While Ernst Grossmann’s pocket diary from 1938 has not survived, his detailed photo albums, location logs, and military decorations allow us to reconstruct much. For the Wehrmacht, 1938 was a year of rapid expansion and political brinkmanship. For Ernst, a twenty-two-year-old Kanonier (gunner) in Flak-Regiment 25, the year was defined by rigorous technical instruction, high-level inspections, and his first deployment beyond the borders of the German Reich.
Inspections and Garrison Duty
Early in the year, Ernst’s unit was subjected to high-level military oversight as the Luftwaffe evaluated its expanding Flak forces. On January 27, 1938, his photo album captures a notable visit to his unit by General Hugo Sperrle. Sperrle, a key commander who had recently returned from leading the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War, inspected the troops as part of the Luftwaffe's effort to ensure operational readiness across its anti-aircraft regiments.
Heavy Artillery Training at Grafenwöhr
During the summer of 1938, Ernst’s training intensified significantly. His photo collection documents his deployment to the major military proving ground at Truppenübungsplatz Grafenwöhr in northern Bavaria. There, he focused heavily on live-fire exercises with the 88mm Flak cannon (8,8-cm-Flak). Working as an operator of the optical rangefinder (Entfernungsmesser), Ernst was responsible for tracking target altitude, speed, and distance to feed firing solutions directly to the gun crews. His photographs from this period document the daily reality of artillery training: positioning the heavy 88mm guns, optical equipment drills, live firing on the range, and the working life of a Flak crew in the field.
Heilbronn Staging and the Sudetenland Deployment
By late summer 1938, European diplomacy had reached a crisis point over the Sudetenland—the German-speaking border regions of Czechoslovakia. As the German military prepared for a potential conflict, Ernst’s regiment was mobilized toward the border. Photos place Ernst in the Heilbronn Barracks (assigned to Stube 19) from September 5 through October 10, 1938, which served as a key staging period prior to the move into Czech territory.
Following the execution of the Munich Agreement, German forces crossed into the Sudetenland between October 1 and October 10. Ernst deployed with his unit into the occupied borderlands in early 1939, documenting the entry of Flak-Regiment 25 into the newly annexed regions. For his direct participation in the operation, Ernst was awarded the Sudetenland Medal (Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938)— his first military decoration.
On January 27, 1938 Großmann snapped this photo of General Hugo Sperle visiting Flak Regiment 25 in Ludwigsburg. Born in Ludwisgburg, Sperle was about to take over Luftwaffengruppenkommando 3 (Air Force Group Command 3, later Luftflotte 3), which was the operational command for southern Germany.
Photo taken by Ernst during 88mm Flak Canon training at Truppenübungsplatz Grafenwöhr in Bavaria. The use of helmets with the tri-color national decal on the right helps confirm the date of the image. In March 1940 Germany ordered the removal of these decals to reduce visibility in combat.
