Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 1 (commonly abbreviated as Jasta 1) was a fighter squadron of the ''

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, alth ...

'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during

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 fightin ...

. Jasta 1 was founded on 22 August 1916, using single seat fighters drawn from First Army. It was one of the first wave of dedicated fighter squadrons founded as a result of

Oswald Boelcke Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...

's espousal of massing fighter air power. Leopold Reimann scored the first of its 138 aerial victories two days later. It served on the Western Front until September 1917, transferred directly to the Italian Front to serve until March 1918, then returned to France for the rest of the war.

Aircraft

Jasta 1 was originally equipped with a melange of aircraft, including Fokker D.Is,

Albatros D.II The Albatros D.II was a German fighter aircraft used during World War I. After a successful combat career in the early '' Jagdstaffeln'', it was gradually superseded by the Albatros D.III. Design and development Albatros designers Robert Thelen ...

fighters, at least one

Albatros D.I The Albatros D.I was a German fighter aircraft used during World War I. Although its operational career was short, it was the first of the Albatros D types which equipped the bulk of the German and Austrian fighter squadrons ('' Jagdstaffeln'') f ...

, a

Fokker E.IV The Fokker E.IV was the final variant of the Fokker Eindecker, ''Eindecker'' fighter aircraft that was operated by Germany during World War I. Design and development Given the Fokker designation of M.15, the E.IV was essentially a lengthened F ...

, a captured

Nieuport 16 The Nieuport 16 C.1 (or Nieuport XVI C.1 in contemporary sources)The C in the designation indicates that it is a ''chasseur'' or fighter, and the 1 indicates the number of crew members. was a French World War I single-seat sesquiplane fighter air ...

Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service ('' Luftstreitkräfte'') during World War I. A modified licence model was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service ( ''Luftfahrtruppen''). ...

s, and Halberstadt D.IIIs.

Commanding officers

Its eight '' Staffelnführer'' included

Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...

Martin Zander ''Hauptmann'' Martin Zander was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.The Aerodrome website page on ZandeRetrieved 13 September 2020 He was appointed to command one of the original German fighter squadrons, '' Jagdstaffel 1' ...

, Oberleutnant

Erich Hahn '' Oberleutnant'' Erich Hahn (18 October 1891 – 4 September 1917) was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.The Aerodrome webpage on HahRetrieved 29 October 2020 Biography Erich Hahn was born on 18 October 1891 in Leipzig, ...

, Oberleutnant Hans Kummetz (on two occasions), Otto Deindl, Armbrecht (twice), Walter Korte, Bruno von Voight, and

Rittmeister __NOTOC__ (German and Scandinavian for "riding master" or "cavalry master") is or was a military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A ''Rittmeister'' is typic ...

Kurt-Bertram von Döring Generalleutnant Kurt-Bertram von Döring (18 February 1889 in Ribbekardt – 9 July 1960 in Medingen) was a German World War II Generalleutnant of Luftwaffe. He began his career as a flying ace in World War I, became a flying soldier of fortune ...

Personnel

Besides the experienced pilots transferred in from ''Abwehr Kommando Nord/Kampfeinsitzerstaffel B'', other two-seater pilots under ''1. Armee'' were also posted to the fledgling unit. Among the 18 aces in the World War I ranks were

Hans von Keudell Leutnant Hans von Keudell (5 April 1892 – 15 February 1917) was a World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories.The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/keudell.php Retrieved on 17 April 2010. Early life and ...

Kurt Wintgens ''Leutnant'' Kurt Wintgens (1 August 1894 – 25 September 1916) was a German World War I fighter ace. He was the first military fighter pilot to score a victory over an opposing aircraft, while piloting an aircraft armed with a synchronized mac ...

, balloon buster

Hans von Freden Leutnant Hans von Freden was a German World War I flying ace credited with 20 aerial victories. Early life and service Hans von Freden was born on 18 March 1892 in Berlin. As World War I broke out, he volunteered to serve in Field Artillery Regim ...

Gustav Leffers Gustav Leffers (2 January 1895 –27 December 1916) was a German flying ace in World War I, credited with 9 victories. Background Leffers was born in Wilhelmshaven, the son of a naval engineer. He was educated in Wilhelmshaven and Stettin a ...

Walter Höhndorf Leutnant Walter Höhndorf (1892-1917) was a pioneer aviator, test pilot, airplane designer and constructor, and fighter ace during World War I. He was credited with twelve aerial victories while flying for the Imperial German Air Service. Only one ...

, and

Leopold Reimann ''Offizierstellvertreter'' Leopold Rudolf Reimann was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.The Aerodrome websitRetrieved 23 September 2020 Biography See also Aerial victory standards of World War I Leopold Rudolf Reiman ...

. The squadron's casualties for the war were twelve killed in action, one killed in a flying accident, four wounded in action, and one captured.

Claims and victories

was Jasta 1's first ace, having claimed 13 victories while flying the

Fokker Eindecker The Fokker ''Eindecker'' fighters were a series of German World War I monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft designed by Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker.Boyne 1988 Developed in April 1915, the first ''Eindecker'' ("Monoplane") was the first purpose ...

before joining the unit. He claimed 6 more before being downed and killed by

Alfred Heurtaux Alfred Marie-Joseph Heurtaux (20 May 1893 – 30 December 1985) was a French World War I fighter ace credited with 21 victories. Later in his life, he joined the French Resistance during World War II, and survived imprisonment in Buchenwald death ...

of Escadrille N.3 in September 1916. Vfw. Paul Bona claimed six victories December 1916—May 1917. He was killed in a crash in June 1917. Oberleutnant Hans Kummetz achieved 7 claims in a year of command before being killed in combat with Camels of

No. 45 Squadron RAF Number 45 Squadron is a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron, which was established on 1 March 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps, currently provides flying training using Embraer Phenom T1s and operates under the command ...

in Italy early in 1918. The squadron claimed 138 victories, with 107 of those confirmed.

References

;Bibliography * {{Jastas 01 Military units and formations established in 1916 1916 establishments in Germany