Jagdstaffel 5
Encyclopedia
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 5, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 5, was founded on 21 August 1916, as one of the first fighter squadrons of the predecessor to the Luftwaffe
, the Luftstreitkräfte
.It was founded upon KEK Avillers, itself an early attempt to utilize fighter planes as winged weapons. The jasta began its service career at Bechamp near Verdun, in support of 5 Armee. On 29 September 1916, it moved to the Somme to the 1 Armee area of operations. On 11 March 1917, Jasta 5 moved into Boistrancourt; it spent the next year operating from there, in support of the 2 Armee. In March 1918, the squadron was incorporated along with Jasta 46 into the beginning of Jagdgruppe 2; the new JG was commanded by Flashar, along with his command of the squadron. In July, command passed to Otto Schmidt; in August, it was joined in the JG by Jasta 34 and Jasta 37. With 251 accredited victories at war's end, it had the third highest total of any squadron in the Luftstreitkräfte. Its casualties came to 19 pilots Killed in Action, 3 Killed in Flying Accidents, 8 Wounded in Action, and 1 injured in an accident.
s and Halberstadt D.II
s. In 1917, it was using Albatros D.III
s and Albatros D.V
s. In 1918, it used both the Fokker D.VII
and the Fokker Triplane
. At one time, the jasta was one of only three squadrons not belonging to a Jagdgeschwader (fighter wing) that was totally equipped with the Triplane. It also reputedly operated the Pfalz D.XII
, which entered service in July 1918.
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....
, 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...
.It was founded upon KEK Avillers, itself an early attempt to utilize fighter planes as winged weapons. The jasta began its service career at Bechamp near Verdun, in support of 5 Armee. On 29 September 1916, it moved to the Somme to the 1 Armee area of operations. On 11 March 1917, Jasta 5 moved into Boistrancourt; it spent the next year operating from there, in support of the 2 Armee. In March 1918, the squadron was incorporated along with Jasta 46 into the beginning of Jagdgruppe 2; the new JG was commanded by Flashar, along with his command of the squadron. In July, command passed to Otto Schmidt; in August, it was joined in the JG by Jasta 34 and Jasta 37. With 251 accredited victories at war's end, it had the third highest total of any squadron in the Luftstreitkräfte. Its casualties came to 19 pilots Killed in Action, 3 Killed in Flying Accidents, 8 Wounded in Action, and 1 injured in an accident.
Commanding officers
- Hans BerrHans BerrOberleutnant Hans Berr was a professional soldier turned World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories. He was one of the German aces who pioneered the first "flying gun", the Fokker Eindekker.-Early life and service:...
: 21 August 1916 - 2 January 1917 - Ludwig Dornheim: 2 January 1917 - 5 February 1917
- Hans Berr: 5 February 1917 - KIA 6 April 1917
- Hans von Hünerbein: 7 April 1917 - KIA 4 May 1917
- Kurt SchneiderKurt SchneiderKurt Schneider was a German psychiatrist known largely for his writing on the diagnosis and understanding of schizophrenia.-Biography:...
: 6 May 1917 - WIA 5 June 1917 - Richard Flashar: 10 June 1917 - 31 December 1917
- Wilhelm Lehmann: 31 December 1917 - 14 January 1918
- Richard Flashar: 14 January 1918 - 12 May 1918
- Wilhelm Lehmann: 12 May 1918 - KIA 26 June 1918
- Otto SchmidtOtto Schmidt (aviator)Oberleutnant Otto Schmidt was a World War I fighter ace credited with 20 aerial victories, including eight against enemy observation balloons. He commanded three different jagdstaffeln as well as a jagdgeschwader ....
: 3 July 1918 - 11 November 1918
Duty stations (airfields)
- Bechamp: 21 August 1916 - 25 September 1916
- Bellevue Ferme, Senon: 26 September 1916 - 29 September 1916
- GonnelieuGonnelieu-References:*...
: 30 September 1916 - 10 March 1917 - Boistrancourt: 11 March 1917 - 25 March 1918
- LieramontLiéramontLiéramont is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D22 and D72 crossroads, some northwest of Saint Quentin.-Population:-External links:*...
: 25 March 1918 - 23 April 1918 - Cappy-sur-Somme: 23 April 1918 - 27 July 1918
- MoislainsMoislainsMoislains is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Moislains is situated on the D184 and D43 crossroads, some northwest of Saint Quentin.-Population:-External links:*...
: 27 July 1918 - 24 August 1918 - NurluNurluNurlu is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Nurlu is situated on the D917 road, some northwest of Saint Quentin, in the far south-east of the département.-Population:-Places of interest:...
: 24 August 1918 - 30 September 1918 - Neuville: 30 September 1918 - 7 October 1918
- Escarmain by Capelle: 7 October 1918 - 10 October 1918
- Villers-Sire-NicoleVillers-Sire-Nicole-References:*...
: 10 October 1918 - 11 November 1918
Personnel
There were other notable flying aces than Berr, Schneider, or Schmidt who served in, and scored with, the squadron. Among them were:- Fritz RumeyFritz RumeyFritz Rumey Pour le Mérite, Golden Military Merit Cross was a German fighter pilot in the First World War, credited with 45 victories.-Service career:...
- Otto Könnecke
- Josef MaiJosef MaiMajor Josef Mai Iron Cross First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter pilot credited with 30 victories.-Early life:...
- Hermann GöringHermann GöringHermann 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"...
- Heinrich GontermannHeinrich GontermannHeinrich Gontermann was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 39 victories during the war.- Early life :...
- Edmund NathanaelEdmund NathanaelOffizierstellvertreter Edmund Nathanael was a World War I flying ace credited with 15 aerial victories.-Reference:Albatros Aces of World War 1: Part 1 of Albatros aces of World War I. Norman L. R. Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1855329603, 9781855329607....
- Hans Karl MüllerHans Karl MüllerLeutnant Hans Karl Müller was a pioneering German flying ace during World War I. He was credited with nine aerial victories. He also taught many others to fly, as an instructor in the German Air Service, and later, as a civilian instructor in Mexico....
- Werner VossWerner VossWerner Voss was a World War I German flying ace, a friend and rival of the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen....
Aircraft and operations
The squadron was originally equipped with Fokker Eindekkers. It progressed to use of Albatros D.IIAlbatros D.II
|-See also:...
s and Halberstadt D.II
Halberstadt D.II
The Halberstadt D.II was a biplane fighter aircraft of the Luftstreitkräfte that served through the period of Allied air superiority in early 1916, but had begun to be superseded in the Jagdstaffeln by the superior Albatros fighters by the autumn of that year.-Design and development:The D.II was...
s. In 1917, it was using Albatros D.III
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...
s and Albatros D.V
Albatros D.V
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X....
s. In 1918, it used both 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...
and the Fokker Triplane
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...
. At one time, the jasta was one of only three squadrons not belonging to a Jagdgeschwader (fighter wing) that was totally equipped with the Triplane. It also reputedly operated the Pfalz D.XII
Pfalz D.XII
The Pfalz D.XII was a German fighter aircraft built by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Designed by Rudolph Gehringer as a successor to the Pfalz D.III, the D.XII entered service in significant numbers near the end of the First World War. It was the last Pfalz aircraft to see widespread service...
, which entered service in July 1918.