To repeat the original announcement of the continuance of this story:

We will take up the story of Carl Eber of Jasta 18 on 12 Oktober 1917, where we left off with posting 75 back in March.

Oberleutnant Rudolf Berthold has been seriously wounded and is at Kgl. Bayer. Reserve Feldlazarett 45 (Royal Bavarian Field Hospital 45) in Kortrijk (Courtrai) until such time as he is in stable enough condition to be sent to a hospital in the Haimat (Homeland).

Oberleutnant Ernst Wilhelm ‘Vater’ Turck, as the senior officer in the Gruppe, is Staffelfuhrer of Jasta 18 and Jagdgruppenführer for Jagdgruppe 7, for now.


I won't be posting every day as I did before, probably three times a week.

Before we continue, however; as there were a number of readers who were confused about this character, I feel I should summarize what we know about him thus far.

So, I'm be introducing the 'DIND Companion.'

It’s a long story and, especially if you don’t live in 1917, it’s easy to get lost. In the 'Companion' I’ve provided some tools to help. I'll add to the 'Companion' every time I post so that the main story and the 'Companion' are always together.



In the 'Companion' you will find:

1 - A short version of Carl Eber’s backstory. I introduced the back story, mostly in little bites, using flashbacks and dreams to slowly explain the character. Maybe it was less clear than it appeared to me.

2 - A summary of Carl Eber’s personal traits and facts about him.

3 - A glossary of German military terms, slang, and more. I sometimes quit making footnotes on some of these terms after they've been introduced, so this may help.

4 - A cast of the characters, historical and fictional, including ground personnel and pets, with screenshots of their markings and photographs is available.

5 - An index of Spitznamen (nicknames)

I CARL EBER'S BACKSTORY:

The story begins in the 1980s as a German Psychoanalysis student meets a former pilot of Jasta 18 at Hotel Bayerischer Hof on Promenadeplatz in Munich.

This student is only identified as ‘Bruno’ and has been interviewing this old pilot as part of his hobby, his passionate hobby, research on the colors and markings of German WW1 aircraft.

Bruno has not been given a surname and does not represent any particular individual, living or dead.

The old Jagdflieger has possession of a large and priceless archive of material on the Jagdstaffeln.

In the opening scene Bruno is offered a ‘Devil’s Bargain’ in exchange for this archive.

The bargain is for Bruno to join with this man as one combined personality and travel to August 1917.

Bruno, of course, believes the old man is psychotic but is willing to at least humor his request in the hope of obtaining the collection as well as getting treatment for him.

The purpose of sharing his WW1 experiences with Bruno, according to the old pilot was to help him bear the tremendous mental stress of living for 2,000 years, losing everyone he has ever cared about, over and over, and undergoing the trauma of combat and injury, as well as the guilt resulting from the blood he has spilled.
Bruno, as a future Psychoanalyst, is perfect for this purpose.

The old man was not crazy after all. Using a photograph of a Jasta 18 aircraft lineup dated August 16th 1917 as a doorway, Bruno finds himself transported back in time.

Bruno/Carl subvocalizing to helself, says; “I felt nothing, no electric shock or dizziness, any of the things you might expect from such an experience, nothing. But suddenly I was there, walking on the grass toward the machines with Paul Strähle. I was not a rider in Herr Eber’s body, there was no other apparent personality with which I shared this body. It was just me, one person. I was not even surprised or amazed, everything was as it should be.”

“I am Carl Eber and today is August 16th 1917.”



Now…how was this time travel and personality meld accomplished? I’ll explain part of that later on below.

The protagonist’s present identity is Carl Eber, Visefeldwebel, Jasta 18. According to his records he was born in Konigsberg, Kingdom of Saxony in 1891, older than your average Jagdflieger.

He enlisted in König von Sachsen 4. Infantrie-Reg. Nr. 103 in 1914 and continued in that Regiment until he joined the Fliegertruppe in 1915.

He was born as Marcus Triarius. The exact date of his birth is unknown but it was approximately 20 BCE, during the reign of Caesar Augustus.

A more detailed account of the origin story can be read on post 26 in thread 5. But this is a shorter summary:

The man whom he believed to be his father was one Constantius Triarius, Primus Pilus of Legio XVII.*

His mother’s name was Martia.** Her family name and the exact circumstances of her birth were unknown to him until a later date.

* First File, commanding Centurion of the First Cohort, and senior Centurion of the Legion.

** Meaning, devout to the god Mars.

Both of these parents perished in a plague when Marcus was quite young. He also contracted the plague but survived. He was raised by the Praefectus Castrorum* of the Seventeenth.

