In charge of Luftflotte 5, situated mainly in Norway with its headquarters in Stavanger, was Generaloberst Hans-Jurgen Stumpff. Stumpff had started his military career in 1907 when he joined the army. He rose through the ranks, and by 1918 had been promoted to the rank of Captain. In 1933, following Hitler’s rise to Chancellor, Stumpff was made head of personnel in the Luftwaffe. Between 1937 and 1939, Stumpff served as Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe.

In the context of the Battle of Britain, his command was doomed not to play much of a role. Geography was against him. The North Sea, at the Latitude of Norway, was just too wide to enable aircraft from his Luftflotte to constitute a major threat to Britain. As it was, German intelligence had deduced that the continuous pressure from Luftflotte 2 under Kesselring would inevitably mean that Dowding would have to transfer all his fighter strength down to 11 Group to fight the battle there. This would mean that in the north, there would be no fighter cover. None that would be available to oppose an incursion from Lufftflotte 5 in Norway.
But when Stumpff’s forces tried to attack Britain in the north, it was a sheer disaster. Dowding hadn’t after all transferred his fighter strength down from 13 Group in the north down to the south. Stumpff’s forces were met by a serious number of Spitfires and Hurricanes. They shot down many of Stumpff’s bombers, without any loss to themselves. That was the end of any action in the Battle from Stumpff’s forces. Eventually, he was required to send his Me109s down to Luftflotte 2 to help participate in the battle there.

He continued to command Luftflotte 5 until the end of 1943. Stumpff was the official Luftwaffe representative at the signing of the surrender in May 1945.. He died in 1968.