- Godwin Brumowski
__NOTOC__ Infobox Military Person
name= Godwin Brumowski
caption=An Oeffrag built Albatros DIII flown by Godwin Brumowski; on the left.
born=26 July 1889
died=03 June 1936
placeofbirth=Wadowice , Galicia
placeofdeath=Schiphol ,Netherlands
nickname=
allegiance=Austria-Hungary
branch=
serviceyears=
rank=Hauptmann
unit=Flik 1, 12, 41J (LFT) Jasta 24 (GAS)
commands=
battles=
awards=Order of the Iron Crown ,Order of Leopold ,Medal for Bravery ,Military Merit Medal ,Iron Cross
relations=
laterwork=Godwin Brumowski (
26 July 1889 -03 June 1936 ) was an Austro-HungarianWorld War I flying ace . We was credited with 35 victories. [ [http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/austrhun/brumowski.php www.theaerodrome.com] . Accessed 9 June 2008.]Biography
Godwin Brumowski (26 July 1889-3 June, 1936) was the most successful fighter ace of the Austro-Hungarian Air Force during World War I. He was officially credited with 35 air victories, with 8 others unconfirmed because they fell behind Allied lines. He was friends with The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, Germany’s highest scoring fighter ace of the war. Brumowski rose to command of all his country’s fighter aviation fighting Italy on the Isornzo front.
Life before entry into air service
Brumowski was born into a military family in Wadowice, Galicia, in what is now Poland. He attended the Technical Military Academy in Vienna and graduated as a leutnant (second lieutenant) on August 18, 1910. He was serving in the 6th Artillery Division and had just turned 25 when war was declared against Serbia on July 28, 1914. He served on the Eastern front against Russia, winning Bronze and Silver Military Medals for bravery before transferring to air service in der kaiserliche und konigliche Luftfahrtruppen (the Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops).
Aerial Service
He was posted to Fliegerkompagnie 1 (abbreviated Flik 1) as ace Otto Jindra’s observer. On April 12, 1916, Jindra was his pilot when Brumowski participated in his first daring act in his new unit; they bombed a military review attended by Czar Nicholas II. In the process, they shot down two of the seven Russian Morane-Saulnier two-seaters that attempted to drive them off.
On July 3, 1916, Brumowski became a pilot, despite the defective vision in his right eye that he corrected with a monocle. In November, he transferred to Flik 12. He helped down an Italian Caproni bomber on December 3rd. On January 2, he became an ace when he was victorious over an Italian Farman two-seater while piloting a Hansa-Brandenburg D.1. It is notable that Brumowski became an ace while still flying two-seater craft basically unsuited as fighters.
The next month, when Flik 41J was established on the Italian Front as Austro-Hungary’s first dedicated fighter unit, Brumowski was chosen to command it. He spent 9 days in March, flying 4 sorties with the Germans of Jasta 24 to learn German fighter tactics, before assuming his command. While here, he met the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen.
Brumowski continued amassing victories through May and June. In August, 1917, he scored a remarkable streak of victories, being credited with 12 confirmed and 6 unconfirmed kills between the 10th and 28th. Two of these victories, on the 19th and 20th, were the result of a partial transition to a true fighter plane, an Albatros D.III. By the end of August, the transition was complete; he had no more victories in the Hansa-Brandenburg. He would use the Albatros to score the rest of his kills.
On October 9, 1917, he shot down an observation balloon for his 22nd victory. His Albatros that day was painted all red, in emulation of von Richthofen, with the addition of mustard colored skulls on either side of the fuselage. This paint scheme would become characteristic of his aircraft until war’s end.
On February 1, 1918, Brumowski became involved in a fight with 7 or 8 enemy fighters. Some of the 26 bullets striking his Albatros ignited his fuel tank. He managed to land at his home field without serious injury, becoming a rare survivor of an in-craft fire.Three days later, while flying another Albatros, he fought 8 English fighters and took multiple machine gun hits. With his wings breaking up, he still managed to land, though the Albatros flipped over and was totally destroyed.
Brumowski fought on until June 23, 1918, when he was ordered on extended leave. His last successful fight was on 19 June; he scored his 35th victory and suffered 37 hits in his plane. He had flown 439 combat sorties, but his combat career was ended.
On October 11, even though he was still only a Hauptmann (Captain), he was named to command all Austro-Hungarian fighter squadrons on the Isonzo Front. World War I ended a month later.
Post war career
Brumowski farmed his mother-in-law’s land in Translvania for ten years, with little success. He then began a flying school in Vienna. He died in a plane crash while instructing a student, at Schipol, Holland.
Awards and Decorations
* Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class, with War Decoration
* Knight’s Cross of the Order of Leopold with War Decorations and Swords
* Gold Bravery Medal for OfficersExternal links
* [http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/brumowski.htm, Air Aces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1914-1918]
* [http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/austrhun/brumows theaerosdrome.com] - complete list of victoriesReference
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