Jagdstaffel 1
Jagdstaffel 1 (Jasta 1) was a German fighter squadron in World War I, part of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the German Army. It was formed on 22 August 1916 using single-seat fighters from the First Army and was one of the first dedicated fighter units inspired by Oswald Boelcke’s idea of massing air power.
Leopold Reimann scored the squadron’s first victory, and overall Jasta 1 claimed 138 aerial victories (107 confirmed). The unit fought on the Western Front until September 1917, then moved to the Italian Front until March 1918, and afterward returned to fight in France for the rest of the war.
Jasta 1 started with a mix of aircraft, including Fokker D.Is, Albatros D.II fighters (and at least one D.I), a Fokker E.IV, a captured Nieuport 16, Albatros D.III, and Halberstadt D.III.
Its leaders included Martin Zander, Erich Hahn, Hans Kummetz (two terms), Otto Deindl, Armbrecht (twice), Walter Korte, Bruno von Voight, and Kurt-Bertram von Döring. Many other pilots, including two-seater flyers under 1. Armee, joined the unit.
Among the 18 aces who served with Jasta 1 were Hans von Keudell, Kurt Wintgens, Hans von Freden, Gustav Leffers, Walter Höhndorf, and Leopold Reimann. Casualties included 12 killed in action, 1 killed in a flying accident, 4 wounded, and 1 captured.
Kurt Wintgens was the squadron’s first ace, with 13 victories on the Fokker Eindecker before joining Jasta 1; he added six more before being shot down in September 1916 by Alfred Heurtaux of Escadrille N.3. Vfw. Paul Bona claimed six victories in late 1916–early 1917 but was killed in a June 1917 crash. Oberleutnant Hans Kummetz commanded for about a year and was killed in early 1918 in Italy while fighting Sopwith Camels from No. 45 Squadron RAF.
In total, Jasta 1 achieved 138 victories, with 107 confirmed.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:46 (CET).