Erwin Böhme

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Erwin Böhme
Erwin Böhme.jpg
Born29 July 1879
Holzminden, German Empire
Died29 November 1917(1917-11-29) (aged 38)
over Zonnebeke, Belgium
AllegianceGerman Empire
Service/branchLuftstreitkräfte
Years of service1899, 1914 - 1917
RankOberleutnant
UnitKampfstaffel 10;
Jagdstaffel 2;
Jagdstaffel 29
Commands heldJagdstaffel 29;
Jagdstaffel 2
AwardsPour le Mérite
Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
Iron Cross
Relationsbrothers Erich, Gerhard, Rudolf (KIA), Martin (KIA)

Erwin Böhme (29 July 1879 – 29 November 1917), Pour le Mérite, was a German World War I fighter ace credited with 24 aerial victories. He was born in Holzminden, and grew into an athletic outdoorsman, becoming a proficient swimmer, ice skater, skier, and alpinist. After serving his mandatory military service in 1899, and earning a civil engineering degree, he moved to Switzerland for three years of mountaineering adventure. He then became interested in German East Africa, moving there in 1908 and taking up a six year employment contract on a timber plantation in Tanganyika.

In July 1914, Böhme took ship to Europe, planning on an alpine holiday. He debarked into the start of World War I. Despite being 35 years old, he returned to his old infantry unit, then trained as a pilot and became a flight instructor, fighter ace and squadron leader. While engaged in aerial battles for his empire, he also carried out a courtship via correspondence. During Böhme's combat career, he was a subordinate and close friend of Germany's leading ace of the time, Oswald Boelcke, and was inadvertently responsible for Boelcke's death on 28 October 1916. Böhme was also a friend, colleague, and eventually subordinate to Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron. Erwin Böhme was killed in action a month after his betrothal, while leading his squadron into combat. He died five days after receiving notice he had won the German Empire's highest award for valor, the Pour le Merite, though he never had a chance to wear it.

Early life[]

Erwin Böhme was born on 29 July 1879 in Holzminden, on the banks of the Weser River in the Kingdom of Saxony. He was one of six children--a daughter and five sons, the other sons being Gerhard, Erich, Martin, and Rudolf. The latter two would also die in combat during World War I.[1]

Böhme was studious; he qualified as a civil engineer, graduating from a technical college in Dortmund. As was German law, he performed his national service, serving in a Garde-Jaeger Regiment in 1899. Then the restless youth moved to Switzerland to climb in the Alps.[2]

The move was not out of character for the young man. Böhme was a multi-talented athlete from his youth. He was an ice skater and a skier. Another sport he excelled in as he matured was mountaineering; he became the only foreign member of the Swiss Mountain Climber and Skier Guild. His prowess as a swimmer was demonstrated when he won a three kilometer race in Lake Zurich in a time of 52 minutes, 40 seconds on 30 July 1905.[2]

African sojourn[]

While in Switzerland, Böhme read the letters of a Swiss explorer in Africa and corresponded with him. Undeterred by the explorer's death in March 1908, Böhme found a German emigration society to sponsor his move to German East Africa. Hiking solo, Böhme left Berne, climbed up and over the Jungfrau and the Matterhorn, and descended the Italian peninsula to Genoa. He took ship for Africa there. Once in East Africa, he entered into a six year contract as an engineer for a German-owned timber plantation. He supervised the construction of the Usambara Railway from Neu-Hornow into the Pare Mountains of Tanganyika. The cedar timber extracted via the railroad was shipped to Germany for milling into pencil material by the Hubertus Mill.[2]

In July 1914, Böhme returned to Germany, intent on an alpine holiday. However, upon landing in the midst of war breaking out, he reported to his old infantry regiment, despite turning 35 at month's end. Erwin Böhme promptly volunteered for aviation duty.[2]

Flying service[]

Duty as a bomber pilot[]

Though Böhme was the oldest student in training, he passed flight school at the top of his class in December 1914. His expertise got him a posting to instructor duty for nearly a year.[2] In late November 1915, prompted by his request for transfer, he was sent to a tactical bomber unit, Kampfstaffel 11, at Mörchingen on the Eastern Front. The unit was commanded by Wilhelm Boelcke, elder brother of famous ace Oswald Boelcke. Teamed with a 47 year old observer manning the rear guns, Böhme submitted three combat claims for aerial victories; one claim for 2 August 1915 was reportedly confirmed, though it does not show on his official victory list.[1][3]

