Erwin Böhme

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.[3][4] During 1915, Böhme's brother Rudolf was killed in Russia.[2]

In late November 1915, prompted by his request for a transfer, Erwin Böhme was posted to a tactical bomber unit, Kampfstaffel 10 (Battle Squadron 10), at Mörchingen. The unit was one of the squadrons comprising Kagohl 2 (Tactical Bombing Wing 2) commanded by Wilhelm Boelcke, elder brother of famous ace Oswald Boelcke. Teamed with a 47-year-old observer manning the gun in the rear seat of his Albatros C.I, Böhme submitted three combat claims for aerial victories; one claim for 2 August 1915 was reportedly confirmed, though it does not show as accredited on his official victory list.[2][4]

In February 1916, Kampfstaffel 10 supported the opening of the Battle of Verdun. Shortly thereafter, Oswald Boelcke dropped in to visit his brother, flying a Fokker bearing combat damage. Later in March, Böhme continued his aerial combat career by engaging Farmans and a Nieuport from the French Service Aéronautique (Aeronautical Service). By May 1916, he had been commissioned as a leutnant, and was flying an Albatros fighter as well as his Roland LVG bomber.[4]

On 20 May 1916, Böhme arranged leave time to visit the director of the Hubertus Mills. Director Heinrich Brüning and his wife were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary when an airplane landed in a nearby meadow. Erwin and Martin Böhme had been dropped off to offer their congratulations and join the festivities. Among the other guests was Herr Brüning's eldest daughter, Annamarie. The attraction between herself and the ace was immediate. By the time the Böhme brothers departed via airplane the following day, Annamarie Brüning had agreed to regularly correspond with Erwin Böhme.[3]

A Nieuport 12 replica in French livery.

Kampstaffel 10 shifted theaters in June 1916, transferring from France to Kovel, Russia. This posting would lead to his transfer to fighter aviation.[4]

On 2 August 1916, Böhme scored his first accredited aerial victory, killing Franco-Latvian ace Eduard Pulpe after an extended fight.[2] 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 (Fighter Squadron 2), with 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 wingman.[5] In turn, Böhme gave his opinion of Boelcke in one of his letters home:[6]

"...as remarkable as it is that I am 37 and he is just 25 years old—I look up to him as a man and I am proud that a friendly relationship has grown between us."

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

Böhme joined Jagdstaffel 2 at Bertincourt 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, flying as his wingman, shot down four more British airplanes.[7]

On the evening of 27 October 1916, a war-weary Boelcke fled the clamor 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 DH2 fighters. With Böhme as his wingman, Boelcke chased one of the British pushers. 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 fatal. Böhme's landing gear skimmed Boelcke's top wing. As the speed of the aircraft tore the covering from the wing spars, Boelcke spiraled to his death while Böhme looked on helplessly.[9]

An Airco DH.2 pusher-engined fighter.

A distraught Erwin Böhme returned to base and wrecked his airplane while landing with a damaged undercarriage. Even though he could not recall his own accident, he wrote a lengthy and vivid account of Boelcke's death to Annamarie. Though no one blamed Böhme for Boelcke's death, the feeling he was responsible for killing his best friend would haunt him for the rest of his life.[10]

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.[11]

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 within Allied territory. Victim number eight fell the day after Christmas; this "kill" was future ace William Henry Hubbard, who actually escaped though wounded.[12]

Royal Aircraft Factory FE.8 in flight

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 Annamarie 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.

By this time, Böhme had won the Iron Cross, First Class.[2]

Ribbon of the Hohenzollern Order with Swords.

On 12 March 1917, Böhme received the House Order of Hohenzollern. 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.[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 scored his 13th aerial success leading his new command, downing a Nieuport 17 on 14 July 1917.[2] 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 (Squadron Leader).[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 transferred out the inept, imported talented replacements, and educated the undertrained. When the squadron did move into Flanders, it began to avoid direct attacks by flying end runs over the North Sea and launching unexpected attacks upon the enemy rear. Carl Bolle, who was Böhme's successor, claimed Böhme was responsible for the squadron's combat performance steadily improving throughout his own tenure from Böhme's death until the Armistice.[20][21]

Restored Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8

On 10 September 1917, a still grounded Böhme traveled back to Berlin to lobby for his squadron. He also managed to visit Annamarie 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.[2] 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 an unusual one. Flying in company with four of his pilots, they surrounded a Nieuport. As Böhme wrote to Annamarie:[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 1]

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 his friend Oswald Boelcke in Dessau. The following day, he diverted to Hamburg to visit Annamarie. 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]

A Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5

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. Böhme and his squadron were very busy flying support missions in the Battle of Cambrai; nevertheless, Böhme was anticipating holiday leave with Annamarie. On the morning of 29 November, Böhme jotted his last note in the prolific correspondence with Annamarie:[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

With no time to post it, he then tucked the letter into his flying garb, and took off on patrol.[27]

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 accredited victory. After that, he spotted an Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8 photo reconnaissance two-seater from No. 10 Squadron RFC flown by John Arthur Pattern. Böhme swooped down to about 30 yards (25 meters) range behind the F.K.8. Alerted by his observer's machine gun fire, Pattern yanked the F.K.8 into a split S. As Pattern later described the action:[28]

My sudden turn had done the trick. The Albatros overshot and appeared right in front of me. Because of the relative motion of our two aircraft, he seemed to hang motionless, suspended in midair. I could see the pilot's face as he looked back at me. I sent a two-second burst of Vickers fire into him. His aircraft seemed to flutter, then slid out of sight below my starboard wing. I was pretty sure I had hit his petrol tank....Leycester (Pattern's observer)...was still blazing away...using tracer....When I caught sight of the Albatros again, it was burning like a torch....I saw the German pilot looking down over the side of the cockpit. Then the smoke and flames enveloped him.

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 as a keepsake before the British buried him with full military honors in the cemetery at Keerslaarhoek, Belgium.[29]

Meanwhile, in the official mail on Böhme's desk that awaited his return from flying his last mission was the packet that contained his actual Pour le Merite medal.[29]

An Albatros DVa