Name	Oswald Boelcke
Birth date	19 May 1891
Death date	October 28, 1916
Birth place	Giebichenstein; near Halle (Saale)
Death place	Near Douai
Allegiance	German Empire
Serviceyears	1911–1916
Rank	Hauptmann
Branch	Telegraphen-Bataillon Nr. 3, Luftstreitkräfte
Unit	Jasta 2
Awards	Pour le Mérite }}

Oswald Boelcke (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a German flying ace of the First World War and one of the most influential patrol leaders and tacticians of the early years of air combat. Boelcke is considered the father of the German fighter air force, as well as the "Father of Air Fighting Tactics"; he was the first to formalize rules of air fighting, which he presented as the ''Dicta Boelcke''. While he promulgated rules for the individual pilot, his main concern was the use of formation fighting rather than single effort.

Germany's premier ace, Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron), had been taught by Boelcke and continued to idolize his late mentor long after he had surpassed Boelcke's tally of victories.

Early Years[link]

[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S60853, Buddecke, Liman von Sanders und Boelcke.jpg|thumb| From left: Oberleutnant Hans Joachim Buddecke, General Otto Liman von Sanders, Hptm Oswald Boelcke in Turkey, 1916]]

Boelcke was born in Giebichenstein, the son of a schoolmaster. His father's first teaching job had been in Argentina from where the family had recently returned; Boelcke's three elder siblings were born in Buenos Aires.

His family name was originally spelt Bölcke, but Oswald and his elder brother Wilhelm dispensed with the umlaut and adopted the Latin spelling in place of the German. The pronunciation is the same for both spellings.

Whilst he was young, Boelcke's family moved to Dessau, the capital of the Duchy of Anhalt. As a youth he caught whooping cough; in order to build up his stamina, he became increasingly involved in playing sports but retained a tendency towards asthma throughout his life. Among his athletic pursuits were swimming, tennis, rowing, and gymnastics. However, he never did become very large; in later life, he was described as being about 5 feet 7 inches tall.

After leaving school he joined Telegraphen-Bataillon Nr. 3 in Koblenz as a ''Fahnenjunker'' (cadet officer) in March 1911; he received a Prussian officer commission a year later.

World War I[link]

1914[link]

In mid-1914, Boelcke transferred to what was then known as the ''Fliegertruppe''. His flight training took place from May to August at the ''Halberstädter Fliegerschule''. He passed his final pilot's exam on 15 August 1914. He was then immediately posted to active duty. Due to the influence of his elder brother, Hauptmann Wilhelm Boelcke, Boelcke was initially posted to ''Fliegerabteilung 13'' (Aviation Section 13), of which Wilhelm was a member. Boelcke won an Iron Cross Second Class for flying 50 missions with this unit, in company with his brother. They were such a successful team they aroused antipathy in other members of the section. As a result, Wilhelm was transferred away from his brother.

1915[link]

At his own instigation, Boelcke transferred to ''Fliegerabteilung 62'' in April 1915 which was based at Douai. Use of the type by operational units was restricted; the provision being that they were to be flown when pilots were not flying reconnaissance missions in their two seaters. They were considered so revolutionary that orders had been given that they wouldn't be risked over enemy lines for fear of capture.

Wintgens, flying the last-produced example of the M.5K/MG "E.5/15", made the first victory claim with the new aircraft, on 1 July 1915, but it went unconfirmed because it fell behind French lines. Historians have since identified the aircraft and crew as being a Morane-Saulnier crewed by ''Capitaine'' Paul de Peuty and ''Sous-Lieutenant'' de Boutiny, who were both wounded.

In the meantime, while flying a two-seater, Boelcke's observer (''Leutnant'' Heinz von Wǘhlisch) shot down their first enemy aircraft on 4 July 1915, in a protracted running fight between reconnaissance craft. Boelcke landed near the French aircraft's wreckage and verified the death of the crew. On that same day, Wintgens had another unconfirmed win. Wintgens finally got credit for a triumph on 15 July.

Boelcke won his first individual aerial combat on 19 August 1915. Just nine days later, he was a hero on the ground. He dived into a canal near his aerodrome, fully clothed, and rescued a drowning French boy, Albert DePlace. The child's parents wanted Boelcke to be awarded the French ''Legion d'Honneur''; instead, he received the Prussian Lifesaving Medal.

