Oswald Boelcke

Knusel · 24 September 2014, 10:30 AM

Hi there,

can anybody tell me why Oswald Boelcke was appointed commander of Jasta 2 and not Jasta 1 ?

Michael

Frommherz · 24 September 2014, 01:00 PM

Hi Michael,

Bescheidenheit - modesty?
He certainly could have led Jasta 1 if he wished to.

Grüße,
Frommherz

Duck Rogers · 26 September 2014, 07:56 PM

Jasta 2 was created twelve days earlier, maybe that was a reason? It was first Jasta, so it was only logical to make Bölcke it's leader.

Knusel · 27 September 2014, 02:35 AM

Dear Duck,

hmm,

you're perfectly right. I didn't check that before your post because I didn't expect that.
May I now please shift my question to: Why was Jasta 2 formed before Jasta 1 ?

Cheers to the land of 1000 lakes,

Michael

MickMcGrath · 27 September 2014, 04:40 PM

Why was Jasta 2 formed before Jasta 1 ?

Typical Teutonic logic, I suppose.

Mick.

R Gannon · 27 September 2014, 04:57 PM

I'm no Germanophile, but as I understand it Jasta 1 was effectively the re-naming of KEK B, an already operational fighter grouping at Bertincourt, and renamed as Jasta 1 (22 Aug ?), claimed its first victory on 24 Aug 16, whereas Jasta 2 was pretty much formed from scratch. The war diary of Jasta 2 began on 27 Aug 16, but as it said 'Machines, none on hand as of yet.' The first machines arriving on 1 Sep 16 and first victory the result of a lone show by Boelcke on 2 Sep 16, by which time Jasta 1 had seven victories.

The other point being that Boelcke was away on his holiday trip to the east, when the decision to initiate the Jagdstafflen was made and being implemented. A tour which ended when Boelcke arrived at Johannistal on 19 Aug 16. From there he went to Dessau on 20 Aug 16. The war diary has him at Bertincourt on 27 Aug 16. (sources Knight of Germany and Fleigertruppe by Ed Ferko (article on von Keudell and beginnings of Jasta 1).

Cheers Russ

MBowden23 · 30 September 2014, 04:05 PM

Could be the understatement of the year... There Russ.

The short answer certainly is the fact that boelcke was on his tour at the time of their creation. That being said, before Boelcke left he met several times with Feldflugchef Thomsen to discuss how the jastas would be established and how they would operate once they were established. So boelcke played a considerable role in their formation. From deciding how many aircraft each jasta was to have to deciding how they would be employed... Thomsen relied heavily on boelcke's expert opinion. But it was simply timing that created the conditions for why he was not at the front at the time of their official creation. But they weren't really acting as a staffel until they received the new d types in sufficient quantities later in September. (See the excerpt of my fall 1916 chapter on my webpage listed below)

Knusel · 8 October 2014, 02:27 AM

Dear Matt,

I understand, Boelcke became Jasta 2 commander because he wasn't at the front when Jasta 1 was formed. However, why was Jasta 2 named Jasta 2 despite being formed twelve days before Jasta 1 ? May it be that the Jasta had another name from 10th Aug til 23th Aug ?

I like your Jasta 1/2 inventories for 17th Sep. Do you have some more of these ?

Cheers,

Michael