*Camp Prefect – a long serving veteran who had been promoted through the ranks of the Centurions and third in overall command of the Legio.

He was not adopted, but was provided with enough education to read and write adequately for his station in life and taught arithmetic.

When he was old enough he served as an orderly to the Praefectus Castrorum until he came of age to join the Legion at seventeen.

Marcus served with the Seventeenth in Germania in the campaigns of Tiberius against the Marcomanni and in the suppression of the Illyrian Revolt, rising to the rank of Optio of the First Cohort.*

*An Optio, meaning to choose, because he was chosen by the Centurion, was a position roughly equivalent to a Lieutenant and was second in command of the Centria. (Century)

In 9 C.E. Marcus took part in the campaign of Publius Quintus Varus to suppress a reported revolt of the Germanic tribes in the area of the Rhine.

This campaign culminated in the annihilation of all three of Varus’ Legions at the well-known, Battle of Teutoburg Forest, Legios XVII, XVIII and XVIX.

CAPTION - Battle scenes are from the video game Totalwar: Rome II, by SAGA


Marcus awoke after the battle, naked, helpless and injured, surrounded by wolves. Rather than eating him, as he expected, these wolves, some of the war dogs that had been used by the Germans, woodpeckers and other beasts and animals brought him food and kept him warm.

These animals being sacred to Mars, also known as Ares among the Greeks, Marcus prayed and made offerings to him and wondered what great plan the god of war had for him that he went to so much trouble on his behalf.

By mid-October, Marcus was strong enough to travel but the wolves blocked his way. After a few days a huge Schwarzpecht * appeared and perched on the tree next to his shelter. He spoke to Marcus, not in words exactly, but in his mind.

This was Picus*, one of the sons of Mars and the same who had brought food to Romulus and Remus.

* Black woodpecker, a crow sized woodpecker common in Germany.

Picus informs Marcus that he was not merely wounded, but did, in fact die and resurrect because of the truth about his parentage.

“Your father is the one to whom you have been praying and giving thanks for your deliverance.”

His mother, Martia, was the daughter of Mars and so half- divine, a demi-god.

I have tried to be delicate about describing the circumstances of Marcus’ birth. If you know what sort of personality Mars/Ares had, you won’t be surprised to hear that he decided upon an experiment to see what would occur if a three-quarters-divine being were created with Martia.

The result of the experiment was seen when Marcus resurrected after his death in battle. He was immortal but not divine. To the gods, an obscenity in two senses.

Picus told him, “You, since your death and resurrection, have come to the attention of the Dii Consentes* of whom your father is one. They have condemned his obscene and irresponsible act in creating an abomination and a threat.”

The abomination part is self- explanatory but the threat was that a non-divine immortal, if allowed to propagate would possibly create an immortal race that would rule the world and could change the balance of power between humanity and the gods, bringing about their end.

Marcus who would one day call himself Carl Eber, along with many other names, was brought to a clearing in the forest to fight with his progenitor to see if he could be killed by a fully divine being. If not, then something had to be decided about him.

He and Mars fought until sundown with no decisive result.

He was left on the field to rest and tend his wounds.

Picus remained with him and advised him.

“You will not win. Whether you can defeat your father or no. Whether he can kill you or no.”

Marcus asked him, “Then what should I do?”

He said, “You should call upon your grandsire, Jupiter, offer yourself as a sacrifice to test whether you can die or no, throw yourself on the mercy of the gods if you cannot die. This is the only hope you have. Know that there are many things worse than death.”


*The council of 12 gods.

In the morning, when Mars appeared to renew the battle, Marcus stood naked and unarmed and called upon Jupiter as Picus had advised.

Marcus, explaining this story to Bruno says: “I presented my bared chest to Mars and he struck me in the heart, splitting it in two.”

“I became conscious again in agony and was again cared for by the wolves, dogs and woodpeckers until I was strong again.”

“You might imagine that, having died times without number that the dread of death would not trouble me.”

“I will tell you now, death is often quite painful and traumatic and on the occasion when it is so instantaneous that you feel little or nothing, the resurrection and recovery more than compensate.”

“There is also the shock of discovering yourself in a pile of corpses or buried alive or worse, burning or burnt. This type of immortality is not something to be desired. My very existence is a curse.”

“During this time, I thought about the injustice of what had been done to me and of my sator, I will not call him my father. How was he ever a father to me? He created me as an experiment of the most perverse kind and what was his punishment? To have to kill me?”

“He did not acknowledge me or so much as speak one word to me. He struck me down without hesitation. No…he is no father of mine!”

“All the gods, what do they do but use men for their entertainment!”

“When I was strong enough, Jupiter himself appeared in the meadow in the form of the great eagle I had seen when I did battle with Mars.”

