| Rudolf Berthold | |
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Rudolf Berthold |
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| Nickname | Iron Knight |
| Born | March 24, 1891 Ditterswind |
| Died | March 15, 1920 Hamburg-Harburg |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Service/branch | Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Army Air Service, forerunner of the Luftwaffe) |
| Years of service | 1910 - 1919 |
| Rank | Hauptmann |
| Unit | FFA 23, Jasta 4, Jasta 14, Jasta 18, JG II, KEK Vaux |
| Awards | -Prussia: Pour le Mérite; Iron Cross: 2nd class; Iron Cross: 1st class -Saxonia: Military Order of St. Henry, Class: Knight's Cross -Bavaria: Order of Military Merit: 4th class Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords |
Rudolf Berthold (March 24, 1891 – March 15, 1920) was a German World War I flying ace. 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.
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Rudolf Berthold was a forester's son.[1] 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, while Berthold would fly the AEG G.II 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, Max Immelmann, and Kurt Wintgens. It left Berthold flying his plane into an indecisive but costly battle on 2 October 1915 when his British pusher opponent mortally wounded two of his gunners and escaped. Only when Buddecke transferred to Turkey did Berthold fall heir to a Fokker Eindecker.[2]
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.[3] 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, Walter Höhndorf, and Ernst Freiherr von Althaus were early members and all future aces. Berthold handed over command to Buddecke and served in the Jasta's ranks before joining Jasta 14[4] on 16 October 1916. Buddecke and a wingman circled overhead as Berthold's train bore him away to his new assignment.[5]
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.[6] This was the same day he was awarded the Pour le Merite.[7] He was promoted to Hauptmann on 26 October 1917, just 8 days after receiving the Pour le Merite. According to Paul Strähle, 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.[8]
In March 1918 he returned to active service and took command of Jagdgeschwader 2, 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 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 in preference to the Albatros D.V, until May 1918 when the new Fokker D.VII 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 was killed).
After the war Berthold became a fanatic patriot and nationalist, becoming a member of the anti-communist Freikorps. He founded the 1200-strong "Fränkische Bauern-Detachment Eiserne Schar Berthold" in April 1919, and took part in several demonstrations and fought against communists factions.
Berthold was shot on 15 March 1920 in Harburg during a riot between German communist and nationalist factions, after taking part in the failed Kapp Putsch. 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' medal he still wore.
On his first gravestone {since destroyed} was allegedly the memorial: "Honored by his Enemies, killed by his German brethren". See[9] {reference only}.
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