Feuertaufe - Baptism of Fire (1940)

Poland was the first victim of Hitler's infamous blitzkrieg. Combat cameramen filmed the aerial campaign, showing preparations for flight, massive air strikes, and the appalling devastation wreaked upon Polish towns and armies. The Luftwaffe feature film Baptism of Fire (Feuertaufe), introduced by Hermann Göring himself, boasted about the feat after the short-lived campaign was over.

Baptism of fire had its world premiere on 6 April 1940 at the Ufa Palace in Berlin and at the same time in Denmark and Norway. So exactly half a year after the official end of the so-called Polish campaign. The film had been commissioned by the “Reichsluftfahrtministerium” (Reich Aviation Ministry) and therefore by Hermann Göring. Göring was obviously “allowed” to have the last word in this film. It was directed by Hans Bertram, himself an aviation legend.