“He said to me that he and the council had judged that my valor in battle with my sire and the willing sacrifice of myself made me worthy to be elevated to join them as the personification of soldierly courage and discipline.”

“I was young and angry, having been badly used. My reply was, ‘I want nothing to do with gods and their amusements! You are all despicable parasites, feeding on the prayers, offerings and blood of men, and it is no honor to be counted among you! I would remain as I am, a man and a soldier among soldiers.’”

“Jupiter was angered at this rejection and granted my wish. I would be, for all time, just what I was. I would suffer all that men suffered, I would be spared nothing and never have the release of death. I would never rise above the level that I had achieved in my Legio and no matter how I attempted to avoid it, war would always find me.”

“No god would give me aid.”

“Too, I could not be allowed to father children, just in case this immortality would be passed to them. So, Liber appeared as a goat and touched me with his horns as I stood, frozen in place.”

“I was left there with nothing except the rags the wolves had brought me.”

I won't go further into his subsequent life, except to say that, because of his immortality and his curse, he has seen kings and emperors rise and fall, fought in hundreds of wars, killed thousands, died hundreds of times, only to be resurrected for more pain and violence, love and loss.

Marcus, presently known as Carl Eber is haunted by the ghosts of his past and is something of an insomniac.

This is the curse Bruno has agreed to share with him.

Battle scenes are from the video game Totalwar, by SAGA

Now… to the part about how this time travel and personality blending is achieved. Well, some of it you’ll just have to accept, the way you often have to do in low-class fiction and schlock.

I can explain part of it however. I’ll just reproduce what you’ll find already written in posting 26 or thread 5;

Carl is speaking to Bruno: “For decades at a time I have gone, forgive me for using such a layman’s term, insane. Wandered in the wilderness, living like an animal on instinct alone or locked in a lunatic asylum until my unhinged mind could heal itself.”

“Seeing this, one of the goddesses took pity on me, defied Jupiter and aided me…Anna Perrena, the circle of the year. Do you remember her story, the trick she played on Mars?”

Bruno answers, “Yes…she disguised herself as Minerva, the virgin goddess Mars wanted and tricked him into marrying her.”

“Yes, my grandmother. She granted me this ability to revisit the past.” (this is also another clue to Marcus/Carl Eber/Felix’s pedigree.)

Bruno asks, “To what purpose?”

“I have found, over time, that sharing this burden with another, helps me to maintain my equilibrium. Do you not understand that this is the thing that you who choose, in these times to be psychoanalysts, actually do? Share the burdens of others. It is no wonder that so many who choose that profession end their own lives. This and your passion for these relics you see before you, are why you are the perfect candidate for my bargain.”

“You must realize that what you ask is an impossibility.” (Blending his personality with Cark Eber and traveling back in time to WW1.)

Carl laughs. “Jünger, time is not as linear as is generally believed. What did Shakespeare say?”

In English, Carl says, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy?”

“So can you see, from this story, fantastic as it may seem, for me, dead is not dead.”

“I beg you to accept my bargain, I am weary beyond measure.”

So, that’s all the explanation there is to give. Take it or leave it.

2 -CARL EBER'S PERSONAL TRAITS AND FACTS


Carl Eber’s Spitzname (nickname), Felix, is explained below when we come to the discussion about our period, 1914-1918.

The surname Eber has its origin in Old German and Old English. It is from the given name ‘Eber’ meaning strong and brave boar.

This man has used the name a number of times as both a surname and given name.

This name was chosen because of the boar’s association with the 10th Cohort, Roman Legio XVII, the first military command in which he served.

Carl/Felix smokes like a chimney.

Felix/Carl loves dogs and they like him.

Felix always carries a Mauser automatic pistol known as the broom handle. A 9 is engraved on the handle in red, indicating that it was 9mm to avoid confusion as to its ammunition.

Carl has chosen to fight for the German Empire during this war because he has a long association with the Saxon people.

He avoids close relationships with both men and women, there being no future in these and they only cause pain in the end.

Carl is usually able to predict what sort of person others are when he first meets them. After so many centuries he’s interacted with so many people that he finds there are only so many ‘types’ of personalities. Few people surprise him.
Berthold was one of these surprises.

It often seems as though he has encountered and known some people over and over again. They’re basically always the same, even though they may or may not look similar or have different nationalities and backgrounds.
Paul Strähle is one of these.

He is subject to the same pain and injury a normal man suffers but these wounds and injuries, because of his semi-divine birth, heal much faster and completely. They leave scars but do not permanently debilitate him no matter how severe.

