AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ERA

Jasta 18


While under the command of Rudolf Berthold, Jasta 18 carried the colours that were to be more closely associated with Jasta 15 - red nose, blue tail. Upon assuming command of JG.II, Berthold arranged for the wholesale transfer of Jasta 18's pilots to Jasta 15 – Jasta 15's pilots in turn went to Jasta 18. This took place on 20 March 1918.

The new commander of Jasta 18, August Raben, in a play on his name (Raben is German for Raven), instituted the familiar red nose and white fuselage with a black raven. Individual pilots were denoted by individual markings in the fuselage and tail. Raben himself had a white raven – a rare bird indeed (as befits a commander).

There has been at least two books featuring Jasta 18 - A E Ferko's Fliegertruppe Nr.2 and more recently Greg VanWyngarden has written their history in the Osprey volume "JASTA 18 - The Red Noses". Many of my earlier profiles were able to be attributed to pilots due to this latter work.

The dark red on many of the Berthold era noses are in error and will eventually be changed to the brighter red seen on the rest.


 


Albatros D.III
Oblt Ernest Turck
Summer 1917
Source: C&C(GB)

Pfalz D.IIIa
Gefr Hitschler
Early 1918
Source: OTF 9/3
updated 2013


Albatros D.V D4594/17
Ltn Paul Strahle
December 1917
Source: C&C(GB) 11/1



Albatros D.V
Ltn Josef Veltjens
January 1918
Source: OTF 9/3

Albatros D.V
Ltn George von Hantlemann
January 1918
Source: OTF 9/3


Pfalz D.IIIa
Ltn Hans B. von Buttlar
Spring 1918
Source: Fliegertruppe Nr.2
Updated 2013

 


Pfalz D.III
Ltn Hans von Buttlar
Spring 1918
Source: FMP Pfalz Research
updated 2013
 
 

Fokker Dr.I 479/17
Ltn August Raben

Source:


Albatros D.Va


Source: Albatros Datafile Special


Albatros D.Va
Ltn Kurt Monnington

Source: Albatros Datafile Special

 


Fokker D.VII
Ltn Heinz Kustner
Summer 1918
Source: Fokker D.VII Datafile


Fokker D.VII(Alb)
Ltn August Raben
August 1918
Source: OTF 1/4
Revised 2012




Fokker D.VII (Alb)

Summer 1918
Source: Fokker D.VII Datafile

Fokker D.VII
Ltn Hans Schultz
June 1918
Source:

Fokker D.VII(OAW)
Ltn Kurt Monnington
August 1918
Source: GVW: Jasta 18 - The Red Noses

Fokker D.VII
Ltn Gunther von Buren
Summer 1918
Source: Fokker D.VII Datafile