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Jagdstaffel 38
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 38, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 38, 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 17 aerial victories during the war. The squadron's victories came at the expense of four losses, including one killed in action, one injured in a flying accident, and one wounded in action. History Jasta 38 was founded at Hudova, Macedonia on 30 June 1917. It drew its original personnel from ''Kampfgeschwader'' (tactical bomber wing) 1, ''Flieger-Abteilung'' (Flier Detachment) 30, and ''Jasta Vardar''. The new squadron scored its first aerial victory on 29 October 1917. Commanding officers ('' Staffelführer'') * Rudolf Bohm: 1 July 1917 * Kurt Grasshoff: 6 November 1917 * Fritz Thiede: ca 12 June 1918 Duty stations * Hudova, Macedonia Notable personnel Although the unit produced no flying aces A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviato ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary empire led by an emperor, although has been used in German to denote the Roman Empire because it had a weak hereditary tradition. In the case of the German Empire, the official name was , which is properly translated as "German Empire" because the official position of head of state in the constitution of the German Empire was officially a "presidency" of a confederation of German states led by the King of Prussia who would assume "the title of German Emperor" as referring to the German people, but was not emperor of Germany as in an emperor of a state. –The German Empire" ''Harper's New Monthly Magazine''. vol. 63, issue 376, pp. 591–603; here p. 593. also referred to as Imperial Germany, the Second Reich, as well as simply Germany, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luftstreitkräfte
The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as (Flyer Troops)—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. 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 of the were an integral part of the Imperial German Navy (). Both military branches operated aeroplanes, observation balloons and airships. Founding The Imperial German Army created an experimental balloon company inspired by the American balloon corps they had seen while observing the American Civil War, with varying forms of organisation from 1884 to 1901 until a Balloon Battalion was finally formed. The rapid development of aeronautics led to trials of airships and the choice of rigid types built by Zeppelin and Schutte-Lanz. The first military aircraft to be acquired by the German Army entered service in 1910 and the first five aviation battalions were est ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fighting occurring throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. An estimated 9 million soldiers were killed in combat, plus another 23 million wounded, while 5 million civilians died as a result of military action, hunger, and disease. Millions more died in genocides within the Ottoman Empire and in the 1918 influenza pandemic, which was exacerbated by the movement of combatants during the war. Prior to 1914, the European great powers were divided between the Triple Entente (comprising France, Russia, and Britain) and the Triple Alliance (containing Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy). Tensions in the Balkans came to a head on 28 June 1914, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imperial German Army
The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia, and was dissolved in 1919, after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I (1914–1918). In the Federal Republic of Germany, the term ' identifies the German Army, the land component of the '. Formation and name The states that made up the German Empire contributed their armies; within the German Confederation, formed after the Napoleonic Wars, each state was responsible for maintaining certain units to be put at the disposal of the Confederation in case of conflict. When operating together, the units were known as the Federal Army ('). The Federal Army system functioned during various conflicts of the 19th century, such as the First Schleswig War from 1848–50 but by the time of the Second Schleswig War ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macedonian Front
The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria during World War I, Bulgaria. The expedition came too late and in insufficient force to prevent the fall of Serbia, and was complicated by the internal political crisis in Kingdom of Greece, Greece (the "National Schism"). Eventually, a stable front was established, running from the Albanian Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coast to the Struma River, pitting a Allied Army of the Orient, multinational Allied force against the Bulgarian Army, which was at various times bolstered with smaller units from the other Central Powers. The Macedonian front remained quite stable, despite local actions, Vardar offensive, until the great Allied offensive in September 1918, which resulted in the capitulation of Bulgaria and the libe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Staffelführer