He drinks somewhat in moderation and always the best, which he obtains from what he calls, backstairs methods. The same goes for his tobacco.

When Carl Eber is narrating, he uses contractions. When he is speaking he does not. This is to simulate the types of speech patterns he would be using when he’s speaking something other than English, usually German.

Picus still visits him from time to time and occasionally, despite Jupiter’s prohibition, aids him.

The Mars side of Felix’s genetic makeup sometimes takes over in a stressful combat situation and he is taken by the jagdfeber (hunting fever or Berserker rage)
.
Felix/Carl’s present aircraft is an Albatros DIII OAW which he has named Beomia after a former wife.

Beomia is a Saxon name meaning battle maiden.

Felix’s ground crew have no last names but they are; Dieter, his Motorschlasser {motor mechanic) responsible for the mechanical parts of the aircraft and George and Heinrich, his riggers.

Felix seldom makes a victory claim as he wishes always to remain in the shadows. If he had known that Jagdflieger would receive so much publicity he would not have followed Berthold to Jasta 14.

He thought that when he joined the Fliegertruppe in 1915 that this would be an interesting adventure and something of an out of the way, easy place to spend this war.

At present he has three confirmed aerial victories, or Luftsiege.

The actual total of his Luftsiege, confirmed, unconfirmed and not reported, as of 10 Oktober 1917, is 8.

His awards up to this time include the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class and the Friedrich August Medal, in silver, a Saxon award given to enlisted men, Feldwebel and below for meritorious achievements. In this case, 300 combat missions against the enemies of the Fatherland. The medal was given in two grades, Bronze and Silver.

Felix’s personal aircraft marking is related to his Spitzname (nickname), Felix. It is the horse shoe and four leaf clover. This is an authentic Jasta 18 personal marking which appears in a number of photographs but the pilot who used it is unknown.

WOFF assigned this emblem to Walther Kleffel but it has no more to do with him than it does with our fictitious character. What personal symbol he used is unknown. WOFF did not make a Pfalz, an Albatros DIII OAW or Fokker DVII for Kleffel’s later service under Berthold in Jasta 15.

So, I took it and gave Kleffel other personal markings in my Mods.

Carl keeps a diary, takes pictures of many of the aircraft he sees and makes notes about them, and the pilots associated with them. He also collects copies of documents such as combat reports and the War Diary of the Staffel. He knows that this will be important to him in some way in the future but doesn’t know just how. Perhaps he will write a book.

This is the Bruno part of his personality and is part of the bargain made with Bruno in exchange for sharing the mental burden of his long life.

When the Armistice is signed these two personalities will separate, into Carl Eber and Bruno, and will return to the 1980s. Both will have knowledge of these years and the years that proceeded them in Carl’s life.

Over many lifetimes he has acquired wealth significant enough to provide him with just about anything he might want. This takes the form of caches of treasure, to well selected investments and Swiss bank accounts in various names.

He has his fingers in the Black Market and has contacts which can provide many luxuries not otherwise available to his Staffel-mates.

If rich, powerful people were ever to come to know about him they would make a laboratory rat of him so they could try to find out a way to cheat death. That would be a living death for him.

He has been very successful at staying hidden. He has been discovered on a few occasions and had to kill a number of people to suppress that knowledge, witch hunters, an inquisitor that thought he had found some sort of demon. It was necessary to spill a lot of blood on that occasion.

He always has multiple new identities, a new mask, ready to put on. He has had many names, but he always avoids his birth name of Marcus as it is associated with his sire, Mars, and this is too much a compliment to him.

This constant change of identities is necessary, but exhausting, and sometimes hard to keep track of.




1914-1918:

The framework for the day to day activities of Jasta 18 is the diary of Paul Strähle, a portion of which was reproduced in Volume 11 of Cross and Cockade International Journal, and various other references, primarily: “Iron Man, Rudolf Berthold” by Peter Kilduff and Osprey “Jasta 18; the Red Noses,” Greg VanWyngarden.

The weather in the story is from Strähle’s Diary and “Hunting with Richthofen, Jagd in Flanderns Himmel, the Bodenschatz Diaries” translated by Jan Hayzlett and some internet sources.

At the beginning of the war, Carl belonged to the König von Sachsen 4. Infantrie-Reg. Nr. 103. He wears the tunic of that regiment with gray air service straps piped in the blue of his regiment and the number 4 in red below the red Fliegertruppe insignia. On his cap he wears the white green white cockade of Saxony below the black white red one of the Empire.

After his transfer to the Fliegertruppe and Fliegerschule at Liepzig-Lindenthal, Carl was assigned to Feldflieger-Abteilung 23 in late March 1915,; where he met, the Leutnant, Rudolf Berthold.

