Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 7 was a World War I "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the Luftstreitkräfte

Luftstreitkräfte

The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...

, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

. The unit would score 126 aerial victories during the war, at the expense of eleven killed in action, two killed in flying accidents, and twelve wounded in action.

History

On 2 June 1916, a Fokkerstaffel was founded at Martincourt

Martincourt

Martincourt is the name or part of the name of the following communes in France:* Martincourt, Meurthe-et-Moselle, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department* Martincourt, Oise, in the Oise department* Martincourt-sur-Meuse, in the Meuse department...

; this temporary grouping was under XVI Corps

XVI Army Corps (Germany)

The XVI Corps was a corps in the German Army during both world wars.The original XVI Army Corps was formed in Metz in 1891 and fought in the First World War on the western front. The XVI Corps ended the war under command of the 3rd Army....

 of 5 Armee. It was quickly superseded on 23 August 1916, when it was designated as Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 7. A month later, on 21 September, it was activated. In Autumn 1917, Jasta 7 joined Jagdgruppe 11, along with Jasta 29, Jasta 33, and Jasta 35. The new JG 11 supported 4 Armee, and was commanded by Otto Schmidt

Otto Schmidt (aviator)

Oberleutnant Otto Schmidt was a World War I fighter ace credited with 20 aerial victories, including eight against enemy observation balloons. He commanded three different jagdstaffeln as well as a jagdgeschwader ....

.

In early 1918, Jasta 7 became part of Jagdgruppe Dixmuiden, along with Jasta 16

Jasta 16

Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 16 was a "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, which was the World War I forerunner to the Nazi Luftwaffe.-History:...

 and Jasta 51, under command of Oberleutnant Hans-Eberhardt Gandert

Hans-Eberhardt Gandert

General-major Hans-Eberhardt Gandert was a German professional soldier who began his 33 year military career in 1912. He learned to fly in the early days of World War I, went on to become a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories, including killing British ace Edwin Benbow, and ended the...

; it then moved to Rumbeke. It now became part of Jagdgruppe 6, along with Jasta 28, Jasta 47, and Jasta 51; Gandert commanded the group.
In May, it moved again, to Saint Marguerite. The jasta, along with Jasta 51, remained a mainstay of JGr 6, while other squadrons were rotated in and out of the group. As the war wound down, Jasta 7 remained in JGr 6, under the command of Hauptmann Erhard Milch

Erhard Milch

Erhard Milch was a German Field Marshal who oversaw the development of the Luftwaffe as part of the re-armament of Germany following World War I, and served as founding Director of Deutsche Luft Hansa...

.

Commanding officers

• Fritz von Bronsart-Schellendorf: 23 August 1916 - KIA 21 July 1917
• Josef Jacobs
  Josef Jacobs
  Josef Carl Peter Jacobs was a German flying ace with 48 victories during the First World War. His total tied him with Werner Voss for fourth place among German aces.-Background:...
  
  : 22 July 1917 - ca 18 November 1918

Duty stations (airfields)

• Martincourt
  Martincourt
  Martincourt is the name or part of the name of the following communes in France:* Martincourt, Meurthe-et-Moselle, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department* Martincourt, Oise, in the Oise department* Martincourt-sur-Meuse, in the Meuse department...
  
  , France
• Bellevue Ferme, Senon: October 1916
• La-Jolly Ferme, Stenay
• Procher: 2 November 1916
• Eswars
  Eswars
  -References:*...
  
  , France: May 1917
• Thouroube, Roulers: July - August 1917
• Wynghene
• Aertrycke
• Rumbeke
  Rumbeke
  Rumbeke is a town in the Belgian municipality of Roeselare in the province of West Flanders. It is most known as the location of Rumbeke Castle....
  
  , Belgium: 1 March 1918
• Roulers
• Saint Marguerite
• Menen
  Menen
  Menen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of Lauwe and Rekkem. The city is situated on the French/Belgian border. On January 1, 2006, Menen had a total population of 32,413...
  
  , Belgium

Personnel

Josef Jacobs lengthy service and long leadership while he accrued 43 victories made him responsible for singlehandedly scoring about a third of the unit's wins. However, a number of other notable aces served in the unit, including
Friedrich Manschott

Friedrich Manschott

Vizefeldwebel Friedrich Manschott was a World War I flying ace credited with 12 aerial victories.Manschott earned his flyer's badge on 10 August 1917. His first assignment was to a reconnaissance unit, FA 203. There he downed his first foe, a Farman, on 15 December 1916. He was then transferred to...

,
Paul Hüttenrauch

Paul Hüttenrauch

Unteroffizier Paul Hüttenrauch was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.-References:...

,
Paul Billik

Paul Billik

Paul Billik Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross was a World War I fighter ace credited with 31 victories. He was killed in a flying accident while pioneering civil aviation.-His Life Before Aviation:...

,
Carl Degelow

Carl Degelow

Carl "Charly" Degelow Pour le Merite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, was a German fighter pilot during World War I...

,
Georg Meyer

Georg Meyer (aviator)

Leutnant Georg Meyer , Iron Cross, was a German World I fighter ace credited with confirmed victories over seven enemy observation balloons and 17 enemy aircraft, with an unconfirmed victory over a balloon and two unconfirmed claims against enemy aircraft.-References:*...

,
Otto Schmidt

Otto Schmidt (aviator)

Oberleutnant Otto Schmidt was a World War I fighter ace credited with 20 aerial victories, including eight against enemy observation balloons. He commanded three different jagdstaffeln as well as a jagdgeschwader ....

, and
Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay

Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay

Leutnant Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay was a German World War I ace fighter pilot credited with 25 victories. He is notable for being World War I's youngest recipient of Germany's highest decoration for military valor, the Pour le Merite.-Early life and service:Olivier Freiherr von...

Aircraft and operations

Jasta 7 used Fokker Triplane

Fokker Dr.I

The Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918...

s and Fokker D.VII

Fokker D.VII

The Fokker D.VII was 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 summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...

s as of May 1918. Earlier aircraft assigned remain unknown at this time.