Adolf Ritter von Tutschek
Encyclopedia
Adolf, Ritter von Tutschek (16 May 1891 - 15 March 1918) Pour le Mérite
, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
, Military Order of Max Joseph
, 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.
He attended Saint Anna High School in Augsburg until 1910, then joining 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 hand grenade splinter.
On 25 February 1916, he was awarded the Military Order of Max Joseph
for storming a Russian stronghold near Petrylów in Poland (south of Brest-Litowsk) with two companies of 3rd Bavarian Infantry and holding it against repeated counterattacks (10 August 1915).
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.
He was then posted to fly single-seaters with Jagdstaffel 2 in January 1917. Over the next three months, he flew 140 combat sorties, made seven victory claims and had three confirmed. His very first triumph, on 6 March 1917, was over the DH-2 of 6-kill ace Lt. Maximillian Mare-Montembault M.C. of No. 32 Squadron, who was forced down and captured.
On 28 April, he assumed command of Prussian Jasta 12 based at Epinoy
upon the death of its commander. One of the pilots there was future Jasta 52 commanding officer and ace Paul Billik
. His appointment was unusual in that although a Prussian raised Jasta, von Tutushek 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 FE-2b of 57 Squadron, thus scoring a victory on his very 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.
In May he claimed a trio of Sopwith Pups of 3 Naval Squadron RNAS shot down. On 1 May Flt. Sub-Lt. AS Mather, on 4 May Flt. Sub-Lt HS Murton, while on 11 May he claimed Flt. Sub-Lt. Hubert Broad
, his Sopwith Pup
spinning uncontrollably and Broad shot through the mouth. Broad, however, recovered control of his Pup, landing at base and being hospitalised.
Von Tutschek scored his tenth victory on the 20th, a long duel with a SPAD of No. 23 Squadron 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
.
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-kill 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 Tudhope ( 10 victories), who returned to base, damaged.
On 11 July, he was awarded the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern. 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, Tutschek was severely wounded in the shoulder by Flt Lt Charles Dawson Booker
of RNAS Naval 8 Squadron. If Victor Schobinger had not intervened and shot Booker down, Tutschek would probably have been killed.
With his lower right shoulder blade shattered, Tutschek took six months to recover and spent the time writing a memoir of his flying experiences, Sturme und Luftsiege (Attack and Air Victories). His edited letters would also appear in print at a later date.
.
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.
On 15 March, South African 10-kill ace Lt H.B. Redler of No.24 Squadron shot down von Tutschek. The German spun down in his green triplane (SNo.404/17) out of control. There are two versions of what followed.
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.
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 Jasta 12 or JG 2) would amount to a quarter of his parent Jasta 12's 104 victories.
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....
, 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....
, Military Order of Max Joseph
Military Order of Max Joseph
The Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
, 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.
Early life
Adolf von Tutschek was born in Ingolstadt. He was the son of Karl Tutschek, Chief Medical Officer to the Royal Bavarian Military Academy.He attended Saint Anna High School in Augsburg until 1910, then joining 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
11th Bavarian Infantry Division (German Empire)
The 11th Bavarian Infantry Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on March 24, 1915 and organized over the next few weeks. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915...
), 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 hand grenade splinter.
On 25 February 1916, he was awarded the Military Order of Max Joseph
Military Order of Max Joseph
The Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
for storming a Russian stronghold near Petrylów in Poland (south of Brest-Litowsk) with two companies of 3rd Bavarian Infantry and holding it against repeated counterattacks (10 August 1915).
In early 1916, he was promoted to Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
. In March 1916, he was seriously wounded by poison gas during the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
. Upon his recovery, he requested pilot training.
