- Source: Jagdstaffel 29
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 29, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 29, was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The squadron would score 76 aerial victories during the war, at the cost of 13 of their pilots killed in action, two killed in flying accidents, 12 wounded in action, one injured in a flying accident and one taken prisoner.
History
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 29 was formed on 28 December 1916 at the Fliegerersatz-Abteilung (Replacement Detachment) 5 training facility at Hannover in Germany. It scored its first victory on 16 March 1917, when Wilhelm Allmenröder incinerated an enemy observation balloon. The fledgling squadron would be blooded just under a month later, suffering its first casualty on 11 April 1917. Jasta 29 would serve to the war's end.
Commanding officers (Staffelführer)
Hauptmann Hermann Palmer: 31 January 1917 – 5 February 1917
Leutnant Ludwig Dornheim: transferred from Jasta 5 on 5 February 1917 – 29 April 1917 (KIA)
Leutnant Kurt Wolff: transferred from Jasta 11 on 6 May 1917 – 2 July 1917
Leutnant Erwin Böhme: 2 July 1917 – 18 August 1917
Oberleutnant Otto Schmidt: transferred from Jasta 32 on 19 August 1917 – 18 October 1917 (WIA)
Oberleutnant Harald Auffarth: transferred from Jasta 18 on 19 October 1917 – promoted to command Jagdgruppe 3 on 28 September 1918
Leutnant Hans Holthusen: transferred from Jasta 30 on 28 September 1918 – to the end of the war on 11 November 1918
Aerodromes
Juniville, France: 15 February 1917 – 21 June 1917
Mons-en-Pevelle: 22 June 1917 – 27 June 1917
Bersée, France 28 June 1917 – 17 July 1917
Handzaeme: 18 July 1917 – 31 July 1918
Thourout: 1 August 1917 – 13 September 1917
Aertrycke: 14 September 1917 – 27 November 1917
Émerchicourt, France: 28 November 1917 – 13 December 1917
Bellincamps: 14 December 1917 – 30 March 1918
Phalempin, France: 31 March 1918 – 12 April 1918
Gondecourt, France: 13 April 1918 – 17 August 1918
Bellincamps: 18 August 1918 – 28 September 1918
Kruishoutem, Belgium: 29 September 1918 – 5 October 1918
Aertrycke: 6 October 1918 – 11 November 1918
Notable members
Kurt Wolff, Pour le Merite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
Erwin Böhme, Pour le Merite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
Harald Auffarth, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, Silver Wound Badge
Otto Schmidt, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
August Burkard, Iron Cross
Karl Pech
Fritz Kieckhäfer
Siegfried Westphal
Günther Schuster
Eugen Siempelkamp
Hermann Dahlmann, Iron Cross
Karl Gallwitz, Iron Cross
Josef Hohly
Max Kuhne
Werner Voss
Aircraft
Albatros D.III
Fokker D.VII
Pfalz D.III
Operations
Jasta 29 began operations at Juniville on 15 February 1917 in support of 3rd Armee.The jasta shifted its base of operations on or about 16 April, to support the 1st Armee. On 22 June 1917, Jasta 29 moved to the 6th Armee front. On 28 November, it was reposted to operate with the 2nd Armee. On 14 December, the squadron moved again, to support the 6th Armee once more.
On 8 August 1918, Jasta 29 once again supported the 2nd Armee at Peronne. The air unit moved to support 4th Armee on 30 September for its final operational tasking.
References
Bibliography
Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W. & Guest, Russell F. (1993). Above The Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service, and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.