Harald Auffarth (Auffahrt)

Eduard Florus Harald Auffarth (also Auffahrt) (?? - 12 October 1946) Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, Silver Wound Badge, Hanseatic Cross, was a World War I German fighter ace credited with 29 victories. After the war, he ran an aviation training school that covertly supported establishment of the Luftwaffe.

Eduard Florus Harald Auffarth's date and place of birth are unknown. However, German youths were generally not accepted for military duty before their 18th birthday. Based on Auffarth's service records, this would seem to indicate a birth date at least prior to 1899, with 1896 or earlier more likely. His later award of a Hanseatic Cross from Bremen would indicate his birth in Bremen, Bremerhaven, or the vicinity.

A typical career for a German fighter pilot of the World War era began with service in a ground unit; wounds and awards for bravery (typically an Iron Cross) could lead to approval of requests for aviation training. After training, the new flier usually served in a reconnaissance unit flying two-seated aircraft. Auffarth served in two of these units. He first served in Feldflieger Abteilung 27. He then transferred to Flieger Abteilung Artillerie 266, which would have entailed the pilot flying while the observer was spotting and correcting artillery fire upon the enemy. Typically, the observer was the senior man in the crew. Aggressiveness and courage were key to recon pilots upgrading to single seater fighters.

Auffarth transferred to flying fighters with Prussian Jagdstaffeln 18 and recorded his first victory with them on 16 September 1917. On the last day of the month, he became an ace. He then transferred to Prussian Jasta 29.

He scored a victory with them on 13 November. He was appointed commanding officer on the 19th, as an Oberleutnant or First Lieutenant. He would lead the squadron for almost a year. He would eventually score a quarter of his new squadron's victories, flying a succession of Albatroses, Fokker D.VIIs, and a rare Pfalz D.VIII, all in his personal paint scheme of yellow nose and green fuselage with a stylized eight-pointed comet on the side.

He accumulated triumphs erratically until his total stood at 20, on 3 September 1918. Along the way, when his tally stood at 14, he won the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern on 11 April 1918.

He turned over command of Jasta 29 on 28 September. He then had his finest month as a fighter pilot. He downed an Airco DH.9 on 5 October. He scored two victories on 9 October and three each on 14 and 30 October. It is ironic that this much wounded courageous man fell one victory short of being awarded Germany's highest decoration, the Pour le Merite. He did have two additional victories unconfirmed, either of which would have earned him the coveted Blue Max.

He survived the war despite at least three wounds, which was the minimum required to win the Silver Wound Badge. He established Fliegerschule Auffarth (Auffarth's Flying School) in Munster in 1924. This was one of ten flying schools that surreptitiously supported covert military aviation training in Germany in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.The school was closed in 1929, just before Germany began training military pilots deep within Russia.

Auffarth returned to service for World War II. He was stationed in Eschenbach in May 1943 as an Oberstleutnant or Lieutenant Colonel. He died there on 12 October 1946.

References

* http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/auffarth.php Accessed on 7/8 October 2008.
* http://www.theaerodrome.com/medals/germany/prussia_rhoh.php Accessed on 7/8 October 2008.
* http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/people/17652-harold-auffarth.html Accessed on 7/8 October 2008.
* http://www.theaerodrome.com/medals/germany/prussia_ic.php Accessed on 7/8 October 2008.
* http://www.theaerodrome.com/medals/germany/wb.php Accessed on 7/8 October 2008.
* http://www.theaerodrome.com/medals/germany/bremen_hc.php Accessed on 7/8 October 2008.
* http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter1/pfalzd8.htm Accessed on 7/8 October 2008.
* "Fokker D VII Aces of World War 1: Part 2". Norman Franks, et al. Osprey Publishing, 2004.
* http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/people/17652-harold-auffarth.html Accessed on 7/8 October 2008.