In February 1916, Kampfstaffel 11 moved its operations to the Western Front to support the opening of the Battle of Verdun. Shortly thereafter, on 5 March 1916,[4] Oswald Boelcke dropped in to visit his brother, flying a Fokker bearing combat scars. Later in March, Böhme began his combat career in the west by engaging Farmans and a Nieuport from the French Service Aéronautique. By May 1916, he had been commissioned, and was flying an Albatros fighter as well as his Roland LVG bomber.[3]

Romantic interlude[]

On 20 May 1916, Böhme managed time off from duty to visit the director of the Hubertus Mills. Director Heinrich Brüning and his wife were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary when an airplane swooped in and landed in a nearby meadow. Erwin and Martin Böhme had been dropped off by a friend to offer their congratulations and join the festivities. Among the other guests was Herr Brüning's eldest daughter. The attraction between herself and the ace was immediate. By the time the Böhme brothers departed the following day, Annemarie Brüning had agreed to regularly correspond with Erwin Böhme.[2]

Posted to fighter service[]

See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I and List of victories of Erwin Böhme

On 2 August 1916, Böhme scored his first accredited aerial victory, downing a Nieuport 12 over Radzyse. After an extended fight, Böhme killed Franco-Latvian ace Eduard Pulpe.[1] Eight days later, while Oswald Boelcke was on an official visit to his elder brother at Kampfstaffel 10, a telegram was received authorizing the establishment of the first German fighter squadrons, or Jagdstaffeln. Oswald Boelcke was given command of Jagdstaffel 2, and given a free hand to choose his pilots for the new unit. After the brothers conferred, Oswald Boelcke followed Wilhelm's recommendations. The first pilot recruited from Wilhelm's unit for the new Jagdstaffel 2 was Erwin Böhme; the second was his squadronmate, Manfred von Richthofen. Boelcke's choices were momentous. He gave Richthofen the opportunity to eventually become the war's ace of aces. In the case of Böhme, the 25-year-old Boelcke acquired a mature and worldly best friend, as well as an aggressive fighter pilot.[5] In turn, Böhme gave his opinion of Boelcke in a letter to Annemarie:[6]

Böhme disliked the Albatros D.I, considering it too slow.

"This unpretentious young man, far from allowing fame to turn his head, exhibits a maturity and detached presence that is straight away incredible..."

Böhme joined his new unit on 8 September 1916, after a month in transit. Nine days later, he used his newly issued Albatros D.I to score his first victory for the new squadron. Even as Boelcke scored his final run of 21 aerial victories during September and October 1916, Böhme shot down four more British airplanes.[7]

Tragedy[]

On the evening of 27 October 1916, a warweary Boelcke fled the hullabaloo of the squadron mess for the quiet of his own bedroom. Böhme joined him there. The two men talked deep into the night, until Boelcke's batman hinted at bedtime to end the conversation.[8]

The following day, as Boelcke flew his sixth combat patrol, he was accompanied by Böhme, Richthofen, and three other pilots. The German sextet attacked a pair of British Airco DH2s. With Böhme as his wingman, Boelcke chased one of the British planes. The bobbing, weaving pursuit caused the wings of Böhme's and Boelcke's biplanes to momentarily hide the two from one another. The two planes touched while in the blind spot. The collision appeared minor, but was mortal. Böhme's landing gear skimmed Boelcke's top wing. As the speed of the aircraft tore the covering from the wing spars, Boelcke's spiraled to his death while Böhme looked on helplessly.[9]

A distraught Erwin Böhme returned to base and wrecked his airplane while landing with a damaged undercarriage. Later, he would not recall the landing accident. Though no one blamed Böhme for Boelcke's death, it would haunt him for the rest of his life.[10] Even though he could not recall his own accident, he could write a detailed account of Boelcke's death to Annemarie.[11]

Boelcke's death affected many more people than his friends and subordinates. As the leading ace of the war, he was a national hero, lionized by generals and nobility as well as the public. His death shocked both the German public and military. His death was so consequential that two generals spoke at his funeral, while Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria presided. In the wake of this public tumult, Erwin Böhme returned to duty.[10]

Böhme soldiers on[]

