Lot 828

Description

Honorary goblet of silver-plated iron, the base embossed with surrounding inscription (tr.) "To the victor in aerial combat", the bottom with embossed inscription (tr.) "Chief of Field Aviation". The obverse with fighting eagles, surmounted by hand-engraved date "4.9.17.", underneath it (tr.) "Shootdown of a Spad above the Hesse forest 5th Army". Beautiful age patina. The honorary goblet was awarded to Lieutenant L. Hanstein of the Jasta 16 for the shootdown of a Spad on 4 September 1917 near Foret de Hesse (Hesse forest). Honoray goblets with engravings of shootdowns are absolutely unusual and extremely rare. Lieutenant Hanstein was the first victor in an aerial combat of the Jasta 16, later commander of the Jasta 35. In March 1918, he was killed in action during an air combat near Calais with an English two-seater Bristol F2B.The Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 16 was part of Germany’s Imperial Army Air Service during World War I. The Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 16 was formed out of two predecessor units, the Bavarian Fliegerabteilung 9 and the Kampfeinsitzer-Kommando Ensisheim. These two units were amalgamated on 16 October 1916 while posted in the Armee-Abteilung B Sector. First Lieutenant Otto Deßloch commanded this nascent squadron during the few days it took to be designated Jagdstaffel 16. By the time it disbanded just two years later, it had established its credentials as a balloon buster squadron, with as many as two dozen enemy observation balloons destroyed, as well as 58 victories over enemy aircraft.

Condition: II Questions about the lot?