Josef Mai
Encyclopedia
Major Josef Mai Iron Cross
First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter pilot credited with 30 victories.
. He later took part in the fighting around Warsaw
, Poland
. In 1915 he campaigned along the Dniester River. He also served at the battles of Verdun
and the Somme
.
. He originally served in Kasta 29, flying reconnaissance aircraft in 1916. He then underwent fighter training and joined Jagdstaffel 5 in March 1917. As a Vizefeldwebel, he was one of three non-commissioned pilots (along with Fritz Rumey
and Otto Koennecke
) who flew together so successfully they ended up claiming 40% of the Jasta's victories between them, and making Jasta 5 the third highest scoring unit of the war. The trio was nicknamed "The Golden Triumvirate".
Mai scored his first victory on 20 August 1917, flying an Albatros D.V, and downing a Sopwith Camel of No. 70 Squadron. His fifth victory, over a RAF SE.5a, was on 30 November.
Mai did not score again until 13 January 1918. On 25 April 1918 he forced down British 18-kill ace Lt Maurice Newnham
of No. 65 Squadron, for his tenth victory.
By May 1918 Jasta 5 was sharing an airstrip with Jagdgeschwader 1, and as the Flying Circus
re-equipped with new Fokker D.VII
s, Mai started flying a cast-off Fokker Dr.I
triplane. He flew this triplane (Serial No. 139/17) for his next victory, over a pair of aces in a No. 11 Squadron Bristol F.2B. Pilot Lt Herbert Sellars
(8 claims) was killed although Observer Lt. Charles Robson survived and taken prisoner. He claimed three victories with the Triplane.
Mai was prone to paint his planes in a "zebra stripe" pattern,with black and white striping on the fuselage angled to the left viewed from the starboard side. his theory being the optical illusion would help to throw off an enemy pilot's aim. Painted on this background was his insignia of a star and crescent. His Albatros and D.VII were known to bear this paint scheme althogh his Dr.l paint scheme is uncertain.
On 19 August 1918 he had his most successful day. He attacked two Bristol F.2B fighters from No. 48 Squadron, Royal Air Force
. As he hit one Brisfit with incendiary ammunition, the other swerved away from the incoming fire and collided with his wrecked companion. Mai followed up this double kill by downing a 56 Squadron SE.5a later.
On 3 September he was wounded in action in the left thigh. Nevertheless he scored again two days later, and added five more victories during September.
Mai's 26th victory was a No. 64 Squadron SE5a on 5 September 1918. On 27 September 1918, the day of his 29th success, Mai was promoted to Leutnant. His friend Fritz Rumey was also killed in action on that day.
Mai claimed his 30th and last score, a Bristol F.2B of 20 Squadron, killing the 6-kill ace crew of Lt. Nicholson Boulton and 2/Lt. C.H. Chase on 29 September 1918. 15 had been claimed with the Fokker D.VII, 12 with the Albatros and 3 with the Fokker Dr.I.
Mai was nominated for Germany's highest honor, the Pour le Merite
, or Blue Max. Before it could be approved the war ended with Germany's loss.
during World War II.He died at the age of 94 in january 1982.
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter pilot credited with 30 victories.
Early life
Josef Mai was born in Ottorowo, Galizien, to ethnic German parents located in the then Austro-Hungarian Empire. His original military service began on 3 October 1907 with the 10th Lancers. When World War I began Mai was part of the offensive aimed at the French capital of ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He later took part in the fighting around Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. In 1915 he campaigned along the Dniester River. He also served at the battles of Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
and the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
.
Aerial service
Mai joined the German air service in 1915; he trained at the Fokker plant at LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. He originally served in Kasta 29, flying reconnaissance aircraft in 1916. He then underwent fighter training and joined Jagdstaffel 5 in March 1917. As a Vizefeldwebel, he was one of three non-commissioned pilots (along with Fritz Rumey
Fritz Rumey
Fritz Rumey Pour le Mérite, Golden Military Merit Cross was a German fighter pilot in the First World War, credited with 45 victories.-Service career:...
and Otto Koennecke
Otto Koennecke
Leutnant Otto Könnecke Pour le Merite, Golden Military Merit Cross, Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, was a leading German ace of World War I with 35 victories. He was one of only five pilots to receive Germany's highest decorations for both enlisted...
