List of victories of Rudolf Berthold

Rudolf Berthold (24 March 1891 – 15 March 1920) was a German flying ace of World War I. Between 1916 and 1918, he shot down 44 enemy planes—16 of them while flying one-handed. Berthold's perseverance, bravery, and willingness to return to combat while still wounded made him one of the most famous German pilots of World War I. This article lists his aerial victories during the conflict.[1]

Rudolf Berthold, with Blue Max. Gloves clasped in right hand disguised paralysis.

Aerial victories credited to Rudolf Berthold
Main article: Rudolf Berthold
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I

Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c". Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Listings of single casualties are obviously of pilots. In victories over an air crew, pilot casualties are listed first, then the observer(s).

Accuracy of combat claims is always of concern when compiling victory lists. As the primary arena for aerial combat on the Western Front was over the German trenches and rear works, German aerial and ground observers could usually verify German victories in considerable detail.[2]

Doubled horizontal lines in table denote changes in unit assignments.

Berthold's original weapon was a Fokker E.III.
Berthold ended the war flying a Fokker D VII.
No. Date/time Aircraft Foe/Squadron Result Location Notes
1 2 February 1916 Fokker E.III serial number 411/15; Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Vaux, Die Fliegertuppen Voisin LA; Escadrille VB.108 Aéronautique Militaire Driven down Chaulnes, France Corporal Arthur Jacquin POW, Sous lieutenant Pierre Segaud KIA[1][3]
2 5 February 1916 Fokker E.III s/n 411/15; Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Vaux, Die Fliegertuppen Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c s/n 4091; No. 13 Squadron RFC Near Irles, France Second lieutenant Leonard John Pearson POW; Second Lieutenant Edmund Heathfield Elliott Joe Alexander POW, WIA[1][3]
3 13 March 1916 Fokker E.III s/n 411/15; Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Vaux, Die Fliegertuppen Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c serial number 4151; No. 8 Squadron RFC Near Bourlon, France 2nd Lieutenant Michael Amyss Julian Orde[4] WIA, POW; 1AM P. Shaw POW[5]
4 1 April 1916 Fokker E.III s/n 411/15; Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Vaux, Die Fliegertuppen Farman F.40; Escadrille MF.54 Aéronautique Militaire Set afire in midair Near Lihons, France Sergeant Louis Paoli KIA; Lieutenant Alfred Braut KIA[1][6]
5 16 April 1916 Fokker E.III s/n 411/15; Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Vaux, Die Fliegertuppen Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c s/n 2097; No. 9 Squadron RFC South of Maurepas, France Second Lieutenant William Sinclair Earle KIA; Second Lieutenant Cuthbert William Prideaux Selby WIA/POW [4][5]
6 24 August 1916 Fokker E.III s/n 411/15; Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Vaux, Die Fliegertuppen Nieuport 17 s/n 1552; Escadrille N.37 Aéronautique Militaire Péronne, France Corporal Henri[1][7] Dangueuger KIA
7 17 September 1916 Unknown aircraft; Jagdstaffel 4, Die Fliegertuppen Martinsyde G.100 s/n 7286; No. 27 Squadron RFC Cambrai, France Lieutenant William Hugh Stobart Chance POW[5][8]
u/c 19 September 1916 Unknown aircraft; Jagdstaffel 4, Die Fliegertuppen Either Royal Aircraft Factory BE.12 s/n 6521 or Royal Aircraft Factory BE.12 s/n 6591; No. 19 Squadron RFC Bapaume Either Second Lieutenant Robert Douglas Herman POW/DOW, or Second Lieutenant Reginald Howard Edwards POW/DOW[5][9]
u/c 22 September 1916 Unknown aircraft; Jagdstaffel 4, Die Fliegertuppen Royal Aircraft Factory BE.12 s/n 6544; No. 19 Squadron RFC Bertincourt, France[5]
u/c 24 September 1916 @ 11:00 hours Unknown aircraft; Jagdstaffel 4, Die Fliegertuppen Nieuport 17; Escadrille N.103 Aéronautique Militaire Midair collision Rancourt, France[5]
8 26 September 1916 @ 13:15 hours Unknown aircraft; Jagdstaffel 4, Die Fliegertuppen Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c s/n 7079; No. 9 Squadron RFC Bertincourt, France Lieutenant Bernard Tarrant Coller KIA; Second Lieutenant Thomas Earle Gordon Scaife KIA[5][10]
9 24 March 1917 Albatros D.III s/n D.1717/16; Jagdstaffel 14, Luftstreitkräfte Farman 40 s/n 4100; Escadrille F.7 Aéronautique Militaire Aizy-Vailly Corporal Jean Peinaud KIA; Lieutenant Marcel Vernes KIA[5][11]
10 6 April 1917 @ 13:15 hours Albatros D.III s/n D.2182/16; Jagdstaffel 14, Luftstreitkräfte Caudron R.4 s/n 1559; Escadrille F.35 Aéronautique Militaire Braye-en-Laonnois Sous lieutenant Pierre Etienne Frederic Desbordes MIA; Lieutenant Jacques-Victor-Alexandre Borgolta MIA; Soldat Alexandre Joseph Lebleu MIA[5][11]
11 11 April 1917 @ 11:45 hours Albatros D.III s/n D.2182/16; Jagdstaffel 14, Luftstreitkräfte SPAD VII s/n 370; Escadrille Spa.73 Aéronautique Militaire Shot down Corbeny, France Adjutant Albert Barioz MIA[5][11]
12 14 April 1917 @ 12:00 hours Albatros D.III s/n D.2182/16; Jagdstaffel 14, Luftstreitkräfte Sopwith 1 A2; Escadrille N.73 Aéronautique Militaire Bois de Beau Mavais Sous lieutenant Antoine Arnoux de Maison-Rouge WIA/DOW; Sous lieutenant Robert Levi WIA[5][11]
13 21 August 1917 @ 08:17 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Airco DH.4 s/n A7577; No. 57 Squadron RFC Shot down Dixmude, Belgium Lieutenant Cecil Barry KIA; Second Lieutenant Frederick Ewan Baldwin Falkiner KIA[5][12]
14 4 September 1917 @ 08:25 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8; No. 7 Squadron RFC North of Ypres, Belgium Second Lieutenant Thomas Ernest Wray KIA; Second Lieutenant Wilfred Stuart Lane Payne KIA[5][12]
15 4 September 1917 @ 17:00 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 s/n A4372; No. 9 Squadron RFC Returned to British lines St. Jean (north of Ypres), Belgium Second Lieutenant G. N. Moore WIA;[12] /Lt. F. F. Munro unhurt[5]
