Adolf Ritter von Tutschek

Adolf Ritter von Tutschek
World War One German Aviator Obltn. Adolf von Tutschek.jpg
Born16 May 1891
Ingolstadt, Germany
Died15 March 1918(1918-03-15) (aged 26)
Near Brancourt, France
AllegianceGerman Empire
Service/branchInfantry, Luftstreitkräfte
Years of service1910–1918
RankHauptmann (Captain)
Unit3rd Bavarian Infantry,
Flieger-Abteilung 6b,
Jagdstaffel 2,
Jagdstaffel 12,
Jagdgeschwader II
Commands heldJagdstaffel 12
Jagdgeschwader II
AwardsPour le Mérite,

Military Order of Max Joseph,
House Order of Hohenzollern,
Iron Cross

Adolf Ritter von Tutschek (16 May 1891 – 15 March 1918) Pour le Mérite, Military Order of Max Joseph, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, was a professional soldier turned aviator. As German air strategy turned towards concentrated air power, he was entrusted with one of the world's first fighter wings.

Early life and infantry service

Adolf Tutschek was born in Ingolstadt. He was the son of Karl Tutschek, Chief Medical Officer to the Royal Bavarian Military Academy. The younger Tutschek attended Saint Anna High School in Augsburg until 1910, then joined the Royal Bavarian Cadet School. After graduation in October 1912, he joined in the "Prince Carl of Bavaria" 3rd Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment as a Fahnenjunker (officer aspirant). He was later commissioned as Leutnant. He started his field service in World War I with Prussian Fusilier Regiment No. 40 in Vosges, but soon was transferred back to Bavarian 3rd Infantry Regiment (from March 1915 on part of Bavarian 11th Division), first as 2nd battalion's adjutant, then as company leader in France, Galicia, Poland and Serbia. In May 1915 in Gorlice, Poland, he was wounded in the foot by a hand grenade splinter.[citation needed]

On 10 August 1915, he led two companies of Bavarian infantry in an assault on a Russian stronghold near Petryłów; under his leadership, the Bavarians held out against repeated counterattacks. His valor in this battle was rewarded on 25 February 1916 by the award of the Bavarian Military Order of Max Joseph. His kingdom's highest military order rewarded him with a lifetime patent of nobility, signified by inserting the phrase "Ritter von" into his name. It also paid a lifetime pension. In early 1916, he was promoted to Oberleutnant. In March 1916, he was seriously wounded by poison gas during the Battle of Verdun. Upon his recovery, he requested pilot training.

Aerial service

In July 1916, von Tutschek attended flight school at Schleissheim with Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 1 (Replacement Detachment 1). In October 1916 he returned to the front flying initially with Flieger-Abteilung 6b (Flier Detachment 6b), an artillery spotting unit.[citation needed]

He was then posted to fly single-seat fighters with Jagdstaffel 2 (Fighter Squadron 2) in January 1917. Over the next three months, he flew 140 combat sorties, made seven victory claims and had three confirmed.[page needed] His first triumph, on 6 March 1917, was over the Airco DH.2 of ace Lt. Maxmillian Mare-Montembault of No 32 Squadron RFC, who was shot down and captured.

On 28 April, von Tutschek assumed command of Prussian Jagdstaffel 12 based at Epinoy upon the death of its commander.[page needed] One of the pilots there was future Jagdstaffel 52 commanding officer and ace Paul Billik.[page needed] Von Tutschek's appointment was unusual in that although a Prussian raised Jagdstaffel, von Tutschek was a Bavarian. On 30 April, von Tutschek allayed any Prussian suspicion of Bavarians by sprinting to his airplane through falling bombs during a raid on their home airfield; he led a flight into the air into a night pursuit of the bombers. He shot down one of the raiders, a Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b of No. 57 Squadron RFC thus scoring a victory on his first flight with his new command.

His personal aircraft color scheme was ink black overall with a white propeller spinner and a square white background for the Maltese cross tail markings.[page needed]

In May he was credited with shooting down a trio of Sopwith Pups of No. 3 Naval Squadron RNAS. However, his 11 May victim recovered from an apparently uncontrollable spin and returned to base despite being shot through the mouth.[page needed]

On 20 May, von Tutschek scored his tenth victory in a long duel with a SPAD of No. 23 Squadron RFC that crashed in flames.