They did not hit it off.

After a number of incidents in which Carl’s observers were killed while he survived, he began to be considered bad luck to fly with and requests were made that he be transferred.

In a bit of dark humor, one of the observers started referring to Carl as glücklicher Felix, Lucky Felix, rather like saying, that lucky guy, the fortunate one, and the name stuck, or at least Felix did.

It was at this time that Berthold, now a pilot himself, stepped in for his own reasons. He criticized the superstition of the others and proposed to fly as Felix’s observer for a while to shame them.

The two men didn’t become friends exactly, but did develop a grudging respect for one another. At this point, Carl knew that the two of them would be bound together in some way.

This was confirmed when, after Berthold became Staffelführer of Jasta 14 he asked for Felix and made him his wingman.

Part of the reason for this was that Berthold, who was rather superstitious himself, despite his ridicule of the other officers in FFA 23, believed Felix’s luck enhanced his own.

Berthold found Felix to be useful in several other ways as well.

He used him as his Scherge (thug) to discipline certain troublesome but useful enlisted men.

Felix is well suited for this role, having the experience of millennia as a soldier, he has no equal as a fighter with or without weapons.

Berthold suspected Felix of having criminal connections and tasked him with helping the Offizier zur besonderen Verwendung (Special duties officer, Ozbv) obtain things that were difficult or impossible to get through normal channels.

After Berthold was severely wounded in the leg he was reassigned to command Jasta 18 in Flanders. He took with him a number of Jasta 14 personnel, Felix included.

That;s where Felix has been during the period this story has spanned, from 16 August to 10 October 1917 when Berthold was again wounded and hospitalized.

The story will in the main thread from that point. in time.

GLOSSARY

Here also, for your convenience, is a glossary of German terms that may be useful since I don’t always explain them after they have been used a few times.


A’ la bonheur – a French phrase used by the Germans to express approval or as an exclamation of recognition, meaning’ to happiness,’ or ‘to good fortune.’ An English equivalent would be something like, ‘Here’s to you’, or ‘allright Dude!

Abendbrott, - evening meal

Abgekämpfte – fought out, war-weary, burned out as Americans say.

Abgeschloßen – shot down

Abschießer- the term translates as simply, shooter. Walter Böning used this term when he was being interviewed by Bruno Schmäling to describe an ‘egotistic shooter.’ A pilot who cared about nothing but making kills and running up his score. He talked about how this was particularly dangerous when the man commanded a Staffel or Gruppe.

Abschnitt - sector

Abteilungsführer – Commander of a ‘working’ air unit, such as an Artillery Observation squadron or Reconnaissance unit.

Abtrudeln - to spin downwards either wing over wing, or end over end as an escape tactic or simply to lose altitude quickly without stressing the wings.

Abwehr - air defense mission. The British would call it a ‘Barrage Patrol.’

Abzeichen fur Militär-Flugzeugführer - Military Pilot’s Badge, initially awarded for passing your pilot’s course but later it was only awarded after 40 combat flights

Affenfahrt Monkey ride at full throttle so that the bracing wires rattle. Diving or just running as fast as possible.

Aktiver Offizier – Active officer, as opposed to an Offizier der Reserve

Alte Kiste/alten Kisten – Old crate, singular and plural.

Ami – slang for American.

Amtßchidmmel – office mold, red tape.

Angriff - Attack

Arbeitsflieger – working flyer, two seater recon. and artillery machines

Artilleriehaschen – Artillery bunny/rabbit. Artillery spotter aircraft.

Artillerievögel – Artillery bird. Another slang term for Artillery spotter aircraft.

aus dem Hauschen wacky/off the rails applied to engine going off the rails when prop is shot half off.

Ausgefallen – equipment is out of service.

Beauty cream – There was an anti-freezing cream that was issued, but this term was applied to any type of grease that was used on the face to protect it from frostbite.

Befehl ist Befehl – Orders are orders, the Prussian holy words.

Beobachter – a Beholder or observer in this case for a reconnaissance machine.

Beobachtungsbalon – Observation Balloon

B.F. - Bristol Fighters – The Germans often referred to Allied types as SEs, BFs, RE, FE and other abbreviations.

blaue Männer – blue men. Bavarian ground crew often wore blue work clothing instead of the usual black.

Blauer Max -Blue Max

Blue bird - yet another slang term for the Blue Max.

Bochehaschen – a German rabbit. A term used to say that the enemy pilot must have taken you for a rookie pilot.

Brauerstern brewer star, a gild symbol frequently used by pilots as personal markings. Often confused with the six pointed star of Judism. This is explained by Bruno Schmäling on page 122 of OTF, issue 31, no. 2.