On 22 September, Boelcke was moved to Metz, joining the ''Brieftauben-Abteilung-Metz'' unit but was moved back to FA 62 in December. He downed four more enemy aircraft before the end of the year. Max Immelmann had scored his first victory just before Boelcke's first, on 1 August. He and Boelcke had a "horse race" of victories, with first one rival leading, then the other, as they left Wintgens behind. The deadly effect of the new aircraft on aerial combat was beginning to be referred to as the Fokker Scourge. On 1 November, the day after his sixth victory, Boelcke became the first German pilot to win the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern. Immelmann duplicated the feat six days later.

By the end of 1915, Immelmann had seven victories, Boelcke had six, and Wintgens and Hans-Joachim Buddecke had three.

1916[link]

Boelcke wins the "ace race"[link]

Boelcke had three more "kills" in January 1916; Immelman had two, in the same month, Boelcke and Immelmann also were the first German fliers to be awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'', Germany's highest military medal, as each pilot achieved the required eight aerial victories to earn it on the same day, 12 January.

In March 1916, Boelcke emerged from a stay in hospital for intestinal problems, and upon complaining he was stationed too far from the front at Jametz, was given permission to use the forward airfield at Sivry near the Verdun offensive. Boelcke then connected a front line observation post to the airfield, and thus established the first tactical air direction center. He was made leader of the newly formed ''Fliegerabteilung Sivery'' and led them in action over Verdun. This unit of six fighter pilots was the precursor of the ''Jasta'' German fighter squadron units. The new fighter unit was stationed near Stenay, which was the headquarters of Crown Prince Wilhelm. A friendship developed between the Crown Prince and the ace.

The ace race was still on; Boelcke became the first ''Überkanone'' with his 10th victory on 12 March; the following day, even as he scored, Immelmann scored one of the first double victories of the war to tie it up at 11 all. The dead heat lasted for a week; on 19 March, Boelcke used his usual tactics of pointblank fire to kill the enemy pilot and saw off his Farman's wing with machine gun fire, for win number 12. Immelmann telephoned to congratulate him and ask him for an opportunity to catch up; Boelcke jokingly offered him a week's grace. Boelcke's victory two days later may be seen as symptomatic of his disregard for Immelmann.

By this time, the unpopular Fokker E.III was being replaced by newer Halberstadt and Albatros aircraft with synchronized guns. The French had countered the "Fokker Scourge" with fast new Nieuports; the British also countered, with pusher aircraft that could fire in their direction of flight without need of synchronizing gear. Boelcke focused on developing his own counter methods: flying in tight formations, accurate gunnery in combat and remaining within his own German lines.

By 18 May, Boelcke established his lead over Immelmann for good, 16 victories to 15, to become the highest scoring ace in the war up to that time.

After Immelmann was killed on 18 June 1916 after his 17th victory, Boelcke, who then had 18 victories, was left the preeminent ace of the war. Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered Boelcke grounded for a month to avoid losing him in combat soon after Immelmann. He had become such an important hero to the German public, as well as such an authority on aerial warfare, that he could not be risked. Given a choice between a desk job and a tour of the Middle East, Boelcke downed a Nieuport over Douaumont on 27 June and reported to headquarters. Boelcke was detailed to share his expertise with the head of German military aviation. The German air force was being reorganized from the ''Fliegertruppe'' into the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' in mid-1916; this reorganization was inspired by Boelcke. At this time, Boelcke codified his Dicta, which was a distillation of his successful tactics. He also shared his views on creation of a fighter arm, and the organization of fighter squadrons.

Boelcke was sent on a tour of the Balkans. He transited Austria to visit Turkey. On the return trip he visited Bulgaria and the Russian Front. Along the way, he interviewed pilots. Boelcke was visiting Wilhelm in Kovel when he received a telegram from Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen appointing him to raise, organize and command Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 2.

Creation of Jasta Boelcke[link]

He was given permission by the head of German aviation, ''Feldflugchef'' (Aviation Chief of Staff) ''Oberstleutnant'' Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen, to choose his own pilots to form a fighter squadron. Along the way, he interviewed pilots. Among his first selections upon his return were Manfred von Richthofen, Erwin Böhme and Hans Reimann.