''Staffelführer'' was one of the first paramilitary ranks used by the German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) in the early years of that group's existence. The later SS rank of ''Staffelführer'' traces its origins to the First World War, where the title was used by commanding officers of the ''Deutsches Heer'''s ''Luftstreitkräfte'' aircraft squadrons initially named as ''Feldflieger Abteilung'' as observation-only units in 1914, and during 1916, became known as ''Staffeln''. The rank of ''Staffelführer'' was first created in September 1925 when the SS was officially formed along the lines of the previously disbanded ''Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler'', which had been a personal ''Sturmabteilung'' bodyguard detachment tasked with the personal protection of Adolf Hitler at Nazi Party rallies and meetings. The early SS was formed into several ''Zehnerstaffeln'', or "groups of ten". Each SS unit comprised no more than ten '' SS-Mann'' under the command of an ''SS-Staffelführer'', or squadro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kurt Grasshoff
Kurt Grasshoff (January 24, 1891 – June 12, 1918) was a German pilot who commanded Jasta 37 in France and Jasta 38 in Macedonia in World War I. He commanded German ace Ernst Udet in Jasta 37, and chose Udet to command the unit upon his transfer to Jasta 38. Early life Grasshoff was born in Randau, the only child of Prussian ''Oberleutnant'' Karl Grasshoff and his wife Clara. At age 11 he entered cadet school in Potsdam. His father, who had become seriously ill, died aged 44 in 1904. Grasshoff continued a military career and entered cadet leaders’ school at Lichterfelde. On 16 November 1910 Grasshoff was promoted at age 19 to ''Leutnant'' in a Mecklenburg battalion. He was a good rifleman, winning a sabre and a silver cup. After World War I began Grasshoff was sent to the Western Front as a member of a bicycle company with his battalion. However, an accident of some kind made him unsuitable for the infantry. Joining the War in the Air As a result of his injury, Grasshoff ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fritz Thiede
Leutnant Fritz Thiede (21 January 1896 – 14 June 1981) was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. He became a personal pilot for Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich in the 1930s. He served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. Biography Fritz Thiede was born in Lichterfelde, the German Empire on 21 January 1896. He joined the 2nd Fusilier Artillery Regiment on 1 October 1913. He was still serving with them when World War I began.Franks et al 1993, pp. 214-215. On 1 May 1915, he transferred to the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' to start aviation training at ''Fliegerersatz-Abteilung'' (Replacement Detachment) 5 in Hannover, Germany. Once trained, Thiede was posted to ''Schutzstaffel'' (Protection Squadron) 5 in February 1916. This squadron was attached to "Bombengeschwader der Oberste Heeresleitung" 2; ''Bogohl'' 2 was directly subordinate to the German Supreme Command. ''Schutzstaffel'' 5 was a defensive fighter squadron. Thiede saw action over the Battl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flying Aces
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually considered to be five or more. The concept of the "ace" emerged in 1915 during World War I, at the same time as aerial dogfighting. It was a propaganda term intended to provide the home front with a cult of the hero in what was otherwise a war of attrition. The individual actions of aces were widely reported and the image was disseminated of the ace as a chivalrous knight reminiscent of a bygone era. For a brief early period when air-to-air combat was just being invented, the exceptionally skilled pilot could shape the battle in the skies. For most of the war, however, the image of the ace had little to do with the reality of air warfare, in which fighters fought in formation and air superiority depended heavily on the relative availability ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jastas Of The Imperial German Army Air Service
A ''Jagdstaffel'' (plural ''Jagdstaffeln'', abbreviated to Jasta) was a fighter ''Staffel'' (squadron) of the German Imperial ''Luftstreitkräfte'' during World War I. Background Before April 1916, ''Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches'', which had been established in 1912 as the aviation service of the Imperial German Army, was largely organised in small general purpose units ('' Feldfliegerabteilungen, FFA'' Field Flyer Detachments). The first specialist bombing and close support units began forming during 1915. The ''FFA'' were subordinate to the Army command to which they were attached. By the end of the spring of 1915, the first German fighter aircraft were being issued in small numbers to the ''FFA''. At this period their function was seen almost entirely as "protection" for the reconnaissance missions which were the primary duty of the ''Fliegertruppe''. Pilots like Kurt Wintgens, Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke pioneered the aggressive use of the early ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Military Units And Formations Established In 1917
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct military uniform. It may consist of one or more military branches such as an army, navy, air force, space force, marines, or coast guard. The main task of the military is usually defined as defence of the state and its interests against external armed threats. In broad usage, the terms ''armed forces'' and ''military'' are often treated as synonymous, although in technical usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country's armed forces may include both its military and other paramilitary forces. There are various forms of irregular military forces, not belonging to a recognized state; though they share many attributes with regular military forces, they are less often referred to as simply ''military''. A nation's military may f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
