Josef Jacobs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | "Kobes" |
| Born | 15 May 1894 Kreuzkapelle, Rhineland |
| Died | 29 July 1978 (aged 84) Munich |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Service | Luftstreitkräfte |
| Years of service | 1914–19 |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | Fokkerstaffel West; Feldflieger Abteilung 11; Jagdstaffel 7; Jagdstaffel 12; Jagdstaffel 22 |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite; House Order of Hohenzollern; Iron Cross |
Josef Carl Peter Jacobs (15 May 1894 – 29 July 1978) PlM, was a German flying ace with 48 victories during the First World War. The victory total of the prewar flier tied him with Werner Voss for fourth place among the war's German aces. His skill in aerial warfare brought him squadron and wing (military unit)-level commands. By war's end, he was the leading ace flying the Fokker Triplane.
Postwar, Jacobs fought the communists attempting to take over Germany, before becoming a flight instructor for the Turkish Army. He was also racing both power boats and automobiles, as well as bobsledding. In line with the latter, he became a director of the Adler automobile works. In the 1930s, he also began repairing and manufacturing airplanes. As Hitler rose to power, Jacobs joined the Luftwaffe reserves as a major, but refused to join the Nazi party. He went into hiding in the Netherlands to shelter his company from the Nazis. While his Second World War experience is unknown, afterward Jacobs would own a construction crane company.