Luftstreitkräfte
Encyclopedia
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte ("German Air Force"), known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches ("Imperial German Flying Corps"), or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I
(1914–1918). 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
remained an integral part of the Kaiserliche Marine
. Both military branch
es, the army
and navy
, operated conventional aircraft, balloons
and Zeppelin
s.
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.
en (Field Flier Detachments), and had an official establishment of six two-seat aircraft apiece, with each "FFA" unit assigned to an army unit in their local area.
The Luftstreitkräfte organisation changed during the war substantially to accommodate the new types of aircraft, doctrine, tactics and the needs of the ground troops, in particularly the artillery. During this time evolved the system of organisation and unit designations that would form the basis of those used in the Luftwaffe
in 1933.
During 1916, the German High Command, in response to the then current Allied air superiority, reorganised their forces by creating several types of specialist units, most notably single seat fighter squadrons, or Jasta
s in order to counter the offensive operations of the Royal Flying Corps
and the French Aviation Militaire.
On 24 June 1917, the Luftstreitkräfte formed its first fighter wing, Royal Prussian Jagdgeschwader I
, incorporating Jastas 4, 6, 10, and 11, and set the pattern for using Roman numerals
in the Luftstreitkräfte for designating such units. Manfred von Richthofen
was moved up from command of Jasta 11 to command JG I. After his death in action, it would renamed for him by order of the Kaiser.
The Prussians would follow up by establishing three more Jagdgeschwaders. On 2 February 1918, JG II formed from Jastas 12, 13, 15, and 19, and placed Adolf Ritter von Tutschek
in command. On the same day, JG III consolidated Jasta 2 Boelcke, and Jastas 26, 27, and 36 under Bruno Loerzer
. Finally, on 2 September 1918, the Royal Prussian Marine Jagdgeschwader was formed from Marine Feld Jastas I through V, and placed in charge of Gotthard Sachsenberg
.
Bavaria also established their own Royal Bavarian Jagdgeschwader IV on 3 October 1918. It consisted of Jastas 23, 32, 34, and 35 under Eduard Ritter von Schleich
.
During the war, the Imperial Army Air Service utilised a wide variety of aircraft, ranging from fighters (such as those manufactured by Albatros-Flugzeugwerke and Fokker
), reconnaissance aircraft (Aviatik
and DFW) and heavy bombers (Gothaer Waggonfabrik
, better known simply as Gotha, and Zeppelin-Staaken) and airship
s of all types.
The designation system evolved during the war. Initially all military aircraft were classed as "A" (monoplane) or "B" (biplane). The new "C" class of armed (two seat) biplane began to replace the "B" class aircraft as reconnaissance machines in 1915, the B's continuing to be built, but as trainers. The "E" class of armed monoplane were also introduced in 1915 - the other classes being added later as new aircraft types were introduced. For most of the war 'D' was only used for biplane fighters, 'E' for monoplane fighters and 'Dr' for triplane fighters. By the end of the war however, the 'D' designation was used for all single-seat fighters, including monoplanes (and, in theory at least, triplanes).
Most manufacturers also had their own numbering systems quite separate from the official military designations for their products. These sometimes cause confusion - for instance the military "J" series is quite distinct from the "J" designations (as in the pioneering, all-metal Junkers J 1
demonstrator monoplane of 1915-16) for the designs of Hugo Junkers
- the factory designation of the (military) Junkers J.I
armored, all-metal sesquiplane was the Junkers J.4. The "M" (for "Militär" or military) and "V" (for "Versuchs" or experimental) designations of the Fokker firm were also internal. The latter has no direct connection with the official Third Reich-era German "V" designation, also signifying "versuchs", for prototype aircraft.
The German Naval aviation used manufacturers' designations rather than the systematic Luftstreitkräfte system described above. For example the landplane Gotha bombers were numbered in an "LD" (for "land biplane") series by their manufacturer, but in the "G" series in the Luftstreitkräfte - while the Gotha seaplanes used by the navy were (and continue to be) known by their manufacturer's "WD" (for Wasserflugzeug-Doppeldecker, or "seaplane biplane") designation.
