The Last Field Marshal of the Third Reich and His Final Flight

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Robert Ritter von Greim rose from a World War I flying ace to become the final commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe. His career culminated in a desperate, wounded flight into a besieged Berlin to meet Hitler, only to end in an Allied prison just days before the war concluded.

Born in 1892, Robert Greim began his military service in the Bavarian Army before transitioning to the air service during World War I. He became a decorated ace with 28 victories, eventually earning the Pour le Mérite. Following the war, his career path intersected with the rise of the Nazi party, and he became a committed follower of Adolf Hitler. By 1933, he was instrumental in the clandestine reconstruction of the German Air Force, working under Hermann Göring to build the infrastructure that would later support the Luftwaffe.

During World War II, Greim commanded various air units, including the 5th Fliegerkorps during the Battle of Britain and later Luftflotte 6 on the Eastern Front. By 1943, his forces were heavily involved in Operation Citadel, though they suffered immense attrition, leaving only a fraction of their aircraft operational by mid-1944. Despite his high-ranking status, his personal life was marked by the realities of the conflict; his son, Hubert, was captured in North Africa in 1942 after his aircraft was downed by anti-aircraft fire.

In the final days of the war, Greim was summoned to the Führerbunker in Berlin. Accompanied by test pilot Hanna Reitsch, he flew into the encircled city under heavy fire. Though wounded in the foot, he reached the Chancellery, where Hitler promoted him to Generalfeldmarschall and appointed him to replace the disgraced Göring. This made Greim the last officer to receive the rank of field marshal in the German armed forces. He departed Berlin shortly after, but his tenure as head of the Luftwaffe was fleeting. Captured by American forces in Austria on 8 May 1945, he took his own life while in custody on 24 May 1945.

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