Böhme shot down two more British planes in November for victories six and seven; an FE.8 "pusher" of No. 40 Squadron RFC, and a Morane Parasol of No. 3 Squadron RFC flown by highly decorated E.M. Roberts, who crashed in Allied lines. Victim number eight fell the day after Christmas; this "kill" was future ace William Henry Hubbard, who actually escaped though wounded.[12]

Böhme went on leave from 9 January 1917 to 3 February 1917.[13] The day after he returned, he shot down two British planes. For one of his two victims, Böhme shot down another ace, William Curphey, who survived a head wound. On 10 February, Böhme shot down his 12th victim. The following day, as he wrote to Annemarie of his encounter with a Sopwith Pup pilot:[14]

"I find myself in a field hospital because of a malevolent Englishman who by all rights should no longer be alive, who treacherously shot me in the left arm. ...I spared him in a burst of sportsmanlike grace--that's what I get for my noblesse."

Ribbon of the Hohenzollern Order with Swords.

On 12 March 1917, Böhme received the House Order of Hohenzollern.[note 1] By early April, he was writing that he and Richthofen were the only survivors from the original roster of Jagdstaffel 2 pilots.[15] As the most momentous month of aerial combat of the war began, Böhme was convalescing. German fighter pilots would shoot down 275 British airplanes during April 1917, inflicting 421 casualties on the British, while Böhme was grounded.[16]

Finally released as healed on 8 April, Böhme was assigned to instructor duty until 2 July 1917.[17] He then became the last link in a chain of promotions. First, on 25 June, Richthofen was promoted from squadron command of Jagdstaffel 11 to lead Germany's first fighter wing. Then Kurt Wolff was shifted from command of Jagdstaffel 29 to lead Jagdstaffel 11. Lastly, Böhme was promoted to the squadron leader slot for Jagdstaffel 29.[18]

Böhme in command[]

Böhme scored his 13th aerial success leading his new command, downing a Nieuport 17 on 14 July 1917.[1] He had no further victories before being wounded in the hand on 10 August. The injury was minor but disabling; a grazing bullet cut the tendon to his trigger finger. Though unable to fly, Böhme remained in command. Eight days later, he was posted back to Jagdstaffel 2 as its Staffelführer.[19]

The prestigious squadron no longer had the array of aces that had flown for Boelcke. Faced with the prospect of leading his new command into battle in Flanders, Böhme educated the undertrained, transferred out the inept, and imported talented replacements. When the squadron did move into Flanders,it began to fly end runs over the North Sea and launch unexpected attacks from the enemy rear. Karl Bolle, who was Böhme's successor, claimed Böhme was responsible for the squadron's combat performance steadily improving throughout his own tenure until the Armistice.[20][21]

On 10 September 1917, a still grounded Böhme traveled back to Berlin to lobby for his squadron. He also managed to visit Annemarie for the first time in a year.[22] Returning to duty on the 18th, he shot down a British RE.8 the next day, and another two days after that to run his victory total to 15.[1] Then, on 23 September, Böhme suffered the loss of another friend, Werner Voss, who was killed battling eight British aces.[23]

During the first half of October, Böhme shot down four more British opponents. Then, on the 16th, his 20th victory was a remarkable one. Flying in company with four of his pilots, they surrounded a Nieuport. As Böhme wrote to Annemarie:[24]

I recently came across a Nieuport single-seater at the front, in which our friend was sitting. Naturally, I invited him to pay us a visit. ...I became somewhat more urgent in my efforts to compel him to descend. Yet as he waved at me 'with his hands', I did not want to do anything to him. He then landed safe and sound at our airfield.[note 2]

And so it was that the 20th aerial victory that qualified Böhme for the Pour le Merite was a surrender.[24] Later that month, on 28 October, he attended the first anniversary memorial for Oswald Boelcke in Dessau. The following day, he diverted to Hamburg to visit Annemarie. He proposed marriage to her, and she agreed despite her father's reservations. It was the last time they would see one another.[25][26]

On the return flight to his base on 31 October, Böhme coincidentally joined a patrol from his squadron. Flying with them, he shot down a SE.5a fighter over Zillebeke Lake. New Zealander William Harrison was fished from his plane's wreckage, and joined Böhme for coffee in his squadron's mess before being removed to prison.[25]

Two more victims fell in November, on the 6th and the 20th. Böhme's award of the German Empire's most prestigious order, the Pour le Merite, was approved on 24 November. With the Battle of Cambrai raging, Böhme and his squadron were very busy flying support missions. Nevertheless, Böhme was anticipating holiday leave with Annemarie. On the morning of 29 November, Böhme mailed the last note in the prolific correspondence between the two lovers, promising a full letter later:[27]

"My love. Now just a quick affectionate morning greeting! The Staffel is already waiting for me. This evening I will write a proper letter to you. Your Erwin"

He then tucked a letter from her into his flying garb, and took off on patrol.[27]

Death in action[]

An Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8, with no observer aboard.

