Air Pioneer and German General. He followed in the footsteps of his family by deciding on a military career, as a Prussian officer. He was a cadet in 1913 and became a lieutenant when war broke out. He was wounded in the knee in battle and thus had to transfer to the air force as he was no longer able to lead in the field. He first served as an observer and then as pilot of a four -engine bomber, which prepared him for his future career as a commercial pilot. After the war, he first joined the Deutsche Luft Reederei as a pilot, then moved to Junkers AG in 1924. Both companies merged to form Deutsche Luft Hansa, the forerunner of today's Lufthansa. He worked there to develop all weather flying and was a pioneer and leader in the introduction in blind and instrument flying. In 1933, he joined the board of Luft Hansa, with his main responsibility being the introduction of trans-Atlantic service. He flew many of the first experimental flights and was largely responsible for the South American mail service, introducing the Dornier-Wal catapult airmail service in 1934. He flew the first Luft Hansa flight to Peking in September 1934 and worked hard as building up their aerial network. In 1936 he was captain of the crew on the first Europe to New York commercial flight. He also was a member of the board of Zeppelin, and thus was involved in both kinds of air travel. He made a pioneering flight over the Pamir Mountains in Afghanistan in 1937, which made him a national hero. When war broke out he was named commodore of a transport squadron. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he was responsible for the air transport of men and machines during the invasion of Norway.In November 1941, he was promoted to Major General and named head of the Luftwaffe's Planning Office and at the same time was made head of the Reich Air Ministry. He was killed in the crash of a Siebel 204 in commercial service near Muehlberg on the Elbe. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Swords of the War merit Cross and was given a state funeral, eulogized as one of the first to make commercial air travel possible. The stylized crane of Luft Hansa decorates his memorial.