Ergebnis der Luftkämpfe im Januar 1918

[Frank_Olynyk]

Now that I have the attention of the German readers, and the curious (not strange, just curious), I thought I would post some material on German losses and claims that I found on the microfilm I am reading. *This is National Archives microfilm Publication T1022, reel 940, which is concerned with German Naval aviation. *A regularly issued report (Mitteilungen) starts to supply loss and claims information with Number 20, dated 20. Februar 1918. *It is titled "Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Luftkrieges. Nr. 20." *Under the subject of Ergebnis der Luftkämpfe im Januar 1918, they list the following:

Verlorene eigene Flugzeuge ........ im Westen *61, im Osten *7
Verlorene Flugzeuge des Gegners . *" * * * " * *147, " * * * * " 15
Hiervon in unserem Besitz ........... *" * * * " * * 59, *" * * * * " *8
Hiervon jenseits der Linien
* *erkennbar aggestürzt ............. *" * * * " * * 79, *" * * * * " *5
Hiervon jenseits der Linien zur
* *Landung gezwungen ............... *" * * * " * * * 9 *" * * * * " *2

* * * * * * * * *Fesselballonverluste:
Eigene ..................................... im Westen *4, im Osten *--
Feindliche ................................. *" * * * " * *17, *" * * " * * * 3

Since everyone interested in the German records can of course read German, the above needs no translation, right? *Right! *(Eigene=own, Fiendliche=enemy, Gegner=opponent, jenseits=other side) *Now you are on your own. *

Hopefully these reports will continue through the war, although I have other sources for this information.

Frank.

[Soderbaum]

Hi Frank

Some small additions to the numbers... :

Of the total of 147 e/a brought down on the Western front were 107 in air combat, 33 by Flak, 2 by ground mg and 5 were forced landings within German lines.

Of the 107 brought down in combat fell 37 within German lines, the other 70 within allied lines.

Of the 33 by Flak fell 15 within German lines, the other 18 within allied lines.

So the two victories by ground mg(?) also fell within German lines on the Western front for the total of 59...

Of the 15 enemy aircraft on OTHER Fronts fell 11 in air combat, 1 by Flak, 2 by ground mg and 1 were a forced landing within German lines.
The 8 of those 15 which fell within German lines cant however be broken down in categories..

Of the total losses of 61 a/c on the Western front were 46 brought down in air combat, 4 by AA, 1 by ground mg and 10 were reported MIA...
Of the 46 were 42(!) brought down within German lines and the other 4 fell within allied lines.
Of the 4 a/c brought down by AA fell 2 within German lines.

I have a note that 8 a/c were lost on other fronts...
5 in combat, 2 MIA and 1 by AA...

It is a problem when you analyze these monthly reports regarding those Jzlg(jenseitz zur Landung gezwungen)..

Apparently the total Flak claims of 34 (all fronts) contains 9 jzlg...

The small differences can probably be explained with the fast publication and that the official confirmation procedure was rather slow...

The little air activities during the Winter months also means that the numbers unlikely can be used for some generalized statements..

8)
Gunnar

[rammjaeger]

Obviously the "Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Luftkrieges." are the base for or part of the KoGenLuft-reports. Only the 7 instead of 8 losses in the East is different.

Would be niece to have this "Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Luftkrieges." for October and November! *:

It seems that all KoGenLuft-reports included the Flak-victories incl. the Jzlg!
That is unfair treatment of the fighter pilots! *;D

[Soderbaum]

Hi Rammjäger

The "Mitteilungen aus dem gebiete des Luftkrieges" is the Marine equivalent to the Army Nachrichtenblätter and contains general information of the activities of the German Marine Air Force.. :P

However the last report is "perhaps" published on 3 November 1918 which means that the monthly statistic for October was not ready.. >

The possible solution is to find the KoGenLuft reports, they
apparently worked on until early spring 1919...

Another source is probably late Tagesbefehl des MarineFlugchefs which were published until at least mid December 1918....I only have them until mid August 1918..

8)
Gunnar

[rammjaeger]

Sorry, I was reading Frank´s message to sloopy. :-[

I hope we live long enough to discover all these obscure objects of our desire!

