Jagdstaffel 26
| Jasta 26 | |
|---|---|
Albatross D.III
|
|
| Active | 1916–1918 |
| Country | German Empire |
| Branch | Luftstreitkräfte |
| Type | Fighter squadron |
| Engagements | World War I |
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 26 was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score 177 verified aerial victories, including four observation balloons destroyed. The Jasta would pay a bloody price for its success: five pilots killed in action, nine wounded in action, and one prisoner of war.
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 26 was founded on 14 December 1916 at the FEA 9 training center in Darmstadt. It mobilized on 20 January 1917. Its first war patrols followed a week later, and the first victory was scored on 25 February 1917. Just four days before, on 21 February, Jasta 26 had become part of Jagdgeschwader III, with Bruno Loerzer raised to its command. As part of JG III, Jasta 26 would battle to the end of the war. It would end the war as one of the top-scoring German fighter squadrons. It disbanded at FEA 5 at Hannover, Germany on 3 December 1918.
Hermann Göring, Pour le Mérite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, served a couple of months with Jasta 26 while making ace. Bruno Loerzer, Pour le Mérite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, scored over half of his 44 victories while commanding Jasta 26. The squadron's other winner of the "Blue Max" was Walter Blume, who also rated an Iron Cross.Otto Fruhner, leading ace of the Jasta with 27 wins, won the enlisted man's equivalent of the Blue Max, the Military Merit Cross, as well as the Iron Cross.Erich Buder and Otto Esswein also won the MMC and Iron Cross. Fritz Beckhardt,Fritz Kosmahl and Franz Brandt both won both the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern and Iron Cross.Xavier Dannhuber was a winner of the Hohenzollern. Several other aces also served in the unit, including Christian Mesch, Fritz Loerzer, Helmut Lange, Fritz Classen, and Claus Riemer.
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