Jasta 33

Jasta 33
Active	1916–1918
Country	German Empire
Branch	Luftstreitkräfte
Type	Fighter squadron
Part of	Jagdgruppe II Jagdgruppe 7
Engagements	World War I
Disbanded	December 1918
Commanders
Notable commanders	Carl-August von Schoenebeck

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 33 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 a minimum of 46 verified aerial victories (the squadron's records being grossly incomplete from August 1918 onwards).

In turn, their casualties for the war would amount to six pilots killed in action, seven wounded in action, and one killed in a noncombat crash.

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 33 was formed on 14 December 1916 at the FEA 3 training facility at Gotha, Germany. It did not get into action until March 1917, but its first aerial victory followed shortly thereafter, on 24 April 1917. As part of the changing German tactics based on concentration of air power, the squadron was incorporated into Jagdgruppe II along with Jasta 7, Jasta 29, and Jasta 35 in August 1917; the new fighter wing was commanded by Otto Schmidt. Not quite a year later, in August 1918, Jasta 33 shifted to membership in Jagdgruppe 7, joining Jasta 28, Jasta 57 and Jasta 58 under the command of Emil Thuy. Jasta 33 then served past war's end, disbanding in December 1918.

Jasta 33 was based at the following aerodromes:

Carl-August von Schoenebeck, winner of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern and Iron Cross, was the most prominent of the aces who served with Jasta 33, as he rose to the rank of Major General during World War II.Emil Schäpe, another Iron Cross winner, also served with the unit.Robert Heibert was awarded the enlisted man's equivalent of the Pour le Merite, the Military Merit Cross, as well as the Iron Cross.

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