Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 9 was a "hunting group" (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...

, founded on 28 September 1916. Although the squadron, and the Luftstreitkräfte, were short-lived, they had great influence on the Nazi 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....

, as can be seen by the later careers of the unit's Staffelführer

Staffelführer

Staffelführer was one of the first paramilitary ranks used by the German Schutzstaffel in the early years of that group’s existence...

s. By the time Jasta 9 disbanded on 15 January 1919, it was credited with 107 aerial victories. In turn, it had suffered thirteen pilots killed in combat, three wounded, five noncombat deaths, and three injuries.

History

When Jagdstaffel 9 was founded, it absorbed the pre-existing Fokkerstaffel attached to 3 Armee. This ad hoc Fokkerstaffel had been formed under Oberleutnant Ascheberg on 16 June 1916. He relinquished this unit to Oberleutnant Kurt Student on 23 September. The unit was officially founded five days later; it mobilized a week later, and moved to Leffincourt. It remained operational at that field for the next year and a half under Student. The jasta then underwent the turmoil of shifting airfields eight times during the last eight months of war. When it shifted to Chéry-les-Pouilly, it also shifted to support of the 7 Armee. In July 1918, it joined Jagdgruppe 5 at Maizy; this oversized wing also contained Jasta 1, Jasta 41, Jasta 45, Jasta 50, and Jasta 66.

Staffelführers (Commanding Officers)

1 Oberleutnant Kurt Student

Kurt Student

Kurt Student was a German Luftwaffe general who fought as a fighter pilot during the First World War and as the commander of German Fallschirmjäger during the Second World War.-Biography:...

: 5 October 1916 - 14 March 1918

2 Leutnant Walter Blume

Walter Blume

Walter Blume was a German fighter ace of World War I and aircraft designer.During World War I, he flew with Jastas 26 and 9, gaining 28 aerial victories and earning the Iron Cross and Blue Max Pour le Merite....

: 14 March 1918 - 11 November 1918

Duty stations (airfields)

1 Leffincourt

Leffincourt

Leffincourt is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-Population:...

: 5 October 1916 - 23 March 1918

2 Chéry-lès-Pouilly

Chéry-lès-Pouilly

Chéry-lès-Pouilly is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...

: 24 March 1918 - 6 June 1918

3 Montceau-le-West: 6 June 1918 - 11 July 1918

4 Fonfry: 11 July 1918 - 20 July 1918

5 Rocourt-Saint-Martin

Rocourt-Saint-Martin

Rocourt-Saint-Martin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...

: 20 July 1918 - 23 July 1918

6 Bazoches

Bazoches

Bazoches is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-Notable people:* The Marquis de Vauban, Marshal of France and famous military engineer, bought the château de Bazoches in 1675.-References:* -Notes:...

: 23 July 1918 - 26 July 1918

7 Maizy

Maizy

Maizy is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....

: 27 July 1918 - 31 July 1918

8 Sissonne

Sissonne

Sissonne is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...

: 1 August 1918 - 11 October 1918

9 Plounion: 11 October 1918 - 11 November 1918

Personnel

The squadron's commanders were not the only notable fliers serving in the unit. Other pilots, such as Hartmuth Baldamus

Hartmuth Baldamus

Leutnant Hartmuth Baldamus was a World War I flying ace credited with 19 aerial victories.-Reference:...

, Fritz Pütter, Erich Thomas

Erich Thomas

Leutnant Erich Thomas was a World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories. Nine of these were observation balloons he destroyed.Thomas was assigned to Jasta 9 in December 1917. He shot down his first enemy observation balloon on 3 January 1918.He carried on his career as a balloon...

, Hermann Pfeiffer

Hermann Pfeiffer

Leutnant Hermann Pfeiffer was a World War I flying ace credited with eleven aerial victories.Pfeiffer joined the German army on 1 October 1913. He rose to Unteroffizier in the 114th Bavarian Infantry Regiment. He won an Iron Cross Second Class in May 1915. He then transferred to aviation, and in...

, and Heinrich Kroll

Heinrich Kroll

Oberleutnant Henrich Claudius Kroll Pour le Merite, Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Saxony's Albert Order Knight Second Class with Swords, Iron Cross First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter ace credited with 33 victories.-Early life:Kroll was born in the village...

 also served with distinction.

Aircraft and operations

The unit was founded using Fokker E.III

Fokker E.III

|-See also:...

s and Fokker E.IV

Fokker E.IV

|-See also:...

s that were forwarded from the previous Fokkerstaffel. Albatros D.II

Albatros D.II

|-See also:...

s were assigned in early 1917. The unit later progressed to 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 in Summer 1918, probably in May.