GERMAN AND AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN WWI PILOT

The German air force was organized in 1913 under the name of die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches, to change its name to in 1916 Luftstreitkräfte. At the time of the outbreak of World War I, they played a decisively subordinate role to the ground forces and were, moreover, quite strictly subordinated to them. It is worth adding that each German infantry division included a reconnaissance company of 6 aircraft in August 1914. However, very quickly the German air force began to expand and play an increasingly important role over the battlefield. In 1918, they had a total of about 2,700 aircraft and about 240 other aircraft. This significant quantitative development was possible, among others, thanks to a strong industrial base and a well-developed aviation industry with such factories as: Albatros Flugzeugwerke, Fokker, Pfalz Flugzeugwerke or Siemens-Schukert. The German air force also introduced many successful aircraft in the years 1914-1918, including the great Fokker Dr.I or Gotha G.IV or GV fighter, but also such unusual designs as the Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI. The German air force was also able to undergo organizational changes during the Great War, as evidenced by the establishment of specialized fighter units (German: Jagdstaffeln) in 1916. Manfred von Richthofen, known as the red baron, was undoubtedly one of the greatest Luftstreitkräfte aces, but it is also worth remembering about such pilots as: Max Immelmann, Wilhelm Frank, Oswald Boelcke, Ernst Udet or later Luftwaffe commander Herman Göring.Imperial and royal aviation (Ger. Kaiserliche und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen, abbreviated as KuK Luftfahrtruppen) is the air force of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, formally formed in 1893 and initially used only for reconnaissance tasks. Their only airships at the time were balloons. From around 1909, airships entered service with the KuK Luftfahrtruppen, and shortly thereafter - the first planes. In August-September 1914, however, the Austro-Hungarian Air Force consisted of only 35 aircraft. It is assumed that among the European powers, the KuK Luftfahrtruppen was the worst in 1914 - both in terms of the number of planes and the training of pilots. In the course of World War I, however, these forces were significantly expanded. It is estimated that in the years 1914-1918 around 5,400 aircraft were built in Austria-Hungary, most of which were machines produced under the German license, although they were often modified. Examples include: Hansa-Brandenburg BI and DI or Albatros D.III. However, domestic constructions were also created, such as Aviatik DI. It is worth adding that the KuK Luftfahrtruppen operated both on the Eastern and Italian fronts.