Oswald Boelcke : Germany's first fighter ace and father of air combat / R. G. Head, Brigadier General, USAF ; foreword by General Ron Fogleman, USAF Chief of Staff 1994-1997.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Head, Richard G., author.

Contributor:

Fogleman, Ron, writer of foreword.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Boelcke, Oswald, 1891-1916.

Boelcke, Oswald.

Germany. Luftwaffe--Biography.

Germany.

Fighter pilots--Germany--Biography.

Fighter pilots.

World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations, German.

World War, 1914-1918.

World War, 1914-1918--Biography.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (241 pages) : illustrations, photographs

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London : Grub Street, [2016]

Summary:

This biography of the pioneering WWI flying ace who mentored the Red Baron is "fascinating... [it] captures combat aviation at its inception" ( MiG Sweep: The Magazine of Aviation Warriors ). With a total of forty victories, Oswald Boelcke was Germany's first ace in World War I-and a century later he remains a towering figure in the history of air warfare, renowned for his character, inspirational leadership, organizational genius, development of air-to-air tactics, and impact on aerial doctrine. Paving the way for modern air forces across the world with his pioneering strategies, Boelcke had a dramatic effect on his contemporaries. The famed Red Baron's mentor, instructor, squadron commander, and friend, he exerted a tremendous influence upon the German air force. He was one of the first pilots to be awarded the famous Pour le Mérite, commonly recognized as the "Blue Max." All of this was achieved after overcoming medical obstacles in childhood and later life with willpower and determination. Boelcke even gained the admiration of his enemies: After his tragic death in a midair collision, Britain's Royal Flying Corps dropped a wreath on his funeral, and several of his captured foes sent another wreath from their German prison camp. His name and legacy live on, as seen in the Luftwaffe's designation of the Tactical Air Force Wing 31 "Boelcke." This definitive biography reveals his importance as a fighter pilot who set the standard in military aviation.

Contents:

Intro

Title

Copyright

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue

Acknowledgements

Foreword General Ron Fogleman

Introduction The Birth of Aerial Warfare

I Flying in World War I

II Short History of the German Air Service

III Boelcke's Early Life and Entry into the Army

IV World War I Begins - 1914

V Fighter Aviation Begins - 1915

VI The Ace Race

VII Boelcke and the Blue Max - 1916 Map: The German front line 1916

VIII Boelcke's Dicta

IX The Battle of the Somme -July 1916

X The Formation of Jasta 2

XII ntroduction of the Albatros Fighter

XII Jasta 2 in Ascendance - October 1916

XIII Boelcke's Last Flight

XIV Air Combat After Boelcke

XV Boelcke's Legacy

XVI Conclusions

Afterword Colonel Gert Overhoff

APPENDICES

A. Oswald Boelcke Chronology

B. The Victories of Oswald Boelcke

C. Jasta Boelcke Aces

D. Jasta Boelcke's Record of Victories &amp

Losses

E. Evolution of the Albatros Fighter

F. Four Views on Aerial Tactics:

The Red Baron's Dicta - Manfred von Richthofen

Mick Mannock's Practical Rules of Air Fighting

Albert Ball's Note on Attacking a Formation with a Lewis Gun and Foster Mounting

Dicta Hartmann

G. How This Book Came to be Written

Endnotes

List of Terms

A Note on Sources

Bibliography.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 230-234) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781910690666

191069066X