WAR AIRMEN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 256, 21 June 1932, Page 8

WAR AIRMEN

great germans DUELS AND HAIR-BREADTH ESCAPES IN MIDAIR. & FEW ACES SURVIVE. Like their British prototypes, most of the greatest German air pilots of the war failed to survive the war, wi'ites Captain G. E. G. Round. Although skill was essential to aufighting pilot, lpck played a conspicuous part in his life. ilt was only a matter of time before the most successful men met their inevitable fate. All those "knights of the air" who made great names for themselves during the war achieved their success while flying single-seater fighting planes. Their less fortunate hrotbers in twoseaters, who carried out bomb raids, made observations for tl.e artillery, and took photographs, were seldom herd of . Of the earlier German air men, Max Immelmann was the most conspicuous. In the summer of 1915 he \Vas supreme on the Western front. His narne will go down to posterity as the originator of the Immelmann turn, a manoeuvre which he adopted with great success. The turn consists of pulling the machine up to the vertical, then applying full rudder, c^using it to cartwheel over, eventuaPy coming out in a dive facing the direction opposite to that in which the manoeuvre was begun. In June, 1916, Lieutenant McCuhbin, of the Royal Flying Corps, shot Immelmann down. Immelmann was killed. Formation Fighting. One of the most noted Germans of the war was Oswald Boelcke, who was the first to inaugurate the practice of fighting in the air in large formations. Boelcke was given the job of organising the first jagdstaffel — a formation of singe-seater fighters. One of the first men to join the staffel under Boelclce's command was Manfred von Richthofen, who later became the best known German pilot of the war. During the latter part of 1916, owing chiefly to its superior fighting machines, the German Flying Corps were very definitely on top. Boelcke's genius contributed in a measure to this superiority. He was absolutely fearless, hut unlike many of his contemporaries who were imbued with the lust to kill, it was said that he genuinely hated killing his victims, and would far rather force them to land without fatal results. On Octoher 28, 1916, Boelcke met his death in a most unlucky manner. He was landing his staffel near Contalmaison, in France, when it became engaged with two British machines. Boelcke attacked one and Richthofen attacked the other. An inexperienced member of the German formation dived on to the English plane engaged with Boelcke, and in doing so struck one of Boelcke's wings with his own wing tip, Boelcke's wing fell off, and he was killed, although the other pilot escaped. Boelcke shot down forty Allied planes. On the day of his funeral many British machines flew over the German lines and the pilots dropped wreaths attached to parachutes. Superstitious. Another original member of Boelcke's Staffel who was possessed of great skill and daring was Lieutenant Werner Voss. On September 23, 1917, he met his death while fighting against great odds. In company with three comrades, Voss became engaged with Six Britons flying SE5's. Like many airmen during the war, Voss was- superstitious. His silver-grey Fokker tri-plane had a hlack skull and Crossbones painted on its side. For some time Voss proved to be more than a match for the fiight of six SE's, which included two redoubtable fighters in McCudden and RhysDavids. Eventually the fight developed into a duel hetween Voss and RhysDavids, who fought lower and lower until Voss was sent hurling to the ground. Soon after the death of Boelcke, Richthofen was given command of the staffel, which thence onward was called the Boelcke Jagastaffel. The name of Baron Manfred von Richthofen will be remembered long for his remarkable career as a fighting pilot. During 1917 and the earlier part of 1918 he, together with his "circus," was a thorn in the side of the British opponents. Many and grotesque were the colour schemes adopted by the fighting pilots of either side to decorate their machines. Richthofen and his "circus" flew red machines, and -Richthofen alluded to himself as the "Red Air Fighter." He was credited with having destroyed more than eighty enemy planes, although it is prohable that not all of this numher crashed. Perhaps one of his most exciting duels was that in which he fought Major Hawker, V.C., in November, 1*916. From a height of 10,000 feet Hawker and Richthofen fought for half an hour, until, at a little more than 100 feet from the ground, Hawker was shot in the head and crashed to earth. Richthofen's Death. Most of Richthofen's successes were obtained while flying the Albatross Scout, but ultimately he met his death on April 21, 1918, while flying a Fokker triplane. His death has been the subject of considerable controversy. Many people attribute his end to Captain Brown, of 209 Squadron of the | Royal Air Force, but the Lewis gunners of the 53rd Battery of the Australian Field Artillery empbatically claim that they killed hi™ Another leading member of Richthofen's "circus" was Lieutenant Schaefer. Like his leader, Schaefer always remained cool and coleulatlng in a fight, and he was a deadly thot. He destroyed thirty Allied plan'.s before his death was brought about by Rhys-Davids. On one occasion Schaefer had an exceedingly narrow escape. While attacking a British machine at a low altitude he was shot down, hut he made a landing in No Man's Land. He remained in a shellhole until darkness, when ha mrfnaged to reach his own trenches in safety. Lothar von Richthofen, the haron's younger brother, was a member of the famous "red circus." He shot down forty British planes, and, with the exception of being wounded, he went through the war in safety. He was killed later in an accident. While

Manfred von Richthofen was cool and deliberate in all his fighting, the younger Lothar was rash and daring. In a "dog fight" in which Lothar von Richthofen was once engaged Captain Ball, V.C., was killed. Young Richthofen was credited unofficially with the death of the splendid British airman.