This article is about the First World War military unit. For the Second World War military unit, see Jagdgeschwader 3.
Jagdgeschwader III
Active
2 February 1918
Disbanded
11 November 1918
Country
Germany
Allegiance
German Empire
Branch
Luftstreitkräfte
Type
Fighter wing
Role
Air to air combat
Size
Nominally 56 aircraft
Colors
Jagdstaffel 2: Tailplanes split between black and white; black and white cowlings, Jagdstaffel 26: Black and white banded fuselages; black cowlings, Jagdstaffel 27: Black and white banded fuselages; yellow cowlings, Jagdstaffel 36: Black and white banded fuselages; blue cowlings
Engagements
Operation Michael Battle of the Lys (1918) Third Battle of the Aisne Second Battle of the Marne Amiens Offensive Battle of Bapaume Battle of Saint-Mihiel
Jagdgeschwader III (Fighter Wing III, or JG III) was a fighter wing of the Imperial German Air Service during World War I. It was founded on 2 February 1918, as a permanent consolidation of four established jagdstaffeln (fighter squadrons)—2, 26, 27, and 36. JG III was formed as a follow-on of Manfred von Richthofen's highly successful Jagdgeschwader I. With a nominal strength of 56 aircraft, JG III would be under direct orders of an Armee headquarters. The German General Staff was planning a German spring offensive to begin on 21 March 1918, and wanted to assign a fighter wing to each of the three Armees involved in the assault.[note 1] An experienced flying ace with 22 victories, Oberleutnant Bruno Loerzer, was appointed to command JG III.
On 12 to 15 March 1918, JG III's aircraft would be hidden near the front lines awaiting the Spring Offensive. On 21 March, the wing cleared the sky of opposing aircraft, to begin their support of Operation Michael. Subsequent to this, the wing would fight in the Battle of the Lys, the Third Battle of the Aisne, and the Second Battle of the Marne offensives. When the Allied Hundred Days Offensive began on 8 August, JG III was still in the fight. Despite increasing shortages of supplies, aircraft, and pilots, along with frequent changes of airfields during withdrawals, the wing had its most successful month of the war in September. On 2 September, JG III shot down 26 enemy aircraft, for the best day's performance of any German wing in World War I. However, by October, the Allied air forces—which now included fresh American units—were numerous enough to overwhelm German defenses.
Jagdgeschwader III flew its final combat missions on 4 November 1918. Incomplete records make the wing's wartime victory total uncertain, but it is conservatively estimated as a minimum of 370 French, British, and American aircraft shot down.
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