Karl Menckhoff

Infobox Military Person
name=Menckhoff, Karl


caption=
born=14 April 1883
died=January 11, 1949
placeofbirth= Herford, Westphalia, Germany
placeofdeath=Switzerland
nickname=
allegiance=Germany
branch=
serviceyears=
rank=Oberleutnant
unit=
commands=
battles=
awards=Pour le Mérite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
relations=
laterwork=

"Karl Menckhoff" (14 April 1883 - 1949) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 39 victories during the war. [ [http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/menckhoff.php www.theaerodrome.com] . Accessed 9 June 2008.]

Menckhoff joined the German Army in 1903. This attempt at a military career was cut short by surgery for appendicitis.

When World War I erupted in 1914, he found himself serving in the trenches as an infantryman despite being 31 years of age. He was wounded several times and won the Iron Cross First Class for gallantry.

He applied for transfer to the Luftstreitkrafte. Pilot candidates were, on the average, even younger than foot soldiers; as a result, Menckhoff may have been the oldest ace flying in World War I.

As was so typical of German air service policy, Menckhoff began his aerial career as an observer on the Eastern Front. In 1916, he became a flight instructor. Finally, in 1917, as a non-commissioned officer, he was assigned to Jagstaffel 3 (Jasta 3) in France. There he usually flew an Albatross D III.

He achieved his first victory on 5 April 1917. He steadily accrued a list of victims. Unlike many leading aces, he tended not to score multiple triumphs in the same day; on only four occasions, he claimed two opponents on the same day. The remainder of his victories were singles.

Also unlike most aces, he was shot down and returned to duty. Indeed, he was shot down twice in a five day span. On 23 September 1917, he rushed to the aid of Werner Voss in the latter's losing battle with No. 56 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. Lieutenant Arthur Rhys Davids turned from downing Voss and promptly shot down his erstwhile rescuer. Five days later, Leutnant Menckhoff again met 56 Squadron and again lost the battle.

Menckhoff's score reached 20 on 4 February 1918. He was raised to command of Jasta 72 as a Hauptman (Captain). His leadership style was one that conserved his men's lives; the Jasta's subsequent 60 victories were gained with the loss of only 1 Jasta pilot.

After a short interregnum, probably caused by the teething problems of organizing a new unit, Menckhoff resumed his winning ways, and between 1 April and 19 June racked up another 19 credits. It was during this time, on 23 April, that he received Germany's highest decoration for valor, the Pour le Merite, commonly known as the Blue Max.

On 25 June, his aerial war ended with his third shootdown, by American pilot Walter Avery flying his first air combat sorty. Captured by Avery at the crash site, Menckhoff was imprisoned past the end of the war. He finally escaped from Camp Montoire in August, 1919 and took refuge in Switzerland. He stayed in Switzerland and eventually became a successful businessman.

Menckhoff died in Switzerland in 1948, but that was not the end of his story. On 25 May 2007, Avery's daughter returned a fabric trophy cut from Menckhoff's crashed Fokker D VII to Menckhoff's son.

Reference

http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/menckhoff.htm

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/newspaper-articles/33042-german-ace-shot-down.html

Norman Franks, et al. "Fokker D VII Aces of World War I". Osprey Publishing. 2004.

Philip Handleman. "Combat in the Sky: The Art of Aerial Warfare" Zenith Imprint. 2003

Christopher Shores. "British and Empire Aces of World War I". Osprey Publishing, 2001. http://www.washtimes.com/news/2007/may/11/20070511-102739-7444r/