History

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 5, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 5, was created on 21 January 1916, and mobilized on 21 August 1916, as one of the first fighter units 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 ...

. Many of the first pilots of the Jasta came out of KEK Avillers, itself an early attempt to organize and utilize fighter planes as winged weapons. ''Jasta 5'' began its service career at Bechamp near Verdun, in support of 5 Armee. On 29 September 1916, it moved to the Somme to the 1 Armee area of operations. On 11 March 1917, Jasta 5 moved into Boistrancourt; it spent the next year operating from there, in support of the 2 Armee. In March 1918, the Jasta was joined by Jasta 46 thus forming the beginning of Jagdgruppe 2; the new JG was commanded by Flashar, along with his command of the Jasta. In July, command passed to Otto Schmidt; in August, it was joined in the JG by

Jasta 34 Royal Bavarian ''Jagdstaffel'' 34, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 34, 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 89 confirmed aerial ...

and

Jasta 37 Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 37, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 37, 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 over 70 aerial victories ...

. With approximately 253 victories at war's end, Jasta 5 had the third-highest victory total of any squadron in the ''Luftstreitkräfte''. Its casualties came to 19 pilots killed in action, 3 killed in flying accidents, 8 wounded in action, and 1 injured in an accident.

Commanding officers

* Hans Berr: 21 August 1916 – 2 January 1917 * Ludwig Dornheim: 2 January 1917 – 5 February 1917 * Hans Berr: 5 February 1917 – 6 April 1917 * Hans von Hünerbein: 7 April 1917 – 4 May 1917 *

Kurt Schneider Kurt Schneider (7 January 1887 – 27 October 1967) was a German psychiatrist known largely for his writing on the diagnosis and understanding of schizophrenia, as well as personality disorders then known as psychopathic personalities. ...

: 6 May 1917 – 5 June 1917 * Richard Flashar: 10 June 1917 – 31 December 1917 * Wilhelm Lehmann: 31 December 1917 – 14 January 1918 * Richard Flashar: 14 January 1918 – 12 May 1918 * Wilhelm Lehmann: 12 May 1918 – 26 June 1918 *

Otto Schmidt Otto Yulyevich Shmidt (born Otto Friedrich Julius Schmidt; – 7 September 1956), better known as Otto Schmidt, was a Soviet scientist, mathematician, astronomer, geophysicist, statesman, and academician. Biography He was born in the town of ...

: 3 July 1918 – 11 November 1918

Duty stations (airfields)

* Bechamp: 21 August 1916 – 25 September 1916 * Bellevue Ferme, Senon: 26 September 1916 – 29 September 1916 * Gonnelieu: 30 September 1916 – 10 March 1917 * Boistrancourt: 11 March 1917 – 25 March 1918 * Lieramont: 25 March 1918 – 23 April 1918 * Cappy-sur-Somme: 23 April 1918 – 27 July 1918 *

Moislains Moislains () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Moislains is situated on the D184 and D43 crossroads, some northwest of Saint-Quentin. Population Personalities Ferdinand Carré, engineer, ...

: 27 July 1918 – 24 August 1918 * Nurlu: 24 August 1918 – 30 September 1918 * Neuville: 30 September 1918 – 7 October 1918 * Escarmain by Capelle: 7 October 1918 – 10 October 1918 * Villers-Sire-Nicole: 10 October 1918 – 11 November 1918

Personnel

There were several notable pilots and flying aces who served and scored with Jasta 5. Pilots earning Prussia's highest decoration for valor, the ''Pour le Mèrite'' ("Blue Max") who served at one time or another in Jasta 5 included (alphabetically): *

Paul Bäumer :''This article deals with Paul Bäumer the pilot. For the fictional Paul Bäumer, see All Quiet on the Western Front. For the late member of electronic music group Bingo Players, see Bingo Players'' Paul Wilhelm Bäumer known as The Iron Eagle ...

* Hans Berr *

Heinrich Gontermann Heinrich Gontermann (25 February 1896 – 30 October 1917) was a German fighter ace credited with 39 victories during the First World War. Early life Born in Siegen, Southern Westphalia, on 25 February 1896,''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter ...

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

* Otto Könnecke *

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 ...

* Fritz Rumey *

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 (occupation), dyer's son from Krefeld, he was a patriotic young man while still in school. He began his milita ...

Könnecke and Rumey were two of the three members of the "golden triumvirate", who were responsible for 40% of the total victories of the Jasta. The third member of the triumvirate not listed is Josef Mai, who although nominated and eligible for the award, was not officially awarded the ''Pour le Mèrite'' prior to the end of hostilities. One member of Jasta 5 was rocket expert

Rudolf Nebel Rudolf Nebel (21 March 1894 – 18 September 1978) was a spaceflight advocate active in Germany's amateur rocket group, the ''Verein für Raumschiffahrt'' (VfR – "Spaceflight Society") in the 1930s and in rebuilding German rocketry following W ...

Aircraft and operations

The squadron was originally equipped with

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

s. It progressed to use of Albatros D.IIs and Halberstadt D.IIs. In 1917, it was using

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

s and Albatros D.Vs. In 1918, it used both the

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...

and the Fokker Triplane. At one time, the ''Jasta'' was one of only three squadrons not belonging to a ''Jagdgeschwader'' (fighter wing) that was totally equipped with the Triplane. It also reputedly operated the Pfalz D.XII, which entered service in July 1918.

References

Bibliography * *

External links

* {{wwi-air 05 Military units and formations established in 1916 1916 establishments in Germany Military units and formations disestablished in 1918