Adolf Ritter von Tutschek

Adolf, Ritter von Tutschek (16 May 1891 - 15 March 1918) Pour le Merite, Max Joseph Military Order, was a professional soldier turned aviator who became a leading fighter ace with 27 victories. As German air strategy turned towards concentrated air power, he was entrusted with one of the world's first fighter wings.

His Life Prior to Flying

Adolf von Tutschek was born in Ingolstadt, into the noble surroundings of the Bavarian court. He was the son of court physician Karl Tutschek.

He attended Saint Anna High School in Augsburg until 1910. After graduation, he joined in the "Prince Charles of Bavaria" 3rd Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment as a Feldjager, or officer candidate. In 1912, he was commissioned a leutnant, or lieutenant.

Von Tutschek's regiment moved immediately into battle when World War I broke. He commanded a company of the regiment in France, Belgium, Galicia, Russia, and Serbia. In May 1915 in Gorlice, Poland, he was wounded in the foot by shrapnel. In August, he was awarded the Max Joseph Military Order; he was one of only three pilots to receive it. This award knighted him, entitling him to add the honorific "Ritter" in his name.

In the beginning of 1916, he was promoted to Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant). In March, 1916, he was seriously wounded by poisonous gas during the Battle of Verdun. Upon his recovery, he requested pilot training.

Aerial Service

He attended flight school near Munich. In October, 1916, he returned to the front for the Battle of the Somme, flying initially with FFA 6b, an artillery spotting unit.

He began flying with "Boelcke" Jagdstaffel 2 on January 25, 1917. Over the next three months, he flew 140 combat sorties, placed seven victory claims and had three confirmed. His very first triumph, on 6 March 1917, was over Royal Flying Corps ace Maximillian Mare-Montembault.

On 28 April, he assumed command of Prussian Jasta 12 upon the death of its commander. One of the pilots there was ace in the making and future Jasta 52 commanding officer Paul Billik. Von Tutschek allayed the Prussian suspicion of Bavarians by sprinting to his airplane through falling bombs and scoring on his very first flight with them the next day. His personal aircraft color scheme probably also impressed; his Albatros D.III was inky black save for a white propeller spinner and a square white background to his Maltese cross tail markings.

The next couple of weeks saw von Tutschek become the bane of Royal Naval Air Service's Squadron 3, as he shot down three of them in a row. Or so he was credited. On 11 May, he claimed a shootdowm of Sub Lieutenant Broad. Von Tutshek had left Broad and his Sopwith Pup spinning uncontrollably toward earth. In actuality, while looking backwards, Broad had been shot through mouth from long range. When he recovered from the shock of his wound, he also recovered control of his Pup. Nevertheless, upon landing, Broad went to the hospital.

Von Tutschek closed out May as a "Kanone" (big gun), the German slang equivalent of "ace". He had scored his tenth victory on the 20th.

He didn't score again until 3 July, but he scored 11 wins in July. Some of them were notable victories. On the 15th, he downed one of Billy Bishop's wingmen right under the great Canadian ace's nose, for score number 16. On the 28th, he knocked down English ace Edward Crundall while flying a morning sortie. In the afternoon, he downed another ace, Canadian John Tudhope, yet another Billy Bishop wingman.

On 3 August 1917, after 21 victories, he was awarded Germany's premier decoration for valor, the Pour le Merite.

On 11 August 1917, after victory 23, Tutschek was severely wounded in in the shoulder by Flt Lt Charles D. Booker of RNAS Naval 8 Squadron. It would take the German ace six months to recover. He spent the time writing a memoir of his flying experiences, "Sturme and Luftsiege" (Attack and Air Victories).

Higher Command and Downfall

Returning after his long layoff, von Tutshek found himself with new responsibilities. Kugloft von Hoeppner had decreed the creation of new Jagdgeschwaders to capitalize on the success of the first one, von Richthofen's Flying Circus. Jastas 12 13, 15, and 19 were grouped into the brand new JG II, and von Tutschek was promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) and given the command on 2 February. He was pitched into the hectic challenge of gearing up and staffing a new organization; he expressed his dissatisfaction with progress to his diary. The new unit was short of aircraft, parts, and fuel; it faced a numerically superior Royal Air Force.

One of his prerequisites was a new airplane to fly. He was delighted with his brand new Fokker Dr.I triplane. He first test flew it on 17 February 1918, and raved about it in his diary "..a tremendous machine climbs terrifically." He flew it to the last four wins of his career, on 26 February, and the 1st, 6th, and 10th of March.

On the last day of February, he narrowly survived a midair collision with one of his pilots flying in another triplane. The two pilots managed to coax their damaged machines to safe landings, but it was a near thing. On 15 March, South African ace Lt H.B. Redler shot down von Tutschek. The German spun down in his green triplane out of control. He was seen by his wingmen standing by his crashlanded plane, waving at them. However, he was later found dead beside the craft. One of Redler's bullets had creased the Kanone's head and its after effect had killed him.

Von Tutschek left behind a fledgling unit, that though it would be handicapped by numerous changes in leadership, would wage a strong defensive battle against heavy odds to war's end. His tally of 27 successes (24 with Jasta 12 or JG II) would amount to a quarter of his parent Jasta 12's 104 confirmed victories.

References

* http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_von_Tutschek Accessed 30 September 2008. Translated via Google.
* http://home.att.net/~ordersandmedals/MMJO/MMJO1-2.htm Accessed 30 September 2008.
* http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/tutschek.php Accessed 30 September 2008.
* http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter1/albatros.htm Accessed 30 September 2008.
* "Albatros Aces of World War 1, Part 2". Greg VanWyngarden. Osprey Publishing, 2007.
* "Sopwith Pup Aces of World War 1". Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2005.
* "Billy Bishop: Canadian Hero". Dan McCaffery. James Lorimer & Company, 2002
* "Nieuport Aces of World War 1". Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000
* "The First Air Campaign: August 1914- November 1918". Eric Lawson, Jane Lawson. Da Capo Press, 2002.
* http://www.theaerodrome.com/services/germany/jg/jg2.php Accessed 30 September 2008.
* "Fokker Dr I Aces of World War I." Norman Franks, et al. Osprey Publishing, 2001.
* http://www.theaerodrome.com/services/germany/jasta/jasta12.php Accessed 30 September 2008.
* "Jagdgeschwader Nr II Geschwader 'Berthold': Geschwader Berthold. Greg VanWyngarden, Harry Dempsey. Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2005.
* "SE 5/5a Aces of World War I". Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2007.