German LW words.??

[Haztoys]

When alot of you speak of the German LW...You still use the German words..As most books do and it all good..Just is there a list some were that crosses over to the Amercan words ... So I know what the hell you all are speaking of.. ...

 

[Njaco]

Hope this helps.

Glossary Of German Terms

Abschuss "Shootdown"--an air victory.
Alarmstart --Scramble.
Ami --slang for American.
Blitzkrieg --"lightning war"-
dicke Autos "fat cars"--enemy heavy bombers.
Einsatzfruede --love of combat.
Einsatzstaffel --operational Staffel (of a training unit.).
Endausbildungstaffel --operational training squadron.
Endgueltige Vernichtung --final destruction of an already-culled aircraft.
Ergaenzungsgruppe (ErgGr) --advanced training group.
Ergaenzungsstaffel (ErgSt) --advanced training squadron.
Erprobungsgruppe (EprGr)-- operational test group.
Erprobungsstaffel (EprSt) --operational test squadron.
Experte --a fighter pilot proficient in aerial combat; the Allied Ace.
Fliegerdivision (FD) air division--a higher command containing several types of flying units.
Fliegerfuehrer (Flifue) --aircraft command/control unit or it's commander. In the case of isolated theatres, the theatre air commander..
Fliegerkorps (FG) air corps--a higher command containing several Fliegerdivisonen.
Flugzeugfuehrer --pilot.
Freie Jagd "free hunt"--a fighter sweep without ground control.
Fuehrer-- leader.
Fuehrungsstaffel --leader's squadron.
Fuehrungsverband --lead formation.
General der Jagdflieger (GdJ) --General of the Fighter Arms; a staff position in the RLM. Werner Moelders and Adolf Galland were the most prominent holders of this position.
Geschwader wing (pl. Geschwader)--the largest mobile, homogeneous Luftwaffe flying unit.
Geschwaderkommodore --wing commodore--usually a Major, Oberstleutenant, or Oberst in rank.
Gruppe (Gr) group (pl. Gruppen)--basic Luftwaffe combat and administrative unit.
Gruppenkommandeur --group commander--usually a Haptmann, Major, or Oberstleutnant in rank.
Herausschuss "shot out" (cull)--to damage a bomber sufficiently to seperate it from it's formation.
Himmelfahrtskommando "mission to heaven"--suicide mission.
Holzauge "wooden eye"--the last airplane in a formation.
Horrido --hunters' or pilots' cry of victory. St. Horridus was the patron saint of hunters and fighter pilots.
Indianer "Indians"--enemy fighters.
Jabostaffel --fighter-bomber squadron.
Jaeger --originally hunter, now fighter pilot.
Jaegerschreck :fear of fighter"--a derogatory term coined in Goering's headquarters.
Jagdbomber (Jabo) --fighter-bomber.
Jagddivision (JD)-- fighter division; could command one or more Jafue or Jagdgeschwader.
Jagdflieger-- fighter pilots.
Jagdfliegerfuehrer (Jafue) --fighter command/control unit or it's commander. Tha Jafue originated as administrative units but evolved into operational control units during the war.
Jagdgeschwader (JG)-- fighter wing, commanding three or four Gruppen.
Jagdgruppe (JGr) --fighter group, containing three or four Staffeln.
Jagdkorps --fighter corps; commanded one or more Jagddivisionen.
Jagdschutz "fighter protection"--generally, apatrol of a section of front, rather than an escort mission.
Jagdstaffel --fighter squadron, originally containg twelve aircraft (three Schwaerme). It's authorized strength was increased to sixteen in 1943.
Jagdverband (JV) --fighter unit. The term was only used for JV 44, the Gruppe of jet fighters commanded by General Adolf Galland in 1945.
Jagdwaffe --fighter arm or fighter force.
Kampfgeschwader (KG)-- bomber wing.
Kanalfront --the (English) channel front.
Kanalgeschwader --the geschwader serving on the English Channel (JG 2 and JG 26).
Kanaljaeger --fighter pilot(s) based near the channel.
Kapitaen "captain"--a Staffel command position rather than a rank.
Katschmarek --a sland term for a wingman--originally a derogatory term for a dim-witted infantry recruit.
Kette --flight of three aircraft.
Kommandeur "commander"--a Gruppe command position rather than a rank.
Kommodore "commodore"--A Geschwader command position rather than a rank.
Luftflotte (LF) "air fleet"--corresponded to a numbered American Air Force.
Luftwaffe "air force"--refers to German Air Force.
Luftwaffenkommando (Lkdo) --air command-a small or down-graded Luftflotte.
Nachtjagdkommando --night fighting detatchment.
Nachwuchs "new growth"--a late-war replacement pilot.
Oberwerkmeister --line chief.
Pulk-- combat box-an American heavy bomber formation.
Reich "empire"--Hitler's Germany was the Third Reich.
Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM)-- German Air Minitry; Goering's headquarters, it controlled all aspects of German aviation.
Reichsverteidigung (RVT) --organization responsible for the air defence of Germany.
Rotte --tactical element of two aircraft.
Rottenflieger --wingman, the second man in a Rotte.
Rottenfuehrer --leader of an element of two aircraft.
Schnellkampfgeschwader (SKG) --fast bomber wing.
Schwarm --flight of four aircraft (pl Schwaerme); all German fighter formations were made up of units of Schwaerme.
Schwarmfuehrer --flight leader.
Sitzkrieg "sitting war"--the "phony war" in western Europe between September 1939 and April 1940.
Stab --staff.
Stabsschwarm --staff flight.
Staffel (St)-- squadron (pl. Staffeln).
Staffelfuehrer-- squadron leader (temporary or probationary).
Staffelkapitaen-- squadron leader--usually a Leutnant, OberLeutnant or Hauptmann.
Stukageschwader (Stg)-- dive-bomber wing.
Tommy --German slang for Englishman.
Valhalla --a large formation of aircraft.
Viermot -- slang for Allied bombers, literally "four- engine"
Zerstoerer --"destroyer" (heavy fighter)--Bf 110 or Me 410 twin-engined fighter.
Zerstoerergeschwader (ZG) --heavy fighter wing.
Zerstoerergruppe (ZGr)-- heavy fighter group