Boelcke was appointed commander of his hand-picked group of pilots on 30 August 1916. Three squadrons were the first ones founded, on 10 August 1916, but among them, ''Jagdstaffel 2'' became the premier German unit. It ended the war with 20 aces among its members, a total of 336 victories, and a casualty list of only 44. In the beginning, however, Boelcke started with only the empty buildings vacated by FFA 32 in the Vélu Woods. As of 27 August, the fledgling ''jasta'' had three officers and 64 other ranks on strength, but no aircraft. But as of 8 September, there were eight pilots on board, including Manfred von Richthofen and Erwin Böhme. Three days later, Böhme noted he was pushing for permission to use his castoff Halberstadt, since Boelcke had a Fokker; there seemed to be four aircraft in the squadron by then. On 16 September, Boelcke's new squadron received five new Albatros D.Is for the pilots, and an improved Albatros D.II for the Staffelfuhrer. Boelcke promptly put the new fighters in the air on the first-ever fighter unit effort to gain local air superiority. At 1300 hours 16 September, Boelcke and five of his pilots took off; they intercepted a British bombing raid on Marcoing Railway Station. While Boelcke held aside, his five tyros bounced a British formation of 14 planes, broke it up, and shot down two. The master himself added another.

Boelcke shot down 10 Royal Flying Corps aircraft in his first month with ''Jasta 2'', September 1916. He would fly a solo mission in the morning and return to his "cubs", who would ask if he had scored again. He would ask them if his chin was black with burnt cordite from his machine guns' breech. If it was, he had fired his gun and scored. However, in contrast to his freebooting style, his pilots always flew in disciplined formations in practice, and he repeatedly drilled them in his tactics. Among them were his famed combat rules, called "Boelcke's ''Dicta''", which were the first systematic analysis of air combat and continued to be applicable through World War II. Despite his run of personal successes, Boelcke's attitude is best expressed thus, in his own words: "Everything depends on sticking together when the ''Staffel'' goes into battle. It does not matter who actually scores the victory as long as the ''Staffel'' wins." He not only preached this doctrine to his own "cubs"; he proselytized throughout the ''Luftstreitkräfte''. He wrote upon his ideas, sketched them out and delivered them in person to other aerodromes.

Death in action[link]

Boelcke set out on 28 October 1916 for his sixth sortie of the day with his two best pilots, Manfred von Richthofen and Erwin Böhme, and three others. Before they had set out on their attack, Boelcke, rushing to get ready, failed to properly strap on his safety belt. The patrol eventually led them into a dogfight with single-seater DH.2 fighters from No. 24 squadron RFC.

In the ensuing dogfight, Boelcke and Böhme, unaware of each other's presence, closed in on the same aircraft, flown by Captain Arthur Knight. Von Richthofen dived in on the flight path of that very same aircraft; he was chasing the other DH.2, piloted by Lieutenant Alfred Edwin McKay. Boelcke swerved to avoid a collision with the interceding aircraft. Böhme's landing gear brushed Boelcke's upper wing. As the fabric peeled off the upper wing of his aircraft, Boelcke struggled for control. He and his aircraft fell out of sight into a cloud. When it emerged, the top wing was gone. However, Boelcke made a relatively soft crash-landing. The impact seemed survivable. However, his lap belt did not restrain him, and he never wore a helmet when he flew.

Minutes later, the pilot's lifeless body was pulled from his smashed Albatros D.II. The great Oswald Boelcke, victor of 40 aerial engagements, was dead at age 25.

Both Böhme and Richthofen left descriptions of the catastrophe. Richthofen's account, from his memoirs:

Böhme also remarked, "Why did he, the irreplaceable, have to be the victim of this blind fate, and why not I?"

Böhme, blaming himself for Boelcke's death, had to be talked out of committing suicide. As the Fatherland mourned, Boelcke was buried with full honors at his aerodrome in Cambrai. The Royal Flying Corps dropped a wreath a day later over Jasta 2 which read, "To the memory of Captain Boelcke, a brave and chivalrous foe."

In honor of their great leader, ''Jasta 2'' was officially named "Jasta Boelcke" on 17 December 1916, a name the squadron still bears to this very day. Erwin Böhme was killed exactly one year, one month, and one day after his collision with Boelcke.

In the end, Boelcke had died because of a violation of one of his own dicta, which stated to never close in on a single combatant when others are also pursuing it.

