Jagdgeschwader 1 (World War 1)
Encyclopedia
The Jagdgeschwader 1 of World War I
, was a fighter
unit comprising four Jasta
s or 'fighter squadron
s', originally raised by combining Jastas 4
, 6, 10 and 11, on 24 June 1917 with Manfred von Richthofen
as commodore
. JG 1 became known as "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus" because its fighter planes were painted in bright and distinctive color schemes for easy identification during dogfights.
Initially based at Marke
( Jasta 11), Cuene (Jasta 4), Bisseghem (Jasta 6) and Heule
(Jasta 10), Richthofen had carte blanche to select his unit commanders and recruit individual pilots into JG 1, and alternately to transfer out any pilots he did not feel were up to standard. Thus 9-kill ace Lt.Eduard von Dostler and the rising Lt.Hans von Adam were soon posted to Jasta 6, and Lt.Werner Voss
into Jasta 10. This policy had the effect of making the Jagdgeschwader an elite unit, but by robbing lesser Jastas of their best pilots also reduced the overall standard of the average Jasta. JG 1 itself suffered a dilution of talent when competent members were posted away to command their own Jastas in late 1917, when the number of Jastas were doubled from 40 to 80.
Richtofen was severely wounded in the head on 6 July, leading elements of JG 1 in an attack on 20 Squadron F.E.2d's. Oblt. Kurt von Doering, CO of Jasta 4, took over temporary command and Jastas 4 and 11 shot down 9 Allied aircraft the next day. Richthofen reassumed command on 25 July, until a period of convalescence leave on 6 September.
JG 1 was the first unit to operationally trial the new Fokker Dr.I
triplane (as the Fokker F.I), the first two examples of which were received on 21 August 1917. Jasta 10's Werner Voss
would be the triplane's greatest exponent, scoring 10 victories with it in just 21 days before his death in combat.
Richthofen returned to JG 1 on 23 October, and around this time a number of fatal crashes involving the Fokker Dr.I saw JG 1 Technical Officer Lt. Konstantin Krefft ground the unit's triplanes until modifications were carried out in early December. The unit meantime soldiered on with the Albatros D.V.
JG 1 was rushed from Ypres to Cambrai
by 23 November 1917, following the launch of the British offensive, and did much to stabilise the air war over the battlefield when the bad weather permitted.
By the end of 1917 the success of Jagdgeschwader 1 meant several other similar formations were then formed in February 1918, with Jagdgeschwader 2 operating against both the French and the British and Jagdgeschwader 3 on the Ypres front. At this time Richthofen recruited Hans Kirchstein and Fritz Friedrichs from two-seaters units, and Ernst Udet
from Jasta 37.
, the most south westerly airfirld they were to ultimately occupy. The newly formed RAF however maintained a degree of air superiority, with heavily escorted artillery observation and reconnaissance two-seaters operating effectively over the rapidly moving ground battle below. Most of JG 1's victims at this time were the low flying fighter bombers, particularly Sopwith Camels.
After von Richthofen's death in April 1918, Hauptmann
Wilhelm Reinhard
became JG 1 Commanding Officer. On 10 May JG 1 claimed its 300th victory while on 20 May the unit received the honorary title of JG 1 'Richthofen. Soon after JG 1 moved to the 7th Army front to support the forthcoming Aisne offensive, commencing on 27 May. JG 1 moved to Guise
, and then Puiseux Ferme, operating primarily against the French and the newly arrived American Air Forces.
By mid-June JG 1 was fully equipped with the Fokker D.VII
, the first having been tested operationally in May. After Reinhard was killed in a flying accident on 3 July 1918, Oberleutnant
Hermann Göring
became JG 1's third and last commander of the war on 14 July.
The Geschwader moved again on 19 July to Soissons
, claiming its 500th victory on 25 July. Yet another move followed on 10 August, to the 2nd Army front west of Saint Quentin
. JG 1's then top scorer, 53-kill Lt.Erich Lowenhardt
, was killed in an air collision on this day.
Having been subjected to intensive operations over the Amiens
battle in August 1918, by mid-September an exhausted JG 1 was withdrawn from the British part of the front, having lost all four Jasta commanders by the end of August; Lowenhardt of Jasta 10 was killed, Jasta 6's Co Lt. Paul Wenzel and Lothar von Richthofen
of Jasta 11 both wounded and hospitalised, and Lt. Ernst Udet
(Jasta 4) exhausted and sent on leave. JG 1 scored just 17 claims during September, despite the month seeing the highest losses for the Allied Air Forces of the war (The Jasta force claiming some 721 victories for the month). For the next three months the likes of Lt. Friedrich Noltenius in Jasta 11, Jasta 6's CO Ulrich Neckel
and Lt. Arthur Laumann
(Jasta 10) did the majority of the scoring.
