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 A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inc ...

of the were an integral part of the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Wilhel ...

(). Both

military branch Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state. Types of branches Unified armed forces The Canadian Armed Forces is the uni ...

es operated aeroplanes, observation balloons and

airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

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 The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, 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 A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

and Schutte-Lanz. The first

military aircraft A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat: * Combat aircraft are designed to destroy enemy equipm ...

to be acquired by the German Army entered service in 1910 and the first five aviation battalions were established on 1 October 1913. The Imperial German Air Service () and other branches concerned with air matters such as anti-aircraft, home defence and air intelligence were unified in the on 8 October 1916. The duties of such aircraft were initially intended to be

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

and artillery spotting in support of the armies, just as balloons had been used during the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) and as far back as the

Battle of Fleurus (1794) The Battle of Fleurus, on 26 June 1794, was an engagement during the War of the First Coalition, between the army of the First French Republic, under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, and the Coalition Army ( Britain, Hanover, Dutch Republic, and ...

during the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

. The French (army air service) was created in 1909 and became the in 1912. The

Air Battalion The Air Battalion Royal Engineers (ABRE) was the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces to make use of heavier-than-air craft. Founded in 1911, the battalion in 1912 became part of the Royal Flying Corps, which in turn evolved into the R ...

of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

, with two companies, was established in November 1911. The

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

, RFC with a military wing and a naval wing was formed in February 1912.

Organization

The initial units of the , dedicated to observation, were known as (Field Flier Detachments) and had an official establishment of six unarmed, two-seat "A" (monoplane), and/or "B"-class (biplane) aircraft apiece. Each "FFA" unit assigned to an army unit in their local area, and usually numbered with the same number as the army they were assigned to serve. The organization changed substantially as the war progressed, to accommodate new types of aircraft, doctrine, tactics and the needs of the ground troops, in particularly the artillery. During this time the system of organisation and unit designations evolved that would form the basis of those used in the of Nazi Germany, when it was revealed in 1935. During 1916, the German High Command (, OHL) reorganised by creating specialist fighter, bomber and reconnaissance units such as single-seat fighter squadrons (, , hunting squadrons) to counter the Royal Flying Corps and the French .

Commanders

Fighter unit organization

The initial deployment of fighter aircraft in the summer of 1915 occurred within the , which were being equipped with one or two of the new

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- ...

fighter aircraft for each unit, starting with the five Fokker M.5K/MG production prototypes of the Eindecker, bearing serial numbers E.1/15 through E.5/15. The buildup of the fighter force rapidly progressed with regular lMG 08 "Spandau"-armed production examples of the Fokker E.I following the deliveries of the M.5K/MG airframes late in the summer of 1915, with early E.Is going to aces like

Max Immelmann Max Immelmann (21 September 1890 – 18 June 1916) '' PLM'' was the first German World War I flying ace.Shores, 1983, p. 10. He was a pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchro ...

, who received IdFlieg serial number E.13/15 in August 1915. The first step towards specialist fighter-only aviation units within the German military was the establishment of (single-seat battle unit, abbreviated as KEK) formations by Inspektor-Major Friedrich Stempel in February 1916. These were based around Eindeckers and other new fighter designs emerging, like the

Pfalz Pfalz, Pfälzer, or Pfälzisch are German words referring to Palatinate. They may refer to: Places *Pfalz, the Palatinate (region) of Germany **Nordpfalz, the North Palatinate **Vorderpfalz, the Anterior Palatinate **Südpfalz, the South P ...

E-series monoplanes, that were being detached from their former FFA units during the winter of 1915–1916 and brought together in pairs and quartets at particularly strategic locations, as KEK units were formed at Vaux, Avillers,

Jametz Jametz is a small commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, near the Belgian border. Economy Since the 15th century, residents have primarily worked as cattle farmers, cheesemakers, carpenters and leatherworkers. To ...

