Who is Max Immelmann, World War One Ace

He was born in Dresden, the son of a paper board container factory owner. After leaving school, he joined the Eisenbahnregiment Berlin. During 1913 - 1914, he studied mechanical engineering in Dresden.

Wartime career
When World War I started, Immelmann was recalled to active service, transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte and was sent for pilot training in November 1914. He was initially stationed in northern France as a reconnaissance aviator. On June 3, 1915 he was shot down by a French pilot but managed to land safely behind German lines. He was decorated with the Iron Cross, Second Class for preserving his aircraft. Later in 1915, he became a fighter pilot. He became known as The Eagle of Lille (Der Adler von Lille).

Immelmann was the first pilot to be awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest military honour. The medal became colloquially known as the "Blue Max" in the German Air Service in honor of Immelmann. His medal was presented by Kaiser Wilhelm II in January 1916. Oswald Boelcke received his medal at the same ceremony.

Fokker Eindecker
Immelmann will forever be associated with the Fokker Eindecker, Germany's first fighter aircraft, and the first to be armed with a machine gun synchronised to fire forward, through the propeller arc. Along with Oswald Boelcke and other pilots, Immelmann was one of the main instigators of the Fokker Scourge which inflicted heavy loses upon British and French aircrews during 1915.

This refers to two quite different aerobatic maneuvers. The first of these is the one nowadays known as an "Immelmann".

1. A half loop followed by a half roll on top, used to rapidly reverse the direction of flight. This maneuver would not have been practical in the primitive, underpowered fighters of 1915-16, and its connection with the German fighter ace is most doubtful.

2. During the First World War an "Immelmann turn" was actually a sharp rudder turn off a vertical zoom following a steep dive - resembling what is now called a "wingover" or "stall turn". Immelmann may have originated this maneuver, or used it in combat, but this cannot be authenticated.

Immelmann was killed in combat with F.E.2b aircraft of 25 Squadron Royal Flying Corps over Sallaumines in northern France on June 18, 1916. According to the official British account he was shot down by Second Lieutenant G.R. McCubbin with Corporal J. H. Waller as gunner/observer, and they were credited with the victory.

On the other hand, some sources, including the German Air Service at the time, claimed the loss was due to (friendly) anti-aircraft artillery. Others, including his brother, believed his aircraft's interrupter mechanism (designed to enable his machine gun to fire between the whirling propeller blades without damaging them) had catastrophically malfunctioned.

At 2000 meters Immelmann's tail plane was seen to break away from the rest of his Fokker E.III fuselage (serial 246/16), the wings detached or folded and what remained of the fuselage fell like a stone, carrying the 26 year old Oberleutnant to his death. His body was recovered by German infantry from the twisted wreckage but was only identified because he had his initials "MI" embroidered on his handkerchief.

Immelmann was credited with 15 victories. His final victory was on 30 March 1916.

Max Immelmann has a squadron named after him in the present day Luftwaffe, the German Air Force.

WW1 ACES OF GERMANY

-80- Manfred Von Richthofen
-62- Ernst Udet
-54- Erich Lowenhardt
-48- Werner Voss
-48- Josef Jacobs
-45- Fritz Rumey
-44- Bruno Loerzer
-44- Rudolph Berthold
-43- Paul Baeumer
-40- Oswald Boelcke
-40- Franz Buchner
-40- Lother Von Richthofen
-39- Heinrich Gontermann
-33- Kurt Wolff
-24- Erwin Bohme
-22- Hermann Goring

The Fokker Eindecker (Single Wing) was an early Fokker design.

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