Color Guard

In the aviation art print 'Colored Ground' top aviation artist James Dietz resurrects the colourful fighters of Jasta 5 with a powerful painting, in which he captures the units’ pilots and mechanics preparing their Albtross D.Vs for an early morning patrol in support of the German Spring Offensive of 1918. When the Allied fighters saw the distinctive green-tailed fighters of Jasta 5 heading their way, they knew they had a fight on their hands. Created in January 1916, Jasta 5 were one of the earliest fighter units in the new Imperial German Air Force and over the following two years carved out a fearsome reputation; by the end of the war its pilots had scored over 250 victories.