Thereafter until the end of the war shortages of fuel and spares, increasing Allied numerical air superiority and continual retreats in the face of Allied ground advances meant JG 1 struggled to emulate earlier successes.
From June 1917 until November 1918, JG 1 claimed 644 Allied aircraft destroyed, while losing 52 pilots killed in action.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was a fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
unit comprising four Jasta
Jasta
The Jagdstaffeln were specialized fighter squadrons in the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I.-Background:...
s or 'fighter squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s', originally raised by combining Jastas 4
Jagdstaffel 4
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 4, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 4, was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe. The unit would score 192 confirmed victories; in turn, it would suffer 11 Killed in Action, 9 Wounded in Action, and two Prisoners of...
, 6, 10 and 11, on 24 June 1917 with Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
as commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
. JG 1 became known as "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus" because its fighter planes were painted in bright and distinctive color schemes for easy identification during dogfights.
Formation
During early 1917 , it became apparent to the German High Command that they would always be outnumbered in air operations over the Western Front. The average Jasta could only muster some 6 or 8 aircraft in total for a patrol, and would often face a succession of Allied patrols. In order to maintain some impact and local command of the air the Jastas began (unofficially) to fly in larger, composite groups. By mid 1917 the first official grouping of Jastas saw JG 1 formed. Its role was simple; to achieve localized air superiority wherever it was sent and to deny Allied air operations over a location for a specified period. The unit was thus highly mobile, and JG 1 and its supporting logistical infrastructure traveled by train to whatever part of the front-line where local air superiority was needed, often at short notice.Initially based at Marke
Marke
Marke is a village and a former municipality in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Raguhn-Jeßnitz....
( Jasta 11), Cuene (Jasta 4), Bisseghem (Jasta 6) and Heule
Heule
Heule is a submunicipality of the city of Kortrijk in the Belgian province of West-Flandres. The first notion of this settlement date of the year 1111. Heule has a surface of 1169h and has a population of 10,503 . Surrounding villages of Heule are Bissegem, Gullegem, Lendelede and Kuurne...
(Jasta 10), Richthofen had carte blanche to select his unit commanders and recruit individual pilots into JG 1, and alternately to transfer out any pilots he did not feel were up to standard. Thus 9-kill ace Lt.Eduard von Dostler and the rising Lt.Hans von Adam were soon posted to Jasta 6, and Lt.Werner Voss
Werner Voss
Werner Voss was a World War I German flying ace, a friend and rival of the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen....
into Jasta 10. This policy had the effect of making the Jagdgeschwader an elite unit, but by robbing lesser Jastas of their best pilots also reduced the overall standard of the average Jasta. JG 1 itself suffered a dilution of talent when competent members were posted away to command their own Jastas in late 1917, when the number of Jastas were doubled from 40 to 80.
Operations 1917
JG 1 was soon flying intensively over the Flanders battlefield above the Allied offensive started in June 1917.Richtofen was severely wounded in the head on 6 July, leading elements of JG 1 in an attack on 20 Squadron F.E.2d's. Oblt. Kurt von Doering, CO of Jasta 4, took over temporary command and Jastas 4 and 11 shot down 9 Allied aircraft the next day. Richthofen reassumed command on 25 July, until a period of convalescence leave on 6 September.
JG 1 was the first unit to operationally trial the new 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 (as the Fokker F.I), the first two examples of which were received on 21 August 1917. Jasta 10's Werner Voss
Werner Voss
Werner Voss was a World War I German flying ace, a friend and rival of the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen....
would be the triplane's greatest exponent, scoring 10 victories with it in just 21 days before his death in combat.
Richthofen returned to JG 1 on 23 October, and around this time a number of fatal crashes involving the Fokker Dr.I saw JG 1 Technical Officer Lt. Konstantin Krefft ground the unit's triplanes until modifications were carried out in early December. The unit meantime soldiered on with the Albatros D.V.
JG 1 was rushed from Ypres to Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
by 23 November 1917, following the launch of the British offensive, and did much to stabilise the air war over the battlefield when the bad weather permitted.
By the end of 1917 the success of Jagdgeschwader 1 meant several other similar formations were then formed in February 1918, with Jagdgeschwader 2 operating against both the French and the British and Jagdgeschwader 3 on the Ypres front. At this time Richthofen recruited Hans Kirchstein and Fritz Friedrichs from two-seaters units, and Ernst Udet
Ernst Udet
Colonel General Ernst Udet was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus...
from Jasta 37.
