Editing Luftwaffe (section)

===Human experimentation===
{{See also|Nazi human experimentation}}
Throughout the war, concentration camp prisoners were forced to serve as [[Human subject research|human subjects]] in testing Luftwaffe equipment. Some of these experiments were carried out by Luftwaffe personnel and others were performed by the SS on the orders of the OKL.

In 1941, experiments with the intent of discovering how to prevent and treat [[hypothermia]] were carried out for the Luftwaffe, which had lost aircrew to immersion hypothermia after [[Water landing|ditchings]].{{sfn|USHMM|2009|p=444}} The experiments were conducted at Dachau and Auschwitz. [[Sigmund Rascher]], a Luftwaffe{{sfn|USHMM|2009|p=444}} doctor based at Dachau, published the results at the 1942 medical conference entitled "Medical Problems Arising from Sea and Winter".<ref name="NOVA">Tyson, Peter. [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/holocaust/experiside.html "Holocaust on Trial: The Experiments."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904154933/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/holocaust/experiside.html |date=4 September 2017}} ''NOVA Online''. Retrieved: 23 March 2008.</ref> Of about 400 prisoners forced to participate in cold-water experiments, 80 to 90 were killed.{{sfn|USHMM|2009|p=444}}

In early 1942, prisoners at Dachau were used by Rascher in experiments to perfect [[ejection seat]]s at high altitudes. A [[pressure vessel|low-pressure chamber]] containing these prisoners was used to simulate conditions at altitudes of up to {{convert|20000|m|ft}}. It was rumored that Rascher performed [[vivisection]]s on the brains of victims who survived the initial experiment.{{sfn|Cockburn|St. Clair|1999|pp=149–150}} Of the 200 subjects, 80 died from the experimentation,{{sfn|USHMM|2009|p=444}} and the others were executed.<ref name="NOVA"/> Eugen Hagen, head doctor of the Luftwaffe, infected inmates of Natzweiler concentration camp with [[typhus]] in order to test the efficacy of proposed vaccines.{{sfn|USHMM|2009|p=1005}}