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.[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]

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]

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]

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 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 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]

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]