Luftwaffen.
/ˈlʊftˌwafə/, /ˈlʊftˌvafə/, /ˈlʊftˌwɑːfə/, /ˈlʊftˌvɑːfə/, U.S. /ˈlʊftˌwɑfə/ The German air force before, and until the end of, the 1939–45 war. Also attributive.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities in the air > air force > [noun] > German
Luftwaffe1935
1935 Times 23 May 15/1 The armed forces are henceforth known collectively as the Wehrmacht (Defence Force) and consist of the Army (Heer), Navy (Kriegsmarine), and the Air Arm (Luftwaffe).
1939 War Illustr. 21 Oct. 169 The German Luftwaffe—literally ‘air weapon’—has been built up by Field-Marshal Goering and General Milch into a formidable force both in size and quality.
1941 Ann. Reg. 1940 66 The repulse..broke down the legend of the invincibility of the German Luftwaffe.
1941 H. G. Wells You can't be too Careful v. ii. 244 The Luftwaffe he [sc. Goering] had launched.
1942 Electronic Engin. 15 240 Generally the receiving valves are..similar to those used in German Luftwaffe sets.
1946 R.A.F. Jrnl. May 174 One Group alone has disposed of thousands of tons of Luftwaffe equipment.
1957 Encycl. Brit. I. 453/1 As soon as the arms limitation of the Versailles treaty had been repudiated, Germany embarked upon the creation of a great Luftwaffe.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1976; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1935