Army and Navy airships were individually numbered, in the same way as contemporary German destroyers and submarines, and were outside any system of "type" designation.
The fighters, however, received the most attention in the annals of military aviation, since it produced high-scoring "aces" such as Manfred von Richthofen
, popularly known in English as "The Red Baron" (in Germany, he was known as "der Rote Kampfflieger" [Red Air Fighter]), Lothar von Richthofen
, Ernst Udet
, Hermann Göring
, Oswald Boelcke
, Werner Voss
, and Max Immelmann
(the first airman to win the Pour le Mérite
, Imperial Germany's highest decoration for gallantry, as a result of which the decoration became popularly known as the "Blue Max") . Like the German Navy, the German Army also used Zeppelin
airship
s for bombing military and civilian targets in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
insignia. The Balkenkreuz
, a black Greek cross
on white, officially replaced the earlier marking from late March 1918, although the last order on the subject, fully standardising the new national marking, was dated June 25, 1918.
After the war ended in German defeat, the service was dissolved completely on 8 May 1920 under the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles
, which demanded that its aeroplanes be completely destroyed.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(1914–1918). 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
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
remained an integral part of the Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
. Both military branch
Military branch
Military branch is according to common standard the subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state...
es, the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
and navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
, operated conventional aircraft, balloons
Balloon (aircraft)
A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
and Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s.
Founding
The first military aircraftMilitary aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
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
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and artillery spotting in support of armies on the ground, just as balloons had been used during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870–1871 and even as far back as the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. 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
Air Battalion Royal Engineers
The Air Battalion Royal Engineers was the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces to make use of heavier-than-air craft. It evolved into the Royal Flying Corps which in turn evolved into the Royal Air Force.-Establishment:...
of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
(later re-organised as the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
) was not formed until November 1911.
Organisation
The initial units of the Luftstreitkräfte, dedicated to observation, were known as Feldflieger AbteilungFeldflieger Abteilung
Feldflieger Abteilung or Field Flying Companies were the pioneering field aviation units of the Luftstreitkräfte in World War I.-Composition:...
en (Field Flier Detachments), and had an official establishment of six two-seat aircraft apiece, with each "FFA" unit assigned to an army unit in their local area.
The Luftstreitkräfte organisation changed during the war substantially to accommodate the new types of aircraft, doctrine, tactics and the needs of the ground troops, in particularly the artillery. During this time evolved the system of organisation and unit designations that would form the basis of those used in 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....
in 1933.
During 1916, the German High Command, in response to the then current Allied air superiority, reorganised their forces by creating several types of specialist units, most notably single seat fighter squadrons, or Jasta
Jasta
The Jagdstaffeln were specialized fighter squadrons in the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I.-Background:...
s in order to counter the offensive operations of the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
and the French Aviation Militaire.
Fighter unit organization
The Jagdstaffeln, or hunting squadrons, established by the reorganization were fielded by four kingdoms of the German Empire. The Kingdom of Prussia was predominant, with a force eventually comprising 67 Jastas. However, the Kingdoms of Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg had their own fighter squadrons: Bavaria had ten; Saxony, seven; and Württemburg, four.On 24 June 1917, the Luftstreitkräfte formed its first fighter wing, Royal Prussian Jagdgeschwader I
Jagdgeschwader 1 (World War 1)
The Jagdgeschwader 1 of World War I, was a fighter unit comprising four Jastas or 'fighter squadrons', originally raised by combining Jastas 4, 6, 10 and 11, on 24 June 1917 with Manfred von Richthofen as commodore...
, incorporating Jastas 4, 6, 10, and 11, and set the pattern for using Roman numerals
Roman numerals
The numeral system of ancient Rome, or Roman numerals, uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The numbers 1 to 10 can be expressed in Roman numerals as:...
in the Luftstreitkräfte for designating such units. Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
was moved up from command of Jasta 11 to command JG I. After his death in action, it would renamed for him by order of the Kaiser.
