Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 14 was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the ''

Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...

'', the air arm of the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), 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 Kingdom o ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score 57 aerial victories (including five wins over enemy observation balloons) during the war. In turn, the ''Jasta'' paid a price of eight killed in action, five wounded in action, and three taken

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

History

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 14 was formed from a preceding ad hoc unit, Fokkerstaffel Falkenhausen, on 28 September 1916. It came into existence in the ''Armee-Abteilung'' A Sector. It served through war's end, before being disbanded as part of Germany's defeat.

Commanding officers (''
Staffelführer ''Staffelführer'' (, " Formation leader") 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 ...
'')

Hauptmann () is an officer rank in the armies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is usually translated as ''captain''. Background While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has, and originally had, the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literall ...

Karl Krieg: 28 September 1916 – 14 October 1916 # Oberleutnant

Rudolf Berthold Oskar Gustav Rudolf Berthold (24 March 1891 – 15 March 1920) was a German flying ace of World War I. Between 1916 and 1918, he shot down 44 enemy planes—16 of them while flying one-handed. In postwar Germany, Berthold organized a ''Freikor ...

: 14 October 1916 – 12 August 1917 # Leutnant

Walter Höhndorf Leutnant Walter Höhndorf (1892-1917) was a German 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. O ...

: 12 August 1917 – 5 September 1917 # Leutnant Hans Werner: 5 September 1917 – 11 November 1918

Aerodromes

# Bühl,

Saarburg Saarburg (, ) is a city of the Trier-Saarburg district, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the banks of the river Saar in the hilly country a few kilometers upstream from the Saar's junction with the Moselle. Now known as a touris ...

: 28 September 1916 – 14 October 1916 # Marchais, France: 14 October 1916 – 27 April 1917 # La Neuville: 27 April 1917 – May 1917 # Marchais: May 1917 – 5 November 1917 # Boncourt: 5 November 1917 – 5 January 1918 # Liesse: 5 January 1918 – 19 March 1918 # Masny: 19 March 1918 – 11 April 1918 # Phalempin: 11 April 1918 – 3 October 1918 # Aertrycke: 3 October 1918 – 11 November 1918

Notable members

''Staffelführer'' Rudolph Berthold was one of Germany's leading aces of World War I, being in a tie for seventh place; he was awarded the

Pour le Merite Pour is a name which can be used as a surname and a given name: * Kour Pour (born 1987), American artist of Iranian and British descent * Mehdi Niyayesh Pour (born 1992), Iranian footballer * Mojtaba Mobini Pour (born 1991), Iranian footballer * P ...

, Military Order of Saint Henry, and

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

. Not far behind Berthold's 44 victories was Josef Veltjens, winner of 35 aerial duels, recipient of the Pour le Merite,

Royal House Order of Hohenzollern The House Order of Hohenzollern ( or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various versions of the order were crosses an ...

, and Iron Cross. Paul Rothe won an Iron Cross as the squadron's preeminent

balloon buster Balloon busters were military pilots known for destroying enemy observation balloons. These pilots were noted for their fearlessness, as balloons were stationary targets able to receive heavy defenses, from the ground and the air. Seventy-seven fl ...

. Other squadron aces were Johannes Werner, Hans Bowski, and Herbert Boy.

Joachim-Friedrich Huth Joachim-Friedrich Huth (31 July 1896 – 27 March 1962) was a German general in the during World War II and, post-war, the West German Air Force. Huth retired from the in 1961 holding the rank of . Biography Huth was born in 1896 in and ente ...

claimed one victory balloon he would also lose part of his right leg in combat yet would be in the World War II Luftwaffe and retire as a Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) in 1961.

Aircraft

Original equipment supplied the squadron upon its inception was seven

Fokker Fokker (; ) was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer that operated from 1912 to 1996. The company was founded by the Dutch aviator Anthony Fokker and became famous during World War I for its fighter aircraft. During its most successful period in the 19 ...

biplanes, two

Fokker Eindekker 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 ...

monoplanes, and one

Halberstadt Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...

biplane. Eventually, the unit would be one of only three squadrons operating independently of a wing that would be totally equipped with Fokker Dr.Is. Squadron marking was a black and white band running the length of a squadron plane's fuselage.

Operations

When founded, Jasta 14 was in the ''Armee-Abteilung'' A Sector. When Germany's last great offensive kicked off on 21 March 1918, the squadron was supporting 17th Armee. In May 1918, the unit was switched to support of 6th Armee. They were transferred to help 4th Armee in September 1918.

References

;Bibliography * 14 Military units and formations established in 1916 1916 establishments in Germany Military units and formations disestablished in 1918 {{wwi-air