UNIFORMS
Uniforms consist of (A) Unit tag + (B) Rank symbol added in front of your (C) Callsign.
A) Unit tag: JG52
B) Rank symbol:
* Oberst (Obst.) - Colonel
^ Oberstleutnant (Obstlt.) - Lt.Colonel
~ Major (Maj.) - Major
+ Hauptmann (Hptm.) - Captain
= Oberleutnant (Oblt.) - 1st Lieutenant
> Leutnant (Lt.) - 2nd Lieutenant
x^ Hauptfeldwebel (Hptfw.) - Sergeant Major
x~ Oberfeldwebel (Obfw.) - Master Sergeant
x+ Feldwebel (Fw.) - Technical Sergeant
x= Unterfeldwebel (Ufw.) - Staff Sergeant
x> Unteroffizier (Uffz.) - Sergeant
z^ Hauptgefreiter (Hptgefr.) - Senior Corporal
z~ Obergefreiter (Ogefr.) - Corporal
z+ Gefreiter (Gefr.) - Acting Corporal
z= Flieger (Flg.) - Private
z> Cadet
NOTE: ALL ranks using letters are in lower-case form (I.E. "x" not "X", "z" not "Z")
C) Callsign:
Preferrably of German origin, but not manditory.
1) You can choose your own callsign / Keep prior callsign.
2) We can give you some suggestions.
or
3) We can name you.
HOWEVER.....
due to problems in the past, we will no longer accept callsigns that are potentially offensive to others, even if it happens to be your surname and others mistakenly assume it for something else. Sorry. Avoid trouble, long explanations and headaches whenever possible. ;)
Uniforms are as follows.....
in HyperLobby: JG52>JohnDoe
in Ventrilo: JG52JohnDoe
in formal emails (usually when dealing with other squads): Stab/JG52 Lt.JohnDoe
Oh, and don't use brakets < > around SA when saluting in the WarRoom or in emails; it conflicts with HTML code in certain computer programs. Do like this:
~SA~JohnDoe!
Also....
Everyone wishing to have an individual page linked to the roster should email me
the following:
1) First name (last name optional)
2) Country of residence
3) First flight sim (flight sim career/background info optional)
4) Anything else you would like to contribute such as hobbies, other interests or
activities, favorite quotes, etc.
5) Axis plane of choice
If you would like to have your picture included with your individual page, be
sure to email it along with your info.
Email: [email protected]
***********************************
JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS RANK?
First and foremost, I would like to point something out. As was true in real life, rank meant very little to Luftwaffe pilots in combat except when an executive order was directly issued as a judgement call by a senior officer. In combat, the more experienced and skilled pilot was the flight leader regardless of his individual
rank. Rank mattered more in an executive fashion regarding the assignment of missions. If your superior officer ordered you to go on a combat air patrol mission, you were going on a combat air patrol mission. No ifs, ands, ors, or buts.... but once in the air, if you were the more experienced/skilled pilot, you were the one in charge of how the mission would progress.
Example 1) Higher-ranking officer assigned as wingman to lower-ranking officer:
As published by WWII Magazine, an interveiw of legendary Erich Hartmann regarding
his first assignment as wingman.
**************************************************************************************
* WWII: Who were you first assigned to as wingman? *
* *
* Hartmann: Sergeant (Sgt.) Eduard [Edmund] "Paule" Rossmann took me under his wing. *
* *
* WWII: Was it typical for an officer to be assigned to a noncommisioned officer? *
* [Note: Erich Hartmann was a Leutnant (Lt.) at that time and out-ranked Rossmann.] *
* *
* Hartmann: It was for us, since he was a seasoned combat veteran. Rank meant little *
* over experience, and that was why we were so successful, I think. *
**************************************************************************************
Example 2)
Also read this....
(Taken from http://www.graf-grislawski.elknet.pl/hartmann.htm)
**************************************************************************************
III./JG 52's commander, Major Hubertus von Bonin, placed Hartmann under Oberfeldwebel Grislawski's wings. The miner's son Alfred Grislawski found a particular pleasure in teaching this newcomer the name of the game. He made a few mock combats with Hartmann. This relieved Hartmann of some of his ambitious ideas, but Grislawski had to admit that although Hartmann had much to learn regarding combat tactics, he actually was a
quite talented pilot.
