3 August 1914
The entry of Germany and Russia into the war in Europe greatly expands the role of aviation in that conflict. While Austria-Hungary had so far managed to mobilise three of her eight aviation companies, plus a fourth yesterday; and Serbia has no military aviation to speak of; Germany has instantly mobilised thirty-three units of comparable size of the Austro–Hungarians’; and Russia has the largest air service in the world, with over 220 aeroplanes.
German aviation units mobilise: army aeroplanes
The air service of the German army is known as the Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches and is structured along similar lines to its Austro–Hungarian counterpart already in the field. Each Feldflieger Abteilung (“Field-flyer division”, FFA for short) consists of six aircraft, together with their aircrew, support personnel, and transport vehicles. Reserve aircraft are held ready by an Etappen Flugzeugpark (“aircraft staging park”) shared by several FFAs. Yesterday, thirty Prussian FFAs mobilised, together with three Bavarian FFAs, as set out in the following table:| Army formation | Attached aviation unit |
Commanding officer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Armee | FFA 12 | Hauptmann Günther von Detten |
| II Korps | FFA 30 | Hauptmann Felix Wagenführ |
| III Korps | FFA 7 | Hauptmann Wilhelm Grade |
| IV Korps | FFA 9 | Hauptmann Alfred Musset |
| IX Korps | FFA 11 | Hauptmann Hellmuth Wilberg |
| 2. Armee | FFA 23 | Oberleutnant Otto Vogel von Falkenstein |
| Gardekorps | FFA 1 | Hauptmann Jasper von Oertzen |
| VII Korps | FFA 18 | Hauptmann Ernst von Gersdorff |
| X Korps | FFA 21 | Hauptmann Franz Geerdtz |
| 3. Armee | FFA 22 | Hauptmann Karl von Blomberg |
| XI Korps | FFA 28 | Hauptmann Georg Freytag |
| XII Korps | FFA 29 | Hauptmann Ferdinand von Jena |
| XIX Korps | FFA 24 | Hauptmann Horst von Minckwitz |
| 4. Armee | FFA 6 | Hauptmann Job- |
| VI Korps | FFA 13 | Hauptmann Alfred Streccius |
| VII Korps | FFA 10 | Hauptmann Maximilian Hantelmann |
| XVIII Korps | FFA 27 | Oberleutnant Alfred Keller |
| 5. Armee | FFA 25 | Hauptmann Ernst Blum |
| V Korps | FFA 19 | Hauptmann Florian von Poser und Großnädlitz |
| XIII Korps | FFA 4 | Hauptmann Wilhelm Haenelt |
| XVI Korps | FFA 2 | Hauptmann Eugen Kirch |
| 6. Armee | FFA 5 | Hauptmann Werner Kerksieck |
| XXI Korps | FFA 8 | Oberleutnant Horst Jerrmann |
| I Korps (Bavarian) | FFA 1 (Bavarian) | Hauptmann Erhard |
| II Korps (Bavarian) | FFA 2 (Bavarian) | Rittmeister Luitpold Graf Wolffskeel von Reichenberg |
| III Korps (Bavarian) | FFA 3 (Bavarian) | Hauptmann Hermann Pohl |
| 7. Armee | FFA 26 | Hauptmann Gustav Walter |
| XIV Korps | FFA 20 | Hauptmann Erwin Barents |
| XV Korps | FFA 3 | Hauptmann Paul Genée |
| 8. Armee | FFA 16 | Hauptmann Wilhelm Schmoger |
| I Korps | FFA 14 | Hauptmann Heinrich |
| XVII Korps | FFA 17 | Hauptmann Dincklage |
| XX Korps | FFA 15 | Hauptmann Hans Donat |
These units fly a variety of two-seat monoplanes and biplanes that this journal will describe in the coming days.
German aviation units mobilise: army airships
The German army has an enviable fleet of rigid airships at its disposal, including six very modern military ships purpose-built by the Zeppelin company of Friedrichshafen (numbers Z IV through Z X) plus a seventh built by the Schütte-Lanz company of Mannheim-Rheinau (number SL 2).All seven ships are under the direct command of the Oberste Heeresleitung (“Supreme Army Command”, or OHL for short). Again, more details on these soon.
German aviation units mobilise: navy aeroplanes
The German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) operates a small fleet of seaplanes from its base at Kiel, independent of the army aviation units. Although the navy has tested flying boats in recent years, the German preference is very much for floatplanes, as it is felt that this arrangement provides for greater stability in the rough conditions of the North Sea.German aviation units mobilise: navy airships
Presently, the Kaiserliche Marine has only a single airship (number L 3), its predecessor having been destroyed in last year’s Johannisthal air disaster.Russian army aviation
The Imperial Russian Air Service (Императорскiй военно-воздушный флотъ, “Emperor’s military air fleet”) is currently in the process of being reorganised to separate units of aeroplanes (авиационные роты, “aviation companies”) from more general aviation units that include airships and (particuarly) balloons (воздухоплавательные роты, “aeronautical companies”). Each company contains several squadrons (авиацио́нные отря́ды),each of six aircraft plus airmen and support crew.The aircraft themselves, while very numerous, are mostly obsolete French types or locally manufactured copies of the same.
A fourth Austro–Hungarian aviation unit mobilises
Now well and truly overshadowed by the aviation units of the other great powers, the Austro–Hungarian army continues to slowly mobilise its forces. Yesterday, FliK 2 mobilised against Serbia, commanded by Oberleutnant Robert Baar.The aeroplane of Nürnberg
Unsubstantiated reports have been circling since yesterday that German forces around Nürnberg have come under attack from bombs thrown from a French aeroplane.
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