Jagdstaffel 15

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Jasta 15
DRI neu blau Wiki.jpg
Fokker Dr I of Lt Raben of Jasta 15
Active1916–1918
Country German Empire
Branch Luftstreitkräfte
TypeFighter squadron
Engagements World War I

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 15, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 15, was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the Luftstreitkräfte , the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score over 150 aerial victories during the war, at the expense of seven killed in action, two killed in flying accidents, three wounded in action, one injured in a flying accident, and two taken prisoner of war. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The "Jasta" was formed on 28 September 1916 at Rixheim, from Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Habsheim, FFA 48 and FFA 68. It mobilized on 9 October 1916. [1] Three days later, it flew an interception mission against French and British bombers targeting Oberdorf's Mauser factory and destroyed three of them. For the next few months, the jasta achieved desultory results against French Nieuports and Caudrons. However, the ascension of Heinrich Gontermann to command in April 1917 changed that. The balloon buster ace arrived with 17 victories to this credit; in scoring 22 more with Jasta 15, he would account for about half the squadron's victories. His death via wing failure in an early model Fokker Dr.1 triplane grounded the new aircraft and dampened the jasta's performance. By the time it joined Jagdgeschwader II (JG II), Jagdstaffel 15 had about 47 victories to its credit. [3]

It became part of JG II under Adolf Tutschek at Autremencourt in February 1918. On 19 March 1918, Rudolf Berthold took command of JG 2 when Tutschek was killed; he arranged a swap of Jasta 15's personnel with those of Jagdstaffel 18, so that Berthold could continue to command those with whom he was familiar - Leutnant der Reserve August Raben left Jasta 15 to take command of Jasta 18 from then on. Jasta 15 demobilized in November 1918 at FEA 14 in Halle an der Saale, Germany. [1]

Commanding officers

The following served as Staffelführer of the Jasta: [2] [4]

  1. Oberleutnant Herman Kropp: 28 September 1916 – November 1916
  2. Oberleutnant Max Reinhold: 9 November 1916 – 26 April 1917  (KIA)
  3. Leutnant Heinrich Gontermann: 26 April 1917 – 30 October 1917 (Killed in flying accident) [2]
  4. Leutnant Hans Hermann von Budde: 30 October 1917 – 14 March 1918
  5. Leutnant der Reserve August Raben: 14 March 1918 – 20 March 1918 (later leading the reformed Jagdstaffel 18) [5]
  6. Oberleutnant Ernst Turck: 20 March 1918 – 18 May 1918
  7. Leutnant Josef Veltjens (Acting): 18 May 1918 – 13 August 1918
  8. Leutnant Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay: 13 August 1918 – 22 August 1918
  9. Leutnant Josef Veltjens: 22 August 1918 – 11 November 1918

Duty stations (airfields)

1916

1917

1918

The Jasta used over a dozen airfields in support of 18 Armee, then moved to fly support of 5th Armee. [4]

Notable personnel

A number of notable aces served in the unit during its brief existence, including the following: [2] [4]

Aircraft and operations

Albatros C.VII C.2197/16 of Lt Peckmann wounded in action 29 April 1917. Albatros C.VII.jpg
Albatros C.VII C.2197/16 of Lt Peckmann wounded in action 29 April 1917.
Jasta 15 was one of the few units to use the SSW D.III. SSW D.III.jpg
Jasta 15 was one of the few units to use the SSW D.III.

The unit was founded with Fokker D.IIs and Fokker D.IIIs. In 1917, it operated Albatros D.IIIs and Albatros D.Vs. Later, it then used Fokker Dr.I triplanes and some Siemens-Schuckert D.IIIs. Their final mount was the Fokker D.VII. By summer 1918, the Jasta's aircraft markings had settled to royal blue fuselage and tail, brown rudders, and red noses extending back as far as the cockpit. [4]

Jasta 15 joined Jagdgeschwader II in February 1918. Identifiable by serial number or pilot insignia, these are some of the aircraft known to have served with the squadron:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fokker Dr.I</span> WWI fighter aircraft

The Fokker Dr.I, often known simply as the Fokker Triplane, was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918. It became famous as the aircraft in which Manfred von Richthofen gained his last 17 victories, and in which he was killed on 21 April 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 11</span> Military unit of the German Air Service in World War I

