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Oswald Boelcke Developed Tactics For Fighter Pilots

And his 'Dicta Boelcke' Principles were the mainstay of fighter pilot training for decades

From mid-1915 until early-1916 Germany had enjoyed a period of air superiority over the Allies on the Western Front, primarily due to the introduction of the Fokker Eindecker monoplane which was fitted with a synchronised machine gun firing through the propellor arc. This was a substantial technological improvement in aircraft design which led to many victories over the slower, less well armed Allied aircraft. However, by early 1916 the Allies were starting to deploy the new, Airco D.H.2 and Nieuport N.11 fighters, which began to tip the balance of power back in their favour once again.

This continual aerial arms race spurred Germany to develop the Albatros D.1 (of which 50 were built), and soon after that the improved Albatros D.II. Entering service in late 1916 the D.II boasted twin synchronized Spandau machine guns, which were a critical improvement in firepower over the single gun setup of earlier aircraft. The D.II's overall speed, climb rate, and sturdiness helped German pilots once again dominate over their French and British counterparts.

By September 1916, Oswald Boelcke, a pioneering fighter pilot during the early stages of the war, was in command of his own squadron, Jasta 2, and had taken delivery of one of the first Albatros D.IIs, which he used to score his final 13 aerial victories. The aircraft was a considerable upgrade over the earlier types he'd flown such as the Fokker Eindecker, and the type's overall improved performance helped Boelcke execute his aggressive yet calculated tactics. His emphasis was on surprise attacks and attacking from superior positions, and the combination of his combat experience and the advanced design of the new Albatross made him a deadly adversary in the air.

Boelcke's leadership in Jasta 2, where the D.II became the primary aircraft, was a key factor in their success, and he demonstrated how effectively the aircraft could dominate in dogfights. He personally trained younger pilots, including the famous Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron), and passed on his expertise in using the Albatross to out-maneuver and outgun enemy aircraft. In early October 1916 Boelcke codified his experience into the eight Dicta Boelcke principles which influenced fighter tactics for decades following the First World War.

Boelcke's principles were:

1. Try to secure advantages before attacking. If possible, keep the sun behind you.

2. Always carry through an attack when you've started it.

3. Fire only at close range, and only when your opponent is properly in your sights.

4. Always keep your eye on your opponent, and never let yourself be deceived by ruses.

5. In any form of attack it is essential to assail your enemy from behind.

6. If your opponent dives on you, don't try to evade his onslaught, but fly to meet it.

7. When over the enemy's lines, never forget your own line of retreat.

8. For the squadron: Attack in groups of four or six and when the fight breaks up into a series of single combats, take care that several do not go for the same opponent.

On the 28th October 1916, Boelcke's life was tragically cut short when he died following an aerial collision with a fellow German pilot. At the time of his death, Boelcke had scored 40 aerial victories, with over a third of them achieved in the D.II.

During his final mission, Boelcke and five of his pilots attacked a pair of British aircraft from 24 Squadron Royal Flying Corps. Boelcke and Erwin Böhme chased the Airco D.H.2 of Captain Arthur Knight, while von Richthofen pursued the other D.H.2, flown by Captain Alfred McKay. McKay evaded Richthofen by crossing behind Knight, cutting off Boelcke and Böhme, and both of them jerked their planes upward to avoid a collision.

Neither German was aware of the other's position, and Boelcke's upper left wing brushed the undercarriage of Böhme's aircraft. This caused the fabric on the wing of Boelcke's Albatross to split and the aircraft spiraled down to glide to an impact near a German artillery battery operating close to Bapaume in France. Although the crash appeared to be survivable, Boelcke was not wearing his crash helmet, nor was his safety belt fastened and he ultimately died of a fractured skull.

Germany's highest scoring ace had been defeated, not by the Allies, but by a lack of adherence to basic safety principles. Despite his short career, the legacy of Boelcke's contributions to the tactics of aerial warfare cemented his place as one of the most influential fighter pilots of World War I.

Albatros D.III

The Albatross D.III was developed as a successor to the D.II. in late 1916, addressing some of the shortcomings of the earlier models and incorporating lessons learned from front-line combat. One of the major changes was the adoption of a sesquiplane design, inspired by the French Newport 11, with a single-spar lower wing that was narrower than the upper wing. This design improved the aircraft's maneuverability and climb rate, making it effective in dogfights. However, the D.III suffered from structural problems with its lower wing, which was prone to failure during high-stress maneuvers. Despite these issues, the D.III became the primary fighter for the German Air Service during 1917 and was flown by many of Germany's top aces, including Manfred von Richthofen.

Albatros D.V

The Albatros D.V, introduced in mid-1917, was intended to be a refined version of the D.III with a more streamlined fuselage and minor changes to improve its performance. Unfortunately, the D.V inherited many of the structural weaknesses of its predecessor, particularly the fragility of its lower wing, and while the D.V was slightly faster and offered better handling characteristics at higher altitudes, it did not provide the significant performance leap that was expected. Pilots continued to express concerns about the aircraft's durability, and it was eventually outclassed by newer Allied designs. Despite its flaws, the D.V remained in service until 1918 due to production delays in developing more advanced German aircraft.

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