Jagdstaffel 2
The Jagdstaffel 2 , since October 28, 1916 Jagdstaffel Boelcke (also called Jasta Boelcke ), was one of the most famous German aviation units of the First World War .
history
The Jagdstaffel 2 ( Jasta 2 ) was set up on August 10, 1916 as a Prussian unit . Oswald Boelcke was their first squadron leader. He had a free hand in choosing the pilots. The first pilots of the squadron included Manfred von Richthofen , Erwin Böhme , Max von Müller and Otto Höhne . On September 1, 1916, the squadron received two Fokker D.III and one Albatros DI . The next delivery was made on 17 September 1916. This time, there are five Albatros DI and Albatros D.II . On the same day, the squadron started to intercept a bomb attack on Marcoing station . The formation, which consisted of six aircraft, shot down three British aircraft.
After Boelcke's death on October 28, 1916, the squadron was taken over by Stefan Kirmaier , who fell in an aerial battle on November 22, 1916. His successor was Franz Walz . On December 10, 1916, the squadron was renamed the Boelcke Jagdstaffel in honor of Oswald Boelcke by the Imperial AKO retroactively to October 28, 1916 .
In addition to Boelcke and Richthofen, Werner Voss , Carl Bolle and Paul Bäumer were among the most famous pilots of the squadron.
In February 1917, the squadron achieved its 100th aerial victory.
On February 21, 1918, the squadron was incorporated into the newly established Jagdgeschwader 3 .
With 336 aerial victories, Jagdstaffel 2 was the second most successful German fighter pilot unit behind Jagdstaffel 11 . The own losses amounted to 31 dead, nine wounded and two prisoners of war. Two other pilots were killed in accidents.
Squadron leader
| Rank | Surname | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Captain | Oswald Boelcke | August 30, 1916 - October 28, 1916 |
| First lieutenant | Stefan Kirmaier | October 30, 1916 - November 22, 1916 |
| Captain | Franz Walz | November 29, 1916 - June 9, 1917 |
| First lieutenant | Fritz Otto Bernert | June 9, 1917 - August 18, 1917 |
| lieutenant | Erwin Böhme | August 18, 1917 - November 29, 1917 |
| lieutenant | Eberhard von Gudenburg (i. V.) | November 29, 1917 - December 13, 1917 |
| lieutenant | Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp | December 13, 1917 - January 6, 1918 |
| lieutenant | Max Ritter von Müller (i. V.) | January 6, 1918 - January 9, 1918 |
| lieutenant | Theodor Cammann (i. V.) | January 9, 1918 - January 26, 1918 |
| lieutenant | Otto Höhne | January 26, 1918 - February 20, 1918 |
| Lieutenant / first lieutenant |
Carl Bolle | February 20 - November 11, 1918 |
More pilots
Other well-known pilots who served in the squadron were:
- Gerhard Bassenge
- Paul Bäumer
- Ernst Bormann
- Dieter Collin
- Hermann Frommherz
- Karl Gallwitz
- Hans Imelmann
- Otto Loeffler
- Manfred von Richthofen
- Adolf von Tutschek
- Werner Voss
literature
- Norman Franks: Albatross Aces of World War 1 . Osprey Publishing, ISBN 1-85532-960-3 .
- Norman Franks: Jasta Boelcke: The History of Jasta 2, 1916-18. Grub Street, London, 2004, ISBN 1-904010-76-8 .
- Walter Waiss, Steffen Gastreich: Boelcke hunting squad. Volume VIII from the Boelcke Archive 1914–1918 in German and English . Helios-Verlag, Aachen 2015, ISBN 978-3-86933-128-7 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Hermann Cron: History of the German Army in the World War 1914–1918 , Military Publishing House Karl Siegesmund, Berlin 1937, p. 28