Bruchlandung crash landing

Brüder mit öligen Fingern -oily fingered brethren

Bumslandung bum landing

Bursch – Officers orderly. Literally, ‘boy.’

Dachschaden – roof damage, head wound, also more commonly gone bonkers from wicki german mil terms

Dackel - Dachshund

das sich die Balkan biegen – phrase meaning make your toes curl. A nice way of saying your entertaining each other with risqué stories.

Dämmershoppen – sundowner, an evening drink, nightcap.

Damendarsteller – cross dressers portrayers of women.

Die Grippe – the flu

Die sehen weisse Mause - seeing white mice, something like seeing pink elephants, seeing things.

Donnerbalken - thunder beam, latrine

Donnerschlag - low German expletive, ‘Thunders!’

Draufgänger – Daredevil, used as a title, as in, Draufgänger (Daredevil) Voss.

Draufgängertum - recklessness, bravado

Ehrenbecher – Honor Cup. Awarded to a pilot for his first aerial victory. Usually silver.

Eierlandung egg landing. Landing very carefully.

Ein Scheißding - a piece of sh*t.

Eisenbahn – Iron road – rail line.

Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse – Iron Cross 1st Class

Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse – Iron Cross 2nd Class

Eiserne Kuh - evaporated milk

Ententland – the Allied side of the lines in Fliegersprache – (aviator slang.) The German side is referred to as ‘Germany’

Er hat das Schießpulver nicht erfunden – He did not invent gunpowder. An expression that means that a person lacks intelligence.

Etappe – rear area, also the rear area bureaucrats.

Ettapendepot – rear area supply depot

Etappenschwein rear swine, rear area personnel, derogatory

Familienvater – head of family

Feldgendarmerie military police

Feldgotesdienst front worship service. The German Military required Catholic troops to attend Christmas, Easter and Sunday Mass, unless duties prevented it. The level of enforcement of this requirement was up to the commander.

Feldgrauen – Field Gray, German soldiers, used much like ‘grunt’ or G.I.

Feldwebelleutnant – like the rank Offizierstellvertreter, an enlisted rank with the responsibilities of an officer, but with none of its perks.

Fesselballon – Captive balloon

fette Hilda – fat Hilda, an observation balloon.

FLAK – Flieger-Abwehr-Kanone

Flakartillerie – AA artillery

Flakkannone - semi automatic anit-aircraft cannon

Flandernschlecht reference to the Ypres battles.

Flieger – Flyer, pilot, but also used, at times, where it would be more conventional to use the word aircraft in English. Fuchs p 20

Flieger Ersatz Abteilung - pilot replacement section.

Fliegerbeobachtungoffizier – air observation officer

Fliegerkopfhaub – Leather pilot’s cap.

Fliegerkombination - the bulky flying suit issued standard in late 1917 early 1918.

Fliegersprache – aviator slang

Fliegerverbände – flying club or association – tongue in cheek reference to a Staffel or Squadron.

Flliegerwetter – Flyer’s weather. Bad weather in which no flights take place.

Franzen - (Franzing) activities carried out by the observer.

Frechdachs - translates as cheeky badger, used like Smart A$$

Frontschwein -Front hogs, usually those with the will to fight, somewhat ironic as opposed to Etappenschwein.

Fussballindianer – Football Indians. Yet another slang term for the English.

Gasblasen gas bag

Gegenwaertiger -most current status

Geilheit - randyness, lust

Gell – a Bavarian expression like Nit Wahr /Nicht Wahr. Is this not so?

Geschlechtsehre - sexual or gender honor

geschwader -The term geschwader (squadron or formation) can be used to refer to any formation from a half-flight of three machines to a complete squadron of 12 to 18.

Geshoßgarten – Garden of shots, used like ‘shower of bullets.’

Glückwunsch – congratulations

Die Grippe – the flu

Gras beißen mußte - have to bite the grass – like bite the dust.

Großkadrigen Lange – translates as ‘large-scale, long’ slag for French Caudrons

Großkampftag - major day of combat

Großkanone – Big Cannon, is an ace pilot with over ten aerial victories.

Gruja– acronym for Jagdgruppenführer.

Haifisch – Shark, nickname for the Albatros fighter

Hakenkreuz - hooked cross, swastika

Halberstaffel – formation of approximately half the Staffel’s strength.

Halberstädter – Halberstadt CL type two-seaters.

Hals und beinbruch – break your neck and legs, used like ‘break a leg.’

Halsorden – throat medal, the Pour le Merite, an allusion to the medal being worn at one’s throat.

Halßchmerzen – sore throat, the ambition to acquire the Pour le Merite at all costs.

