Jagdstaffel 68

Last updated
Jasta 68
Active 1918
Country Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Branch Luftstreitkräfte
Type Fighter squadron
Engagements World War I

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 68, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 68, was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the Luftstreitkräfte , the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The squadron would score over 40 aerial victories during the war, including ten observation balloons downed. The unit's victories came at the expense of nine killed in action, and two wounded in action. [1]

<i>Luftstreitkräfte</i> Air warfare branch of the German Empire

The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte —known before October 1916 as the Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches or simply Die Fliegertruppe—was the World War I (1914–18) air arm of the German Army, of which it remained an integral part. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, although that is not a literal translation of either name. German naval aviators serving with the Marine-Fliegerabteilung remained an integral part of the Imperial German Navy. Both military branches, the army and navy, operated conventional aircraft, observation balloons and Zeppelins.

World War I 1914–1918 global war originating in Europe

World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.

Balloon buster

Balloon busters were military pilots known for destroying enemy observation balloons. These pilots were noted for their fearlessness. Seventy-seven flying aces in World War I were each credited with destroying five or more balloons, and thus were balloon aces.

Contents

History

On 1 February 1918, Jasta 68 was founded at Fliegerersatz-Abteilung ("Replacement Detachment") 3, Gotha, Germany. Nine days later, the new squadron went operational when it was posted to 18th Armee . CO Fritz Pütter scored the first aerial victory on 18 March 1918. Ten days later, Jasta 68 joined Jagdgruppe Nord. The Jasta was transferred to 1 Armee on 5 July 1918. On 13 September 1918, Jasta 68 was posted to 5 Armee . The squadron would serve until its disbandment on 6 December 1918. [1]

Gotha Place in Thuringia, Germany

Gotha is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, located 20 kilometres west of Erfurt and 25 km east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the end of monarchy in Germany in 1918. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha originating here spawned many European rulers, including the royal houses of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal and Bulgaria.

18th Army (German Empire)

The 18th Army was an army level command of the German Army in World War I. It was formed against France on 27 December 1917 from the former Heeresgruppe Woyrsch command. It served exclusively on the Western Front and was dissolved on 2 January 1919.

Fritz Pütter German flying ace

LeutnantFritz PütterPour le Mérite, Iron Cross, was a German World War I ace fighter pilot credited with victories over eight enemy observation balloons and 17 airplanes.

Commanding officers ( Staffelführer )

Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own combatants 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 hostile attack. KIAs do not come from incidents such as accidental vehicle crashes and other "non-hostile" events or terrorism. KIA can be applied both to front-line combat troops and to naval, air and support troops. Someone who is killed in action during a particular event is denoted with a (dagger) beside their name to signify their death in that event or events.

Duty stations

Beauvais Prefecture and commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Beauvais is a city and commune in northern France. It serves as the capital of the Oise département, in the Hauts-de-France region. Beauvais is located approximately 75 kilometres from Paris. The residents of the city are called Beauvaisiens.

Semide Commune in Grand Est, France

Semide is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region in northern of France.

Notable personnel

Related Research Articles

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References

Bibliography

Norman Leslie Robert Franks is an English militaria writer who specialises in aviation topics. He focuses on the pilots and squadrons of World Wars I and II.

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.