Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp
Encyclopedia
Oberst
Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp (19 November 1897 – 27 February 1976) Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
was a German fighter ace notable for being one of the few two-war aces in history. After scoring six victories in World War I, he became a Luftwaffe
Ace in World War II, with 12 additional victories.
. He first flew two seaters with FFA 53, which became FA 272 (A), as a reconnaissance pilot adjusting artillery fire, before becoming a fighter pilot with Jasta 36, which was commanded by his brother Walter who fell on 6 January 1918.
During his time with Jasta 36, Harry von Bulow-Bothkamp shot down an Airco D.H.4 on 12 October 1917, followed by five additional enemy fighters. His last victory came on 21 July 1918, over Major R.N. Freeman, CO of No. 73 Squadron.
His notable win was his fourth, over British 10-kill ace Captain Cecil Clark of No 1 Squadron, who was wounded and taken prisoner.
Harry was discharged from the service by order of the Kaiser on 25 August 1918. Harry was the last survivor of four brothers; the oldest, Friedrich, was killed in 1914, and Konrad died in a flying accident on 26 September 1918 while commanding part of the Aviation Battalion of the Finnish Air Force.
Harry had earned the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern and Iron Cross
for his service.
he returned to school (Gymnasium
) receiving his Abitur
and went to University
studying agriculture
. Together with Paul Bäumer
he founded the Bäumer Aero in Hamburg
-Fuhlsbüttel
to produce airplanes. The company went bankrupt in the course of the Great Depression
.
He rejoined the German military aviation as a Hauptman (Captain) in 1935, in the newly established Luftwaffe
. The following year, he was promoted to Major and assigned as the original commanding officer of Jagdgeschwader 2
"Richthofen", also known as JG II. In 1939, he became Inspector of the Nationalsozialitische Fliegerkorps, the Luftwaffe's civil reserve.
, he commanded Gruppe II./JG 77 from November, 1939 onwards. He then became Commodore of Jagdgeschwader 2
in April 1940. He led this unit during the blitzkrieg into France during May and June 1940. Despite being over 40 years old, he vanquished at least 12 opponents in this campaign. This performance as a fighting commander of JG 2
earned him another promotion, to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel), and made him a winner of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
on 22 August 1940.
On 1 September 1940, he was reassigned to Nachtjagdschule 1 (Night Flight School 1). He remained in command of this unit through its redesignation as NJG 101, until October, 1943. He then commanded the 5th Fighter Division beginning in November, 1943. He ended the war back with the Nationalsozialitische Fliegerkorps.
He died of natural causes in Kirchbarkau
, near his ancestral castle, where he was buried in the same plot as his brothers.
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp (19 November 1897 – 27 February 1976) Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
was a German fighter ace notable for being one of the few two-war aces in history. After scoring six victories in World War I, he became a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
Ace in World War II, with 12 additional victories.
Early life and World War I
Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp was a child of nobility, born in his family's castle in the village of Bothkamp in the Schleswig-Holstein Province of Germany. He began his military service with Saxon Hussar Regiment No. 18 when he was 17, before learning to fly in August 1916. In December 1916 he joined the German air service. He was one of three brothers (the others being Walter and Conrad) to serve in the Fliegertruppe during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He first flew two seaters with FFA 53, which became FA 272 (A), as a reconnaissance pilot adjusting artillery fire, before becoming a fighter pilot with Jasta 36, which was commanded by his brother Walter who fell on 6 January 1918.
During his time with Jasta 36, Harry von Bulow-Bothkamp shot down an Airco D.H.4 on 12 October 1917, followed by five additional enemy fighters. His last victory came on 21 July 1918, over Major R.N. Freeman, CO of No. 73 Squadron.
His notable win was his fourth, over British 10-kill ace Captain Cecil Clark of No 1 Squadron, who was wounded and taken prisoner.
Harry was discharged from the service by order of the Kaiser on 25 August 1918. Harry was the last survivor of four brothers; the oldest, Friedrich, was killed in 1914, and Konrad died in a flying accident on 26 September 1918 while commanding part of the Aviation Battalion of the Finnish Air Force.
Harry had earned the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern and Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
for his service.
Between the wars
After World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he returned to school (Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
) receiving his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
and went to University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
studying agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Together with Paul Bäumer
Paul Bäumer
Paul Wilhelm Bäumer was a German fighter ace in World War I.-Involvement in World War 1:Bäumer learned to fly before the war but joined the infantry and was wounded in the leg in 1915. He transferred to the air service as a dental assistant before being accepted for military pilot training...
he founded the Bäumer Aero in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
-Fuhlsbüttel
Fuhlsbüttel
Fuhlsbüttel is an urban quarter in the north of Hamburg, Germany in the district Hamburg-Nord. It is known as the site of Hamburg's international airport, and as the location of a prison which served as a concentration camp in the Nazi system of repression....
to produce airplanes. The company went bankrupt in the course of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
He rejoined the German military aviation as a Hauptman (Captain) in 1935, in the newly established Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. The following year, he was promoted to Major and assigned as the original commanding officer of Jagdgeschwader 2
Jagdgeschwader 2
Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" was a World War II Luftwaffe wing. It was named after World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen.-History:...
"Richthofen", also known as JG II. In 1939, he became Inspector of the Nationalsozialitische Fliegerkorps, the Luftwaffe's civil reserve.
World War II and beyond
During the beginning of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he commanded Gruppe II./JG 77 from November, 1939 onwards. He then became Commodore of Jagdgeschwader 2
Jagdgeschwader 2
Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" was a World War II Luftwaffe wing. It was named after World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen.-History:...
in April 1940. He led this unit during the blitzkrieg into France during May and June 1940. Despite being over 40 years old, he vanquished at least 12 opponents in this campaign. This performance as a fighting commander of JG 2
Jagdgeschwader 2
Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" was a World War II Luftwaffe wing. It was named after World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen.-History:...
earned him another promotion, to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel), and made him a winner of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 22 August 1940.
On 1 September 1940, he was reassigned to Nachtjagdschule 1 (Night Flight School 1). He remained in command of this unit through its redesignation as NJG 101, until October, 1943. He then commanded the 5th Fighter Division beginning in November, 1943. He ended the war back with the Nationalsozialitische Fliegerkorps.
He died of natural causes in Kirchbarkau
Kirchbarkau
Kirchbarkau is a municipality in the district of Plön, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
, near his ancestral castle, where he was buried in the same plot as his brothers.
Awards
- House Order of HohenzollernHouse Order of HohenzollernThe House Order of Hohenzollern was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award...
with Swords - Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
2nd and 1st Class - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 22 August 1940 as OberstleutnantOberstleutnantOberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
of the ReservesMilitary reserve forceA military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
and GeschwaderkommodoreGeschwaderkommodoreGeschwaderkommodore is a Luftwaffe position , originating during World War II, that is the equivalent of a RAF Group Commander or USAF Wing Commander. A Geschwaderkommodore is usually of Oberstleutnant or Oberst rank...
of JG 2 "Richthofen"
See also
- List of World War I flying aces
- List of World War I flying aces by nationality
- List of World War II aces from Germany
External links
- http://www.acesofww2.com/germany/Germany.htm Accessed 12 October 2008.
- http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=85140&start=105 Accessed 12 October 2008.
- The brothers von Bülow-Bothkamp von Bülow-Bothkamp Accessed 12 October 2008.
- http://www.luftwaffe39-45.historia.nom.br/ases/bothkamp.htm Accessed 12 October 2008. Translated via google.
- http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/bulow-bothkamp1.php Accessed 17 October 2008.