Rudolph Berthold
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Berthold was a German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

 World War I
World 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...

 flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

. Between 1916 and 1918 he shot down 44 enemy planes—most of them over the Belgian front. Berthold had the reputation as a ruthless, fearless and—above all—a very patriotic fighter. His perseverance and bravery made him one of the most famous German pilots of the First World War.

Prewar through 1915

Rudolf Berthold was a forester's son. He started his career as a soldier with the 3rd Brandenberg Infantry regiment in 1910. He learned to fly at his own expense in 1913, qualifying as a pilot in September 1913. Thus he transferred to the German Air Service when war broke out in August 1914, and over the next two years flew as an Observer on Halberstadt and DFW two seaters with FFA 23, winning the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class.

In September 1915 he was stationed with Hans-Joachim Buddecke in FFA 223, and the two became friends. They decided that Buddecke should use his experience in a monoplane in 223's new Fokker Eindecker
Fokker Eindecker
The Fokker Eindecker was a German World War I monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft designed by Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker. Developed in April 1915, the Eindecker was the first purpose-built German fighter aircraft and the first aircraft to be fitted with synchronizer gear, enabling the pilot...

, while Berthold would fly the AEG G.II
AEG G.II
-See also:-Further reading:* Kroschel, Günter; Stützer, Helmut: Die deutschen Militärflugzeuge 1910-18, Wilhelmshaven 1977* Munson, Kenneth: Bomber 1914–19, Zürich 1968, Nr. 20* Nowarra, Heinz: Die Entwicklung der Flugzeuge 1914-18, München 1959...

 with its three gunners. This decision sped Buddecke on his way to being a member of the first wave of German aces that included Oswald Boelcke
Oswald Boelcke
Oswald Boelcke was a German flying ace of the First World War and one of the most influential patrol leaders and tacticians of the early years of air combat. Boelcke is considered the father of the German fighter air force, as well as the "Father of Air Fighting Tactics"; he was the first to...

, Max Immelmann
Max Immelmann
Max Immelmann was the first German World War I flying ace. He was a great pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchronized gun...

, and Kurt Wintgens
Kurt Wintgens
Leutnant Kurt Wintgens was a German World War I fighter ace. He was the first military fighter pilot to score a victory over an opposing aircraft in an aircraft armed with a synchronized machine gun. Wintgens was the recipient of the Iron Cross and the Blue Max.-Background:Wintgens was born into a...

. It left Berthold flying his plane into an indecisive but costly battle on 2 October 1915 when his British pusher
Pusher
Pusher may refer to:* A dealer in the illegal drug trade* Pusher , a 1996 Danish film by Nicolas Winding Refn* Pusher II, a 2004 film sequel* Pusher III, a 2005 film sequel* Pusher configuration, an aircraft configuration...

 opponent mortally wounded two of his gunners and escaped. Only when Buddecke transferred to Turkey did Berthold fall heir to a Fokker Eindecker.

1916

Later in 1916 with Kek Vaux, Berthold was injured in the first of several crashes in his wartime career. On 26 April 1916, by which time he already had 5 victories, he crashed a Pfalz E.IV and was sidelined by a broken pelvis, thigh, and nose for the next four months. On 24 August 1916, Berthold scored his sixth victory and received the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern. The next day, KEK Vaux became Jasta 4 under Berthold's command. The new unit started with a starred roster--Hans-Joachim Buddecke, Wilhelm Frankl
Wilhelm Frankl
Leutnant Wilhelm Frankl, , Pour le Mérite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, was a World War I fighter ace credited with 20 aerial victories.-Personal life:...

, Walter Höhndorf
Walter Höhndorf
Leutnant Walter Höhndorf was a pioneer aviator, test pilot, airplane designer and constructor, and fighter ace during World War I. He was credited with twelve aerial victories.-Early life:...

, and Ernst Freiherr von Althaus
Ernst Freiherr von Althaus
Ernst Freiherr von Althaus was a German flying ace in World War I, credited with nine confirmed aerial victories, as well as eight unconfirmed ones...

 were early members and all future aces. Berthold handed over command to Buddecke and served in the Jasta's ranks before joining Jasta 14
Jasta 14
Jasta 14 was a hardcore band from Connecticut that existed from 1991 to 1996. Over the years it included members that went on to play in such bands as Hatebreed, Red Sparowes and Orthrelm.-Members:* Jamey Jasta* Mick Barr* Joel Chialastri* Greg Burns...

 on 16 October 1916. Buddecke and a wingman circled overhead as Berthold's train bore him away to his new assignment.