Aerial service
In July 1916 he attended flight school at Schleissheim with FEA 1. In October 1916 he returned to the front flying initially with FA 6b, an artillery spotting unit.He was then posted to fly single-seaters with Jagdstaffel 2 in January 1917. Over the next three months, he flew 140 combat sorties, made seven victory claims and had three confirmed. His very first triumph, on 6 March 1917, was over the DH-2 of 6-kill ace Lt. Maximillian Mare-Montembault M.C. of No. 32 Squadron, who was forced down and captured.
On 28 April, he assumed command of Prussian Jasta 12 based at Epinoy
Épinoy
Épinoy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated southeast of Arras at the junction of the N43 and D21 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:* Traces of an old castle....
upon the death of its commander. One of the pilots there was future Jasta 52 commanding officer and ace Paul Billik
Paul Billik
Paul Billik Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross was a World War I fighter ace credited with 31 victories. He was killed in a flying accident while pioneering civil aviation.-His Life Before Aviation:...
. His appointment was unusual in that although a Prussian raised Jasta, von Tutushek 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 FE-2b of 57 Squadron, thus scoring a victory on his very 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.
In May he claimed a trio of Sopwith Pups of 3 Naval Squadron RNAS shot down. On 1 May Flt. Sub-Lt. AS Mather, on 4 May Flt. Sub-Lt HS Murton, while on 11 May he claimed Flt. Sub-Lt. Hubert Broad
Hubert Broad
Captain Hubert Standford Broad MBE AFC was an English First World War aviator and notable sports and test pilot.-Early life:Broad was born in Watford on 18 May 1897 the son of Thomas and Amelia Broad. In 1901 when Broad was three the family were living at Aston Lodge, St Johns Road in Watford his...
, his Sopwith Pup
Sopwith Pup
The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very...
spinning uncontrollably and Broad shot through the mouth. Broad, however, recovered control of his Pup, landing at base and being hospitalised.
Von Tutschek scored his tenth victory on the 20th, a long duel with a SPAD of No. 23 Squadron 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
Cantin
Cantin is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is southeast of Douai.-Heraldry:-References:*...
.
He scored 11 victories in July. On the 15th, he downed one of Captain Billy Bishop
Billy Bishop
Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian ace, and according to some sources, the top ace of the British Empire.-Early life:Bishop was born in Owen Sound,...
's 60 Squadron's comrades, Lt. GAH Parkes, for victory number 16. On the 28th, he shot down English 7-kill 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 Tudhope ( 10 victories), who returned to base, damaged.
On 11 July, he was awarded the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern. On 3 August 1917, after 21 victories, he was awarded Germany's premier decoration for valor, the Pour le Mérite
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....
.
On 11 August 1917, after victory 23, Tutschek was severely wounded in the shoulder by Flt Lt Charles Dawson Booker
Charles Dawson Booker
Major Charles Dawson Booker DSC was a World War I fighter ace credited with 29 victories. He was promoted to high rank while relatively young as a result of his gallantry and unswerving dedication to his country.-Early life:Charles Dawson Booker was born to Joseph Dawson and Rachel C...
of RNAS Naval 8 Squadron. If Victor Schobinger had not intervened and shot Booker down, Tutschek would probably have been killed.
With his lower right shoulder blade shattered, Tutschek took six months to recover and spent the time writing a memoir of his flying experiences, Sturme und Luftsiege (Attack and Air Victories). His edited letters would also appear in print at a later date.
Higher command and downfall
Returning to active service in February 1918, Hauptmann von Tutschek was given command of the new Jagdgeschwader 2, consisting of Jastas 12, 13, 15, and 19. 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 CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
.
One of his prerequisites was a new airplane to fly. He was delighted with his brand new Fokker Dr.I
Fokker Dr.I
The Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918...
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.
On 15 March, South African 10-kill ace Lt H.B. Redler of No.24 Squadron shot down von Tutschek. The German spun down in his green triplane (SNo.404/17) out of control. There are two versions of what followed.
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.
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 Jasta 12 or JG 2) would amount to a quarter of his parent Jasta 12's 104 victories.