Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 12 was a World War I "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the Luftstreitkräfte

Luftstreitkräfte

The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...

, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score 155 aerial victories (including three wins over observation balloons) during the war, at the expense of seventeen killed in action, eight wounded in action, and one taken prisoner of war.

History

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 12 was created on 28 September 1916 from an existing ad hoc unit, Fokkerstaffel West. The new squadron mobilized on 12 October 1916 at Laon

Laon

Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...

, France. It scored its first victory on 4 December 1916.joined the famous Jagdstaffel II on 2 February 1918. Jasta 12 fought through the end of the war, disbanding only after Germany's loss. The squadron was credited with 155 aerial victories, including three enemy observation balloons. In turn, they suffered 17 killed in action

Killed in action

Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...

, 8 wounded in action

Wounded in action

Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....

, and one taken prisoner of war

Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

.

Staffelführer

Staffelführer

Staffelführer was one of the first paramilitary ranks used by the German Schutzstaffel in the early years of that group’s existence...

s (Commanding officers)

1 Hauptmann

Hauptmann

Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...

 Paul von Osterroht: 6 October 1916–KIA

Killed in action

Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...

 April 1917

2 Oberleutnant

Oberleutnant

Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...

 Adolf von Tutschek: 28 April 1917–WIA

Wounded in action

Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....

 11 August 1917

3 Leutnant Otto von Nostitz (Acting CO): 11 August 1917

4 Leutnant de Reserves Viktor Schobinger

Viktor Schobinger

Leutnant Viktor Shobinger was a World War I flying ace credited with eight confirmed victories. Victory number two was confirmed over Charles Dawson Booker; however, an unharmed Booker did manage to crash-land his ruined Sopwith Triplane within British lines. Shobinger was severely wounded in the...

5 Leutnant Otto von Nostitz (Acting CO): 15 November 1917

6 Oberleutnant Paul Blumenbach: 02 February 1918 - 18 May 1918

7 Leutnant Robert Hildebrandt: 18 May 1918 - 13 July 1918

8 Leutnant de Reserves Hermann Becker

Hermann Becker

Leutnant Hermann Becker , Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, was a World War I German fighter ace credited with 23 victories....

: 13 July 1918 - 11 November 1918

Duty stations (airfields)

1 Riencourt

Riencourt

Riencourt is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Riencourt is situated northwest of Amiens, on the D121 and D69 crossroads.-Population:-External links:*...

: 4 November 1916–26 January 1917

2 Herrlingen, Germany: 26 January 1917–February 1917

3 Niederum

4 Epinoy

Épinoy

Épinoy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated southeast of Arras at the junction of the N43 and D21 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:* Traces of an old castle....

, France: Unknown–27 July 1917

5 Roncourt

Roncourt

Roncourt is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....

, France: 27 July 1917–18 August 1917

6 Douai

Douai

-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...

, France: 18 August 1917–unknown

7 Eringhem

Eringhem

Eringhem is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is located about half way between Dunkirk and Saint-Omer....

, Belgium

8 Phalempin

Phalempin

-References:*...

, France

9 Roncourt, France

10 Marle

Marle, Aisne

Marle is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...

, France

11 Toulis

Toulis-et-Attencourt

Toulis-et-Attencourt is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...

, France: 13 February 1918–19 March 1918

12 Guise

Guise

Guise is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-Sights:The ruins of the medieval castle of Guise, seat of the Dukes of Guise, are located in the commune.-Miscellaneous:...

, France: 19 March 1918–12 June 1918

13 Le Mesnil

Le Mesnil

Deriving from Latin 'mansionile', meaning a small 'mansio', or dwelling, Le Mesnil may refer to:-Belgium:* Le Mesnil, Belgium, a commune in the municipality of Viroinval in the Namur province-France:...

: 12 June 1918–unknown

14 Roupy

Roupy

Roupy is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....

, France

15 Guisecourt

16 Balâtre

Balâtre

Balâtre is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Population:-External links:*...

, France

17 Bonneuil

Bonneuil

Bonneuil is the name or part of the name of seven communes of France:*Bonneuil, Charente in the Charente département*Bonneuil, Indre in the Indre département*Bonneuil-en-France in the Val-d'Oise département...