Hannoveraner – slang for the Hannover CL type two seaters

Hasen -Das Hasen – Hare, the Hare. Prey.

Häschen - young hare, bunny.

Hawa – another nickname for the Hannover CL type two-seater.

Heeresbericht - short for Heeresbericht der Oberste Heeresleitung – the Supreme Command’s Daily Reports.

heiliger Hass - holy hatred of the enemy

Heimat – literally home town but refers to the civilian population of Germany which the Feldgrau protect

Heimatschuß- homeland shot, a blighty wound not permanently disabling but enough to get evacuated home.

Herr Meinernerven. - Lord of my nerves

Himmelwurst - sky sausage

der Hohenzollern – short for Knight’s cross of the order of the house of Hohenzollern with Swords

Hummel - bumblebee

Idflieg – Inspektor der Fliegertruppen. Founded in 1911, the Idflieg was part of the Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches (Imperial German Flying Corps) which became the Luftstreitkräfte in 1916, handling administration, including regulation of service names applied to aircraft produced by domestic companies, characterised according to the armament, wing configuration, crew and role which was intended for the aircraft.

Jagdfieber - hunting fever

Jagdfliegrie – fighter (hunter) aviation.

Jagdgflugzeugen fighter aircraft

Jägerblick - hunters gaze, the ability to see the enemy.

die Jungfräulichkeit des Häschentums - The virginity of bunnyhood.

Jungvögel – fledglings.

Kampfmeßer - combat knife

Kanone – literally, Cannon. A pilot who has achieved ten Luftsieg. There are variations on this title. A – Big Cannon, Großkanone is an ace pilot with over ten aerial victories and an Ober Kanone it a ‘top gun’ like Richthofen or Voss.

Kartoffelstampfer – Potato Masher. The Germans and British used the same term for the German stick grenade.

Kasino – Officers Mess

Kiste – Crate, aircraft

Kette – section of 3 to 4 aircraft

Ketten – plural of Kette

Kettenhund - chained dog, military police because of the gorget they wore.

Kogenluft – Kommandeur der Flieger.

Kokardenjagd – Cockade hunting. A Phrase used by Otto Fuchs in his book, ‘Wir Flieger’.

Kraftwagen Abteilung - Motor Vehicle Department, what in English speaking armies would be called the Motor Pool.

Krankenschwester - The word for nurse in German, literally, sister of the sick. Often shortened to Schwester , sister. This can confuse them with nuns, which they sometimes are.

Kriegsersatz - war subsitutes

Kriegsgott - a war god.

Kriegsmüdigkeit war weariness

Kugelfanger – bullet catcher – wounded often

Kugeln – bullets

Kurvenkempf – turn fight

Landgaul – country nag or cart horse.

Landser – a Saxon term for a foot soldier, in WWII it was adopted as a general term for a German infantryman, used like G.I.

Latrinenparole - latrine talk, rumors

Laurigkeit moodiness/unpredictability

Lausoleum - Humerious slang for a steam delousing oven

Lebt wohl – literally translated - live well, equates to farewell.

Leichte Beute - easy prey

Leutchen - little people, usually a reference to the workers at HQ

Luftkampfes – aerial fight – usually translated as dogfight.

Luftnachrichtenoffizier - air intelligence officer

Luftsieg/Luftsiege -Aerial victory, singular and plural.

Luftstreitkräfte – German air forces

Mannschaften – enlisted men

Maßenkempf – mass struggle

MGK – acronym for Maschinen-Gewehr Kampagnie (Machine Gun Company).

Minimaxes – a type of fire extinguisher

Mittageßen - lunch

Morgen Muffel – Morning grouch.

Na na! - well,well used like yeah-right

Nachrichtenblatt - weekly Intelligence summary, credited aerial victories are published here.

Nerven wie Bindfäden - nerves are as taut as twine, as in ‘his nerves are at taut as twine.’

noch nicht entschieden - (not yet determined.) as applied to a victory claim.

Ober Kanone - a ‘top gun’ like Richthofen or Voss.

Oesche - Ox, idiot

Offizier zur besonderen Verwendung - Special duties officer sometimes shortened to Ozbv or Offizier zbV. Something like an Executive Officer in charge of just about everything the commander doesn’t want to do to keep the Staffel running well.

Offizierstellvertreter - like the rank Feldwebelleutnant, an enlisted rank with the responsibilities of an officer, but with none of its perks.

Orden Pour le Merite des kleinen Mannes - Order of the Pour le Merite for Lesser Men, a slang term for the Knight’s cross of the order of the house of Hohenzollern with Swords, This phrase was used by Carl Degelow on page 126 of “Black Fokker Leader.”
This term was also used for the Golden Military Merit Cross, which was the highest award that could be given to an enlisted man.

