Oblt Erich Hönemanns Jasta 12 and Jasta 22 and WWII

Luc Vervoort · 29 July 2007, 08:42 AM

Hi,

Oblt Erich Hönemanns, who was the co of Jasta 12 and Jasta 22, was taken prisoner in Belgium on 10 January 1940, when his plane (Bf108 Taifun) made a crashlanding (due to fuelstarvation). He remained a pow (in Canada) till 1943, when he was repatriated due to his bad health.

Who has some details about his activities during World War I ?

Many thanks and best regards

Luc

Fill · 31 July 2007, 07:13 PM

Hi Luc
I don't have much I'm afraid . But from the book "

Sharks Among Minnows " it has the following .
This man was from FA11 , and he was named Commander of Fokkerstaffel West in an order on the 21st March 1916 . Fokkerstaffel West were based at Le Faux Ferme , north-east of Coucy . This unit had four Fokkers taken from FA11 , FA7 and FA39 .
I don't see any fokker victory's listed for any pilots from FA11 for 1915 . So it would seem that they didn't have much success with the fighting machine . The information in the book was taken from

Josef Jacobs diary , and apparently he and Honemanns were friends . Jacobs seems to have moved to each unit at the same time as Honemanns , so perhaps someone who has studied Jacobs would have additional information ?.
I will try to check in my German Army sources to see if his name is mentioned any earlier than listed above .

Immo_Frese · 1 August 2007, 01:28 PM

Hi Luc & Fill,

I really don't want to be a nitpicker but it is somewhat sobering to see the continuing use of the term FA in "Sharks among Minnows". Until the end of 1916, there was no "FA" only FFA (Feldfliegerabteilungen). It is very importent to be very carefull with these terms because at the end of 1916 and the beginning of 1917 all FFA were renamed to FA or FAA but unfortunately some of them got a new number... For example it is simply misleading when Franks wrote, that Hönemanns belonged to FA 11. FA 11 was built from the old FFA 49 on 11. Jan 1917. The truth is, that Hönemanns was with FFA 11. Hönemanns old unit FFA 11 was renamed FAA 277 (Fliegerabteilung Artillerie) on 15 Jan 1917...

Most of the historians from the UK or the USA who write about the german Fliegertruppe should know this and it is - at least for me - very annoying to see the same fault in recent publications again and again...

So be carefull, when you see the term FA in use for an era before October 1916.

Immo

Fill · 2 August 2007, 05:26 AM

Hi Immo
Thank you for your advise on this . I appreciate it . I have learnt something from your reply and that is why I am here .
Thank you again
Fill.