On Böhme's second sortie of the day, he shot down an enemy fighter for his 24th and final victory. After that, he spotted an Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8 photo reconnaissance two-seater flown by John Arthur Patten. When Böhme pounced, Patten yanked the F.K.8 into a Split S and observer Philip Wrey Leycester hit Böhme with a burst of machine gun fire and sent him down in flames. Böhme's charred body was retrieved from the wreckage of his Albatros D.Va by British soldiers. Annamarie's letter was removed from his body before the British buried him with full military honors in the cemetery at Keerslaarhoek, Belgium.[28][29]

Meanwhile, among the official mail on Böhme's desk that awaited his return from flying was the packet that contained Böhme's actual Pour le Merite.[28]

Legacy[]

In 1921, Annamarie's purloined letter to Erwin Böhme was returned to her from England.[2] In 1930, Erwin Böhme's letters were published by Professor Johannes Werner in a book entitled, Briefe eines deutschen Kampffliegers an ein junges Mädchen, (Letters From a German Fighter Pilot to a Young Maiden). Werner edited Annemarie's last name to the initial 'B' to protect her privacy.[2]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ The Royal House Order of Hohenzollern was customarily awarded only after the recipient had been awarded both the Second Class and First Class Iron Cross.
  2. ^ Emphasis in the original, per source.

Citations[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993), p. 78.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Archived copy of PourleMerite.com webpage [1] Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Franks & Giblin (2003), p. 9.
  4. ^ VanWyngarden (2007), p. 10.
  5. ^ Head (2016), p. 109-110.
  6. ^ Head (2016), p. 115.
  7. ^ Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993), pp. 76, 78.
  8. ^ Head (2016), p. 139.
  9. ^ VanWyngarden (2007), p. 22.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Head (2016), p. 141.
  11. ^ Franks & Giblin (2003), pp. 16-17.
  12. ^ Franks & Giblin (2003), pp. 17-21.
  13. ^ Franks & Giblin (2003), p. 22.
  14. ^ Hart (2005), p. 57.
  15. ^ Franks & Giblin (2003), p. 27.
  16. ^ Hart (2005), p. 355.
  17. ^ Franks & Giblin (2003), pp. 27-28.
  18. ^ Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993), pp. 78, 188, 233.
  19. ^ Franks & Giblin (2003), p. 29.
  20. ^ VanWyngarden (2007), pp. 55-57.
  21. ^ VanWyngarden (2007), p. 56, 61.
  22. ^ VanWyngarden (2007), p. 57.
  23. ^ VanWyngarden (2007), p. 60.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b Franks & Giblin (2003), p. 37.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b Franks & Giblin (2003), p. 39.
  26. ^ Head (2016), p. 158.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b Franks & Giblin (2003), p. 43.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b Franks & Giblin (2003), pp. 44-45.
  29. ^ The Aerodrome webpage on Böhme [2] Retrieved 9 January 2021.

References[]

  • Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell (1993). Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
  • Franks, Norman; Giblin, Hal (2003). Under the Guns of the Kaiser's Aces: Böhme, Müller, Von Tutschek, Wolff: the Complete Record of Their Victories and Victims. London UK: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 978-1-904010-02-9.
  • Hart, Peter (2005). Bloody April: Slaughter in the skies over Arras, 1917. London UK: Orion Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-3043-6719-1.
  • Head, Peter (2016). Oswald Boelcke: Germany's First Fighter Ace and Father of Air Combat. London UK: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 978-1-910690-23-9.
  • VanWyngarden, Greg (2007). Jagdstaffel 2 'Boelcke': Von Richhofen's Mentor. Oxford UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-203-5.

Further reading[]

  • Norman Franks. Jasta Boelcke: The History of Jasta 2, 1916-1918 (2004). Philadelphia USA|Casemate Publishing. ISBN 1904010768 ISBN 978-1904010760
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