By spring 1942, Hitler’s forces on the Eastern Front were suffering heavy losses. To replace these casualties, the Army requested the transfer of 20,000 men from the Kriegsmarine and 200,000 airmen from the Luftwaffe to be retrained as infantry. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, head of the Luftwaffe, vehemently opposed the plan, fearing it would diminish his political power after several Luftwaffe failures. He proposed instead that the Luftwaffe raise and equip these 200,000 men, arguing their Na