02. Oswald Boelcke (Father of Air Fighting Tactics)

Born in a schoolmaster's family, His father and his family went back to Argentina, the place where they just return. His three siblings were born in Argentina later. Years later, his family moved back to Germany again. 

He wasn't really healthy when he was young though, as he once caught whooping cough, after recovery, he tried to build his stamina, however, he had the tendency toward asthma. He learned alot of sports, but he did't became very tall after all of these efforts.

Bearing in a nationalist and a militarist's family, he showed interests in it under the influence of his father, and wrote a personal letter to Kaiser(King in German) to ask to attend the military school. Though he was granted, his parents were objected to it.He attended Herzog Friedrichs-Gymnasium instead,graduated at Easter, 1911. Then he started his military life.

At the WWI, the "war of all war" started, he transferred to Fliegertruppe, He passed his final pilot's exam on 15 August 1914, then immediately posted to active duty. As his elder brother served in the military too, he was pulled into ihs brother's squadron. He won an Iron Cross Second Class for flying over 50 missions. However, they were antipathy by others, and, he was transferred away from his brother.

Boelcke was transferred to FFA 62 in April 1915 which was based at Douai. This was a reconnaissance unit using LVG C.II two-seater aircraft to observe and adjust artillery fire. However, sometimes enemy will come to expel them. 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. Later they landed and confirmed the enemy pilot's death.

LVG C.II

LVG C.II (front)

Boelcke won his first individual aerial combat while flying in E.3/15 on 19 August 1915. However, hero won't just to be remember by killing enemies. He saved a French boy from drowning near his base, with himself fully clothed.he received the Prussian Lifesaving Medal.

E.3/15

He moved from base to base during that period, downed four more aircraft before the end of the year. But his partner, his greatest competitor was just after him. They started a "horse race" for the metal House Order of Hohenzollern. Boelcke won it first at last via shooting down the enemy before his competitor got it six days after.

He and his pilot friends started another race -- the ace race. His friend's tactic was so great that he sometimes surpassed him in the amount. But Boelcke started to evolution his way to shoot enemies--kill the pilot instead of destroy the war machine. He won the competition at last, named as (ace in German)

At this mean time, he changed his aircraft into newer Halberstadt single-gun biplane fighters, and twin-gun armed Albatros biplane aircraft, both types fitted with synchronized guns.  Though this made the German advantage again, Boelcke still work on his own counter methods: flying in tight formations, accurate gunnery in combat and remaining within his own German lines.

Halberstadt D.II

However, their competition was known by the Wilhelm II, the German Emperor. After one of his friend, and his main competitor was killed in an accident,he was grounded for fear that the country will lose another ace. 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. Choosing between a desk job and a tour of the Middle East. At the end of his middle tour, after he met the Emperor, he was announced to raise, organize and command his own tactical fighter squadron-- Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 2.

He was known as the "Gentleman Pilot" as he informed the enemy's references for the news that they were alife. Boelcke's kindness led to the newspaper comment that he was a "Gentleman Pilot", known as it since then.

He formed Jagdstaffel 2, the first real fighter squadron in Germany. The  Jagdstaffel 2 created alot of ace fighers, including the red baron:Manfred von Richthofen. At first, they have the problem that they are lack of planes, as they even use worn 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. They become the crawler on the sky huntung enemies via their guns.

 Unfortunately, aces dropped out of the sky.

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 strap on his safety belt properly. This caused his death at last. 

In the ensuing dogfight, Boelcke and Böhme, unaware of each other's presence, closed in on the same aircraft, trying to persuade it. Boelcke swerved to avoid a collision with the interceding aircraft that flew by Richthofen, and 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.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. Oswald Boelcke, the victor of 40 aerial engagements, was dead at age 25.

In the end, Boelcke had died because of a violation of one of his own dicta, which was quite ironic.