Ferme

18 Mesnil-Bruntel

Mesnil-Bruntel

Mesnil-Bruntel is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D88 road, some west-northwest of Saint Quentin, about a mile from the banks of the Somme River.-Population:-External links:*...

, France

19 Leffincourt

Leffincourt

Leffincourt is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-Population:...

: 12 July 1918–24 July 1918

20 Chéry-lès-Pouilly

Chéry-lès-Pouilly

Chéry-lès-Pouilly is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...

, France

21 Fontaine-Notre-Dame

Fontaine-Notre-Dame

Fontaine-Notre-Dame may refer to the following places in France:* Fontaine-Notre-Dame, Aisne, a commune in the department of Aisne* Fontaine-Notre-Dame, Nord, a commune in the department of Nord...

, France

22 Neuflize

Neuflize

Neuflize is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-External links:* * * *...

, France

23 Doncourt

24 Giraumont

Giraumont, Meurthe-et-Moselle

Giraumont is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.- See also :* Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...

, France

25 Foreste

Foreste

Foreste is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....

, France: 10 August 1918–18 August 1918

26 Charmois

Charmois, Meurthe-et-Moselle

Charmois is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...

, Stenay, France

27 Charmois

Carignan, Ardennes

Carignan is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. It is the seat of a canton.-History:Carignan was, under the name Epoissium, Eposium, Epusum or Ivosium, a military settlement of the Romans. Gaugericus, bishop of Cambrai, was born in Eposium around 550. As Yvois, it was part of...

, France

28 Florenville

Florenville

Florenville is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. On 1 January 2007 the municipality had 5,448 inhabitants. The total area is 146.91 km², giving a population density of 37.1 inhabitants per km²....

, Belgium

29 Trier

Trier

Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....

, Germany

Notable members

Adolf Schulte

Adolf Schulte

Leutnant Adolf Schulte was a German World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories. His short gallant career would end in a fatal midair crash with his enemies.-World War I:...

 became the first ace in the squadron, on 24 March 1917. Three of the squadron's commanders, Adolf von Tutschek, Victor Shobinger, and Hermann Becker, were notable as aces as well as Staffelführers. Also notable among the unit's fourteen aces were: Ulrich Neckel

Ulrich Neckel

Ulrich Neckel Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter ace credited with 30 victories.-Early Life and Enlistment:...

, winner of the Pour le Merite

Pour le Mérite

The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....

 and Iron Cross

Iron Cross

The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....

; Reinhold Jörke

Reinhold Jörke

Offizierstellvertreter Reinhold Jörke was a World War I flying ace credited with 14 aerial victories.He was posted to Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 12 on 27 February 1917, and scored his first victory with them on 24 March 1917 by downing British ace Cyril Lowe. Jörke ran up nine victories by 18...

, another Iron Cross awardee; and Paul Billik

Paul Billik

Paul Billik Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross was a World War I fighter ace credited with 31 victories. He was killed in a flying accident while pioneering civil aviation.-His Life Before Aviation:...

, an Iron Cross and Hohenzollern winner who was the highest scoring ace to be denied a Pour le Merite.

Aircraft

Jasta 12 operated Fokker D.I

Fokker D.I

|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft since the First World War. London:Putnam, 1962.*Green William and Swanborough, Gordon. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8....

, Albatros D.III

Albatros D.III

The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...

, Fokker Dr.I

Fokker Dr.I

The Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918...

, and Fokker D.VII

Fokker D.VII

The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...

 fighter aircraft. The common squadron paint scheme was black tails and rear fuselages with white propeller spinners and/or engine cowlings.

Operations

Jasta 12 was formed in support of 7th Armee. On 4 November 1916, it was transferred to the 1st Armee sector. On 26 January 1917, it moved to service in the Armeeabteilung A Sector. Shortly thereafter, it moved back to support of 1st Armee. Jasta 12 was one of the squadrons forming Jagdgeschwader 2 on 2 February 1918, joining Jasta 13

Jasta 13

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 13 was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe...

, Jasta 15, and Jasta 19 in the new fighter wing.