Crew Chiefs and Ground Crew

[Broncazonk]

At the Jagdgeschwader level down to the staffel, how did the aircraft ground crews function? How many men for each aircraft? A crew chief for each aircraft?
When did their engine maintenance end--at the valves, crankshaft replacement, bearings? That is, were these tasks performed in the field or did they pull the engine and send it back to the depot?

Who supervised the crew chiefs? How mechanically inclined was the technical officer in each staffel? (Did he actually know anything?)

Any insight would help.

Bronc

[kaki3152]

There is an article in an old magazine, written from the viewpoint of a Luftwaffe Mechanic that has some information

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

I hope that you are doing well. That is a quite interesting question about an area of the Luftwaffe that is often overlooked ... As I heard on a YouTube video about Luftwaffe ground personnel "No one got the Knight's Cross for greasing an airplane." Nevertheless, their contribution was vital and the ground crews deserve some attention. I was able to find the following document which may be of some interest.

https://www.cdvandt.org/CIOS-XXV-45.pdf

Horrido!

Leo

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Hello Leo,

thank you a lot!

Best regards,
Andrey

[Broncazonk]

Dear Leo,

Yes, still alive, and pleased to see another spring.

Thank you for that amazing document. I'm studying it closely.

All my Best,

Bronc

Originally Posted by Leo Etgen

Hi guys

I hope that you are doing well. That is a quite interesting question about an area of the Luftwaffe that is often overlooked ... As I heard on a YouTube video about Luftwaffe ground personnel "No one got the Knight's Cross for greasing an airplane." Nevertheless, their contribution was vital and the ground crews deserve some attention. I was able to find the following document which may be of some interest.

https://www.cdvandt.org/CIOS-XXV-45.pdf

Horrido!

Leo

[Revi16]

As with most V-12 engines, accessories could be changed in the field, but anything to do with the case, heads, valves, etc.. would require an engine change.


Radials - if 1 cylinder needed changed not that big of a deal dependent on engine and reason. If more in depth, engine change.

[Broncazonk]

Everyone has read how the famous Experts often brought their crew chiefs (and sometimes several of their ground crew) with them when they transferred to the East or West, but before Leo provided this document I don't think anyone understood how special that was. According to the document, the aircraft ground crews belonged to the airfield, not the Jagdgeschwader/staffels. (Unlike the Allied practice, the aircraft service personnel were not a part of the Jagdgeschwader or staffel, and when the pilots, planes and the small headquarters staff transferred, everyone else stayed at their home airfield.)

The incorporation of civilians as supervisors in the airfield maintenance shops/tents was also a new revelation. I wonder what THAT was like for civilians who where assigned to airfields on the Eastern Front!!

When a Jagdgeschwader arrived at a new airfield they were depending on the experience and professionalism of everyone around them: new ground crews, airfield/runway maintenance, logistics personnel, security and anti-aircraft personnel, etc. They were essentially guests at an airport!

Bronc

[hanshauprich]

This cvilians are "Wehrmachtsbeamte der Luftwaffe" and wear their own uniforms!They served in branches like Airplane Weapon-Service, Signal-Branch,General Airplane-Services etc.
Bests,
hans

[Franek Grabowski]

I think you misunderstood the text, though I admit I need to read it carefully. There was the 1st line of maintenance attached to Staffeln per the article. Within Allied forces 2nd and 3rd lines of maintenance were separate. Alas, organisation varied, and in 2 TAF flying units consisted flying personnel only. Groundcrew were attached to Airfields.
Franek

[Broncazonk]

Originally Posted by Franek Grabowski

I think you misunderstood the text, though I admit I need to read it carefully. There was the 1st line of maintenance attached to Staffeln per the article.
Franek

Yep. For the key clarification: See the very bottom of Page 8 and the very top of Page 9.

So this makes me wonder, was a Crew Chief in a Luftwaffe Gruppen at the same level (technical and mechanical mastery) as an USAAF Crew Chief--I think not. They were never allowed to get that way. (The best men were sent up one or two levels.)

Also, the average life expectancy of a Me 109 or FW 190 from late 1943 onward was only three or four missions so a very small percentage of aircraft engines and airframes were ever overhauled. Rebuilt: Yes. Overhauled: Almost never.

READ the very bottom of Page 13 and the top of Page 14!!

So still unanswered: how many ground crew were assigned to each aircraft? Were they assigned to a specific aircraft so they got to know the plane and pilot?

Bronc