Orders and Medals[link]

Prussian / Imperial German Pour le Mérite, 12 January 1916, after his eighth victory Iron Cross, First Class, January 27, 1915 Iron Cross, Second Class, December 10, 1914 Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight’s Cross with Swords, 1 November 1916, after his sixth victory Life Saving Medal, 12 December 1915, for saving Albert DePlace from drowning in the canal, 29 August 1915

Duchy of Anhalt

House Order of Albert the Bear, Knight’s Cross, First Class

House Order of Albert the Bear, Knight’s Cross, Second Class

Friedrich Cross, Second Class

Kingdom of Bavaria

Military Merit Order, Fourth Class with Swords

Other Military Order for Bravery, Third Class (Kingdom of Bulgaria), 9 August 1916 Turkish War Medal of 1915 (Ottoman Empire), awarded personally by Enver Pascha, 15 July 1916

Imtiyaz Medal (Ottoman Empire)

References in popular culture[link]

Jeff Shaara's ''To the Last Man: A Novel of the First World War'' is a novel of World War I and especially the flying aces such as Oswald Boelcke.

See also[link]

Max Ritter von Mulzer

References[link]

;Notes ;Bibliography

Franks, Norman. ''Jasta Boelcke: The History of Jasta 2, 1916–18.'' London: Grub Street, 2004. ISBN 1-904010-76-8.

Franks, Norman L. R., Frank W.; Bailey and Russell Guest. ''Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914–1918.'' London: Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0-948817-73-9.

Guttman, Jon. ''Pusher Aces of World War 1.'' Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2009. ISBN 1-84603-417-5.

Van Wyngarden, Greg. ''Early German Aces of World War I'' (Aircraft of the Aces 73). Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2006. ISBN 1-84176-997-5.

von Richthofen, Manfred. ''The Red Battle Flyer.'' New York: R. M. McBride & Co, 1918.

Werner, Prof. Johannes. ''Boelcke der Mensch, der Flieger, der Führer der deutschen Jagdfliegerei''. Leipzig: K.F. Koehler Verlag, 1932, and translated and published in English as ''Knight of Germany: Oswald Boelcke, German Ace.'' Havertown, PA: Casemate 2009, first edition 1985. ISBN 978-1-935149-11-8.

External links [link]

''Jasta Boelcke'': Biography of Oswald Boelcke

Category:1891 births Category:1916 deaths Category:Aerial warfare pioneers Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in France Category:German military personnel killed in World War I Category:German military personnel of World War I Category:German World War I flying aces Category:Luftstreitkräfte personnel Category:People from the Province of Saxony Category:Recipients of the House Order of Hohenzollern Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)

cs:Oswald Boelcke de:Oswald Boelcke es:Oswald Boelcke fr:Oswald Boelcke it:Oswald Boelcke hu:Oswald Boelcke nl:Oswald Boelcke no:Oswald Boelcke pl:Oswald Boelcke pt:Oswald Boelcke ru:Бёльке, Освальд sk:Oswald Boelcke sl:Oswald Boelcke fi:Oswald Boelcke sv:Oswald Boelcke tr:Oswald Bölcke

name	Franz Büchner
birth date	2 January 1898
death date	18 March 1920
birth place	Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony, Germany
death place	Near Leipzig
placeofburial coordinates
allegiance	Germany
branch	Infantry, flying service
serviceyears	1914–1920
unit	7th Infantry Regiment #106, FFA 270, Jasta 9, Jasta 13
awards	Pour le Merite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, Saxon Military Order of St. Henry, Saxon Albert Order
laterwork	}}

Franz Büchner (2 January 1898 – 18 March 1920) was one of the most successful German fighter aces of the First World War, shooting down 40 enemy aircraft. He would survive the war, but die in 1920 while combating the communist revolutionaries in his nation.

Early career[link]

Büchner was born in Leipzig in the Kingdom of Saxony, the son of a businessman. He volunteered for the army in September 1914, aged 16. He served in the Royal Saxon 7th Infantry Regiment Nr. 106 (''Kgl. Sächsisches 7. Infanterie-Regiment König Georg Nr. 106''). After surviving a case of typhoid fever, he fought on both the Eastern and Western fronts. He was subsequently commissioned in 1916 shortly after his 18th birthday. He was wounded in combat in France on 3 April 1916. After his recovery, he transferred to the German Army Air Service, or Luftstreitkräfte, and was assigned as an observation pilot with FFA 270.