Cunel Cunel () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Meuse department The following is a list of the 499 communes of the Meuse department of France. The communes cooperat ...

and other strategic locations along the Western Front, to act as (aerial guard force) units, consisting only of fighters. Following the era of the KEK units through the summer of 1916, (hunting squadrons), established by the reorganization that started by the late summer of 1916 were fielded by four kingdoms of the German Empire. Individually - each of these units was often known by the abbreviation . The

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

was predominant, with a fighter force eventually comprising 67 squadrons. The

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German E ...

formed ten of these units, the

Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxon ...

formed seven and the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which exist ...

four. On 24 June 1917, the brought a quartet of squadrons together to form its first

fighter wing In military aviation, a wing is a unit of command. In most military aviation services, a wing is a relatively large formation of planes. In Commonwealth countries a wing usually comprises three squadrons, with several wings forming a group ( ...

, Royal Prussian , incorporating Jastas 4, 6, 10 and 11, and set the pattern for using

Roman numerals Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, eac ...

in the in the titles of such larger units.

Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...

was moved up from command of Jasta 11 to command JG I. Much as

Jasta 2 Jasta 2 (Jagdstaffel Zwei in full and also known as ''Jasta Boelcke'') 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 ...

had been renamed as in December 1916 after

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 ...

, Germany's top fighter tactician had been lost in a mid-air collision in October 1916, following the "Red Baron's" death in action in late April 1918, JG I was renamed to honor von Richthofen by order of the Kaiser. The Prussians established three more . On 2 February 1918, JG II formed from 12, 13, 15 and 19, with Adolf Ritter von Tutschek in command. On the same day, JG III consolidated 2 and 26, 27 and 36 under

Bruno Loerzer Bruno Loerzer (22 January 1891 – 23 August 1960) was a German air force officer during World War I and World War II. Credited with 44 aerial victories during World War I, he was one of Germany's leading flying aces, as well as commander of ...

. Finally, on 2 September 1918, the Royal Prussian was formed from the 's I through V and placed in charge of

Gotthard Sachsenberg Gotthard Sachsenberg (6 December 1891 – 23 August 1961) was a German World War I fighter ace with 31 victories who went on to command the world's first naval air wing. In later life, he founded the airline ''Deutscher Aero Lloyd'', became an an ...

. Bavaria established the Royal Bavarian on 3 October 1918, from Jastas 23, 32, 34 and 35 under

Eduard Ritter von Schleich Eduard-Maria Joseph Ritter von Schleich (9 August 1888 – 15 November 1947), born Schleich, was a high scoring Bavarian flying ace of the First World War. He was credited with 35 aerial victories at the end of the war. During the Second World ...

Unit designations

:(AFA) : Artillery Flier Detachment :(AFS) ; Artillery Flier School :AFP – : Army Flight Park :BZ – : Balloon Platoon :BG – : Bomber Wing : – : the Bomber Wings under direct control by the German Army's High Command in World War I. :Bosta – : Bomber Squadron :etc – : Post :FFA – : Field Flier Detachment, the initial flight formations of the German Army in 1914–15 :FLA – : Field Airship Detachment :FestFA – : Fortress Flier Detachment :FA – : Flier Detachment :FA(A) – : Flier Detachment (Artillery) :FlgBtl – : Flier Battalion :FBS – : Aerial Observer School :FEA – : Replacement Detachment :FS – : Flight School :JG – : Hunting Wing, i.e., Fighter Wing :Jasta – : Hunting Squadron, i.e., Fighter Squadron :JastaSch – : Fighter Squadron School (also referred to as ) :KEK – : Combat Single-Seater Command, a predecessor to units :Kest – : Combat Single-Seater Squadron, a predecessor to units :KG – : Tactical Bomber Wing : – : the Tactical Bomber Wings under direct control by the German Army's High Command in World War I. :Kasta – : Tactical Bomber Squadron :Luft – : Airship Force :LsBtl – : Airship Battalion :RBZ – : Aerial Photography Platoon :Rfa – : Giant Aircraft Detachment :Schlasta – : Battle Squadron :Schusta – : Protection Squadron

Aircraft

During the war, the Imperial Army Air Service used many types of aircraft, ranging from fighters (such as those manufactured by ,

Fokker Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names. It was founded in 1912 in Berlin, Germany, and became famous for its fighter aircraft in World War I. In 1919 ...