Ostfront -Eastern Front.

Patrouillenflüg, Patrouillenflüge - patrol flight, singular and plural.

Pilotenkasino – Pilot's kasino, what the British and Americans would call the Officer’s Mess.

Portwein-Augen - port wine eyes -bloodshot eyes, reference to the cockades on the English machines.

Prost/Pröstichen – Bottom up/Cheers

*RE – Reconnaissance Experimental – The Germans often referred to Allied types as SEs, BFs, RE and other abbreviations.

Regimentschef – colonel of regiment

Rasender Teufel – racing demon

Sanitäter - a combat medic, sani for short

Sanka acronym for for field ambulance

Sattler - leather worker

Schäferhund - German Shepherd

Schiedsgericht - Arbitration council for kill disputes within a Geschwader. The board had one rep from each Staffel and one from Geschwader HQ. After arbitration the claim is sent to Armee HQ. I assume there must have been other such councils within every local air command.

Schrapnells – Shrapnel


Schirpsknapf - blip switch

Schlagenden Vertdinung student association with ritual dueling

Schlechtens – bad experience

Schwarzer Mann – Black men. Ground crewmen.

SE – Scouting Experimental – S.E.5 - The Germans often referred to Allied types as SEs, BFs, RE and other abbreviations.

Scherge -thug

Soldatenheim – Soldier’s mess

Spiess – acronym for Sergeant Major. Used like ‘Top Sergeant.’

Spurnase - sense of smell, an awareness of what is going on around you and feel anything out of place.

Staffelkennung – squadron marking

Staffel-Kameraden – Squadron mates

Staffelfarbe unit color

Ställe – stables, sometimes used to refer to a hangar

Stammpersonal permanent staff Gastepersonal – Temporary staff.

Stammeinheit parent unit

Stammregiment – main or partent regiment. The unit a pilot belonged to before he jointed the Fliegertruppe. Pilots often continued to wear the uniform of their regiment.

Steckrube – turnip, plural Steckruben.

Steckrubenwinter- turnip winter, the 1916-17 starvation winter in Germany.

Stießtrommler - Bum Dunmmer (teacher, derogatory)

Stellvertretender Staffelführer -Deputy Squadron Leader

Stiftenkopf – short, military haircut, known as a crew cut in the American military

Stundenkilometern – Kilometers per hour.

Sturzflug – nosedive

Sturzhelm – crash helmet.

Taube – Dove. All aircraft were usually described as a Taube by ground personnel. The British also used this same term on occasion, to indicate a German aircraft.

Tierarzthelferin - Veterinarians Assistant

Trommelfeuer – Drumfire, the heavy bombardment that precedes an attack.

Umlaufmotoren – Rotary engines

Underarzf – NCO medical officer

Unkraut Verdirbt Nicht - bad things never end/when it rains it pours

uns einmal die Knochen ordentlich durchpusten laßen- Let our bones get shot up

Verfranzt – lost

Voll Blüter – full blood, a thoroughbred. The Fokker DVII was described this way by Rudolf Stark

Verschlimmbeßerung – an attempted improvement that makes things worse.

Vize – Slang for Vizefeldwebel, used like Sarge or Gunny.

voll gas – Full gas/full throttle.

Wagelagererwetter - highwayman’s weather because you can doge around in the clouds to surprise enemy.

Wagenschmiere – Wagon grease, a euphemism for poor quality margarine.

Wanderlung – change, as in a transformation.

Wegtreten! Step away/fall out

Walfisch – Whale. Nickname for the Roland CII.

Weichlich - soft

Weltbrand - global conflagration

Weltschmerz - the pain of the world, depression.

Werkmeister - Engineering officer sometimes NCO

Wetterfroch weather frog/ weather man

Wie gehts? - Hows it going

winkende Häuschen Unglück (yes caps as they are) something like a walking disaster area person.

Wilden Mann – Wild man.

Wundertier - Wonderfull or magical beast man/machine combo like a god flying over battlefield. From Adolf Ritter von Tutschek’s autobiography, translated and editied by Jason Crouthhamel for “Memorirs of German Pilots in the First World War, Vol.1” from Aeronaut Books.

Zielvorgabe! Target/mission

Zlazw- see zur Landung gezwungen

Zum Wohl – to your health.

zur Landung gezwungen or zlgzw – victory claim that counts only as an aircraft forced to land behind its own lines. Does not count as a Luftsieg.

Zweikampf – a duel between two warriors.

Zwischengeparkt – parked

CHARACTERS