As Germany prepared for war, large numbers of women were incorporated into the public sector and, with the need for full mobilisation of factories by 1943, all women were required to register with the employment office. Hundreds of thousands of women served in the military as nurses and support personnel, and another hundred thousand served in the Luftwaffe, especially helping to operate the anti—aircraft systems.[17] Women's wages remained unequal and women were denied positions of leadership or control.[18]