Service as fighter pilot[link]

In March 1917 Büchner became a fighter pilot, joining the Prussian Jagdstaffel 9 where he scored his first and only victory with them, on 17 August. Upon his transfer to Jagdstaffel 13, he found his niche under Rudolph Berthold, one of Germany's most dedicated soldiers. However, it was several months before he scored again, on 15 October.

With the introduction of the Fokker D.VII in 1918, Büchner came into his own; he flew at least three different machines during his career, scoring three victories in June and becoming Commanding Officer of the Jasta on 15 June. It was after his fifth victory that he landed and announced to his squadron colleagues that he had now learned how to win in aerial combat. It was a prescient statement.

On 2 July, he shot down and killed "The Mad Major", Irish 5-victory ace Major Joseph Callaghan, CO of No. 87 Squadron, who was flying a Sopwith Dolphin in a solo attack on Jasta 13. Five days later, he followed up with Canadian ace Lieutenant Merrill Taylor (7 victories), killed in a Sopwith Camel of No. 209 Squadron.

On 29 July 1918 Büchner shot an American Sopwith Camel down in flames with just 14 rounds. His wingman, Leutnant Werner Niethammer, cited this combat as an illustration of Büchner's skill as a marksman; according to Niethammer's account, Büchner had no sooner spotted the American than he had set the enemy aircraft on fire. This would be the last of his seven victories in July.

On 10 August, Büchner's career nearly ended. While attacking and shooting down a two seater in bad flying weather, his plane's fuel tank was hit. Drenched in gasoline, he landed in no man's land and tagged along with two retreating German machine gunners. The incident does not seem to have slowed him down. It was the second of his eight victories in August.

In September Büchner scored 17 victories, the top scoring German fighter pilot for the month. On 10 October, Büchner survived a mid-air collision with fellow Jasta pilot Michaelis; both of them parachuted to safety.

He brought his tally to 40 victories by 22 October 1918. Three days later he was awarded the Pour le Mérite on 25 October 1918, one of the last awards before the Kaiser's abdication.

Besides the Pour le Mérite, Prussia's highest military honor, Büchner also received the highest military honor of his home state, Saxony's Military Order of St. Henry (''Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden''), on October 7, 1918. Büchner's other decorations include the Prussian Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the Knight's Cross with Swords of Prussia's Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, the Knight's Cross with Swords of Saxony's Merit Order, and the Knight's Cross with Swords of Saxony's Albert Order.

Post war service[link]

In the turbulent postwar period the 22-year-old Büchner flew against communist revolutionaries but was killed during a reconnaissance flight near his hometown of Leipzig on March 18, 1920, three days after Berthold was murdered in Harburg.

Sources cited[link]

External links[link]

Büchner's page on The Aerodrome.com

Buechner's page in aviation history.

Buechner's page in World War I history.

World War I parachutists

References[link]

''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914-1918''. Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1994. ISBN 0948817739, 9780948817731.

''Fokker D VII Aces of World War I''. Norman Franks, Greg VanWyngarden. Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1841765333, 9781841765334.

''Jagdgeschwader Nr II: Geschwader Berthold''. Greg VanWyngarden. Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1841767271, 9781841767277.

Category:1898 births Category:1920 deaths Category:Military of Saxony Category:People from Leipzig Category:People from the Kingdom of Saxony Category:German World War I flying aces Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Category:German military personnel of World War I

cs:Franz Büchner de:Franz Büchner (Jagdflieger) fr:Franz Büchner pl:Franz Büchner sk:Franz Büchner

Name	Max Immelmann
Birth date	21 September 1890
Death date	18 June 1916 (aged 25)
Birth place	Dresden
Death place	Sallaumines
Nickname	''Der Adler von Lille'' (The Eagle of Lille)
Allegiance	German Empire
Branch	''Imperial German Army''''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Army Air Service)
Serviceyears	1911 - 1912 (Army)1914 - 1916 (Army Air Service)
Rank	Oberleutnant
Unit	''Eisenbahnregiment Nr. 2'', ''Eisenbahnregiment Nr. 1'', FEA 2, FFA 10, FAA 62
Awards	Prussia: Pour le MériteIron Cross, First ClassIron Cross, Second ClassKnight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern Saxony: Military Order of St. Henry, Commander's CrossMilitary Order of St. Henry, Knight's CrossAlbert Order, Knight 2nd Class with SwordsSilver Friedrich August Medal Bavaria: Military Merit Order 4th Class with Swords Anhalt: Friedrich Cross Hamburg: Hanseatic Cross Germany: Army Pilot's Badge }}

Max Immelmann (21 September 1890 – 18 June 1916) was the first German World War I flying ace. He was a great pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchronized gun. His name has become attached to common flying tactics, and remains a byword in aviation.