The trouble started when they started flying combat missions together. Grislawski immediately noted that the newcomer was one of those who thought they were going to "shoot together a Knight's Cross" in no time. Hartmann barely had started to leave his place behind Grislawski's aircraft to direct his Bf 109 against an I-16, when his earphones seemed to explode:
"You bloody idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing? I'm your leader! Get back in place or I'll shoot you down!"
Grislawski kept cursing over the R/T all the way back to base, and when they had landed, the Oberfeldwebel gave the Leutnant a dressing down that he would never forget. Then - in front of the sweating Hartmann - Grislawski turned to his friend "Paule" Rossmann and said:
"Oh man, this is too much! What a baby they have sent us! Just look at his face - like a cute little boy!"
From then on, Grislawski never addressed Hartmann otherwise than as Bubi, "Little boy."
Hartmann proved to be extremely individualistic, and von Bonin definitely knew what he was doing when he assigned a vigorous and harsh worker's son as Alfred Grislawski as his teacher. The men at Soldatskaya used to gather around the radio equipment and listen to the R/T communication with amusement when Grislawski and Hartmann were out on combat missions.
"Are you so anxious to die, Bubi?"
"I'm sorry, sir!"
"Don't you 'sir' me, look after your tail instead! I'll nail you for this, Bubi!"
"I'm sorry!"
"Your mother will be sorry!"
But finally, Hartmann learned the name of the game. On November 5, 1942 he achieved his first victory - against an Il-2 from 7 GShAP.
Last Note: This was the beginning of a long a deep friendship, which would last until Erich "Bubi" Hartmann passed away on 19 September 1993. On 19 September 2003, incidentally to the day 10 years later, his friend and teacher Alfred Grislawski passed away.
**************************************************************************************
Note the picture (on the website from which the above was taken) and the comment underneath it concerning who is in charge. Judging from the photo it seems clear that Grislawski is in charge.
Oberfeldwebel Alfred Grislawski.... Leutnant Erich "Bubi" ("Little Boy") Hartmann....
Hmmmmm. OK, let's look at the ranks....
http://www.xs4all.nl/~rhorta/jgrank.htm
Hmmmmm. It shows that a Leutnant out-ranks a Oberfeldwebel.
Sooooo. Be glad you are a Luftwaffe pilot. Would a RAF or USAAF pilot get away with
talking to his superiors like that without being thrown into the brig? Hmmm. Nope..... LOL
Uniforms consist of (A) Unit tag + (B) Rank symbol added in front of your (C) Callsign.
A) Unit tag: JG52
B) Rank symbol:
* Oberst (Obst.) - Colonel
^ Oberstleutnant (Obstlt.) - Lt.Colonel
~ Major (Maj.) - Major
+ Hauptmann (Hptm.) - Captain
= Oberleutnant (Oblt.) - 1st Lieutenant
> Leutnant (Lt.) - 2nd Lieutenant
x^ Hauptfeldwebel (Hptfw.) - Sergeant Major
x~ Oberfeldwebel (Obfw.) - Master Sergeant
x+ Feldwebel (Fw.) - Technical Sergeant
x= Unterfeldwebel (Ufw.) - Staff Sergeant
x> Unteroffizier (Uffz.) - Sergeant
z^ Hauptgefreiter (Hptgefr.) - Senior Corporal
z~ Obergefreiter (Ogefr.) - Corporal
z+ Gefreiter (Gefr.) - Acting Corporal
z= Flieger (Flg.) - Private
z> Cadet
NOTE: ALL ranks using letters are in lower-case form (I.E. "x" not "X", "z" not "Z")
C) Callsign:
Preferrably of German origin, but not manditory.
1) You can choose your own callsign / Keep prior callsign.
2) We can give you some suggestions.
or
3) We can name you.
HOWEVER.....
due to problems in the past, we will no longer accept callsigns that are potentially offensive to others, even if it happens to be your surname and others mistakenly assume it for something else. Sorry. Avoid trouble, long explanations and headaches whenever possible. ;)
Uniforms are as follows.....
in HyperLobby: JG52>JohnDoe
in Ventrilo: JG52JohnDoe
in formal emails (usually when dealing with other squads): Stab/JG52 Lt.JohnDoe
Oh, and don't use brakets < > around SA when saluting in the WarRoom or in emails; it conflicts with HTML code in certain computer programs. Do like this:
~SA~JohnDoe!
Also....
Everyone wishing to have an individual page linked to the roster should email me
the following:
1) First name (last name optional)
2) Country of residence
3) First flight sim (flight sim career/background info optional)
4) Anything else you would like to contribute such as hobbies, other interests or
activities, favorite quotes, etc.