) who flew together so successfully they ended up claiming 40% of the Jasta's victories between them, and making Jasta 5 the third highest scoring unit of the war. The trio was nicknamed "The Golden Triumvirate".
Mai scored his first victory on 20 August 1917, flying an Albatros D.V, and downing a Sopwith Camel of No. 70 Squadron. His fifth victory, over a RAF SE.5a, was on 30 November.
Mai did not score again until 13 January 1918. On 25 April 1918 he forced down British 18-kill ace Lt Maurice Newnham
Maurice Newnham
Captain Maurice Ashdown Newnham was a World War flying ace credited with 18 aerial victories.He originally joined the Royal Flying Corps as a 17-year-old courier. He was assigned to No. 4 Squadron in France. A year and a half later, he underwent pilot's training.He was then forwarded to a Sopwith...
of No. 65 Squadron, for his tenth victory.
By May 1918 Jasta 5 was sharing an airstrip with Jagdgeschwader 1, and as the Flying Circus
Flying Circus
Flying Circus may mean:In aviation:*Jagdgeschwader 1 , a German World War I fighter wing commanded by Manfred von Richthofen at one point*The American World War II air corps led by Joe Foss...
re-equipped with new Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
s, Mai started flying a cast-off Fokker Dr.I
Fokker Dr.I
The Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918...
triplane. He flew this triplane (Serial No. 139/17) for his next victory, over a pair of aces in a No. 11 Squadron Bristol F.2B. Pilot Lt Herbert Sellars
Herbert Sellars
Lieutenant Herbert Whiteley Sellars was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.-Reference:...
(8 claims) was killed although Observer Lt. Charles Robson survived and taken prisoner. He claimed three victories with the Triplane.
Mai was prone to paint his planes in a "zebra stripe" pattern,with black and white striping on the fuselage angled to the left viewed from the starboard side. his theory being the optical illusion would help to throw off an enemy pilot's aim. Painted on this background was his insignia of a star and crescent. His Albatros and D.VII were known to bear this paint scheme althogh his Dr.l paint scheme is uncertain.
On 19 August 1918 he had his most successful day. He attacked two Bristol F.2B fighters from No. 48 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. As he hit one Brisfit with incendiary ammunition, the other swerved away from the incoming fire and collided with his wrecked companion. Mai followed up this double kill by downing a 56 Squadron SE.5a later.
On 3 September he was wounded in action in the left thigh. Nevertheless he scored again two days later, and added five more victories during September.
Mai's 26th victory was a No. 64 Squadron SE5a on 5 September 1918. On 27 September 1918, the day of his 29th success, Mai was promoted to Leutnant. His friend Fritz Rumey was also killed in action on that day.
Mai claimed his 30th and last score, a Bristol F.2B of 20 Squadron, killing the 6-kill ace crew of Lt. Nicholson Boulton and 2/Lt. C.H. Chase on 29 September 1918. 15 had been claimed with the Fokker D.VII, 12 with the Albatros and 3 with the Fokker Dr.I.
Mai was nominated for Germany's highest honor, the Pour le Merite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, or Blue Max. Before it could be approved the war ended with Germany's loss.
Postwar life
Mai is believed to have become a flying instructor for the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
during World War II.He died at the age of 94 in january 1982.
Reference/External links
- Norman Franks, et al. Fokker D VII Aces of World War I: Part 2. Osprey Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1841767298, 9781841767291.
- Norman Franks, et al. Fokker Dr I Aces of World War I. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1841762237, 9781841762234.
- Norman Franks. Albatros Aces of World War I. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1855329603, 9781855329607.
- http://www.military-art.com/mall/more.php?ProdID=14747 Accessed 25 September 2008.
- http://www.first-world-war.com/se_5.htm Accessed 25 September 2008.
- http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/mai.php Accessed 12 November 2008.
- http://www.theaerodrome.com/services/germany/jasta/jasta5.php Accessed 12 November 2008.