The Prussians would follow up by establishing three more Jagdgeschwaders. On 2 February 1918, JG II formed from Jastas 12, 13, 15, and 19, and placed Adolf Ritter von Tutschek
Adolf Ritter von Tutschek
Adolf, Ritter von Tutschek Pour le Mérite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, Military Order of Max Joseph, was a professional soldier turned aviator who became a leading fighter ace with 27 victories...
in command. On the same day, JG III consolidated Jasta 2 Boelcke, and Jastas 26, 27, and 36 under Bruno Loerzer
Bruno Loerzer
Bruno Loerzer was an officer in the German Luftstreitkräfte during World War I and Luftwaffe during World War II....
. Finally, on 2 September 1918, the Royal Prussian Marine Jagdgeschwader was formed from Marine Feld Jastas I through V, and placed in charge of Gotthard Sachsenberg
Gotthard Sachsenberg
Gotthard Sachsenberg was a German World War I fighter ace with 31 victories who went on to command the world's first naval air wing...
.
Bavaria also established their own Royal Bavarian Jagdgeschwader IV on 3 October 1918. It consisted of Jastas 23, 32, 34, and 35 under Eduard Ritter von Schleich
Eduard Ritter von Schleich
Eduard Ritter von Schleich , née Eduard-Maria Joseph Schleich was a high scoring Bavarian flying ace of World War I. He was credited with 35 aerial victories at the end of the war...
.
Unit designations
Artillerieflieger-Abteilung: Artillery Flier Detachment Artillerieflieger-Schule; Artillery Flier School- AFP - Armee-Flug-Park: Army Flight Park
- BZ - Ballonzug: Balloon Platoon
- BG - Bombengeschwader: Bomber wing
- Bogohl - the "Bombengeschwader der Oberste HeeresleitungOberste HeeresleitungThe Oberste Heeresleitung or OHL was Germany's highest echelon of command of the German Army in World War I, while the Navy was led by the Seekriegsleitung or SKL ....
", the bombing wing under direct control by the German Army's High Command in World War I. - Bosta - Bomberstaffel: bomber squadron
- etc - Etappe: Post
- FFA - Feldflieger AbteilungFeldflieger AbteilungFeldflieger Abteilung or Field Flying Companies were the pioneering field aviation units of the Luftstreitkräfte in World War I.-Composition:...
: Field Flier Detachment - FLA - Feldluftschiffer-Abteilung: Field Airship Detachment
- FestFA - Festungsflieger-Abteilung: Fortress Flier Detachment
- FA - Flieger-Abteilung: Flier Detachment
- FA(A) - Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie): Flier Detachment (Artillery)
- FlgBtl - Flieger-Bataillon: Flier Battalion
- FBS - Fliegerbeobachter-Schule: Aerial Observer School
- FEA - Fliegerersatz-Abteilung: Replacement Detachment
- FS - Fliegerschule: Flight School
- JG - Jagdgeschwader: Fighter wing
- Jasta - JagdstaffelJastaThe Jagdstaffeln were specialized fighter squadrons in the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I.-Background:...
: Hunting group", i.e., fighter squadron - JastaSch - Jagdstaffel-Schule: Fighter squadron school
- KEK - Kampfeinsitzerkommando: Combat single-seater command, a predecessor to Jasta units
- Kest - Kampfeinsitzerstaffel: Combat single-seater squadron, a predecessor to Jasta units
- KG - Kampfgeschwader: tactical bomber wing
- Kagohl - the "Kampfgeschwader der Oberste HeeresleitungOberste HeeresleitungThe Oberste Heeresleitung or OHL was Germany's highest echelon of command of the German Army in World War I, while the Navy was led by the Seekriegsleitung or SKL ....
", the tactical bomber wing under direct control by the German Army's High Command in World War I. - Kasta - Kampfstaffel: tactical bomber squadron
- Luft - Luftschiff-Truppe: Airship force
- LsBtl - Luftschiffer-Bataillon: Airship battalion
- Marine - Marine-Flieger: Naval pilots
- RBZ - Reihenbildzug: Aerial photography platoon
- Schlasta - SchlachtstaffelSchlastaThe Schlachtstaffeln were specialized fighter-bomber squadrons in the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I.- Background :...
