HISTORY

but he decided to return to his KEK Vaux instead. Although unable to fly because of a stiff knee, he could still command. He resumed flying in second half

of August 1916 although he had to be helped to the cockpit, as the left knee

was still too stiff (it bettered later).

Berthold achieved his sixth victory on August 24, the next day KUK Vaux

became Jagdstaffel 4 (Fighter Squadron 4). Berthold´s eight victory came

on September 26 and, as the Pour le Mérite was usually awarded for eight

victories at this stage of the war, Berthold hung the “Blue Max” on his neck on

September 12 as 10th German pilot.

photo: Grega VanWyngaarden collection via Jörn Leckscheid

With the new honour new task emerged, as he was assigned to lead the new

Jasta 14, based on Fokker Kampfstaffel Falkenhausen, the unit without any

aerial victory so far. Berthold utilized rather calm situation in the Alsace region

for additional training of his pilots, showing both his perfect „killing“ instincts as

well as the combat experience. He also commanded the unit with stern professional attitude and uncompromising demand of discipline.

Ace and the stark commander

At the start on 1916 Berthold was already one of the most experienced

combat pilots within the Luftstreikräte and perceived the need of larger, more

operational units. He made a plea for amassing air power to the headquarters of Armee-Abteilung A (Army Division A) his unit was part of, but without

success. He also continued with training of the pilots of Jasta 14 until the unit

was moved to the Laon area with more combat action at the start of 1917. The

unit also started to receive new Albatros D.IIIs and Berthold picked the one with

serial 2182/16 as his personal mount. He put his personal symbol, the sword

of vengeance on it and later he made it painted in homage to his old infantry

unit, i.e in red and blue colours. By the time also new Pfalz D.IIIs appeared and

Berthold, contrary to many other pilots, preferred this type over the Albatros.

But prior to the arrival of first Pfalz D.IIIs Berthold was wounded again during

the combat with French Caudron R.9. The bullet hit his lower right shin and as

the wound was not serious he joked in his diary that his right arm was the only

one of his four extremities to remain unwounded. He could not anticipate, how

troublesome this one would be…

He got back to his unit after short period of convalescence (from May

5 to June 15) and felt the discipline and combat morale of his pilots declined

during his absence. Eager to get to the action as soon as possible, he wangled

a medical clearance from his physician. He was cleared to fly again but did not

return to lead Jasta 14 as he was moved to the Jasta 18 with base in Harelbek, Belgium. The intention of the move was clear: Berthold was set to “wake

up” the unit with little success so far and he did so. He promptly emphasized

training even though the pilots had to fly combat missions simultaneously. And

he again pitched his idea of using bigger fighter units. Headquarters of the

4th Army finally agreed to group Jagdstaffeln 18, 24, 31, and 36 into Jagdgruppe 7 (JGr. 7) with Berthold in command. He was in his element again and

scored regular victories starting with French SPAD sent down on August 21.

During September he added 14 victories to his account, but the string was to

be interrupted again. He achieved his 28th victory on October 2, but it was

his last for a long time.

Rudolf Berthold (right) with flight instructor Ernst Schlegel in front of Albatros B.II

in 1915.

for her brother to be diverted to the clinic of one of Germany's best surgeons,

Doctor August Bier. Berthold arrived at the clinic on November 2, 1917 and

Bier´s priority was to save the arm from amputation. Secondly, he hoped for

some success with rehabilitation. Berthold stayed on clinic for four months. During this time was promoted to the Hauptmann (Captain) rank and received

many letters from comrades as well as officials, the one of Luftstreikräte commander General Ernst von Hoeppner being among them.

Grounded

It was a cloudy, misty weather in the area of 4th Army on October 10, 1917.

Low clouds and rain prevented the air units to conduct any operational flying,

but the situation got better in the afternoon and Berthold took off with his pilots

and headed for the area of Roeselare (northeast from Yprés). Jasta 18 took

off at about 16.45. On the other side of the front two flights of 56th Squadron of RFC were set for combat, heading with their S.E.5as to the same area.

Leader of the A Flight Captain Gerard C. Maxwell, the ace with 20 victories at

the time (he added six more till the end of the war) stated in his combat report:

„Crossed lines at 14,000 feet and patrolled area. At about 5 p.m. saw and

attacked about twelve E.A. Scouts, east of Ypres. Dived on several and fired

a drum of Lewis and about 100 rounds of Vickers at very close range. E.A.

went down very steeply and I lost sight of him.“

Ernst Wilhelm Turck took the command of JGr. 7, but Berthold did not give

up the idea of return. The medical reports were in contrary to his wishes.

He learned to write with his left hand ad in his diary he wrote: „If I can write,

I can fly.“ He was receiving regular dosage of Cocaine as anaesthetics and

slightly developed dependence on narcotics. It was changing his behaviour

somehow. He was over euphoric and his activity was raised after the narcotics

were applied. In the middle of February 1918, just eight days after he went

from the bed for first time, he volunteered to return to Jagdgruppe 7. Berthold

was cleared medically on March 1 and returned to command Jagstaffel 18

five days later, although denied permission to fly. Due to that Berthold had

arranged for Hans-Joachim Buddecke's transfer into the unit to lead it in the

air. The Jasta 18 moved meantime on the Avelin base after the battle of Cambrai in November 1917. Berthold was warmly received by his old comrades.

Even he could not fly with them, his presence was something of a much-needed

boost after relatively unsuccessful period. Just two days after his arrival to the

Jagdstaffel, Buddecke was killed in action by Flight Lieutenant Arthur Treloar

Whealy (Sopwith Camel s/n B7220).

It is believed the aircraft Maxwell was firing at, was Berthold´s one. One of

the bullets ricocheted in the cockpit and hit his right arm in odd angle, pulverizing its humerus. With half-severed ailerons of his aircraft (probably Pfalz

D.III No. 4004/17) Berthold managed to return to the base but passed out

just after landing. He was quickly moved to the field hospital in Courtrai, but it

did not have the facilities to heal such a serious injury. It took three weeks for

Berthold to be stable enough to be transported to Saint Vincenzstift Hospital in

Hannover. Meantime his pilot fellows alerted his elder sister Franziska, a nursing supervisor in Viktoria-Lazarett (Victoria Hospital) in Berlin. She arranged

Friend´s death was another big loss for Berthold, but there was no time for

mourning. Five days later was killed leader of JG II Adolf Ritter von Tutschek

and Berthold was promoted to lead the Jagdgeschwader after him. He moved

to the Toulis-et-Attencourt, some 140 km from Avelin and because of his personal ties with most of the Jasta 18 pilots he asked for permission to incorporate

his previous Jagdstaffel into the JG II, consisting from Jasta 12, 13, 15 and 19.

But he asked in vain, as there was no time for such a move just four days prior

to the Spring offensive. Berthold did not give up and made something unprecedented. He used the custom the new leader is allowed to take some of the

Critical bullet

INFO Eduard - January 2021

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