Strength figures: categories

[Nick Beale]

The unit strength returns on (for example) Bundesarchiv RL 2-III/735 give three columns of figures for crews under the headings:

Ist / eins. / verfb.

Ist is easy enough: actual strength

eins. I take as either einsatklar of einsatzfähig: ready to operate or able to operate

verfb. presumably verfügbar: available (e.g. on base?)

Then comes a final column: Kampfeins. It's written with a capital letter, suggesting a noun rather than an adjective, so presumably something like Kampfeinsatz (combat operation) but if so, what is it counting? Sorties flown that day or something else?

[RodM]

Hi Nick,

I believe it refers to Combat-ready (Kampf-einsatzbereit) and is the number of aircraft with crews ready / available for operations.

Sometimes a unit has more serviceable aircraft than crews ready. Other times a unit has more crews ready than serviceable aircraft. So, logically, Kampf-einsatzbereit is the lower of either of those two figures.