8 - The disbanding of psychological services in the Luftwaffe and the army in 1942 and the reorientation of psychology during the war

Summary

The expansion of Wehrmacht Psychology, a consequence of the expansion of the Wehrmacht itself, had essentially made the DPO possible in 1941. The consequences of the territorial expansion of the Wehrmacht during the war, especially the heavy losses in air battles and on the ground, and a new policy of officer recruitment led to the dissolution of the psychology services in the Luftwaffe and the army. The DPO was only three-quarters of a year old and chairs were just being established in the universities to ensure training in psychology when the orders went out terminating psychological testing. On 15 April 1942 the head of training in the Luftwaffe ordered that aptitude testing for flying personnel cease. In the future superiors alone would decide about appointments (LVB1, 1942 I, pp. 615-16). Thus, the central duty of Luftwaffe Psychology disappeared. Officer recruits were no longer to be tested psychologically either. The army followed on 22 May 1942 with an order from the Supreme Command dissolving the Inspectorate for Personnel Testing and the personnel test stations as of 1 July 1942. This was also the end of aptitude testing for officers as well as “psychotechnical testing of other ranks” (HVB1, 1942 A, pp. 11-12). From July 1942 until the end of the financial year 31 March 1943, mopping-up operations were still going on at the former army testing stations and at the inspectorate. Navy Psychology remained intact until the end of the war, although psychological testing was no longer required for officer applicants there either, following a decree of 15 July 1942 (MVB1, 1942, pp. 732ff.).