Fokkerstaffel Porcher

gemesis · 9 January 2011, 12:26 PM

Hello Gentlemen,

I know that there were a Fokkerstaffel unit close to my place at the early times of the war, called Fokkerstaffel Porcher, and attached to an observation unit: the FFA 19. The Kek have already been threated on the forum, but I've found only parts of answers that I'm searching for.

So, my essential question would be: do you know the dates at which the Fokkerstaffel (and also the FFA 19) stayed in Porcher flugplatz ?
I'm also searching whose pilots were in this unit and eventually a datafile of the actions.
I've recently ordered the book of GregVan, the Early German Aces of WWI and have found inside one name Willi Rosenstein. Is it possible to find photos of him at Porcher in some books or else ?
In that time of the war, much famous pilots were in this sector (Boelcke in Stenay), and I'm pretty sure that we could add others pilots to that unit.
I've found some pics showing that there were Pfalz E.I and E.VI there, so why it was called -Fokker-staffel ?

Many thanks for your answers,
Sam.

fliegertruppe · 9 January 2011, 01:30 PM

Hello Sam,

a little information about the FFA 19 for you:

2 august 1914
Beaumarais near Saarlouis CO Hptm.Hauptmann Florian von Poser und Großnädlitz
13 may 1915
Porcher (AA von Strantz - 5.AK)
1 septembre 1915
Saulcy
Unfortunately I do not have the exact date when the FFA 19 arived Saulcy
10. october 1916
Porcher (AA von Strantz - 5.AK)
Unfortunately I do not have the exact date when the FFA 19 arived Porcher

greeting
Reinhard

gemesis · 9 January 2011, 02:19 PM

Hello Reinhard,

Thanks again for your so usefull informations.

So, we can say that the FFA 19 came two times at Porcher, firstly between the 13 may 1915 - 1 september 1915 and secondly between the 10 october 1916 until an unknown date ?
I know that the Jasta 13 has been formed from the Fokkerstaffel Porcher on the 28 september 1916. Did the FFA 19 was also melted in the Jasta 13 or it subsisted in 1917 ?

Thanks,
Sam.

gemesis · 9 January 2011, 03:29 PM

Again me...

I see a little problem/contradiction. In the book of Early German Aces of World War One, the authors have wrotten:

"A pre-war pilot of immense experience, Rosenstein of FFA 19, travelled from his airfield at Porcher to the Fokker factory to pick up E1 43/15, his unit's first Eindecker. He logged in excess of 25 hours in testing his new machine before returning to Porcher on 6 september. He completed 23 combat flights in this aircraft in september and october [...]. Rosenstein reported another inconclusive air battle three days later, and on the 20th (september) had an indecisive combat near Moulotte". (Moulotte is at a few kilometers from Porcher).

So, it would say that the unit stayed in Porcher at least in september and probably october too. There's something wrong.

Sam.

Soderbaum · 10 January 2011, 12:19 PM

Hi

I have that FFA 19 arrived to Porcher in Mar 15. The unit was renamed to FAA 279 on 15 Feb 17.

Gunnar

gemesis · 10 January 2011, 04:55 PM

Hi Gunnar,

Thanks for your precisions.
So there is a mistake somewhere, hard to know which one is the good between both sources...

. What are the sources ?
That's strange that we can find more informations about the FFA 19 than the Fokkerstaffel Porcher, I thought that the second one was most famous.

Regards,
Sam.

LewisS · 10 January 2011, 07:51 PM

Would have Fokkerstaffel 19 been involved in the defense of the airspace over the Black Forest during the time GCG 25's, Happe's French Bomber squads were flying out of Alsace? I beleive it was the airfeild at Luxiel au Bains. I'm just curious if they were part of the attack on the Oct 16 bombing flight to the Mauser rifle factory at Obendorf?

rammjaeger · 14 January 2011, 01:20 PM

Quote:

So, we can say that the FFA 19 came two times at Porcher, firstly between the 13 may 1915 - 1 september 1915 and secondly between the 10 october 1916 until an unknown date ?

If you re-read Reinhard´s post you will find that precise date of the arrival of the unit is not known. It is most-likely before 10. october 1916!

Quote:

I know that the Jasta 13 has been formed from the Fokkerstaffel Porcher on the 28 september 1916. Did the FFA 19 was also melted in the Jasta 13 or it subsisted in 1917 ?

An Feld-Flieger-Abteilung is a reconaissance unit and would not become part of new-founded Jasta. Gunnar mentioned already that the unit was re-named Flieger-Abteilung 279 (A) - A stands for artillery - in 1917.

Quote:

That's strange that we can find more informations about the FFA 19 than the Fokkerstaffel Porcher, I thought that the second one was most famous.

Famous is probably an exaggeration for this short-lived (compared to FFA 19) and also not very successful Fokkerstaffel. However, Jasta 13 became a real top fighter unit later in the war.

I hope I could help to clarify some facts.

gemesis · 15 January 2011, 10:12 AM

Hello,

Thank you very much for your usefull clarifications rammjaeger. I sometimes want to be too precise on the dates.
I agree that "famous" was an exageration, it's probably due to my bad translation in english.

I had not realised for the Flieger Abteilung 279 A in 1917. So, is it possible to know in which aerodromes passed this unit and especially at his creation in 15 february 1917 ?

Thanks a lot,
Sam.

LewisS · 15 January 2011, 11:19 AM

Ah, I am an

.. I looked Porcher up in Google maps. It's way too far North of Alsace to have been much involved with the Luxeuil aerodrome, for that matter even the Vosges.