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Good list that covers a lot of it.

 

[ccheese]

I thought "Jabo" was the German's nickname for the P-47 ????

Charles

 

[Njaco]

You're correct, Charles, in the fighter-bomber role.

a few more:

Awards

Ritterkreuz (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kruezes) -- Knight's Cross, for repeated acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty (or a single act if it was of great importance)

Eichenlaub (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kruezes mit Eichenlaub)-- Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.

Schwertern (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kruezes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern)-- Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, 160 awarded.

Brillianten (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kruezes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten)-- Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, 27 awarded.

There was one other high award, the Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kruezes mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten or Knight's Cross with Gold Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. This award was to be presented to the 12 most deserving Germans after the war had been won by the Axis. Only one exception was made (The Stuka ace - Hans-Ulrich Rudel) and this was to be the only one presented.

 

[HoHun]

Hi Njaco,

>Katschmarek --a sland term for a wingman--originally a derogatory term for a dim-witted infantry recruit.

That's interesting, the first time I see anything on the etymology of the term! Where is this bit of information from?

(Historical slang terms for infantrymen I'm familiar with are "Tolpatsch" - from hungarian "broad foot" - and "Stoppelhopser" - literally 'stubble hopper'. "Tolpatsch" became mainstream term meaning "clumsy person" long ago - wonder what this tells us about the general opinion of infantry soldiers?

Another slang term for wingman would be "Kettenhund", 'chained dog', of course based on ...

>Kette --flight of three aircraft.

which litterally means "chain".

>Valhalla --a large formation of aircraft.

I believe this is actually a phonetic misunderstanding of the term "Mahalla", which the fighter pilots picked up in North Africa. I believe it's possibly Arabic in origin, but I don't know any details.

The "Valhalla" just appeared in the current "Flugzeug Classic" issue in the sense you described - a future Bundesluftwaffe F-104 pilot training on T-37 and T-38 in the USA used this term in his recollections. So the Mahalla - Valhalla confusion seems to be old ... I wouldn't even rule it out that it was a proper WW2 term because it was misunderstood even then. Wagner sure was en vogue in the 3rd Reich ...

(I believe the exact British parallel was "Balbo" for a big formation or concentration of aircraft in sky

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

[HoHun]

Hi Charles,

>I thought "Jabo" was the German's nickname for the P-47 ????

