Imperial German Air Service

Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte
Form of Cross Pattée used on German military aircraft in 1915
Founded	1910 – 8 May 1920
Country	Germany
Allegiance	Kaiser Wilhelm II
Branch	German Army
Type	Air force
Size	In 1918: 2,709 front line aircraft 56 airships 186 balloon detachments About 4,500 flying personnel
Engagements	World War I Greater Poland Uprising (1918-1919)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen Ernst von Hoeppner
Insignia
1914–1915
1916 – March 1918
March/April 1918 to 1919

World War I

The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte (German: [ˈdɔʏtʃə ˈlʊftˌʃtʁaɪtkʁɛftə], German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as the Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches (Imperial German Flying Corps) or simply Die Fliegertruppe—was the World War I (1914–18) air arm of the German Army, of which it remained an integral part. 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 serving with the Marine-Fliegerabteilung remained an integral part of the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). Both military branches, the army and navy, operated conventional aircraft, observation balloons and Zeppelins.

The first military aircraft to be acquired by the German Army entered service in 1910 – forming the nucleus of what was to become the Luftstreitkräfte in October 1916. The duties of such aircraft were initially intended to be reconnaissance and artillery spotting in support of armies on the ground, just as balloons had been used during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 and even as far back as the Napoleonic Wars. For comparison, France's embryonic army air service (Aviation Militaire), which eventually became the Armée de l'Air, was instituted later in 1910 – the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers (later re-organised as the Royal Flying Corps) was not formed until November 1911.