5) Axis plane of choice
If you would like to have your picture included with your individual page, be
sure to email it along with your info.
Email: [email protected]
***********************************
JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS RANK?
First and foremost, I would like to point something out. As was true in real life, rank meant very little to Luftwaffe pilots in combat except when an executive order was directly issued as a judgement call by a senior officer. In combat, the more experienced and skilled pilot was the flight leader regardless of his individual
rank. Rank mattered more in an executive fashion regarding the assignment of missions. If your superior officer ordered you to go on a combat air patrol mission, you were going on a combat air patrol mission. No ifs, ands, ors, or buts.... but once in the air, if you were the more experienced/skilled pilot, you were the one in charge of how the mission would progress.
Example 1) Higher-ranking officer assigned as wingman to lower-ranking officer:
As published by WWII Magazine, an interveiw of legendary Erich Hartmann regarding
his first assignment as wingman.
**************************************************************************************
* WWII: Who were you first assigned to as wingman? *
* *
* Hartmann: Sergeant (Sgt.) Eduard [Edmund] "Paule" Rossmann took me under his wing. *
* *
* WWII: Was it typical for an officer to be assigned to a noncommisioned officer? *
* [Note: Erich Hartmann was a Leutnant (Lt.) at that time and out-ranked Rossmann.] *
* *
* Hartmann: It was for us, since he was a seasoned combat veteran. Rank meant little *
* over experience, and that was why we were so successful, I think. *
**************************************************************************************
Example 2)
Also read this....
(Taken from http://www.graf-grislawski.elknet.pl/hartmann.htm)
**************************************************************************************
III./JG 52's commander, Major Hubertus von Bonin, placed Hartmann under Oberfeldwebel Grislawski's wings. The miner's son Alfred Grislawski found a particular pleasure in teaching this newcomer the name of the game. He made a few mock combats with Hartmann. This relieved Hartmann of some of his ambitious ideas, but Grislawski had to admit that although Hartmann had much to learn regarding combat tactics, he actually was a
quite talented pilot.
The trouble started when they started flying combat missions together. Grislawski immediately noted that the newcomer was one of those who thought they were going to "shoot together a Knight's Cross" in no time. Hartmann barely had started to leave his place behind Grislawski's aircraft to direct his Bf 109 against an I-16, when his earphones seemed to explode:
"You bloody idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing? I'm your leader! Get back in place or I'll shoot you down!"
Grislawski kept cursing over the R/T all the way back to base, and when they had landed, the Oberfeldwebel gave the Leutnant a dressing down that he would never forget. Then - in front of the sweating Hartmann - Grislawski turned to his friend "Paule" Rossmann and said:
"Oh man, this is too much! What a baby they have sent us! Just look at his face - like a cute little boy!"
From then on, Grislawski never addressed Hartmann otherwise than as Bubi, "Little boy."
Hartmann proved to be extremely individualistic, and von Bonin definitely knew what he was doing when he assigned a vigorous and harsh worker's son as Alfred Grislawski as his teacher. The men at Soldatskaya used to gather around the radio equipment and listen to the R/T communication with amusement when Grislawski and Hartmann were out on combat missions.
"Are you so anxious to die, Bubi?"
"I'm sorry, sir!"
"Don't you 'sir' me, look after your tail instead! I'll nail you for this, Bubi!"
"I'm sorry!"
"Your mother will be sorry!"
But finally, Hartmann learned the name of the game. On November 5, 1942 he achieved his first victory - against an Il-2 from 7 GShAP.
Last Note: This was the beginning of a long a deep friendship, which would last until Erich "Bubi" Hartmann passed away on 19 September 1993. On 19 September 2003, incidentally to the day 10 years later, his friend and teacher Alfred Grislawski passed away.
**************************************************************************************
Note the picture (on the website from which the above was taken) and the comment underneath it concerning who is in charge. Judging from the photo it seems clear that Grislawski is in charge.
Oberfeldwebel Alfred Grislawski.... Leutnant Erich "Bubi" ("Little Boy") Hartmann....
Hmmmmm. OK, let's look at the ranks....
http://www.xs4all.nl/~rhorta/jgrank.htm
Hmmmmm. It shows that a Leutnant out-ranks a Oberfeldwebel.
Sooooo. Be glad you are a Luftwaffe pilot. Would a RAF or USAAF pilot get away with
talking to his superiors like that without being thrown into the brig? Hmmm. Nope..... LOL