Jagdstaffel 7

On 2 June 1916, a Fokkerstaffel was founded at Martincourt; this temporary grouping was under XVI Corps of 5 Armee. It was quickly superseded on 23 August 1916, when it was designated as Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 7. A month later, on 21 September, it was activated. In Autumn 1917, Jasta 7 joined Jagdgruppe II, along with Jasta 29, Jasta 33, and Jasta 35. The new JG 11 supported 4 Armee, and was commanded by Otto Schmidt.[1]

In early 1918, Jasta 7 became part of Jagdgruppe Dixmuiden, along with Jasta 16 and Jasta 51, under command of Oberleutnant Hans-Eberhardt Gandert; it then moved to Rumbeke. It now became part of Jagdgruppe 6, along with Jasta 28, Jasta 47, and Jasta 51; Gandert commanded the group. In May, it moved again, to Saint Marguerite. The Jasta, along with Jasta 51, remained a mainstay of JGr 6, while other squadrons were rotated in and out of the group. As the war wound down, Jasta 7 remained in JGr 6, under the command of Hauptmann Erhard Milch.[1]

• Fritz von Bronsart-Schellendorf: 23 August 1916 - 21 July 1917 (KIA)
• Josef Jacobs: 2 August 1917 - c. 18 November 1918

• Martincourt, France: 23 August - 28 September 1916
• Bellevue Ferme, Senon, France: 28 September - 19 October 1916
• La-Jolly Ferme, Stenay, France: 20 October - 1 November 1916
• Procher, France: 2 November 1916 - 4 May 1917
• Eswars, France: 4 May - 6 June 1917
• Thouroube, Roulers, Belgium: 6 June - 22 August 1917
• Wynghene, Belgium: 22 August - 15 September 1917
• Aertrycke, North of Torhout, Belgium: 15 September 1917 - 1 March 1918
• Rumbeke, Belgium: 1 March [1] - 14 March 1918
• Roulers, Belgium: 14–29 March 1918
• Sainte Marguerite, Belgium: 29 March - 1 October 1918
• Menen, Belgium[2] 1 October - 11 November 1918 [3]

Josef Jacobs lengthy service and long leadership while he accrued 43 victories made him responsible for single-handedly scoring about a third of the unit's wins. However, a number of other notable aces served in the unit, including Friedrich Manschott, Paul Hüttenrauch, Paul Billik, Carl Degelow, Georg Meyer, Otto Schmidt, and Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay.[1][2]

Jasta 7 used Albatros D.V and a few Albatros D.III (these until early September 1917) when Josef Jacobs took command; Albatros D.Va, Pfalz D.III and Pfalz D.IIIa were also used from late September 1917 to spring 1918,[4][5] before using Fokker Triplanes[2] and Fokker D.VIIs as of May 1918. Earlier aircraft assigned remain unknown at this time.[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.