Early life[link]

He was born in Dresden to an industrialist father, who died when Max was young. After leaving school, he joined the ''Eisenbahnregiment Nr. 2'' in 1911, in pursuit of a commission. He left the army in March 1912 to study mechanical engineering in Dresden. He returned to service on the outbreak of war, as a reserve officer candidate. He was assigned to ''Eisenbahnregiment Nr. 1'', but soon transferred to aviation.

Wartime career[link]

When World War I started, Immelmann was recalled to active service, transferred to the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' and was sent for pilot training at Johannisthal Air Field in November 1914. He was initially stationed in northern France.

Immelmann served as a pilot with ''Fliegerabteilung 10'' from February to April 1915, and then in ''Flg Abt 62''. On several occasions he engaged in combat while flying the L.V.G. two seaters with which his units were equipped, but never with any success. On 3 June 1915, he was shot down by a French pilot but managed to land safely behind German lines. Immelmann was decorated with the Iron Cross, Second Class for preserving his aircraft.

When two very early versions of the Fokker Eindeckers were delivered to the unit, one Fokker M.5K/MG production prototype numbered ''E.3/15'' for Oswald Boelcke's use, with Immelmann receiving ''E.13/15'' as a production Fokker E.I, it was with the ''E.13/15'' aircraft that he gained his first ''confirmed'' air victory of the war on 1 August 1915, a fortnight after ''Leutnant'' Kurt Wintgens obtained the very first confirmed German aerial victory on July 15, 1915 with his own Fokker M.5K/MG production prototype ''E.5/15'' Eindecker, one of five built, following two unconfirmed ones on July 1 and 4, all before Immelmann.:

"Like a hawk, I dived... and fired my machine gun. For a moment, I believed I would fly right into him. I had fired about 60 shots when my gun jammed. That was awkward, for to clear the jam I needed both hands - I had to fly completely without hands... "

Lieutenant William Reid fought back valiantly, flying with his left hand and firing a pistol with his right. Nonetheless, the 450 bullets fired at him took their effect; Reid suffered four wounds in his left arm, and his airplane's engine quit, causing a crashlanding. The unarmed Immelmann landed nearby, took Reid prisoner, and rendered first aid.

Immelmann became one of the first German fighter pilots, quickly building an impressive score of air victories. During September, three more victories followed, and then in October he became solely responsible for the air defense of the city of Lille. Immelmann became known as ''The Eagle of Lille'' (''Der Adler von Lille''). He gained two further victories during September, to become the first German ace.

Immelmann flirted with the position of occasionally being Germany's leading ace, trading that spot off with that other pioneer ace, Oswald Boelcke. Having come second to Boelcke for his sixth victory, and thus second to be awarded the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern for this feat, on 15 December, Immelmann shot down his seventh British plane and moved into an unchallenged lead in the ace race.

Immelmann was the first pilot to be awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'', Germany's highest military honour, receiving it on the day of his eighth win. The medal became unofficially known as the "Blue Max" in the German Air Service in honor of Immelmann. His medal was presented by Kaiser Wilhelm II on 12 January 1916. Oswald Boelcke received his medal at the same time.

Boelcke scored again two days later. Immelmann would chase him in the ace race for the next four months, drawing even on 13 March at 11 each, losing the lead on the 19th, regaining it on Easter Sunday (23 April) 14 to 13, losing it again forever on 1 May. It was about this time, on 25 April, that Immelmann received a salutary lesson in the improvement of British aircraft. As the German ace himself described his attack on two Airco DH.2s, "The two worked splendidly together...and put 11 shots into my machine. The petrol tank, the struts on the fuselage, the undercarriage and the propeller were hit... It was not a nice business."