: attack squadron - Schusta - SchutzstaffelSchlastaThe Schlachtstaffeln were specialized fighter-bomber squadrons in the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I.- Background :...
: Protection squadron
Aircraft
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
), reconnaissance aircraft (Aviatik
Aviatik
Automobil und Aviatik AG was a German aircraft manufacturer during World War I. The company was established at Mülhausen in 1910 and soon became one of the country's leading producers of aircraft, relocating to Freiburg in 1914 and establishing a subsidiary in Vienna as Österreichisch-Ungarische...
and DFW) and heavy bombers (Gothaer Waggonfabrik
Gothaer Waggonfabrik
Gothaer Waggonfabrik was a German manufacturer of rolling stock established in the late nineteenth century at Gotha. During the two world wars, the company expanded into aircraft building.-World War I:...
, better known simply as Gotha, and Zeppelin-Staaken) and airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
s of all types.
Aircraft designation system
During the First World War German aircraft officially adopted for military service were allocated a designation that included (1) the name of the manufacturer, (2) a function or "class" letter, and (3) a Roman numeral. The three-part designation was needed for a unique designation to simplify logistics support of the many types of aircraft in operation - especially as Luftstreitkräfte squadrons more often than not were equipped with several different types.The designation system evolved during the war. Initially all military aircraft were classed as "A" (monoplane) or "B" (biplane). The new "C" class of armed (two seat) biplane began to replace the "B" class aircraft as reconnaissance machines in 1915, the B's continuing to be built, but as trainers. The "E" class of armed monoplane were also introduced in 1915 - the other classes being added later as new aircraft types were introduced. For most of the war 'D' was only used for biplane fighters, 'E' for monoplane fighters and 'Dr' for triplane fighters. By the end of the war however, the 'D' designation was used for all single-seat fighters, including monoplanes (and, in theory at least, triplanes).
- A - Unarmed reconnaissance monoplane aircraft (for example the Rumpler TaubeRumpler TaubeThe Etrich Taube, also known by the names of the various manufacturers who build versions of the type, such as the Rumpler Taube, was a pre-World War I monoplane aircraft. It was the first mass-produced military plane in Germany...
and Fokker M.5Fokker M.5The Fokker M.5 was an unarmed single-seat monoplane aircraft designed and built by Anthony Fokker in 1913. It served as a light reconnaissance aircraft with the German army at the outbreak of World War I and was the basis for the first successful fighter aircraft in German service, the Fokker...
) - B - Unarmed two-seat biplane, with the observer seated in front of the pilot.
- C - Armed two-seat biplane, with the observer (usually) seated to the rear of the pilot.
- CL - Light two-seater, initially intended as escort fighters - latterly mainly used for ground attack.
- D - Doppeldecker - single-seat, armed biplane, but later any fighter - for instance the Fokker E.V monoplane was redesignated the D.VIII.
- Dr - Dreidecker - triplane fighter (prototype Fokker triplanes initially "F")
- E - Eindecker - armed monoplane - initially included monoplane two-seaters. New monoplane types at the end of the war designated as "D" (single seat) or "CL" (two seat).
- G - Grosskampfflugzeug - Large twin engined types, mainly bombers (initially "K")
- GL - Lighter, faster twin engined bombers, intended for use by day.
- J - Schlachten - Fuel tanks, pilot, and (usually) the engine protected by armour plate, reducing vulnerability to ground fire. Used for low level work, especially ground attack.
- N - "C" type aircraft adapted for night bombing - apart from night flying equipment they were fitted with wings of greater span to increase bomb load.
- R - RiesenflugzeugR-planesR-planes were large German Army bombers in World War I. The R classification was short for Riesenflugzeug . In designations, the manufacturer's name preceded the letter R followed by a Roman numeral, e.g. Dornier Rs.III or Staaken R.XIV.The R-planes were the largest aircraft of World War I...
- "Giant" aircraft - at least three, up to four or five engines - all serviceable in flight.
