KITS 04/2021

Jasta 5, Boistrancourt, France, spring 1918

This colourful Pfalz is a bit of mystery, as not too much is known about it. It was photographed in the hangar of the Jasta 5 in March 1918,

when Manfred von Richthofen visited the unit at the Boistrancourt airfield. It is not known which pilot the aircraft belonged to. There is also

a photo of the row of the Albatros D.Vs of the Jasta 5, where the aircraft sporting very similar prancing horse is clearly visible, standing next

to the Richard Flashar´s one. This may be flown by the same pilot, as the Pfalz and it had to be somebody serving with the unit from the July

1917 to March 1918. Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 5 was set up on January 21st, 1916, as one of the first fighter units of the Luftstreitkräfte.

Many famous aces served with Jasta 5 including Werner Voss, Hermann Göring, Josef Mai, Bruno Loerzer and others. With 253 aerial victories the unit was the third-highest scoring Jasta of them all. Apart of the red fuselage with green, red outlined tail and green nose, the wings

were in factory silvery “schutzfarbe”. Upper wing had also two red stripes from both sides.

INFO Eduard - April 2021

eduard

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