On 31 May, Immelmann, Max Ritter von Mulzer, and another German pilot attacked a formation of seven British aircraft. Immelmann was flying a two-gun Fokker E.IV, and when he opened fire, the synchronizing gear malfunctioned. A stream of bullets cut off the tip of a propeller blade. The thrashing of the unbalanced air screw nearly shook the aircraft's Oberursel engine loose from its mounts before he could cut the ignition and glide to a dead-stick landing.

Death[link]

In the late afternoon of 18 June 1916, Immelmann led a flight of four Fokker E.III Eindeckers in search of a flight of eight F.E.2b reconnaissance aircraft of 25 Squadron Royal Flying Corps over Sallaumines in northern France. The British flight had just crossed the lines near Arras, with the intent of photographing the German infantry and artillery positions within the area, when Immelmann's flight intercepted them. After a long-running fight, scattering the participants over an area of some 30 square miles, Immelmann brought down one of the enemy aircraft, wounding both the pilot and observer. This was his 16th victory.

Later that same evening, Immelmann in Fokker E.III, serial 246/16, encountered No. 25 Squadron again, this time near the village of Lentz. Immediately, he got off a burst which hit the pilot of one of the pushers, killing him instantly. This was his 17th victory. The crew of the second aircraft he closed on, which Max Ritter von Mulzer downed a few minutes later, was piloted by Second Lieutenant G.R. McCubbin with Corporal J. H. Waller as gunner/observer, and was credited by the British with shooting Immelmann down. On the German side, many had seen Immelmann as invincible and could not conceive the notion that he had fallen to enemy fire. Meanwhile, British authorities awarded McCubbin the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Service Medal and sergeant's stripes for Waller.

The German Air Service at the time claimed the loss was due to (friendly) anti-aircraft fire. Others, including Immelmann's brother, believed his aircraft's gun synchronisation (designed to enable his machine gun to fire between the whirling propeller blades without damaging them) had malfunctioned with catastrophic results. This is not in itself unreasonable, as early versions of such gears frequently malfunctioned in this way. Indeed, this had already happened to Immelmann twice before (while testing two- and three-machine gun installations), although on each occasion, he had been able to land safely. McCubbin, in a 1935 interview, claimed that immediately after Immelmann shot down McCubbin's squadron mate, the German ace began an Immelmann turn, McCubbin and Wall swooped down from a greater altitude and opened fire, and the pioneer German ace fell out of the sky. Wall also pointed out later that the British bullets could have hit Immelmann's propeller.

In fact, damage to the propeller seems unlikely to have been the primary cause of the structural failure evident in accounts of the crash of his aircraft, although it is possible that a sudden stall and spin resulting from the sudden loss of motive power could have caused structural failure. At 2,000 meters, the tail was seen to break away from the rest of Immelmann's Fokker, the wings detached or folded, and what remained of the fuselage fell straight down, carrying the 25-year old Oberleutnant to his death. His body was recovered by the German 6 Armee from the twisted wreckage, laying smashed and lifeless over what was left of the surprisingly intact Oberursel engine (sometimes cited as under it), but was only identified because he had his initials embroidered on his handkerchief.

Immelmann was given a state funeral and buried in his home of Dresden. His body was later exhumed, however, and cremated in the Dresden-Tolkewitz Crematorium.

The present-day Luftwaffe has dubbed Squadron AG-51 the "Immelmann Squadron" in his honour.

Personality [link]

Max had a lonely devotion to his pet dog, Tyras, who often slept within or on his bed. He didn't smoke or drink and wrote daily to his mother. When he flew he wore old velvet trousers but on the ground dressed at his best. He loved having his photo taken whenever he had a new medal.

Promotion record and regimental assignments [link]

Cadet, Dresden Cadet School, 1908–1911

''Fähnrich mit Portepee'' (Swordknot Ensign), Eisenbahn-Regiment Nr 2 (2nd Railway Regiment), 4 April 1911

Pilot in training, Aviation Replacements Section, 12 November 1914 – 31 March 1915; received Imperial German Pilot’s Badge

Assigned, FA (''Flieger-Abteilung'') 10, ''Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches'' (Flying Section 10, Imperial German Flying Corps), February - 28 April 1915 Assigned, FA 62, 28 April 1915 - 1916 ''Leutnant'' (Second Lieutenant), Royal Saxony Army Reserves, 14 July 1915 ("Full") ''Leutnant'', Royal Saxon Army (active list), April 1916

Orders and Medals [link]

