Frank Luke - 9/18/18

Gentleman of the Forum,
Frank Luke shot down two balloons and two Fokker DV11's, plus a Halberstadt C on 9,18,1918. Is there any information available that indicates what Jasta these DV11's were a part of? And if so, Could they have had any notitable color scheme, or were they of factory lozenge pattern? Any help in this area would be most helpfull. Thanks to all, TeeKay :-/

TeeKay:

The published sources on this fight are short on details for the German side. In "Bloody April, Black September" by Franks, Guest, and Bailey there are only two known casualties listed that are offered as possibilities. The 2 seater may have been from FA 36, and one of the Fokkers may have been a Jasta 13 pilot who took to his parachute.

This is the date of Joe Wehner's loss while covering Luke. Georg von Hantelman of Jasta 15 is identified as the pilot who downed Wehner, in "The Jasta War Chronology."

So with either Jasta 15 or Jasta 13 as foes, you have colorful opponents.

There are two photos of the LVG in Alan Durkota's book "Medal of Honor Aviators of World War One." It is identified as an FA 36 machine, and appears to be a factory standard lozenge covered LVG CVI, though it's hard to tell since it is very broken up. One of the photos shows Luke standing alongside the wreckage.

Sfabert,
Thanks for the information. I can now search out Jasta 13 and 15, and see what you mean by "colorfull". Hope you have a good Memorial Day weekend. TeeKay

TeeKay:

If you don't already know the colors of these two Jastas, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Jasta 15's Fokkers carried red noses back to the cockpit, royal blue fuselage and tail, with white personal markings on the fuselage. G.von Hantelman had a famous skull and crossbones motif. Jasta 13 was Franz Buchner's unit, with green noses and blue tails, separated by a diagonal white line line at the engine panel/fabric separation line. Lozenge fabric on the wings of most of the aircraft of both units. Some very striking airplanes.