Most manufacturers also had their own numbering systems quite separate from the official military designations for their products. These sometimes cause confusion - for instance the military "J" series is quite distinct from the "J" designations (as in the pioneering, all-metal Junkers J 1
Junkers J 1
The Junkers J 1, nicknamed the Blechesel , was the world's first practical all-metal aircraft. Built early in World War I, when aircraft designers relied largely on fabric-covered wooden structures, the Junkers J 1 was a revolutionary development in aircraft design, being built and flown only 12...
demonstrator monoplane of 1915-16) for the designs of Hugo Junkers
Hugo Junkers
Hugo Junkers was an innovative German engineer, as his many patents in varied areas show...
- the factory designation of the (military) Junkers J.I
Junkers J.I
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Flight 18 March 1920* Grey, C. G. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919. London: Putnam, 1919.* Grosz, P.M. Junkers J.I, Windsock Datafile 39. Hertfordshire, UK: Albatros Productions Ltd., 1993. ISBN 0-948414-49-9.* Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia...
armored, all-metal sesquiplane was the Junkers J.4. The "M" (for "Militär" or military) and "V" (for "Versuchs" or experimental) designations of the Fokker firm were also internal. The latter has no direct connection with the official Third Reich-era German "V" designation, also signifying "versuchs", for prototype aircraft.
The German Naval aviation used manufacturers' designations rather than the systematic Luftstreitkräfte system described above. For example the landplane Gotha bombers were numbered in an "LD" (for "land biplane") series by their manufacturer, but in the "G" series in the Luftstreitkräfte - while the Gotha seaplanes used by the navy were (and continue to be) known by their manufacturer's "WD" (for Wasserflugzeug-Doppeldecker, or "seaplane biplane") designation.
Army and Navy airships were individually numbered, in the same way as contemporary German destroyers and submarines, and were outside any system of "type" designation.
Pilots
See List of World War I flying acesThe fighters, however, received the most attention in the annals of military aviation, since it produced high-scoring "aces" such as Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
, popularly known in English as "The Red Baron" (in Germany, he was known as "der Rote Kampfflieger" [Red Air Fighter]), Lothar von Richthofen
Lothar von Richthofen
Lothar-Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 40 victories...
, Ernst Udet
Ernst Udet
Colonel General Ernst Udet was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus...
, Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
, Oswald Boelcke
Oswald Boelcke
Oswald Boelcke was a German flying ace of the First World War and one of the most influential patrol leaders and tacticians of the early years of air combat. Boelcke is considered the father of the German fighter air force, as well as the "Father of Air Fighting Tactics"; he was the first to...
, Werner Voss
Werner Voss
Werner Voss was a World War I German flying ace, a friend and rival of the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen....
, and Max Immelmann
Max Immelmann
Max Immelmann was the first German World War I flying ace. He was a great pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchronized gun...
(the first airman to win the Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, Imperial Germany's highest decoration for gallantry, as a result of which the decoration became popularly known as the "Blue Max") . Like the German Navy, the German Army also used Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
s for bombing military and civilian targets in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
Insignia
Initially all German and Austro-Hungarian military aircraft in service used the Iron CrossIron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
insignia. The Balkenkreuz
Balkenkreuz
The straight-armed Balkenkreuz, which is a stylized version of the Iron Cross, was the emblem of World War II Wehrmacht- Heer, Luftwaffe, and Kriegsmarine....
, a black Greek cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
on white, officially replaced the earlier marking from late March 1918, although the last order on the subject, fully standardising the new national marking, was dated June 25, 1918.
Establishment
By the end of the war, the German Army Air Service possessed a total of 2,709 frontline aircraft, 56 airships, 186 balloon detachments and about 4,500 flying personnel.Statistics
Casualties totalled 8,604 aircrew killed/missing/prisoner, 7,302 wounded, and 3,126 aircraft, 546 balloons and 26 airships. Some 5,425 Allied aircraft and 614 kite balloons were claimed destroyed.After the war ended in German defeat, the service was dissolved completely on 8 May 1920 under the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
, which demanded that its aeroplanes be completely destroyed.