Oswald Boelcke (German pronunciation: [ˈbœlkə]; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a German flying ace of the First World War and one of the most influential patrol leaders and tacticians of the early years of air combat. Boelcke is considered the father of the German fighter air force,[1] as well as the "Father of Air Fighting Tactics";[2] he was the first to formalize rules of air fighting, which he presented as the Dicta Boelcke.[3] While he promulgated rules for the individual pilot, his main concern was the use of formation fighting rather than single effort.[4] Germany's premier ace, Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron), had been taught by Boelcke and continued to idolize his late mentor long after he had surpassed Boelcke's tally of victories. Boelcke was born in Giebichenstein, the son of a schoolmaster. His father's first teaching job had been in Argentina from where the family had recently returned; Boelcke's three elder siblings were born in Buenos Aires.[5] His family name was originally spelt Bölcke, but Oswald and his elder brother Wilhelm dispensed with the umlaut and adopted the Latin spelling in place of the German. The pronunciation is the same for both spellings. Whilst he was young, Boelcke's family moved to Dessau, the capital of the Duchy of Anhalt. As a youth he caught whooping cough; in order to build up his stamina, he became increasingly involved in playing sports but retained a tendency towards asthma throughout his life.[6] Among his athletic pursuits were swimming, tennis, rowing, and gymnastics.[5] However, he never did become very large; in later life, he was described as being about 5 feet 7 inches tall.[6] Oswald Boelcke was studious as well as athletic; he excelled at mathematics and physics. His father was a nationalist and a militarist; under his influence, the thirteen-year-old Boelcke had the audacity to write a personal letter to the Kaiser requesting an appointment to military school.[5] His wish was granted, and he attended Cadets School.[7] After leaving school he joined Telegraphen-Bataillon Nr. 3 in Koblenz as a Fahnenjunker (cadet officer) in March 1911; he received a Prussian officer commission a year later . In mid-1914 he transferred to the Fliegertruppe. His flight training took place from May to August at the Halberstädter Fliegerschule.[4] He passed his final pilot's exam on 15 August 1914.[8] He was then immediately posted to active duty.[4] Due to the influence of his elder brother, Hauptmann Wilhelm Boelcke, Boelcke was initially posted to Fliegerabteilung 13 (Aviation Section 13), of which Wilhelm was a member. Boelcke won an Iron Cross Second Class for flying 50 missions with this unit, in company with his brother.[7] They were such a successful team they aroused antipathy in other members of the section. As a result, Wilhelm was transferred away from his brother. Oswald later wangled a transfer to Fliegerabteilung 62 in April 1915; it was based at Douai.[6] FA 62 was a reconnaissance unit using two-seater aircraft to observe and adjust artillery fire. In July 1915, Boelcke, Max Immelmann, Otto Parschau and Kurt Wintgens, became the first German fighter pilots, being given three of the five constructed Fokker M.5K/MG production prototypes of the Fokker E.I aircraft, fitted with a synchronized forward-firing Parabellum machine gun. Leutnant Parschau had been the first person of this group to work with Fokker in developing the Eindecker as a prototype fighter, and received the first example of the M.5K/MG, with military serial "E.1/15", with Boelcke getting the third example, "E.3/15". These airplanes were doled out one or two per flying section, to be flown when pilots were not flying reconnaissance missions in their two seaters. They were considered so revolutionary that orders had been given that they wouldn't be risked over enemy lines for fear of capture. Wintgens, flying the last-produced example of the M.5K/MG "E.5/15", made the first victory claim with the new airplane, on 1 July 1915, but it went unconfirmed because it fell behind French lines. Historians have since identified the plane and crew as being a Morane-Saulnier crewed by Capitaine Paul de Peuty and Sous-Lieutenant de Boutiny, who were both wounded[6][9] In the meantime, while flying a two-seater, Boelcke's observer shot down their first enemy aircraft on 4 July 1915, in a protracted running fight between reconnaissance craft. Boelcke landed near the French airplane's wreckage and verified the death of the crew.[6][10] On that same day, Wintgens had another unconfirmed win. Wintgens finally got credit for a triumph on 15 July.[9] Boelcke won his first individual aerial combat on 19 August 1915.[10] Just nine days later, he was a hero on the ground. He dived into a canal near his aerodrome, fully clothed, and rescued a drowning French boy, Albert DePlace.[11] The child's parents wanted Boelcke to be awarded the French Legion d'Honneur; instead, he received a German lifesaving award.