assumed command of the department of research techniques in the Luftwaffe. Greim would be involved in the Battle of Britain, and Operation Barbarossa. Hitler awarded Greim with the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, which made him the most highly decorated pilot in the two World Wars.
When the Soviet forces had reached Berlin and the Reich was all but doomed, Greim tried to convince Hitler to flee Berlin with him. Hitler refused but promoted Greim to Generalfeldmarschall, making him the last German officer to achieve the rank of Field Marshal. Hitler also made Greim head of the Luftwaffe, dismissing Göring for treason.
Wounded from his landing in Berlin, Greim was still able to leave the city and was later captured by American soldiers on the day of the surrender of the Third Reich. Greim, however was to be part of a Soviet-American prisoner exchange program and fearing execution, and torture at the hands of the Soviets committed suicide on May 24, 1945. His final words before taking potassium cyanide were: "I am the head of the Luftwaffe but I have no Luftwaffe."
