Historical Jasta demographics

[J2_Trupobaw]

Some time ago I took a closer look into demographics of historical Jasta Boelcke, and what I got was interesting enough I decided to write it down. Bear in mind that I don't know how typical Jasta B structure was - but it surely looks very different both from Entente squadrons,  depictions of German squadrons in books or Career modes like PWCG, and what we do in virtual squadrons. 
 

The Germans were actually promoting officers based on seniority rather than merit or responsibilities - that's why Rittermaister von Richthofen or Oberleutnant Goring were given Colonels duties without being promoted furhter. There was also huge gap between career officers (people like Boelcke or von Richthofen who had full military education and could be trusted with any kind of duties) and reserve officers (including all but one NCOs field promoted to officers). The reserve officer was a separate career branch, with no promotion above Major possible and no chance of becoming staff officers. The Germans, having small air force but huge pool of proffesional soldiers, could also more picky when transfering people to aviation, with interesting results.
 

The first noticable thing is, your average Hans der Flieger in a Jasta was a Leutnant. He came to squadron as a Leutnant, he flew as Leutnant, he died (or transferred away) as Leutnant. Out of 82 Jasta B pilots I counted, 63 joined squadron as Leutnants. 61 of these left squadron without promotion. So, if we want a profile of unremarkable pilot who never accomplished much, background character in book or AI pilot in Career mode, he's not a green soldier out of the flight school. Rather, most of them were career officers who got themselves transferred to air service (like Richthofen brothers did) but didn't show promise. Obviously, it was easier for career officer to get this kind of transfer than an NCO (or enlisted man). Some of these Leutnants were reserve officers promoted from NCOs (Werner Voss is such example), but I'm trying to track pilot through a single squadron.
 

The higher ranking officers were rare. Only six pilot joined Jasta B as Oberleutnants (two of them as Staffelfuhrers). They were experienced officers who decided to join Air Service with younger ones. No Oberleutnant was promoted to captain.

 

The Feldwebels in Jasta B were all also Offizierverstellers (acting officers, with duties of an officer but rights of Feldwebel). Only two pilots came as Offizierverstellers, one of them promoted.
 

The second most numerous group was Vizefeldwebel, with 8 pilots joining squadron at this rank. Only one of them got promoted - although some Vizefeldwebels, like Josef Mai or Fritz Rumey - got promoted after they left Jasta B.

There was just one Gefreiter and one Unteroffizier, neither of them accomplished much once in the squadron... but getting into air service, then into a hunting squadron, despite such a low rank is an accomplishment already. But it seems that competent  non-commisioned pilots became Vizefeldwebels and stayed there.
 

There was just one Hauptmann in the squadron - Oswald Boelcke himself. 
 

This is the rank stucture - a mass of Leutnants, Vizefeldwebels and Oberleutnants here and there, anomalous sightings of other ranks, very very few promotions. Precisely, four Jasta B pilots were promoted, and they are all household names. Leutnants Karl Bolle and Frit Bernet were Staffelfuhrers when promoted to Oberleutnants - and their Staffels included other Oberleutnants, so likely they were promoted to not be outranked by their subordinates. Offizierversteller Max Muller was promoted to Leutnant (the only NCO in German Army promoted to career officer rather than reserve). Vizefeldwebel Paul Baumer is the only pilot to get two promotions inside Jasta B, first to Offizierversteller than to Leutnant der reserve. 
 

So - this is a career of a German Jasta pilot. If you were an officer, you stayed in your rank unless you were Leutnant and Staffelfuhrer and had Oberleutnant subordinate. If you were an NCO, you were likely to end as Vizefeldwebel, sometimes Offizierversteller. The NCOs that were field commisioned as officers were Pour le Merite grade exceptions, like Werner Voss, Max Muller, Paul Baumer or Ernst Udet, and were not promoted past Leutnant. If you were Flieger, you were guarding planes with a rifle (Flieger rank pilots were common in Schustas, but one enlisted pilot in Jasta B was already a Gefreiter).
 

Edited February 10, 2022 by J2_Trupobaw

[Russkly]

Interesting research.

 

I wonder if this is reflected across the whole Luftstreitkraefte?

 

And I also wonder how this compares to the RFC/RAF?

[JGr2/J5_Klugermann]

1 hour ago, J2_Trupobaw said:

 

 

The Feldwebels in Jasta B were all also Offizierverstellers (acting officers, with duties of an officer but rights of Feldwebel). Only two pilots came as Offizierverstellers, one of them promoted.

 

 

The Feldwebels in Jasta 5 remained Feldwebels for 5 years with only 1 exception.

[No.23_Gaylion]

Very cool. Thank you for you time researching and sharing.