16 5 September 1917 @ 15:28 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Airco DH.4 s/n A7530; No. 55 Squadron RFC Shot down Vicinity of Thielt Lieutenant John William Fraser Neill WIA/POW; Second Lieutenant Thomas Milligan Webster WIA/POW[5][12]
17 15 September 1917 @ 14:10 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Airco DH.4 s/n A2130; No. 55 Squadron RFC Zillebeke Lake, Belgium Lieutenant Eric Edward Foster Loyd POW; Lieutenant Thomas G. Deason POW[5][13]
18 16 September 1917 Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8; No. 6 Squadron RFC Shot down West of Becalaere 2nd Lieutenant Herbert Haslam KIA; Lance Corporal Alfred John Linay KIA[5][13]
19 16 September 1917 @ 1825 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 s/n A.4728; No. 4 Squadron RFC Shot down Zonnebeke, Belgium 2nd Lieutenant Leslie Glendower Humphries KIA; 2nd Lieutenant Frederick Laurie Steben WIA[5][13]
20 19 September 1917 @ 10:00 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 s/n B.3427; No. 4 Squadron RFC Becelaere 2nd Lieutenant John Syers Walthew KIA; Lieutenant Michael Charles Hartnett KIA[5][14]
21 20 September 1917 @ 11:30 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Airco DH.5 s/n A.9179; No. 32 Squadron RFC West of Menen, Belgium 2nd Lieutenant William Oliver Cornish KIA[5][15]
22 21 September 1917 @ 09:50 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Spad VII s/n B.3533; No. 19 Squadron RFC West of Menen, Belgium 2nd Lieutenant Frederick William Kirby KIA[5][16]
23 22 September 1917 @ 09:00 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Bristol F.2b Fighter s/n A7205; No. 22 Squadron RFC Zillebeke Lake, Belgium 2nd Lieutenant Elvis Albert Bell KIA; 2nd Lieutenant Robert Emmett Nowell KIA[5][16]
24 25 September 1917 @ 1630 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Spad VII s/n B3520; No. 19 Squadron RFC Shot down Gheluvelt Lieutenant Bernard Alexander Powers KIA[5][16]
25 26 September 1917 @ 12:00 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Sopwith Camel s/n B2358; No. 70 Squadron RFC Becelaere Lieutenant Walter Harvey Russell Gould KIA[5][17]
26 28 September 1917 @ 12:30 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Airco DH.5; No. 32 Squadron RFC South of Zillebeke Lake, Belgium Captain Alwayne Travers Loyd KIA[5][18]
27 30 September 1917 @ 11:50 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Either Sopwith Pup s/n B.2185 or B.1768; No. 66 Squadron RFC Deûlémont, France[5]
28 2 October 1917 @ 13:30 hours Albatros D.III; Jagdstaffel 18, Luftstreitkräfte Airco DH.4 s/n A.7581; No. 57 Squadron RFC Roeselare, Belgium 2nd Lieutenant Colin Geen Orr Mac Andrew KIA; 2nd Lieutenant Leicester Philip Sidney KIA[5][19]
29 28 May 1918 @ 11:30 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Nieuport 27; Escadrille Sop.278 Aéronautique Militaire Crouy, northeast of Soissons[5]
30 29 May 1918 @ 1830 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Spad XIII; Escadrille Spa.77 Aéronautique Militaire South of Soissons Sergente Andre Louis Maurice Gehin MIA[5][20]
31 29 May 1918 @ 18:40 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Salmson 2A2; Escadrille Sal.27 Aéronautique Militaire Maréchal des logis Tussing MIA; Lieutenant Camille Lemmery WIA/POW[5][20]
32 5 June 1918 Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Airco DH.9 s/n C.6203; No. 103 Squadron RAF Shot down North of Saint-Just-en-Chaussée, France Captain Henry Turner KIA; 2nd Lieutenant George Webb KIA[5][21]
33 11 June 1918 Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte French two-seater aircraft; Aéronautique Militaire Shot down[5]
34 12 June 1918 Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Spad XIII; Escadrille Spa.96 Aéronautique Militaire Corporal Jacques Monod DOW[5][22]
35 18 June 1918 @ 11:50 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C1923; No. 84 Squadron RAF Villers-Bretonneux Lieutenant Peter Nielsen KIA[5][23]
36 18 June 1918 @ 11:55 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n D259; No. 84 Squadron RAF Villers Bretonneux 2nd Lieutenant Robert Joss Fyfe KIA[5][23]
37 27 June 1918 @ 19:06 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Bristol F.2b Fighter s/n C.935; No. 48 Squadron RAF Shot down in flames Villers Bretonneux Lieutenant Edward Alec Foord KIA; Sergeant Leonard James KIA[5][23]
38 19 July 1918 Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Salmson 2A2; Escadrille Sal.40 Aéronautique Militaire Observer landed aircraft Vicinity of Soissons Captain Henri Denis KIA; Lieutenant Chappius unhurt[5][24]
39 20 July 1918 @ 19:05 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Two-seater; Aéronautique Militaire Southeast of Dormans, France[5]
40 1 August 1918 @ 09:45 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Salmson 2A2; 1st Aero Squadron USAAS Fere-en-Tardenois, France 1st Lieutenant William P. Erwin unhurt; 1st Lieutenant Earl B. Spencer WIA[5][25]
41 9 August 1918 @ 18:00 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Spad 16 two-seater; Escadrille Spa.289 Aéronautique Militaire Crashed Tricot, France Aircrew KIA[5][25]
42 9 August 1918 @ 18:30 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Spad 16 two-seater; Escadrille Spa.289 Aéronautique Militaire Beaucourt-en-Santerre, France Aircrew KIA[5][25]
43 10 August 1918 @ 12:20 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a; No. 32 Squadron RAF Set afire in midair Licourt, France Lieutenant Peter Macfarlane KIA[5][26]
44 10 August 1918 @ 12:30 hours Fokker D.VII; Jagdstaffel 15, Luftstreitkräfte Airco DH.9 s/n B.9344; No. 49 Squadron RAF Crashed in a cloud of dust Ablaincourt, France 2nd Lieutenant H. Hartley POW; Sergeant O. D. Beetham POW[5][26]

