Bomber Clasp with Pennant question

[PMoz99]

Hello. Can someone please tell me if this award was given for only WW2 service, or could it also have been given for other service including any in the Spanish Civil War?

According to Wiki, it was given when one reached 300 bomber, rescue or weather recon missions. Is this correct and was it adhered to?

The reason I ask is somewhat involved, and I will try to explain it best I can -

Kurt Seyfarth (or Seyfahrt) 2/2/17-1/10/79 is recorded in different sources as having flown a total of around either 532 or 414 missions. Around 118 of these were in the Spanish Civil War.

(Note, it may just be coincidence, but if one starts with around 414, it is possible someone thought these excluded the SCW missions and added them to arrive at an overall total of 532, while someone else thought the 414 included them and subtracted them, arriving at a WW2 total of around 295).

Can we work out which is correct from the award of the pennant?

If his overall total was only 414, then excluding the SCW missions, his WW2 total would be around 296 - less than the 300 "required" for him to be awarded the pennant. So COULD the fact he has the pennant indicate he flew more than 300 missions in WW2?

Is there something else I am missing here?

Thanks
Peter

[Thomas H]

Hi Peter,

I don't think missions flown in Spain were added to their number of missions in WW2 to earn medals/badges quicker. I think these men got their clasps purely for their actions during WW2

The star pennant was indeed for 300 "Frontflügen" before the numbered pennants were introduced.

The part where the answer to your question may lie is the difference between a "Feindflug" and a "Frontflug". It is called the Frontflug Spange. So Kurt Seyfarth could have flowns just 296 missions (Feindflügen) but some of his missions were counted as 2, 3 or 4 Frontflügen, depending of the number of hours the mission took.

So is most cases a Feindflug is the same as a Frontflug. But I believe when the mission is longer than 4hours is counts double. When it is counted as 3 or 4 I don't know, but examples are known.

Regards, Thomas

[PMoz99]

Many thanks, Thomas.
Yet another variable to consider!
Cheers
Peter

[Tim O.]

Hi Peter

Just for reference, here is a scan from a Flugbuch in my collection. It is useful because the airman has underlined his Feindfluge (sorties) in red and also calculated the Frontfluge (Front Flight) scores on the right-hand side of the page (i.e. '2' and '3'). These long flights were undertaken in 1940 during the Battle for Narvik but as the clasps were not introduced until 1941, the calculations are retrospective. Consequently, the first clasp this man received on 23rd June 1941 was in Gold (by which time he had completed 131 Frontfluge). By then he had joined the Bomber Arm so received a Gold Bomber Clasp (his transport missions being counted towards the total). He was awarded the Star Pendant on 20th September 1942, by which time I think he had accumulated 287 Front Flights. The circumstances of his last combat flight may have led to an early award as, although he was unhurt, a Russian shell exploded in the cockpit during an attack on a Russian train carrying tanks, mortally wounding the Gunner and Observer and injuring the Pilot in the arm. 'My man' was the Radio Operator and remained calm, helping the injured Pilot get the aircraft to an emergency landing ground in German territory. He flew no more combat flights and became an instructor after a period of recuperation in Italy. The crew were awarded German Crosses in Gold for their bravery during this incident. I may have miscounted but don't think so - so it may be that a pendant could be awarded 'early' in certain circumstances.

I have another Flugbuch to a man who transferred to a Mine Search Group from the Bomber Arm. It seems he was only credited with Frontfluge during mine clearance, when his aircraft actually detonated a magnetic mine even though Allied fighter aircraft were a real danger over home waters by that stage of the war (but he did get the Kriegsmarine Minesweeper War Badge to compensate!).

Calculating Front Flights and award criteria can therefore be quite complicated!

[PMoz99]

Thank you for sharing that with us, Tim. Both interesting and useful, and although it does not provide an answer to the question, it is an excellent example to highlight and help us understand how complex the matter can be.
Cheers
Peter