Kingdom of Saxony Military Order of St. Henry, Knight Commander, 30 March 1916, after his 12th and 13th victories Military Order of St. Henry, Knight, 21 September 1915 Albert Order, Knight's Cross with Swords (Silver) ''Friedrich August Medal'', “For Gallantry in the Face of the Enemy”, 15 July 1915

Kingdom of Prussia / Imperial German ''Pour le Mérite'', 12 January 1916, after his eighth victory Iron Cross, First Class, 1 August 1915, after his first victory Iron Cross, Second Class, 3 June 1915, after flying a successful reconnaissance mission with Lt. von Teubern (observer) Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight's Cross with Swords, November 1915

Kingdom of Bavaria Military Merit Order, Fourth Class, ca. 6–12 December 1915

Miscellaneous German Hanseatic Cross (Hamburg), 15 March 1916, after flying aerial defense for the Mayor of Hamburg

Other The Turkish War Medal of 1915 (Ottoman Empire), April/May 1916 Imtiyaz Medal in Silver (Ottoman Empire), April/May 1916

Fokker Eindecker[link]

Immelmann will forever be associated with the Fokker Eindecker, Germany's first fighter aircraft, and the first such aircraft to be armed with a machine gun synchronised to fire forward, through the propeller arc. Immelmann, along with Oswald Boelcke and other pilots, was one of the main exponents of the Fokker Eindecker, resulting in the Fokker Scourge which inflicted heavy loses upon British and French aircrews during 1915.

The machine he flew during his first five victories had a seven-cylinder 80 horsepower Oberursel U.0 rotary engine, and bore the serial number ''E.13/15'' on its fuselage. According to Immelmann, it was retired and shipped off to Berlin for display at the Zeughaus Museum, in March 1916., but was wrecked in the first bombing raids of the Royal Air Force in 1940, during World War II.

The Immelmann turn[link]

This refers to two quite different aerobatic maneuvers. The first of these is the one now known as an "Immelmann" (also frequently spelled'' "Immelman",'' in literature and media). # A half loop followed by a half roll on top, used to rapidly reverse the direction of flight. This maneuver would not have been practical in the primitive, underpowered fighters of 1915–1916, and its connection with the German fighter ace is most doubtful. # During World War I, an "Immelmann turn" was actually a sharp rudder turn off a vertical zoom climb (almost to a full stall) or modified chandelle followed by a steep dive. Immelmann may very well have originated this maneuver, or at least used it in combat, although this cannot be authenticated.

See also[link]

Aerobatics

Flying Ace

Fokker Eindecker

Fokker Scourge

Oswald Boelcke

Pour le Mérite

Immelmann turn

Immelmann Loop

References[link]

;Notes ;Citations ;Bibliography

Guttman, Jon. ''Pusher Aces of World War 1''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Co, 2009. ISBN 978-1-84603-417-6.

Immelmann, Frantz. ''Der Adler von Lille''. Liepzig: K.F. Koehler Verlag, 1934, reprinted as ''Immelmann: The Eagle of Lille.'' Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2009. ISBN 978-1-932033-98-4.

Shores, Christopher, ''Air Aces''. Greenwich, CT, Bison Books, 1983. ISBN 0-86124-104-4.

Thompson, J. Steve with Peter C. Smith. ''Air Combat Manoeuvres: The Technique and History of Air Fighting for Flight Simulation.'' Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-903223-98-7.

van Wyngarden, G. ''Early German Aces of World War I''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2006. ISBN 1-84176-997-5.

Wheeler, Allen. ''Building Aeroplanes for Those Magnificent Men'' London:Foulis, 1965

External links[link]

Ace Pilots: Immelmann

First World War: Immelmann

Spartacus: Immelmann

Max Immelmann page at theaerodrome.com

Photo of the wreckage of Immelmann's Fokker E.III

click to see animated illustration of an Immelmann

Category:1890 births Category:1916 deaths Category:Aviators killed by being shot down Category:German World War I flying aces Category:Luftstreitkräfte personnel Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross Category:Recipients of the House Order of Hohenzollern Category:Recipients of the Military Order of St. Henry Category:Recipients of the Albert Order Category:Recipients of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria) Category:Recipients of the Hanseatic Cross Category:German military personnel killed in World War I Category:People from Dresden Category:People from the Kingdom of Saxony

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