1918
Poor weather in early 1918 saw little opportunity for JG 1 to score, although the unit were in the forefront of defensive fighter operations during the major German offensive launched on 21 March 1918. By April 1918 the formation was flying from HarbonnieresHarbonnières
Harbonnières is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D337 road, some east of Amiens.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, the most south westerly airfirld they were to ultimately occupy. The newly formed RAF however maintained a degree of air superiority, with heavily escorted artillery observation and reconnaissance two-seaters operating effectively over the rapidly moving ground battle below. Most of JG 1's victims at this time were the low flying fighter bombers, particularly Sopwith Camels.
After von Richthofen's death in April 1918, Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
Wilhelm Reinhard
Wilhelm Reinhard
Wilhelm "Willi" Reinhard was a German pilot during World War I. Reinhard was born in Düsseldorf and became a flying ace during the war, credited with 20 victories....
became JG 1 Commanding Officer. On 10 May JG 1 claimed its 300th victory while on 20 May the unit received the honorary title of JG 1 'Richthofen. Soon after JG 1 moved to the 7th Army front to support the forthcoming Aisne offensive, commencing on 27 May. JG 1 moved to Guise
Guise
Guise is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-Sights:The ruins of the medieval castle of Guise, seat of the Dukes of Guise, are located in the commune.-Miscellaneous:...
, and then Puiseux Ferme, operating primarily against the French and the newly arrived American Air Forces.
By mid-June JG 1 was fully equipped with the 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...
, the first having been tested operationally in May. After Reinhard was killed in a flying accident on 3 July 1918, Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
became JG 1's third and last commander of the war on 14 July.
The Geschwader moved again on 19 July to Soissons
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
, claiming its 500th victory on 25 July. Yet another move followed on 10 August, to the 2nd Army front west of Saint Quentin
Saint Quentin
Saint Quentin , Quintinus in Latin, also known as Quentin of Amiens, is an early Christian saint. No real details are known of his life.-Martyrdom:...
. JG 1's then top scorer, 53-kill Lt.Erich Lowenhardt
Erich Löwenhardt
Erich Löwenhardt was the 3rd highest German flying ace with 54 victories during the First World War, behind only Manfred von Richthofen and Ernst Udet.-Early life and service:...
, was killed in an air collision on this day.
Having been subjected to intensive operations over the Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
battle in August 1918, by mid-September an exhausted JG 1 was withdrawn from the British part of the front, having lost all four Jasta commanders by the end of August; Lowenhardt of Jasta 10 was killed, Jasta 6's Co Lt. Paul Wenzel and Lothar von Richthofen
Lothar von Richthofen
Lothar-Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 40 victories...
of Jasta 11 both wounded and hospitalised, and Lt. Ernst Udet
Ernst Udet
Colonel General Ernst Udet was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus...
(Jasta 4) exhausted and sent on leave. JG 1 scored just 17 claims during September, despite the month seeing the highest losses for the Allied Air Forces of the war (The Jasta force claiming some 721 victories for the month). For the next three months the likes of Lt. Friedrich Noltenius in Jasta 11, Jasta 6's CO Ulrich Neckel
Ulrich Neckel
Ulrich Neckel Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter ace credited with 30 victories.-Early Life and Enlistment:...
and Lt. Arthur Laumann
Arthur Laumann
Leutnant Arthur Laumann was a German World War I flying ace who scored 28 victories in just over three months. He rose to become Air Attache to Greece and Yugoslavia during World War II, raising to a final rank of Luftwaffe Generalmajor....
(Jasta 10) did the majority of the scoring.
Thereafter until the end of the war shortages of fuel and spares, increasing Allied numerical air superiority and continual retreats in the face of Allied ground advances meant JG 1 struggled to emulate earlier successes.
From June 1917 until November 1918, JG 1 claimed 644 Allied aircraft destroyed, while losing 52 pilots killed in action.
See also
- Jasta 11Jasta 11Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 11 was founded on 28 September 1916 from elements of 4 armee's Keks 1, 2 and 3 and mobilized on 11 October as part of the German Air Service's expansion program, forming permanent specialised fighter squadrons, or "Jastas"...
- Jagdgeschwader 71 „Richthofen“ (JG 71 „R“)
- LuftstreitkräfteLuftstreitkräfteThe Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...
- LuftwaffeLuftwaffeLuftwaffe 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....