JASTA BOELCKE: The History of Jasta 2, 1916-1918 [Hardcover]

Norman Franks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2004

As August drew to a close in 1916, the German Air Service was reeling almost helplessly towards inevitable defeat on the Somme. The Artillery and Feldflieger Abteilungen, the Kampfstaffeln, had been quickly reduced to relative impotency by the overwhelming quantitative and qualitative superiority of the Allies. The once feared Fokker and Pfalz Eindeckers proved unequal to the task of checking the aerial flood which daily scoured the ravaged German front.

A crisis was reached. Germany was compelled to seek a new solution. Jagdstaffel 2 was formed to stem the tide and fight back. Later by Imperial decree renamed Jasta Boelcke in honour of its distinguished commander Oswald Boelcke, this military formation had no prolonged, entangled gestation period. There was no parent, no prior stirrings of life. Jasta 2 was lifted from the keyboard of a typewriter, assigned to the First Army and provided with a leader.

Between 2 September and 31 December 1916 it scored 85 kills, and was destined to end the war with 336 confirmed victories. Here, for the first time, is the story of that auspicious and audacious unit, told in his inimitable style by Norman Franks, an expert in his subject.

REVIEWS

"...filled with substance in content and well-researched statistics. ...a wonderful journey through these pilot's lives, in victory and defeat." Aerodrome, Spring 2009

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Grub Street Publishing; First edition (June 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904010768
• ISBN-13: 978-1904010760
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A DIARY OF THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GERMAN FIGHTER FORCE IN WWI, March 27, 2008

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MONTGOMERY (WASHINGTON, DC - U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: JASTA BOELCKE: The History of Jasta 2, 1916-1918 (Hardcover)

JASTA BOELCKE is a treasure trove for any student/aficionado of World War I air warfare. It begins by describing the development of the German Jastas or "fighter squadrons", which arose out of a need for the Germans to wrest control of the skies over the Somme from the British during the late spring and summer of 1916. (At the same time, the French fighter escadrilles had all but driven the Germans out of the skies over Verdun.)

The Germans needed to mount an effective challenge to Allied air supremacy, which hampered the efforts of their own two-seater crews out on artillery-spotting duties over the battlefield --- as well as reconnaissance crews to gain photographic intelligence about the disposition of the enemy in the trenches and rear areas. These activities, as the war went on, helped to influence the planning and execution of military operations on the ground.

From August 1916, the Jastas began to be organized along different areas of the Western Front. The brainchild for these units came from Oswald Boelcke, one of Germany's earliest air heroes and tacticians. Boelcke was given the command of Jasta 2, which he led until his death in October 1916. Henceforth, Jasta 2 was renamed "Jasta Boelcke" in recognition of Boelcke's contribution in making Jasta 2 one of the premiere fighter units in the German Luftstreitkrafte.

The book goes on to detail the ups and downs that Jasta Boelcke experienced through the end of 1916 and on until 1917. With the arrival of Karl Bolle as its final commander in February 1918, Jasta Boelcke again was able to reclaim much of its luster as a top-scoring unit, seeing considerable action against the French and Americans, as well as the British, up until the Armistice.

JASTA BOELCKE reads like a war diary and comes highly recommended.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Good Data, Definitely a Technical Read., January 19, 2007

By 

Nachtjager (Baton Rouge, LA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: JASTA BOELCKE: The History of Jasta 2, 1916-1918 (Hardcover)

I'm perhaps biased as I had a relative in Jasta 2, but this is a must-have book for WWI German aviation enthusiasts. A bit aniseptic in its facts and figures, but a great source of information.