WWI Aces

bub · 04-25-08, 05:32 PM

Here are some links to articles about famous WWI fighter pilots

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Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918) was a German fighter pilot known as "The Red Baron". He was the most successful flying ace of World War I, being officially credited with 80 confirmed air combat victories.[1][2] Richthofen was a member of an aristocratic family with many famous relatives.

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Richthofen led his new unit to unparalleled success, peaking during "Bloody April" 1917. In that month alone, he downed 22 British aircraft, raising his official tally to 52. By June, he was the commander of the first of the new larger Jagdgeschwader (wing) formations, leading Jagdgeschwader 1 composed of Jastas 4, 6, 10 and 11. These were highly mobile combined tactical units that could be sent at short notice to different parts of the front as required. In this way, JG1 became "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus", which got its name both from the unit's highly mobile nature (including the use of tents), and from its brightly coloured aircraft. The end of April, the "Flying Circus" also became known as the "Richthofen Circus."[10]

Manfred von Richthofen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Lothar-Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen (27 September 1894 – 4 July 1922) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 40 victories during the war. He was younger brother of top-scoring ace Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron) and a cousin of the Luftwaffe field marshal Wolfram von Richthofen.

Starting the war as a cavalry officer, Lothar transferred to the German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) in 1915 and his first posting was to his brother's Jasta 11 on 6 March 1917. Lothar flew during the period of German dominance known as Bloody April and by the start of May had scored 16 victories. When Manfred went on leave, Lothar assumed command of the squadron. Manfred considered his brother rather reckless, describing him as a "shooter" rather than a "hunter".

He scored three more kills in the first week of May. On the evening of 7 May near Douai, Lothar's Jasta 11 encountered eleven British aircraft from the "elite" No. 56 Squadron RFC, including English ace, Albert Ball. In a running battle fought in deteriorating visibility, the aircraft became scattered until Lothar was engaged in a one-on-one dogfight with Ball which ended with both aircraft crashing behind German lines. Ball was killed, but Lothar survived and was credited with the victory. Lothar's comrades went to great lengths to grant Lothar the honour for this victory, going so far as to fire a revolver at the wreckage of Ball's SE5 plane and then show the bullet holes as evidence. Later research has shown that it was likely Ball had become disoriented during the battle, accidentally entered an inverted dive which choked his plane's carburator and killed the engine

Lothar von Richthofen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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René Paul Fonck (27 March 1894–18 June 1953) was a French aviator who ended the Great War as the top Allied fighter ace. His 75 (72 solo and three shared and a further 52 'probable' victories) [1] victories also ranked him second only to Manfred von Richthofen, (80 planes confirmed shot down) as the top ace of the conflict. When all succeeding conflicts are considered he remains the top scoring Allied Ace to date. Taking into account his probable claims, Fonck's final tally could

RenÃ© Fonck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Oberleutnant Löwenhardt was an aggressive, skilled fighter whose score grew steadily. At the end of May 1918 he received Germany's highest honour, the Pour le Mérite (Blue Max) after 24 kills. Flying the new Fokker D.VII, he added eight more in June and no fewer than 16 in July. His tally climbed to 53 on August 9.

The next day (August 10, 1918) Oblt. Löwenhardt shot down a British fighter near Chaulnes (Somme area of France). However, he collided with another Fokker D.VII (of Jasta 11) and though he jumped from his aircraft, his parachute failed to open, thus causing the young man to plummet to his death from around 12,000 feet. His body was recovered 4 days later, battered and beaten. He was 21. (The other pilot who collided with him, Leutnant Alfred Wenz, bailed out successfully.)

Erich Loewenhardt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

partier9 · 04-26-08, 07:53 AM

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Originally Posted by bub

Here are some links to articles about famous WWI fighter pilots

Manfred von Richthofen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lothar von Richthofen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

RenÃ© Fonck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Erich Loewenhardt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heres one that i consider the best in the allied air force

Raoul Lufbery

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Flying reconnaissance missions, Lufbery proved himself a competent pilot. After a brief period at the front, he applied to fighter school, and after some resistance from his commanding officer, was accepted. Arriving at Plessis-Belleville, Lufbery trained on Nieuports. Though not a naturally gifted fighter pilot, he was respected for his persistence, attention to detail, and mechanical prowess. Due to his American background he was assigned to the new Escadrille Américaine upon completing his training in May 1916. Due to political pressure, the name of the squadron was soon changed to Escadrille Lafayette.

Largely composed of American volunteers from Ivy League colleges and the upper class, the initial pilots of the Escadrille Lafayette lacked flight experience and combat skills. As a veteran flier, the squadron's commander hoped that Lufbery could impart his experience to his new comrades. Joining the squadron on May 24, Lufbery did not immediately fit in with his fellow pilots. Older than most, he spoke heavily accented English and was thought crude and unfriendly. He also was criticized by fellow pilots for associating with the mechanics and frequently working on his own aircraft.

As the squadron battled the Germans through the summer and fall of 1916, Lufbery quickly gained the respect of his fellow fliers by proving himself a tenacious fighter who repeatedly achieved success. On July 30, he downed his first two German planes while flying over Verdun. That October he shot down his fifth, making him an ace and the squadron's top scorer. For his success, he was awarded the Medaille Militaire and Croix de Guerre with a Palm. It was during this time that Lufbery adopted a lion cub from Paris circus. Naming it Whiskey, he raised it over the next two years and it became the squadron mascot.

In the fall of 1916, Lufbery's name became attached with a commonly used defensive formation. Dubbed the "Lufbery Circle," the maneuver called for a squadron's aircraft to fly in a circle with each covering the tail of the one in front of it. While not invented by Lufbery, he helped popularize it with Allied fliers. Over the next several months, Lufbery's count increased to 16 and he became the squadron commander with the rank of major. In January 1918, he was transferred to the US Army and sent to the Pursuit Organization Center at Villeneuve-les-Vertus.

American Service:
Like many experienced American fliers, Lufbery was taken from his squadron and assigned to aid in training pilots in the US Army Air Service. After briefly serving with the 95th Aero Squadron, he was placed with the newly formed 94th Aero Squadron as a combat instructor. Taking up his new role, he found that the 94th's aircraft lacked machine guns and were effectively grounded. In his new role, Lufbery became moody and unhappy, lamenting that he had nothing to do. On March 16, 1918, Lufbery led rookie pilots Eddie Rickenbacker and Doug Campbell on an unarmed patrol over the front.

After finally receiving weapons for their aircraft, the 94th began to take an active role in Allied operations. During this time, Lufbery added another kill to his score (17). Despite this new activity, he remained irritable and seemed to obsess over his aircraft and a fear of fire in the air. On May 19, 1918, he took off in pursuit of a German Rumpler near Toul, France. While engaging it, his plane was hit and the engine caught fire. As his aircraft began to plummet, witnesses saw him climb from the burning cockpit and jump to his death. His body was found impaled on a fence in the village of Maron.

The top-scoring ace of the Escadrille Lafayette, Lufbery was given a full military funeral and buried in the Aviators Cemetery at Sebastapol, France. During the ceremony, Rickenbacker led the aircraft of the 1st Pursuit Group over the cemetery. Lufbery's body was later moved to the Lafayette Memorial du Parc de Garches in Paris. Though officially credited with 17 kills, Lufbery's fellow pilots listed numerous instances where he downed enemy aircraft and received no credit. Based on these statements, his true score may have been anywhere between 25 and 60.

He liked to fly in the morning because of the wind and he would often go up alone. When he was flying many of his kills came over german lines so he did not recieve credit.