The Jagdfliegergeschwader 1 Fritz Schmenkel was formed in August 1952 as 1. Jagdfliegerregiment.

Commanders

VP-Oberkommissar Wolfgang Reinhold (? Aug 1952 - ? Dec 1953)
Hauptmann Rietzschel ( (? Dec 1953 - ? 1955)
Oberleutnant Stephan (? 1955 - 1 July 1956)
Hauptmann Klaus Baarß (1 July 1956 - ? 1959)
Hauptmann Herbert Priemer (? 1959 - ? June 1961)
Oberstleutnant Wolfgang Reuter (? June 1961 - 23 Dec 1963)
Oberstleutnant Werner Fritsch (? 1964 - ? 1968)
Oberst Siegfried Mittelbach (? 1968 - 1 Nov 1973)
Oberstleutnant Wolfgang Thonke (1 Nov 1973 - 31 Nov 1974)
Oberstleutnant Eberhard Köllner (31 Nov 1974 - 31 Nov 1976)
Major Raier Straßburg (31 Nov 1976 - 31 Nov 1981)
Oberstleutnant Wilfried Kernchen (31 Nov 1981 - ? 1988)
Oberstleutnant Helmut Seehaus (? 1988 - 3 Oct 1990)

Honor titles

It was named after Fritz Schmenkel (1913-1944), an opponent to the Hitler regime who in 1940 was sentenced to 18 months in jail. He later served on the Eastern Front when he deserted to a partisan unit in Belorussia. Trained as an agent and returned to German lines, he was captured and executed 22 February 1944.

Sources used

Klaus Froh & Rüdiger Wenzke - Die Generale und Admirale der NVA
Wilfried Kopenhagen - Die Luftstreitkräfte der NVA

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -