The remainder of November must have frustrated Göring, as Jasta 27 records show that, despite their various aggressive actions, he and the comrades had few combats. Thus, fewer prospects for Göring to gain the victories needed to earn the coveted Pour le Mérite. With little activity in the skies over Flanders, Jasta 27 patrols reported only a steady litany of ‘Luftkampf hat nicht stattegefunden’ [aerial combat has not occurred].¹⁶

Gale force winds on Saturday, 24 November¹⁷ probably created enough of a distraction for Göring to slip away quietly and go on leave.¹⁸ He should have been embarrassed, as he had publicly insulted Leutnant der Reserve Willy Rosenstein and thereby tore a bond of comradeship necessary to maintaining the esprit de corps of a frontline fighting unit. A pre-war flyer, Rosenstein was a highly experienced pilot and air combat veteran. He was a founding member of Jasta 27 and scored the first of his nine confirmed victories on 21 September 1917,²⁰ thereby gaining the admiration of his comrades.

But as Göring was a long-time and ardent anti-Semite, he made it his business to determine Rosenstein’s Jewish heritage. Initially, he controlled the hatred he had learned as a schoolboy in Bavaria, but Jasta 27’s recent lack of success may have made Göring irritable or perhaps something else caused him to lose his self discipline and make Rosenstein the focus of his rage. Rosenstein later wrote:

‘I had a personal quarrel with Göring, caused by an anti-Semitic remark [he made] in front of all [of our] comrades in the officers’ mess … I felt compelled to demand its retraction. These circumstances caused me to apply for… transfer to a home defence unit, which was granted after a short time …’²¹

Rosenstein did not record the exact words of the remark, but the implication was odious enough. Once Göring was in a more rational state of mind, he tried to gloss over the incident by leaving what might be considered a favourable recommendation for the departing pilot:

‘Ltn.d.Res Rosenstein was a member of Jagdstaffel 27 from 12 February 1917 through 10 December 1917. During this period he has won the confidence of his Staffelführer due to his aggressiveness in aerial combat and the affection of his Staffelkameraden [squadron mates] because of his fine comradeship.

‘Lately, he has shown signs of some nervous exhaustion, which must be the consequence of his nearly six years of continuous activity as a [combat] pilot.

‘Therefore, I suggest [that] an assignment at a KEST [Kampfeinsitzerstaffel – home defence single-seat fighter unit] may be useful for his recovery, enabling him at the same time to remain current in his flying ability.

‘I am confident that, in view of his [tough] … constitution, he will be fit for deployment at the frontlines next spring.’²²