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Old 10 October 2009, 08:06 PM   #20 (permalink)
GMU
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gregvan View Post

I would bet that this nickname was first given to the red Albatrosse of Jasta 11, perhaps in mid to late April 1917, and did not specifically refer to a 'massed group' of four Jasta, but rather to the somewhat nebulous RFC concept of "Richthofen's Squadron".
I believe that on April 26, 1917, the Kaiser had ordered the unit to be officially called Jagdstaffel Richthofen. This was done so for some time, and reference to Jagdstaffel Richthofen must have been widely circulated in the media.
Surely the Allies had access to this media, and they referred to Richthofen’s Squadron as well. I agree with GvW that the nickname could have first been given to Jasta 11, and IMHO it appeared after April 26.
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