Jagdstaffel 21

{{Infobox military unit |unit_name=Jasta 21 |image= |caption= |dates=1916–1918 |country= [[German Empire]] |allegiance= |branch=[[Luftstreitkräfte]] |type=Fighter squadron |role= |size= |command_structure= |garrison= |garrison_label= |nickname= |patron= |motto= |colors= |colors_label= |march= |mascot= |equipment= |equipment_label= |battles= [[World War I]] |anniversaries= |decorations= |battle_honours= |battle_honours_label= |disbanded= |flying_hours= |website=  |commander1= |commander1_label= |commander2= |commander2_label= |commander3= |commander3_label= |commander4= |commander4_label= |notable_commanders=  |identification_symbol= |identification_symbol_label= |identification_symbol_2= |identification_symbol_2_label= |identification_symbol_3= |identification_symbol_3_label= |identification_symbol_4= |identification_symbol_4_label=  |aircraft_attack= |aircraft_bomber= |aircraft_electronic= |aircraft_fighter= |aircraft_interceptor= |aircraft_patrol= |aircraft_recon= |aircraft_trainer= |aircraft_transport= }}

'''Royal Saxon Jagdstaffel 21''' was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the ''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]'', the air arm of the [[Imperial German Army]] during [[World War I]]. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score 148 verified aerial victories,{{sfnp|Franks|Bailey|Guest|1993|p=38}} including at least 30 destructions of enemy observation balloons.<ref name="boenigk">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/boenigk.php |title=Oskar von Boenigk |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="kuhn">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/kuhn.php |title=Max Kuhn |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="hohn">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/hohn.php |title=Fritz Höhn |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="haase">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/haase.php |title=Heinrich Haase |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="matthaei">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/matthaei.php |title=Rudolf Matthaei |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="schleich">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/schleich.php |title=Eduard Ritter von Schleich |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="thuy">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/thuy.php |title=Emil Thuy |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref>

In turn, their casualties for the war would amount to eight pilots [[killed in action]], six [[wounded in action]], and one fallen [[prisoner of war]].{{sfnp|Franks|Bailey|Guest|1993|p=38}}

==History==

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.{{sfnp|Franks|Bailey|Guest|1993|p=38}} Two of its members would soldier on after war's end, and eventually wear general's stars in the ''[[Luftwaffe]]''.<ref name="schleich"/><ref name="boenigk"/>

==Commanding officers (''[[Staffelführer]]'')== [[File:RitterSchleich.jpg|thumb|Eduard Ritter von Schleich]] # Richard Schlieben: 15 November 1916 – 26 May 1917 # [[Eduard Ritter von Schleich]]: 26 May 1917 – 23 October 1917 # [[Oskar Freiherr von Boenigk]]: 23 October 1917 – 27 August 1918 # Josef Schulte: 27 August 1918 – 11 November 1918<ref name="theaerodrome">{{cite web |url=http://www.theaerodrome.com/services/germany/jasta/jasta21.php |title=Jasta 21 |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref>

==Aerodromes== # AFP 3: 25 October 1916 – 15 November 1916 # [[Neuflize]], France: 15 November 1916 – 1 July 1917 # [[Chassogne Ferme]], Verdun, France: 1 July 1917 – 26 December 1917 # [[Saint-Loup-en-Champagne|Saint-Loup]], France: 26 December 1917 – 10 January 1918 # [[Saint-Mards]], France: 10 January 1918 – 18 May 1918 # [[Sissonne]], France: 18 May 1918 – 6 June 1918 # [[Boncourt, Aisne|Boncourt]], France: 6 June 1918 – 23 September 1918<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com/?p=2629|title = Boncourt Nord – Saint-Acquaire – ANCIENS AÉRODROMES}}</ref> # Sissonne: 23 September 1918 – 11 October 1918 # [[Plomion]], France: 11 October 1918 – 11 November 1918<ref name="theaerodrome"/>

==Notable members== 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<ref name="schleich"/> and Oskar Freiherr von Boenigk;<ref name="boenigk"/> the former also rated the [[Military Order of Max Joseph]].<ref name="schleich"/> Both would continue their military careers postwar, and ascend into the ranks of the generals.<ref name="boenigk"/><ref name="schleich"/>

The unit also had a third ''[[Pour le Mérite]]'' in its ranks in [[Karl Thom]], who also had won the [[Military Merit Cross (Prussia)|MMC]], [[Royal House Order of Hohenzollern]], and [[Iron Cross]].<ref name="thom">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/thom.php |title=Karl Thom |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref> [[Emil Thuy]] made the fourth ''Pour le Mérite'' winner in the squadron; he also had the Hohenzollern and Iron Cross.<ref name="thuy"/>

There was a little coterie of balloon aces in Jasta 21. Foremost was [[Fritz Höhn]], Hohenzollern and Iron Cross, although Max Kuhn<ref name="kuhn"/> and Heinrich Haase<ref name="haase"/> 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]],<ref name="matthaei"/> and [[Werner Wagener]], who won not only the Iron Cross, but also the Silver [[Wound Badge]] and the [[Austro-Hungarian]] [[Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary)|MMC]].<ref name="wagener">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/wagener.php |title=Werner Wagener |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=23 December 2015}}</ref>{{sfnp|Franks|Bailey|Guest|1993|p=38}}

==Aircraft== [[File:Schleich Albatros.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Schleich in his Albatros while commanding Jasta 21]] The squadron used both [[Albatros Flugzeugwerke|Albatros]] and [[Pfalz Flugzeugwerke|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.{{sfnp|Franks|Bailey|Guest|1993|p=38}}

It would begin to switch to [[Fokker D.VII]]s in the early summer of 1918.{{sfnp|Franks|Bailey|Guest|1993|p=38}}

==Operations==

When the squadron went operational on 6 December 1916, it was working on the ''[[3rd Army (German Empire)|3rd Armee]]'' front. By July 1918, it had joined ''[[Jagdgruppe 5]]'', and finished the war there.{{sfnp|Franks|Bailey|Guest|1993|p=38}}

==References== {{reflist}} ;Bibliography * {{cite book |first1=Norman |last1=Franks |author-link1=Norman Franks |first2=Frank W. |last2=Bailey |first3=Russell F. |last3=Guest |title=Above The Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service, and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918 |location=London, UK |publisher=Grub Street |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-948817-73-1 |name-list-style=amp}}

== External links == {{Commons category}}

[[Category:Jagdstaffeln|21]] [[Category:Military units and formations established in 1916]] [[Category:1916 establishments in Germany]] [[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1918]]