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Flyer Command Iraq () was a unit of the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe'') sent to Iraq in May 1941 as part of a German mission to support the regime of Rashid Ali during the Anglo-Iraqi War. The mission was part of a larger effort to gain support in the Middle East for the Axis Powers against the United Kingdom and its allies during World War II. ==Background== On 1 April 1941, Rashid Ali and members of the "Golden Square" led a ''coup d'état'' in Iraq. During the time leading up to the ''coup'', Rashid Ali's supporters had been informed that Germany was willing to recognize the independence of Iraq from the British Empire, there had also been discussions on matériel being sent to support the Iraqis and other Arab factions in fighting the British. German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop persuaded Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler on 3 May that Dr. Fritz Grobba be secretly returned to Iraq to head up a diplomatic mission to channel support to the Rashid Ali regime.〔Lyman, p. 63〕 Grobba's mission was accompanied by a military force commanded by the ''Oberkommando der Wehrmacht'', or ''OKW'' (the High Command of the Armed Forces). The military mission had the cover name ''Sonderstab F'' (Special Staff F); it included components from the ''Abwehr''-based Brandenburgers and from the ''Luftwaffe''. ''Sonderstab F'' was commanded by ''General der Flieger'' Hellmuth Felmy.〔Kurowski, p. 131〕 ''Fliegerführer Irak'' (Flyer Command Iraq) was the ''Luftwaffe'' component of ''Sonderstab F''. While ''Fliegerführer Irak'' was part of the ''Sonderstab F'' military mission, it was also somewhat separate from it. Its personnel reported to the ''Luftwaffe'' High Command and not to the Chief of the OKW.〔Kurowski, p. 141〕 On 6 May, in accordance with the "Paris Protocols", Germany concluded a deal with the Vichy French government to release war matériel, including aircraft, from sealed stockpiles in Syria and transport them to the Iraqis. The French also agreed to allow the passage of other weapons and stores as well as loaning several airbases in northern Syria, to Germany, for the transport of their aircraft to Iraq.〔Playfair (1956), pp. 194–195〕 Also on 6 May, ''Luftwaffe'' Oberst Werner Junck received instructions in Berlin that he was to take a small force of aircraft to Iraq. That force was ''Fliegerführer Irak'',〔 Junck met Reichmarschall Hermann Göring and was named "Commander of Aviation Iraq."〔Kurowski, pg. 131〕 Junck was then briefed by ''Generalleutnant'' Hans Jeschonnek, Göring's Chief of Staff. While under Junck's tactical direction, ''Fliegerführer Irak'' was to be under the overall direction of Jeschonnek. The aircraft of ''Fliegerführer Irak'' had Iraqi markings and operated from an air base in Mosul, some 240 miles north of Baghdad.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fliegerführer Irak」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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