German units on Russian Front

9 October 1999, 02:34 PM

Does anyone know which german jastas operated on the eastern front?

Barrett · 9 October 1999, 02:57 PM

"Eastern front" may require some definition. J. 25 & 38 flew in Macedonia but my impression is that no dedicated jastas were assigned to Russia.

The Jasta Pilots may have dealt with that subject but it's unavailable to me just now. More likely, the Ostfront fliegerabteilungen operated as they did in the west early in the war: mixed recon and bombing units with some fighter types attached. Probably a real logistics/maintenance headache but adequate to the threat posed by the opposition.

9 October 1999, 03:57 PM

Any idea which units had fighters attached?

rammjaeger · 10 October 1999, 03:08 AM

I remember General von Hoeppner was writing in "Deutschlands Krieg in der Luft" that never more than one Jasta was serving on the Eastern Front but he gives no squadron number and is maybe only meaning the strength of the fighters in the east. I am also not remembering that I was ever reading about a Jasta in the east.

10 October 1999, 05:28 AM

Jasta 80 was formed at Brest Litovsk on 15 June 1917. It was made up of single seater pilots serving with the FFAs on the eastern front. It fought on the eastern front until 30 March 1918.

This information taken from Franks etc, 'The Jasta Pilots'.

Regards,

MDD

10 October 1999, 07:05 AM

This unit may have started out as merely an administrative structure for the fighter pilots already serving on the eastern front, at least I get that idea when I read the entry from TJP.

Regards,

MDD

Soderbaum · 10 October 1999, 12:15 PM

Hi
I think the first name of this Jasta was Jagdstaffel Ober Ost. It later become Jasta 81 on 16 Febr 1918. Their first commander was Rittm Josef Wulf.
Their aerodrome in July Kniaze and later in August 1917 Mitau within the 8 German Army.
Many Flabts of the German East Front units had also 1-seater pilots.
VBR
Gunnar

10 October 1999, 02:15 PM

Do you have any information on which units had single seaters attached?Squad names and locations
would be a great help

leo · 11 October 1999, 04:44 PM

Roman Schmidt flew in Flik 7 of the kukLFT on the eastern front. There were others staioned there as well. Perhaps because of the relatively light opposition there, Germany was content to let the Austro-Hungarian AF handle the task.