Oswald Boelcke

{{Short description|German WWI flying ace (1891–1916)}}

{{Short description|German World War I flying ace (1891–1916)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}

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|birth_date=19 May 1891

|birth_date=19 May 1891

|death_date= {{Death date and age|df=y|1916|10|28|1891|05|19}}

|death_date= {{Death date and age|df=y|1916|10|28|1891|05|19}}

|birth_place= Giebichenstein, [[Province of Saxony]], [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]; near [[Halle, Saxony-Anhalt|Halle (Saale)]]

|birth_place= Giebichenstein, Germany

|death_place= near [[Bapaume]], France

|death_place= near [[Bapaume]], France

|image=Hauptmann Boelcke.jpg

|image=Hauptmann Boelcke.jpg

}}

}}

'''Oswald Boelcke''' [[Pour le Mérite|PlM]] ({{IPA|de|ˈbœlkə|lang}}; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a [[World War I]] German professional soldier and pioneering [[flying ace]] credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air combat as a whole. He was a highly influential mentor, patrol leader, and [[military tactics|tactician]] in the first years of air combat, 1915 and 1916.

'''Oswald Boelcke''' ({{IPA|de|ˈbœlkə|lang}}; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a [[World War I]] German professional soldier and pioneering [[flying ace]] credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air combat as a whole. He was a highly influential mentor, patrol leader, and [[military tactics|tactician]] in the first years of air combat, 1915 and 1916.

Boelcke fulfilled his childhood dream of a military career by joining the [[Imperial German Army]] on 15 March 1911. He pursued an early interest in aviation, learning to fly as World War I began. After duty as an [[aerial observer]] during 1914, he became one of the [[Fokker Scourge|original fighter pilots]] during mid-1915. Flying the first [[Fokker Eindecker|true fighters]], Boelcke, [[Max Immelmann]], and several other early aces began shooting down enemy airplanes. Boelcke and Immelmann were the first German fighter pilots awarded Prussia's highest honor, the ''Pour le Mérite''. The German high command reassigned Boelcke after his 19th victory. During his forced grounding on staff duty, he helped transform Die {{lang|de|Fliegertruppe}} (Flying Troop) air arm into the [[Luftstreitkräfte]] (Air Force). His innovative turn of mind codified his combat experiences into the first manual of fighter tactics distributed to an air force, the ''[[Dicta Boelcke]]''. The ''Dicta'' promulgated axioms for individual pilot success, as well as a requirement for teamwork directed by a formation's leader. Modern aerial combat tactics manuals stem from the ''Dicta''.

Boelcke fulfilled his childhood dream of a military career by joining the [[Imperial German Army]] on 15 March 1911. He pursued an early interest in aviation, learning to fly as World War I began. After duty as an [[aerial observer]] during 1914, he became one of the [[Fokker Scourge|original fighter pilots]] during mid-1915. Flying the first [[Fokker Eindecker|true fighters]], Boelcke, [[Max Immelmann]], and several other early aces began shooting down enemy airplanes. Boelcke and Immelmann were the first German fighter pilots awarded Prussia's highest honor, the ''Pour le Mérite''. The German high command reassigned Boelcke after his 19th victory. During his forced grounding on staff duty, he helped transform Die {{lang|de|Fliegertruppe}} (Flying Troop) air arm into the [[Luftstreitkräfte]] (Air Force). His innovative turn of mind codified his combat experiences into the first manual of fighter tactics distributed to an air force, the ''[[Dicta Boelcke]]''. The ''Dicta'' promulgated axioms for individual pilot success, as well as a requirement for teamwork directed by a formation's leader. Modern aerial combat tactics manuals stem from the ''Dicta''.

====Early fighter warfare====

====Early fighter warfare====

{{See also|Aerial victory standards of World War I#Germany|l1=Germany}}

{{See also|Aerial victory standards of World War I#Germany}}

On 17 June, on the French side of the lines, Gilbert shot down his fifth German aeroplane.{{efn|According to Smithsonian's Air & Space website, at this stage of the war the definition of an ace was not yet fixed at five victories. They state that Americans, afraid that their belated entry into the war would deny their fliers opportunity to become aces, lobbied the British to lower the requirement for becoming an ace from ten victories to five. Other sources say the French were already using the term as early as June 1916. The Germans originally attached significance to achieving four or ten victories.}} On 21 June, operating from the Allied side of the lines, British pilot [[Lanoe Hawker]] scored his first victory.{{sfnp|Head|2016|p=30}}{{sfnp|Shores|Franks|Guest|1990|p=188}} In July 1915, Boelcke, Immelmann, Parschau, and Wintgens began to fly the {{lang|de|Eindecker}} aircraft in combat.{{sfnp|Franks|2004|p=11}} As the German single-seat pilots began waging war in the third dimension, they had no tactical knowledge for reference. Until Boelcke recorded his experiences in July 1916, there was no tactical guide.{{sfnp|Head|2016|pp=67–69, 97}}

On 17 June, on the French side of the lines, Gilbert shot down his fifth German aeroplane.{{efn|According to Smithsonian's Air & Space website, at this stage of the war the definition of an ace was not yet fixed at five victories. They state that Americans, afraid that their belated entry into the war would deny their fliers opportunity to become aces, lobbied the British to lower the requirement for becoming an ace from ten victories to five. Other sources say the French were already using the term as early as June 1916. The Germans originally attached significance to achieving four or ten victories.}} On 21 June, operating from the Allied side of the lines, British pilot [[Lanoe Hawker]] scored his first victory.{{sfnp|Head|2016|p=30}}{{sfnp|Shores|Franks|Guest|1990|p=188}} In July 1915, Boelcke, Immelmann, Parschau, and Wintgens began to fly the {{lang|de|Eindecker}} aircraft in combat.{{sfnp|Franks|2004|p=11}} As the German single-seat pilots began waging war in the third dimension, they had no tactical knowledge for reference. Until Boelcke recorded his experiences in July 1916, there was no tactical guide.{{sfnp|Head|2016|pp=67–69, 97}}