Eugen Bönsch

Eugen Bönsch
Born	1 May 1897 Velká Úpa, Austria-Hungary
Died	24 July 1951 Ehrwald, Austria
Allegiance	Austro-Hungarian Empire; Germany
Service/branch	Aviation
Rank	Feldwebel (later Hauptmann)
Unit	Flek 8, Flek 6, Flik 51J
Awards	3 Gold Awards of the Medal for Bravery
Other work	Hauptmann (captain) in Luftwaffe during World War II

Feldwebel Eugen Bönsch was a World War I flying ace credited with 16 aerial victories.^[1]

Early life and service

Bönsch studied mechanics at the State Trade School. He originally joined the army in 1915, but after completing basic training transferred to aviation.^[2] His original assignment was as a mechanic with Fliegerersatzkompagnie 6.^[3]

Flying service

He requested flight training in 1917. He completed it at Flek 8 on 22 June 1917. His promotion to corporal followed six days later. In August, he was assigned to Flik 51 on the Italian front; he scored his first victory shortly thereafter, on 1 September,^[4] teamed with Franz Wognar.^[5] He became a balloon buster with his next triumph, on 28 September; it took several firing passes at 700 meters altitude through heavy ground fire, dodging a couple of enemy fighters, to down the balloon. In the next thirteen months, his victory skein would include five more balloons,^[6] making him the Austro-Hungarian's leading balloon killer.^[7] He received his first Medal for Bravery for this victory. He also downed a Nieuport the following day.^[8][9]

Bönsch began the new year of 1918 by surviving being shot down by anti-aircraft fire.^[10] He also added other dimensions to his flying repertoire. On 10 March, he led such a determined assault on an escorted of Italian Capronis that the bombers aborted the mission. The next day, Bönsch began a week of low-level raids on the Italian airfields at Marcon and Treviso, and the port of Portegrandi. The next few months, from April through October, Bönsch carried out a hectic double load of air-to-air combat intermixed with ground attack strikes, including at the Battle of the Piave.^[11]

On 8 October 1918, he became one of the few World War I pilots to survive being set afire; he parachuted to safety.^[12] He made his way back to his home airfield from enemy territory and returned to battle.^[13] He scored his final four victories after this incident.^[14] By 24 October, the Battle of Vittorio Veneto had worn the local Austro-Hungarian air force down to only 29 planes. Bönsch was one of the remaining pilots, and scored two victories on the 27th, and one each on the 28th and 29th.^[15]

Post World War I

After the war, he was an innkeeper. When World War II began, he returned to duty and was appointed Hauptmann because of his prior experience.^[16] He then served at Oschatz Air Base in Saxony.^[17][18]

Sources of information

References

• Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1. Jon Guttman. Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-84176-877-4, ISBN 978-1-84176-877-9
• Austro-Hungarian aces of World War 1 Christopher Chant. Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-376-4, ISBN 978-1-84176-376-7.