On 26 May, von Tutschek left for leave, and returning on 26 June attacked two Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters, though the return fire damaged von Tutschek's Albatros and forced him to land. In combat with 60 Squadron Nieuports on 29 June his engine was again damaged, and he force-landed near Cantin.[citation needed]

He scored 11 victories in July. On the 15th, he downed one of Captain Billy Bishop's 60 Squadron's comrades, Lt. GAH Parkes, for victory number 16. On the 28th, he shot down English 7-victory ace Flt. Sub-Lt. E. D. Crundall of Naval 8 Squadron RNAS (who survived), on a morning sortie. In the afternoon, he claimed another ace, 40 Squadron's Captain John Henry Tudhope (10 victories), who returned to base, damaged.

On 11 July, he was awarded the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern.[page needed] On 3 August 1917, after 21 victories, he was awarded Germany's premier decoration for valor, the Pour le Mérite.

On 11 August 1917, after victory 23, von Tutschek was severely wounded in the shoulder by Flt Lt Charles Dawson Booker of Naval 8 Squadron.[page needed] If Viktor Schobinger had not intervened and shot Booker down, von Tutschek would probably have been killed.

With his lower right shoulder blade shattered, von Tutschek took six months to recover and spent the time writing a memoir of his flying experiences, Stürme und Luftsiege (Attacks and Air Victories). His edited letters would also appear in print at a later date.[page needed]

Higher command and downfall

Returning to active service in February 1918, Hauptmann von Tutschek was given command of the new Jagdgeschwader II, consisting of four Jagdstaffeln--Jagdstaffel 13, Jagdstaffel 15, and Jagdstaffel 19, as well as Jagdstaffel 12.[page needed] He was pitched into the challenge of gearing up and staffing a new organization; he expressed his dissatisfaction with progress in his diary. The new unit was short of aircraft, parts, and fuel and faced a numerically superior Royal Flying Corps.[page needed]

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 victories of his career, on 26 February, and 1st (a balloon) 6th and 10 March.

On the last day of February, he narrowly survived a mid-air collision with Lt. Paul Blumenbach flying another triplane. Both pilots managed to coax their damaged machines to safe landings.[page needed]

On 15 March 1918, South African future 10-victory ace Lieutenant Harold Redler of the Royal Flying Corps's No. 24 Squadron shot down von Tutschek.[page needed] The German spun down in his green triplane (SNo.404/17) out of control. There are two versions of what followed.[citation needed]

One version of his death states when found he still had his wiping cloth tucked through his buttonhole and under his safety harness; as it was his habit to wipe his goggles clean going into battle, it was deduced he had been caught unaware.[page needed]

A second version, less likely, claimed that one of Redler's bullets creased Tutschek's head and that the wound caused him to land. He supposedly waved to his wingmen as they circled, but was later found dead next to his plane.

His tally of 27 victories (24 with Jagdstaffel 12 or Jagdgeschwader II) would amount to a quarter of the 104 victories for his parent Jagdstaffel 12.

Decorations and awards

Inline citations

  1. ^ Franks & Giblin 2003, p. 99.
  2. ^ Bayerns Goldenes Ehrenbuch, Weltkrieg 1914/18, München 1928, p. 49.
  3. ^ The Aerodrome webpage on the Military Order of Max Joseph [1] Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Adolf Ritter von Tutschek". theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  5. ^ a b c d VanWyngarden 2007.
  6. ^ "Jasta 12". theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  7. ^ "Paul von Osterroht". theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  8. ^ VanWyngarden 2006.
  9. ^ Franks & Giblin 2003, p. 103.
  10. ^ "Johannisthal Eagle: The Albatros D.III & D.V/Va". cbrnp.com. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  11. ^ Franks & Dempsey 2005.
  12. ^ a b Albatros Aces of World War I. 25 March 2000.
  13. ^ a b c d VanWyngarden & Dempsey 2005.
  14. ^ "Orden Pour le Mérite". pourlemerite.org. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  15. ^ Franks & VanWyngarden 2001.
  16. ^ Lawson & Lawson 1997.
  17. ^ "Jagdgeschwader II". theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  18. ^ Franks 2000.
  19. ^ Franks 2007, p. 47.

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