1917

On 24 March 1917 that he shot down a French Farman from Escadrille F7. He served with Jasta 14 until May 1917 when he was wounded in combat with a RFC scout, suffering a fractured skull, broken nose, pelvis and thigh. In August he was given command of Jasta 18. He shot down a Spad on 21 August, raising his tally to 13. On 28 September 1917 he shot down the DH-5 of 6-kill 'ace' Capt. Alwayne Loyd, of No 32 Squadron RFC, who was killed. During September he scored 14 victories, bringing his tally to 27. On 2 October he scored his 28th victory ; a DH.4 bomber of No. 57 Squadron RFC,

During a dogfight on 10 October a bullet crippled his right upper arm. This was the same day he was awarded the Pour le Merite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....

. He was promoted to Hauptmann on 26 October 1917, just 8 days after receiving the Pour le Merite. According to Paul Strähle
Paul Strähle
-Early military service:Paul Strähle originally served in the infantry after joining the German army on 1 October 1913. He transferred to aviation in 1915. He first flew in an artillery cooperation unit, being posted to FA 213 on 15 July 1916. In the autumn, he trained on fighters.-Service as a...

, who was one of his pilots at the time, Berthold's stern behavior subsequently became erratic under the influence of morphine; in one incident he not only raged at his pilots for disorderly quarters, but lashed about with a riding crop.

1918

In March 1918 he returned to active service and took command 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:...

, receiving permission to transfer his Jasta 18 personnel en masse into Jasta 15. Despite being in constant pain from his unhealed injuries, Berthold continued flying. He refused any surgical help because he believed an operation would make it impossible for him to continue flying. Berthold didn't even have the bullet removed from his arm. Throughout the summer of 1918 Berthold continued flying, increasingly relying on morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...

 for pain relief. Such was his strength of will he also taught himself to write with his left hand.

With JG 2 Berthold often flew a Pfalz D.III
Pfalz D.III
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Grosz, Peter M. Pfalz D.IIIa . Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-94841-425-1.* Guttman, Jon. Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 ...

 in preference to the Albatros D.V
Albatros D.V
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X....

, until May 1918 when the new Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...

 entered service.

Berthold had a personal insignia of a winged sword on the side of the blue fuselages and red noses sported by all aircraft of Jasta 15.

His final wartime mishap came on 10 August 1918 when he shot down two RAF DH-4 bombers, but collided with the second of these victories and crashed into a house. He was hospitalised until after the war (ironically, this was the same date that Lt. Erich Lowenhardt
Erich Löwenhardt
Erich Löwenhardt was the 3rd highest German flying ace with 54 victories during the First World War, behind only Manfred von Richthofen and Ernst Udet.-Early life and service:...

 was killed).

Post-war

After the war Berthold became a fanatic patriot
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...

 and nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...

, becoming a member of the anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...

 Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...

. He founded the 1200-strong "Fränkische Bauern-Detachment Eiserne Schar Berthold" in April 1919, and took part in several demonstrations and fought against communists
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...

 factions.

Death and gravestone

Berthold was shot on 15 March 1920 in Harburg
Harburg
Harburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It takes its name from the town of Harburg upon Elbe, which used to be the capital of the district but is now part of Hamburg...

 during a riot between German communist and nationalist factions, after taking part in the failed Kapp Putsch
Kapp Putsch
The Kapp Putsch — or more accurately the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch — was a 1920 coup attempt during the German Revolution of 1918–1919 aimed at overthrowing the Weimar Republic...

. During the coup d'état Berthold's unit was reportedly cornered in a Harburg school. Reports about the cause of his death then varied, with some accounts stating he was beaten, stabbed and shot dead, while other sources say he was strangled with the ribbon of the 'Blue Max
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....

' medal he still wore.

On his first gravestone {since destroyed} was allegedly the memorial: "Honored by his Enemies, killed by his German brethren". See {reference only}.

Sources

  • Franks, Norman and VanWyngarden, Greg. Fokker D VII Aces of World War 1: Part 1 / (Oxford : Osprey Publishing, 2003.)
  • Franks, Bailey & Guest, Above the Lines (Grub Street 1993) pages 71–72. ISBN 0948817739, 9780948817731.
  • VanWyngarden, Greg. Jagdgeschwader Nr II: Geschwader Berthold / (Osprey Publishing, 2005.) ISBN 1841767271, 9781841767277.
  • VanWyngarden, Greg, et al. Early German Aces of World War I. (Osprey Publishing, 2006.) ISBN 1841769975, 9781841769974.

External links

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