Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 20 was a fighter squadron of the Luftstreitkräfte

Luftstreitkräfte

The 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...

, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

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....

.

History

Jasta 20 was founded in the 2 Armee sector on 25 October 1916. On 24 December 1916, it suffered its first casualty. In turn, on 11 March 1917, the unit scored its first victory, courtesy of Leutnant Alfred Niederhoff. The jasta would go on to run its score to 64 confirmed victories. It would also pay a heavy price: 19 pilots killed in action, four more dying in flying accidents, eleven wounded in action, and three injured in accidents.

Commanding Officers

1. 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...

 Fritz Heising: 25 October 1916–19 October 1917

2. Leutnant Rudolf Wendelmuth

Rudolf Wendelmuth

Leutnant Rudolf Wendelmuth was a World War I flying ace credited with 14 aerial victories.At break of war, Wendelmuth was posted to the 233rd Reserve Infantry Regiment. He transferred to aviation on 1 March 1915, reporting to FEA 3 in his home town of Gotha for training. His first assignment was to...

: 19 October 1917–KIA

Killed in action

Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...

 30 November 1917

3. Leutnant Joachim von Busse

Joachim von Busse

Leutnant Joachim von Busse was a World War I flying ace credited with eleven aerial victories.Busse joined the King's Jager Regiment No. 1 in May 1912. He transferred to aviation in March 1915. He served with an artillery cooperation unit, FFA 12, before transferring to Kasta 22...

: 30 November 1917–WIA

Wounded in action

Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....

 1 August 1918

4. Leutnant von Eckartsburg (Acting): 1 August 1918–Unknown

5. Leutnant Waldemar von Dazur: Unknown

6. Leutnant Joachim von Busse: Unknown–ca 11 November 1918.

Duty stations (airfields)

1 AFP 2

2 Essigny-le-Petit

Essigny-le-Petit

Essigny-le-Petit is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...

, France

3 Aisne

Fayet, Aisne

Fayet is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy northern France....

, France

4 Artemps

Artemps

Artemps is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...

, France

5 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:...

, France

6 Montkerke

7 Varsenare

Varsenare

-External links:*...

, Belgium

8 Guesnain

Guesnain

Guesnain is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.-Heraldry:-References:*...

, France

9 Rumbeke

Rumbeke

Rumbeke is a town in the Belgian municipality of Roeselare in the province of West Flanders. It is most known as the location of Rumbeke Castle....

, Belgium

10 Menen

Menen

Menen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of Lauwe and Rekkem. The city is situated on the French/Belgian border. On January 1, 2006, Menen had a total population of 32,413...

, Belgium

Notable personnel

In its short existence, the jasta had a couple of notable aces serve in it besides Wendelmuth, such as Karl Plauth

Karl Plauth

Leutnant Karl Plauth was a World War I flying ace credited with 17 aerial victories. After being wounded during the Battle of Verdun, he transferred to flying service. After a stint in FA 204, an artillery cooperation unit, he was assigned to fly a Fokker D.VII with Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 20 on...

 and Friedrich Mallincrodt

Friedrich Mallincrodt

Leutnant Friedrich Mallinckrodt was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.Friedrich Mallinckrodt served in the infantry in the 70th Regiment of Foot , to which they enlisted before the war. July 6, 1915 he was transferred to Luftstreitkräfte...

. Other aces also served with it, including Raven von Barnekow, Johannes Gildemeister, Alfred Niederhoff, Otto Creutzmann, Wilhelm Schwartz, Hermann Stutz, Hans Viebig, and Georg Weiner

Aircraft and operations

Aircraft operated are unknown at this time.

Although the jasta was founded in 2 Armee territory, they were moved on 1 January 1917 to support of 6 Armee. On 27 May 1917, they switched to supporting 4 Armee. On 8 December, the squadron was reassigned to support 17 Armee

17th Army (Germany)

The German Seventeenth Army was a World War II field army.-Commanding officers:* General der Infanterie Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel * Generaloberst Hermann Hoth...

. They remained in this duty until 8 April 1918, when they were transferred back to 4 Armee.