[rammjaeger]

I mean "too sloopy"!!! :-[

I should take a nap. The concentration goes down.

[Frank_Olynyk]

Hang on, Sloopy, Rammjaeger. *You mean sloppy! *But what the hay ...

The Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Luftkrieges Nr. 24 gives (only) the Naval losses for February, 1918.

Luftkampf: no losses
Absturz (crash): 1 officer and 6 other ranks (to use the British term), and lists them as Lt. z. S. d. R. Fuhrberg, Vizeflugmeister Weingärtner, Flugmaat Michaelis, Flugmaat Zöbisch, F. T.-Maat Spang, Flgzg. Mtr. Müller, Flgzg. Mtr. Schulz.
Verschollen (missing): 1 officer and 4 other ranks, listed as Lt. d. R. Vierow, Flugmaat Stolzenberg, Flugmaat Schräder, Flugmaat Teske, F. T.-Schüze Mentzger.
Interned: no officers and 4 other ranks, listed as Flugmaat Schwafert, Flugmaat Küthe, Flgzg Ob. Mtr. Rosenberger, Flgzg. Ob. Mtr. Leitner.

Frank

[Frank_Olynyk]

The Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Luftkrieges Nr. 27, dated 13.April 1918, gives the total enemy losses as 340 aircraft and 23 balloons, and German losses as 81 aircraft, and 11 balloons, quoting the Heeresbericht of 9.April).

It further states that Naval losses for March were:

Luftkampf: 4 officers and 3 other ranks, listing Oblt. Mettlich, Lt. M. I. Kampmann, Lr. d. R. M. A. Steinadler, Lt. d. R. M. A. Pfau, Flugobermaat Groth, Obermaat Karsten, Obermatr. Klöcker.
Crash: 3 officers and 12 other ranks, listing Lt. Meiss, Lt. z. S. Goldmann, Lt. Görlitz, Mar. Feldarzt Fricke, Flugobermaat Flügel, Hinz, Fl. Mech. O. Mt. Hildemann, Flg. Maat Krüger, Poltrmann, Mech. Ob. Gast van Westen, Flgz. Matr. Kubik, Selzer, Sabrowski, Vietze, Wichert.
Missing: 2 officers and 1 other ranks, listing Lt. d. R. Eisenlohr, Lt. d. R. M. A. Graf, Flugmaat Maier.

Frank.

[Soderbaum]

Hi Frank

The list for German victories and losses for March 1918 was shortly afterward revised by KoGenLuft... :-/

The reason was probably the high amount of aerial activity in the later part of the month.

A total of 368 e/a were brought down, which included 4 on other fronts..
The losses were also changed to 163 a/c, 5 of these on other
fronts...


Gunnar

[Frank_Olynyk]

The Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Luftkrieges Nr. 32, dated 18. Mai 1918, gives total losses as:

Enemy, 271 aircrft, 15 balloons
Own, 123 aircraft, 14 balloons
from the Heeresbericht of 13.Mai.1918

Naval losses are given as

Luftkampf: 2 officers, 3 other ranks, listed as Lt. z. S. Tornau, Lt. d. Res. Hauptvogel, Flugmeister Fricke, Flugzeug-Obermatr. Behrens, Flugmechanikersgast Becker

Crash, 3 officers, 9 other ranks, listed as Lt. z. S. Bork, Lt. Bröcker, Lt. d. Res. (M.I.) Johns, Flugobermaat Gaul, Albrecht, Krauthoff, Flugmaat Stegmann, Rau, Bockshammer, Brückmann, Mechaniker-Oberranwärter Spieth, Flugzeugmatrose Hamann.

Missing, 1 officer, 3 other ranks, listed as Lt. Nowak, Flugzeug-Obermatr. Hagen, Adami and Flugzeugmatrose Hausschild

Interned, 0 officers, 10 other ranks, listed as Vizeflugmeister Frosch, Flugmeister Walter, Flugobermaat Debrodt, Wuggazer, Flugmaat Gies, Gassner, Forwick, Mechanikersmaat Janssen, Flugzeugmatrose Haas, and Zeidler.

From the Mitteilungen No. 27, it is noted that Leutn. d. Res (M.A.) Graf is a French POW.

Frank.