Jagdstaffel 21

Jagdstaffel 21 was founded on 25 October 1916, drawing from FA 40 and Kagohl 7 for its initial assignment of men. It was mobilized on 6 December 1916. It suffered its first casualty on 10 February 1917, and scored its first victory on 24 March 1917. It would serve through war's end.[1] Two of its members would soldier on after war's end, and eventually wear general's stars in the Luftwaffe.[7][2]

Eduard Ritter von Schleich

1. Richard Schlieben: 15 November 1916 – 26 May 1917
2. Eduard Ritter von Schleich: 26 May 1917 – 23 October 1917
3. Oskar Freiherr von Boenigk: 23 October 1917 – 27 August 1918
4. Josef Schulte: 27 August 1918 – 11 November 1918[9]

1. AFP 3: 25 October 1916 – 15 November 1916
2. Neuflize, France: 15 November 1916 – 1 July 1917
3. Chassogne Ferme, Verdun, France: 1 July 1917 – 26 December 1917
4. Saint-Loup, France: 26 December 1917 – 10 January 1918
5. Saint-Mards, France: 10 January 1918 – 18 May 1918
6. Sissonne, France: 18 May 1918 – 6 June 1918
7. Boncourt, France: 6 June 1918 – 23 September 1918[10]
8. Sissonne: 23 September 1918 – 11 October 1918
9. Plomion, France: 11 October 1918 – 11 November 1918[9]

Jasta 21 was fortunate to spend most of its existence under a pair of leaders worthy of the Pour le Mérite and Iron Cross: Eduard Ritter von Schleich[7] and Oskar Freiherr von Boenigk;[2] the former also rated the Military Order of Max Joseph.[7] Both would continue their military careers postwar, and ascend into the ranks of the generals.[2][7]

The unit also had a third Pour le Mérite in its ranks in Karl Thom, who also had won the MMC, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, and Iron Cross.[11] Emil Thuy made the fourth Pour le Mérite winner in the squadron; he also had the Hohenzollern and Iron Cross.[8]

There was a little coterie of balloon aces in Jasta 21. Foremost was Fritz Höhn, Hohenzollern and Iron Cross, although Max Kuhn[3] and Heinrich Haase[5] were also balloon buster aces.

Also notable in the squadron were Rudolf Matthaei, the Iron Cross winner who would move on to successfully command Jasta 46,[6] and Werner Wagener, who won not only the Iron Cross, but also the Silver Wound Badge and the Austro-Hungarian MMC.[12][1]

Schleich in his Albatros while commanding Jasta 21

The squadron used both Albatros and Pfalz fighters. Their squadron's basic paint scheme featured a black and white band circling the fuselage just aft of the cockpit, along with striped elevators.[1]

It would begin to switch to Fokker D.VIIs in the early summer of 1918.[1]

When the squadron went operational on 6 December 1916, it was working on the 3rd Armee front. By July 1918, it had joined Jagdgruppe 5, and finished the war there.[1]

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.