It was actually a technical term for fighter bombers, but of course the P-47 was the prominent Allied fighter bomber of WW2 ...

You'd also see "Tiefflieger" ('low flyer') for as a generic term for all fighter bombers - or strafing fighters - flying over the hinterland.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

[Haztoys]

I thought "Jabo" was the German's nickname for the P-47 ????

Charles

Not that I know dick ...But I read some were The Jug word for the P-47 ...Is part of a bigger word that means "unstoppable"..??????

 

[HoHun]

>But I read some were The Jug word for the P-47 ...Is part of a bigger word that means "unstoppable"..??????

Juggernaut - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Erich]

2 things:

Jabo means ANY dive bomber

Jug alone was never used for the P-47 but just saying Thunderbolt as that was the description used as well as Lightning, none of this silly fork tailed devil crap, and also Mustang and not P-51

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I thought "Jabo" was the German's nickname for the P-47 ????

Charles

No Jabo is short for Jagd Bomber which means fighter bomber so Jabo is short for fighter bomber.

The P-47 was a Jabo however...

EDIT: I see that everyone else has allready shown you this!

I did not want to beat it into the ground.

 

[Njaco]

HoHun, I got most of this on an online search in addition to what I have.

"Katschmarek" (I've seen it spelled Kacmarek) I believe I read was a slang term that was originally from Poland or Russia. Will check.

 

[Erich]

Chris actually both but you have termed it correct, something with bombs was the closest guess, as the Wehrmacht ran like crazy screaming Jabo's, even when it was just a strafe by P-51's - fighter bomber correct ......... richtig !

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

Poor chaps.


But that's a good list. I have to study it.

 

[HoHun]

Hi Njaco,

>"Katschmarek" (I've seen it spelled Kacmarek) I believe I read was a slang term that was originally from Poland or Russia. Will check.

Thanks a lot, that's a term that has been puzzling me for, well - twenty years! And before reading your post, I didn't have the slightest clue

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

[Njaco]

I remember reading it in one of my books with a definition but can't remember which one! When I found that definition on the web it was close to what I had found. Now to find that 3 sentence paragraph in all these books!!

 

[Haztoys]

Thats great ..Thanks Njaco..That realy helps..

If I could...Could I get a number and a order of the groups in the LW..Any one understand what I'm trying to say..???...

(All use my new words ..Make me look like I know what I'm doing..LOL.. )

Theres "groups" in all Air Forces..Like Fliegerdivison,,Jagdgeschwader,,Jagdruppe,,Jagdverand,,.

Anyone see what I'm getting at ...If someone says "Jagdruppe" is this a big group of plane or small..??????

 

[Jank]

Thre P-47 Thunderbolt was originally nicknamed the "Jug" by Americans because it looked like a milk jug. The Brits, hearing Jug and being used to fighters weighing half as much as the P-47, took "Jug" to be short for "Juggernaut" which means a large, overpowering, destructive force or object.

It would seem that both understandings were correct.

 

[Njaco]

Haztoys, if you check out this website you will probably find most of what you are looking for.

Basically you start with a Jagdgeschwader (such as JG 2). A JG contains about 4 Gruppen which are split down into Staffeln and then schwarm (4 aircraft) and then rotte (2 aircraft).

Going up the chain, several JG can be part of a Jagdgruppe or Fliegerdivision (depends on the combat situation) but most are contained in a Luftflotte, responsible for an entire combat area.

Example: Battle of Britain was fought mainly by aircraft in JG, KG (kampfgeschwader/bombers) or StG (Stukageschwader/ Dive-bombers) from Luftflotte 2 and Luftflotte 3. Luftflotte 5 which had control over air operations in Norway participated in a major effort on one day and then removed.

As the war evolved, more Luftflotte were developed and several independant commands were created. This website has a pretty good explanation of it all.

It can be complicated.

The Luftwaffe, 1933-45

 

[HoHun]

Hi Jank,

>Thre P-47 Thunderbolt was originally nicknamed the "Jug" by Americans because it looked like a milk jug. The Brits, hearing Jug and being used to fighters weighing half as much as the P-47, took "Jug" to be short for "Juggernaut" which means a large, overpowering, destructive force or object.

Do you have any actual evidence that this was in fact the sequence of events, or is that just a guess?

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)