In 1917 the German Army Air Service created the Jagdgeschwader fighter group. The group was nicknamed the Flying Circus because of the pilots decision to paint their aircraft bright colours. Placed under the command of Manfred von Richthofen, the Flying Circus was made up of four elite fighter squadrons (12 aircraft per squadron).

German Army Air Service created a system where it was possible to quickly send its top fighter pilots to any part of the Western Front. Richthofen and his Flying Circus achieved immediate success during the air war over Ypres during August and September of 1917. The use of massed fighter pilot units contributed to the rise in large-scale dogfights in the later stages of the war.