Sources: Basic information compiled from victory lists in Franks et al. 1993, pp. 71–72 and Kilduff 2012, pp. 138–140. Added references for air crew members' names in Notes column are from the narrative text of Kilduff. Citations for individual victories are also given above. List is complete.

Endnotes
  1. Franks, et al. 1993, p. 71.
  2. Franks, et al. 1993, p. 6.
  3. Kilduff 2012, p. 58.
  4. Kilduff 2012, p. 178.
  5. Franks et al., p. 72.
  6. Kilduff 2012, p. 60.
  7. Kilduff 2012, p. 69.
  8. Kilduff 2012, p. 70.
  9. Kilduff 2012, p. 72.
  10. Kilduff 2012, p. 73.
  11. Kilduff 2012, p. 180.
  12. Kilduff 2012, p. 91.
  13. Kilduff 2012, p. 93.
  14. Kilduff 2012, p. 94.
  15. Kilduff 2012, p. 95.
  16. Kilduff 2012, p. 96.
  17. Kilduff 2012, p. 97.
  18. Aerodrome listing for Loyd
  19. Kilduff 2012, pp. 101–102.
  20. Kilduff 2012, p. 183.
  21. Kilduff 2012, p. 116.
  22. Kilduff 2012, p. 119.
  23. Kilduff 2012, p. 120.
  24. Kilduff 2012, p. 121.
  25. Kilduff 2012, p. 123.
  26. Kilduff 2012, p. 124.

References
  • Franks, Norman; Frank W. Bailey; Russell Guest. Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
  • Kilduff, Peter. Iron Man: Rudolf Berthold: Germany's Indomitable Fighter Ace of World War I. Grub Street, 2012. ISBN 1908117370, ISBN 9781908117373.
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