Major Josef Mai (3 March 1887 – 18 January 1982)
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter pilot credited with 30 victories.
Early life
Josef Mai was born in
Ottorowo,
Province of Posen
The Province of Posen (; ) was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1848 to 1920, occupying most of the historical Greater Poland. The province was established following the Greater Poland Uprising (1848), Poznań Uprisi ...
. 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
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. He later took part in the fighting around
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. In 1915 he campaigned along the
Dniester River
The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
. He also served at the battles of
Verdun
Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
In 843, the Treaty of V ...
and the
Somme __NOTOC__
Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places
*Somme (department), a department of France
* Somme, Queensland, Australia
* Canal de la Somme, a canal in France
*Somme (river), a river in France
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Somme'' (book), ...
.
[http://www.Flieger-Album.de websit]
Retrieved 21 October 2017.
Aerial service
Mai joined the German air service in 1915; he trained at the Fokker plant at
Leipzig
Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
.
He earned his pilot's brevet on 28 July 1916,
[''Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914-1918'', pp. 160–161] and flew reconnaissance aircraft for Kasta 29. He then underwent fighter training and joined
Jagdstaffel
A ''Jagdstaffel'' (plural ''Jagdstaffeln'', abbreviated to Jasta) was a fighter ''Staffel'' (squadron) of the German Imperial ''Luftstreitkräfte'' during World War I.
Background
Before April 1916, ''Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaise ...
5 in March 1917. As a
Vizefeldwebel
'' '' (Fw or F, ) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in several countries. The rank originated in Germany, and is also used in Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The rank has also been used in Russia, Austria-Hungary, occupied Serbia ...
, 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
The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the World War I, First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and ...
, was on 30 November.
[
Mai did not score again until 13 January 1918. On 25 April 1918 he forced down British 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
The Fokker D.VII is 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 second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the 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 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 although 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
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
. 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.[''Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914-1918'', p. 193.]
Mai claimed his 30th and last score, a Bristol F.2B of 20 Squadron, killing the 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 is a name which can be used as a surname and a given name:
* Kour Pour (born 1987), American artist of Iranian and British descent
* Mehdi Niyayesh Pour (born 1992), Iranian footballer
* Mojtaba Mobini Pour (born 1991), Iranian footballer
* P ...
, 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 Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
during World War II. He died at the age of 94 in January 1982.
References
Bibliography
* Franks, Norman, et al. (2004) ''Fokker D VII Aces of World War I: Part 2''. Osprey Publishing. , .
* Franks, Norman, et al. (2001) ''Fokker Dr I Aces of World War I''. Osprey Publishing. , .
* Franks, Norman. (2000)''Albatros Aces of World War I''. Osprey Publishing. , .
* Franks, Norman, et al. (2008). ''Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914-1918''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mai, Josef
German World War I flying aces
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
1887 births
1982 deaths
Luftwaffe personnel of World War II