page_title: Jagdgeschwader III
section_title: Notable members
hierarchical_section_title: Jagdgeschwader III / Notable members
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Décoration "Pour le Mérite" Source: Wikipédia de:
context_page_description: Jagdgeschwader 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 —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 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. 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.
context_section_description: Below is the listing of flying aces serving with Jagdgeschwader III, the number of victories they scored while flying with the wing, and the most prestigious decoration they received.
  Hauptmann (later Generaloberst) Bruno Loerzer, 22 victories, Pour le Mérite
  Oberleutnant Karl Bolle, 31 victories, Pour le Mérite
  Leutnant Hermann Frommherz, 30 victories, Military Order of Saint Henry
  Leutnant de Reserve Paul Bäumer, 25 victories, Pour le Mérite
  Vizefeldwebel (later Generalmajor) Otto Fruhner, 21 victories, Military Merit Cross
  Leutnant (later Generalmajor) Ernst Bormann, 16 victories, Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
  Leutnant Friedrich Noltenius, 13 victories, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
  Leutnant Rudolf Klimke, 12 victories, Iron Cross
  Vizefeldwebel Erich Buder, 12 victories, Military Merit Cross
  Offizierstellvertreter Otto Esswein, 11 victories, Military Merit Cross
  Leutnant Helmut Lange, 9 victories, Iron Cross First Class
  Leutnant Franz Brandt, 7 victories, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
  Leutnant (later Major) Theodor Quandt, 7 victories, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
  Oberleutnant (later General) Hermann Dahlmann, 6 victories, Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
  Oberleutnant (later Reichsmarshal) Hermann Göring, 6 victories, Pour le Mérite
  Vizefeldwebel Alfred Hübner, 6 victories, Iron Cross First Class
  Feldwebel Willy Kahle, 6 victories, Military Merit Order with Swords
  Offizierstellvertreter Willi Kampe, 6 victories, Iron Cross
  Leutnant Hermann Vallendor, 6 victories, Order of the Zahringer Lion
  Leutnant (later Generalmajor) Gerhard Bassenge, 5 victories, Deutschescross in Gold
  Leutnant Heinrich Bongartz, 5 victories, Pour le Mérite
  Leutnant (later Oberstleutnant) Harry von Bulow-Bothkamp, 3 victories, Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
  Leutnant Hans Gottfried von Häbler, 3 victories, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
caption: The Pour le Mérite was equivalent to the Victoria Cross or Medal of Honor.
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