[8] Boelcke downed four more enemy aircraft before the end of the year. Max Immelmann had scored his victory just before Boelcke's first, on 1 August. He and Boelcke had a "horse race" of victories, with first one rival leading, then the other, as they left Wintgens behind. By the end of 1915, Boelcke and Immelmann had six victories each.[9][10][12] Boelcke had three more 'kills' in January 1916; Immelman had two. Also in January 1916 Boelcke and Immelmann were the first German fliers to be awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest military medal,[13] as each pilot achieved the required eight aerial victories to earn it. In March 1916 Boelcke was made leader of the newly formed Fliegerabteilung Sivery and led them in action over Verdun. This unit of six fighter pilots was the precursor of the Jasta German fighter squadron units.[8] By this time, the unpopular Fokker E.III was being replaced by newer Halberstadt and Albatros aircraft with synchronized guns. The French had countered the "Fokker Scourge" with fast new Nieuports; the British also countered, with pusher planes that could fire in their direction of flight without need of synchronizing gear. Boelcke focused on developing his own counter methods—flying in tight formations, accurate gunnery in combat, and remaining within his own German lines.[5] The new fighter unit was stationed near Stenay, which was the headquarters of Crown Prince Wilhelm. A friendship developed between the Crown Prince and the ace.[8] By the first of May, Boelcke established his lead over Immelman for good, 15 victories to 14, to become the highest scoring ace in the war. After Immelmann was killed on 18 June 1916 after his 17th victory, Boelcke, who then had 18 victories, was left the preeminent ace of the war. Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered Boelcke grounded for a month to avoid losing him in combat soon after Immelman. 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.[4][14] Boelcke was detailed to share his expertise with the head of German military aviation. The German air force (Luftstreitkräfte) was being reorganized in mid-1916; this reorganization was inspired by Boelcke.[8] At this time, Boelcke codified his Dicta. He also shared his views on creation of a fighter arm, and the organization of fighter squadrons.[14] He was given permission by the head of German aviation, Feldflugchef (Aviation Chief of Staff) Oberstleutnant Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen, to choose his own pilots to form a fighter squadron.[8][14] Boelcke was sent on a tour of the Balkans. He transited Austria to visit Turkey. Upon his return swing, he visited Bulgaria and the Russian Front. Along the way, he interviewed pilots. Among his first selections upon his return were Manfred von Richthofen, Erwin Böhme and Hans Reimann.[8] Boelcke was appointed commander of his hand-picked group of pilots on 30 August 1916. Though technically they were the second German fighter squadron founded (Jasta 1 was 8 days senior), Jagdstaffel 2, became the premier German unit. It would end the war with 20 aces among its members, a total of 336 victories, and a casualty list of only 44. The unit initially flew Fokker D.II and Halberstadt D.II fighters, but really got into its stride with the new Albatros D.I and D.II. Boelcke shot down ten Royal Flying Corps planes in his first month with Jasta 2. His pilots always flew in disciplined formations, and he repeatedly drilled them in his tactics. Among them were his famed combat rules, called "Boelcke's Dicta", which were the first systematic analysis of air combat and continued to be applicable through World War II. Despite his run of personal successes, Boelcke's attitude is best expressed thus, in his own words: "Everything depends on sticking together when the Staffel goes into battle. It does not matter who actually scores the victory as long as the Staffel wins." He not only preached this doctrine to his own "cubs"; he proselytized throughout the Luftstreitkräfte. He wrote upon his ideas, sketched them out, and delivered them in person to other aerodromes.[5] 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 properly strap on his safety belt. The patrol would eventually lead them into a dogfight with single-seater DH.2 fighters from no. 24 squadron RFC. In the ensuing dogfight, Boelcke and Böhme, neither aware of the other's presence, closed in on the same aircraft, flown by Captain Arthur Knight. Von Richthofen dived in on the flight path of that very same airplane; he was chasing the other DH.2, piloted by Lieutenant Alfred Edwin McKay. Boelcke swerved to avoid a collision with the interceding aircraft. Böhme's landing gear brushed Boelcke's upper wing. As the fabric peeled off the upper wing of his plane, Boelcke struggled for control. He and his aircraft fell out of sight into a cloud. When it emerged, the top wing was gone. However, Boelcke made a relatively soft crashlanding. The impact seemed survivable. However, his lap belt didn't restrain him, and he never wore a helmet when he flew.