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 11 was founded on 28 September 1916 from elements of 4 Armee's “Kampfeinsitzer” or 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". It became the most successful fighter squadron in the Luftstreitkräfte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 2</span> Military unit

Jasta 2 was one of the best-known German Luftstreitkräfte Squadrons in World War I. Its first commanding officer was the great aerial tactician Oswald Boelcke, and it was the incubator of several notable aviation careers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolf Ritter von Tutschek</span>

Adolf Ritter von Tutschek (16 May 1891 – 15 March 1918) PlM, MOMJ was a professional soldier turned aviator. As German air strategy turned towards concentrated air power, he was entrusted with one of the world's first fighter wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulrich Neckel</span> German flying ace

Ulrich Neckel Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter ace credited with 30 victories.

Leutnant Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay was a German World War I ace fighter pilot credited with 25 victories. Having joined the military at age 16, his success in shooting down 13 enemy aircraft led to his being appointed to command a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 19, at age 19. He was credited with another dozen victories before being mortally wounded. Because Germany's highest award for valor could not be granted posthumously, it was hurriedly approved just hours before his death. He is notable for being World War I's youngest recipient of the Pour le Merite.

Leutnant Viktor Schobinger was a World War I flying ace credited with eight confirmed victories. Victory number two was confirmed over Charles Dawson Booker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 18</span> Military unit

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 18 was a "hunting squadron" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 4</span> Military unit

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 4, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 4, was a "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score 192 confirmed victories; in turn, it would suffer 11 killed in action, 9 wounded in action, and two taken prisoner of war. It was one of the units in the famed Flying Circus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 5</span> Military unit

=

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 6</span> Military unit

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 6 was one of the original units of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 7</span> Military unit

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 7 was a "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score 126 aerial victories during the war, at the expense of eleven killed in action, two killed in flying accidents, and twelve wounded in action.

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 13 was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score 108 aerial victories during the war, at the expense of twelve killed in action, one killed in a flying accident, two wounded in action, and two taken prisoner of war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 12</span> Military unit

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 12 was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score 155 aerial victories during the war, at the expense of seventeen killed in action, eight wounded in action, and one taken prisoner of war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 19</span> Military unit

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 19 was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score 92 verified aerial victories, including ten wins over enemy observation balloons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdstaffel 26</span> Military unit

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 26 was a "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score 177 verified aerial victories, including four observation balloons destroyed. The Jasta would pay a bloody price for its success: five pilots killed in action, nine wounded in action, and one prisoner of war.

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 27, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 27, was a "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I.

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 36, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 36, was a "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score 123 confirmed aerial victories during the war, including 11 enemy observation balloons. In turn, they would suffer 13 killed in action, 15 wounded in action, two injured in flying accidents, and two taken prisoner of war.

Jagdgeschwader II was the Imperial German Air Service's second fighter wing. Established because of the great success of Manfred von Richthofen's preceding Jagdgeschwader I wing, Jagdgeschwader II and Jagdgeschwader III were founded on 2 February 1918. JG II was assigned four squadrons nominally equipped with 14 aircraft each. The new wing was supposed to be fully operational in time for an offensive slated for 21 March 1918. Named to raise and lead it was 23-victory flying ace Hauptmann Adolf von Tutschek. However, he was killed in action on 15 March 1918.

Jagdgeschwader III was a fighter wing of the Imperial German Air Service during World War I. It was founded on 2 February 1918, as a permanent consolidation of four established jagdstaffeln —2, 26, 27, and 36. JG III was formed as a follow-on of Manfred von Richthofen's highly successful Jagdgeschwader I. With a nominal strength of 56 aircraft, JG III would be under direct orders of an Armee headquarters. The German General Staff was planning a German spring offensive to begin on 21 March 1918, and wanted to assign a fighter wing to each of the three Armees involved in the assault. An experienced flying ace with 22 victories, Oberleutnant Bruno Loerzer, was appointed to command JG III.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993), p. 35.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jasta 15". The Aerodrome. 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  3. VanWyngarden (2005), pp. 11–13.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993), p. 36.
  5. VanWyngarden (2011), p. 6769.
  6. VanWyngarden (2005), pp. 122–126.

Bibliography