, and

Siemens-Schuckert Siemens-Schuckert (or Siemens-Schuckertwerke) was a German electrical engineering company headquartered in Berlin, Erlangen and Nuremberg that was incorporated into the Siemens AG in 1966. Siemens Schuckert was founded in 1903 when Siemens & Ha ...

), reconnaissance aircraft (

Aviatik Automobil und Aviatik AG was a German aircraft manufacturer during World War I. The company was established at Mülhausen (today in France) in 1909 and soon became one of the country's leading producers of aircraft. It relocated to Freiburg in ...

, (DFW) and

Rumpler Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p.259 The fir ...

), two-seat fighters from

Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke or Halberstadt was a German aircraft manufacturer. It was formed on 9 April 1912 under the name ''Deutsche Bristol Werke Flugzeug-Gesellschaft mbH'' in Halberstadt, Province of Saxony. History The British-German jo ...

and

Hannoversche Waggonfabrik Hannoversche Waggonfabrik AG was a German aircraft manufacturer of the World War I era. It was known as a railway rolling stock constructor until required by the German government in 1916 to start the construction of aeroplanes. The aircraft branc ...

and heavy bombers, largely the twin-engined designs from the () and the enormous, multi-engined heavy bombers produced by and

rigid airship A rigid airship is a type of airship (or dirigible) in which the envelope is supported by an internal framework rather than by being kept in shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope, as in blimps (also called pressure airsh ...

s from (the Zeppelin Company) and as well as various types of airship from other firms.

Aircraft designation system

During the First World War, German aircraft officially adopted for military service were allocated a designation that included (1) the name of the manufacturer, (2) a function or "class" letter, and (3) a

Roman numeral Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, ea ...

. The three-part designation was needed for a unique designation to simplify logistics support of the many types of aircraft in operation – especially as squadrons more often than not were equipped with several different types. The designation system evolved during the war. Initially all military aircraft were classed as "A" (monoplane) or "B" (biplane). The new "C" class of armed (two seat) biplane began to replace the "B" class aircraft as reconnaissance machines in 1915, the B's continuing to be built, but as trainers. The "E" class of armed monoplane were also introduced in 1915 – the other classes being added later as new aircraft types were introduced. For most of the war 'D' was only used for biplane fighters, 'E' for monoplane fighters and 'Dr' for triplane fighters. By the end of the war however, the 'D' designation was used for all single-seat fighters, including monoplanes (and, in theory at least, triplanes). :A – Unarmed reconnaissance monoplane aircraft (for example the

Rumpler Taube The Etrich ''Taube'', also known by the names of the various later manufacturers who built versions of the type, such as the Rumpler ''Taube'', was a pre-World War I monoplane aircraft. It was the first military aeroplane to be mass-produced in ...

and Fokker M.5) :B – Unarmed two-seat biplane, with the observer seated in front of the pilot. :C – Armed two-seat biplane, with the observer (usually) seated to the rear of the pilot. :CL – Light two-seater (primarily from

Halberstadt Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bombi ...

and

Hannover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German States of Germany, state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germa ...

), initially intended as escort fighters – by 1917–18, mainly used for ground attack. :D – – single-seat, armed biplane but later any fighter – for instance the

Fokker E.V The Fokker E.V was a German parasol wing, parasol-monoplane fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz and built by Fokker, Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The E.V was the last Fokker design to become operational with the ''Luftstreitkräfte,'' entering se ...

