Jagdgeschwader 1 (World War I)

Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) of World War I, was a fighter unit of the German Luftstreitkräfte, comprising four Jastas (fighter squadrons). It was formed on 24 June 1917, with Manfred von Richthofen as commanding officer, by combining Jastas 4, 6, 10 and 11. JG 1 became known as "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus" because of the bright colours of its aircraft, and perhaps also because of the way the unit was transferred from one area of allied air activity to another - moving like a travelling circus in trains, and frequently setting up in tents on improvised airfields.