monoplane was renamed the D.VIII. :Dr – – triplane fighter (twin service test Fokker triplanes initially "F") :E – – armed monoplane – initially included monoplane two-seaters. New monoplane types at the end of the war designated as "D" (single seat) or "CL" (two seat). :G – – Large twin-engined types, mainly bombers (initially "K") :GL – Lighter, faster twin-engined bombers, intended for use by day. :J – – Fuel tanks, pilot, and (usually) the engine protected by armour plate, reducing vulnerability to ground fire. Used for low-level work, especially ground attack. :N – "C" type aircraft adapted for night bombing – apart from night flying equipment they were fitted with wings of greater span to increase bomb load. :R – – "Giant" aircraft – at least three, up to four to six engines – all serviceable in flight. Rumpler C

Most manufacturers also had their own numbering systems quite separate from the official military designations for their products. These sometimes cause confusion – for instance the military "J" series of armored aircraft designs was quite distinct from the Junkers aviation firm's own "J" factory type designations – the factory designation of the (military)

Junkers J.I The Junkers J.I (manufacturer's name J 4) was a German "J-class" armored sesquiplane of World War I, developed for low-level ground attack, observation and army cooperation. It is especially noteworthy as being the first all-metal aircraft to ...

armored, all-metal sesquiplane, for example, was the Junkers J.4. The "M" (for "Militär" or military) and "V" (for "Versuchs" or experimental, according to some source initially meant a or "unbraced" airframe) designations of the Fokker firm were also internal. The latter has no direct connection with the official

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

-era German "V" designation, also signifying , for prototype aircraft, promulgated by the RLM from 1935. The maritime aviation service used manufacturers' designations rather than the systematic system described above. For example, the landplane Gotha bombers were numbered in an "LD" (for "land biplane") series by their manufacturer, but in the "G" series in the – while the Gotha seaplanes used by the navy were (and continue to be) known by their manufacturer's "WD" (for , or "seaplane biplane") designation. Similarly, the sizable number of German seaplane designs from

Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH was a German aircraft manufacturing company. Overview The company was founded in 1912 in Friedrichshafen, Germany by Theodor Kober who had previously worked for the Zeppelin company. The town, which is located b ...

, were all known in naval service by their "FF" factory designations. Army and navy airships were individually numbered, in the same way as contemporary German

destroyers In navy, naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a Naval fleet, fleet, convoy or Carrier battle group, battle group and defend them against powerful short range attack ...

and

submarines A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely o ...

, and were outside any system of "type" designation.

Pilots

Fighter pilots received the most attention in the annals of military aviation, since it produced high-scoring "aces" such as

, known in German as (the Red Air Fighter) and in English as The Red Baron. With 80 confirmed kills he is considered the most successful fighter pilot of the war. The very first "confirmed" German aerial fighter victory of the war credited to a synchronized-gun-equipped aircraft went to ''Leutnant''

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 ...

on 15 July 1915, after downing two similar

Morane-Saulnier L The Morane-Saulnier L, or Morane-Saulnier Type L, or officially MoS-3, was a French parasol wing one or two-seat scout aeroplane of the First World War. The Type L became one of the first successful fighter aircraft when it was fitted with a si ...

parasol monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...

s to the victim on July 15, one each on July 1 and 4th that remained unconfirmed - this fortnight of unprecedented German aerial victories initiated the period of the Fokker Scourge. Other notable German pilots from the Fokker Scourge onwards included Ernst Udet,

Erich Löwenhardt Erich Loewenhardt (7 April 189710 August 1918) was a German soldier and military aviator who fought in the First World War and became a fighter ace credited with 54 confirmed aerial victories. Originally enlisting in an infantry regiment even th ...

Werner Voss Werner Voss (; 13 April 1897 – 23 September 1917) was a World War I German flying ace credited with 48 aerial victories. A dyer's son from Krefeld, he was a patriotic young man while still in school. He began his military career in Novem ...

Josef Jacobs Josef Carl Peter Jacobs (15 May 1894 – 29 July 1978) PlM, was a German flying ace with 48 victories during the First World War. The victory total of the prewar flier tied him with Werner Voss for fourth place among the war's German aces. His ...

Lothar von Richthofen Lothar Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen (27 September 1894 – 4 July 1922) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 40 victories. He was a younger brother of top-scoring ace Manfred von Richthofen (the ''Red Baron'') and a di ...

, Wilhelm Frankl,

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

and the master aerial tactician

(the latter pair were the first to be awarded the ''

Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...

'', the highest decoration for gallantry for officers in the German Empire: simultaneously, on 12 January 1916, after shooting down eight Allied aeroplanes each). The award to Immelmann may have caused the decoration to acquire its popular nickname, the "Blue Max". With more and more pilots reaching this mark the required air victories were steadily increased to about 30 in 1918. In total 76 airmen were awarded the ''

''. 69 airmen received the "''Goldenes Militär-Verdienst-Kreuz''" ( Military Merit Cross), the highest Prussian bravery award for non-commissioned officers and enlisted men. Among them were

Gottfried Ehmann ''Vizefeldwebel'' Gottfried Ehmann was a German World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories. Franks et al 1993, p. 103The Aerodrome website's page on Ehmann http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/ehmann2.php Retrieved on 13 April ...

, the highest scoring air gunner of the war (12 victories). About 391 German pilots are credited with shooting down at least five Allied aircraft.

Insignia

German and Austro-Hungarian military aircraft at first used the ''

cross pattée A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...

'' insignia, most often known in German as the , for the Prussian military medal. The , a black

Greek cross The Christian cross, with or without a figure of Christ included, is the main religious symbol of Christianity. A cross with a figure of Christ affixed to it is termed a ''crucifix'' and the figure is often referred to as the ''corpus'' (La ...

on white, replaced the earlier marking from late March 1918 (especially in early April — Richthofen's last Dr.I, ''425/17'', was changed over just before he was killed), although the last order on the subject, standardising the new

national marking Military aircraft insignia are insignia applied to military aircraft to identify the nation or branch of military service to which the aircraft belong. Many insignia are in the form of a circular roundel or modified roundel; other shapes such as ...

, was dated 25 June 1918.

Final year

Between January and September 1918 German pilots shot down 3,732 Allied planes while losing 1,099 aircraft.Richard Suchenwirth: The Development of the German Air Force, 1919 - 1939. In: USAF Historical Studies. No. 160. Arno Press, New York 1970, p. 2 By the end of the war, the German Army Air Service possessed a total of 2,709 frontline aircraft, 56 airships, 186 balloon detachments and about 4,500 flying personnel. After the war ended in German defeat (→

Armistice of 11 November 1918 The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

), the service was dissolved completely on 8 May 1920 under the conditions of the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...

(Article 198), which demanded that its aeroplanes be completely handed over to the Allies (Art. 202).

Statistics

Captured World War I German planes paraded in London, 1918

German casualties totalled 4,579 aircrew and 299 ground personnel killed, 1,372 missing/prisoner and 5,123 wounded, along with 1,962 men killed in flying accidents in Germany. Material losses by enemy action were 3,126 aircraft, 546 balloons and 26 airships. Although adding up all of the confirmed kills by allied aces, gives a total of a little under 5,000 German aircraft destroyed, as well a 600 observation balloons to just 3,000 allied planes and 370 observation balloons.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

* http://www.spartacus-educational.com/FWWgaas.htm
Der Vormarsch der Flieger Abteilung 27 in der Ukraine
(The advance of Flight Squadron 27 in the Ukraine). Thi
portfolio
comprising 263 photographs mounted on 48 pages, is a photo-documentary of the German occupation and military advances through the southern Ukraine in the spring and summer of 1918.
Die deütschen Luftstreitkräfte im Weltkriege edited by Georg Paul Neumann 1920 [German][Books google].
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luftstreitkrafte .01 German military aviation Disbanded air forces Army aviation units and formations Aviation in World War I German Army (German Empire) German Empire in World War I Military history of Germany Military of the German Empire Military of the German Empire by branch 1916 establishments in Germany 1920 disestablishments in Germany Military units and formations established in 1916 Military units and formations disestablished in 1920 20th-century German aviation