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A review by komet2020
THE BLUE MAX AIRMEN | German Airmen Awarded the Pour le Mérite: Volume 20 - Jacobs & Sachsenberg by Lance J. Bronnenkant, PhD
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book, Volume 20 in The Blue Max Airmen Series, tells the stories of two of Germany's top fighter aces of World War I who were awarded the Pour le Mérite (aka the Blue Max), the Imperial German Empire's highest award for bravery in battle. It also contains photos - many of which hadn't been published before that were culled from private collections of the airmen themselves - and a variety of illustrations showing the various aircraft flown by both pilots during their wartime service.
The first airman covered in this book is Josef Jacobs, of whom I had some prior knowledge as a World War I aviation aficionado. His interest in aviation predated the war. Indeed, Jacobs, whilst working as an apprentice in an industrial company with an aim towards earning a degree in mechanical engineering, undertook flight training in 1912 under the tutelage of Bruno Werntgen, a pioneer aviator. This proved to be a somewhat abbreviated training program because Werntgen was killed in a flying accident the next year.
Upon the outbreak of war in August 1914, Jacobs joined the Fliegertruppe (later renamed as the Luftstreitkräfte). By the summer of 1915, he had completed his training as a pilot and was posted to the Western Front with a reconnaissance squadron tasked with flying long range missions behind enemy lines. Jacobs served with this squadron for several months and during that time, had managed to shoot down a French plane. But due to a lack of independent witnesses who could verify Jacobs' victory, it was officially listed as unconfirmed. Notwithstanding that, Jacobs was given the opportunity in the Spring of 1916 to learn to fly the Fokker Eindekker monoplane fighter, which boasted a forward firing machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller. At that stage of the war, the Eindekker had proved itself a potent fighter at the Front - in particular against the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC). This aerial supremacy achieved by the Eindekker would last for only a few months, for by the Spring of 1916, the British and French had developed fighter planes (the DeHavilland 2 and Nieuport 11, respectively) that were better in performance than the Eindekker.
Jacobs managed to achieve his first confirmed victory flying the Eindekker on May 12, 1916. Sometime afterward, his unit was posted behind the Front, serving as a kind of 'aerial body guard' for the headquarters of a high-ranking general. Jacobs was unhappy at having to play this role and was glad when he was sent back to front line duty in September 1916. At this time, the first true German fighter squadrons (Jastas) were being set up. Jacobs served with both Jastas 12 and 22, scoring 3 confirmed and several more unconfirmed victories. He was growing in experience and skill as a fighter pilot. Indeed, in recognition of that skill, Jacobs was given his first command as the squadron leader for Jasta 7 in August 1917. Between that date and the end of the war in November 1918, Jacobs flew a number of Germany's top fighter planes from the Albatros DIII to the DV (and DVa), the Fokker Triplane, and what was arguably Germany's best fighter of the conflict - the Fokker DVII. He achieved many confirmed kills, was awarded the Blue Max on July 18, 1918, having achieved 23 victories in aerial combat. Jacobs survived the war with 47 confirmed victories (with many more unconfirmed) and would live a long life before dying, age 84, in July 1978.
The second airman in the book, Gotthard Sachsenberg, was a naval officer whose length of wartime service was similar to that of Josef Jacobs. Sachsenberg had begun his stint in the Navy prewar, serving as a sea cadet on a warship in 1913. Two years later, he transferred to the naval air arm, where he initially served as an observer with Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II. During this time, Sachsenberg was commissioned as an officer, underwent flight training, and returned to Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II, this time flying the Fokker Eindekker.
By February 1917, Sachsenberg was given his first command of a naval fighter unit in Flanders. He would go on to be vested with greater authority at the Front, commanding a fighter group of several fighter squadrons, and would survive the war as a holder of the Blue Max with 31 victories.
In the immediate postwar era (January 1919), Sachsenberg was put in command of an aviation unit made of several veteran airmen (e.g. Josef Jacobs) which helped to successfully defend the independence of the new nation of Latvia against a Bolshevik invasion from Russia. He later became involved in business and the aviation industry. What's more: Sachsenberg ran successfully for a seat in the Reichstag in the late 1920s. In 1934, he was arrested for his anti-Nazi stance (but was soon released in recognition of his previous military service). Sachsenberg would return to business postwar and die in 1961, age 70.
All in all, Volume 20 is one of the best books in the series. Highly recommended.
The first airman covered in this book is Josef Jacobs, of whom I had some prior knowledge as a World War I aviation aficionado. His interest in aviation predated the war. Indeed, Jacobs, whilst working as an apprentice in an industrial company with an aim towards earning a degree in mechanical engineering, undertook flight training in 1912 under the tutelage of Bruno Werntgen, a pioneer aviator. This proved to be a somewhat abbreviated training program because Werntgen was killed in a flying accident the next year.
Upon the outbreak of war in August 1914, Jacobs joined the Fliegertruppe (later renamed as the Luftstreitkräfte). By the summer of 1915, he had completed his training as a pilot and was posted to the Western Front with a reconnaissance squadron tasked with flying long range missions behind enemy lines. Jacobs served with this squadron for several months and during that time, had managed to shoot down a French plane. But due to a lack of independent witnesses who could verify Jacobs' victory, it was officially listed as unconfirmed. Notwithstanding that, Jacobs was given the opportunity in the Spring of 1916 to learn to fly the Fokker Eindekker monoplane fighter, which boasted a forward firing machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller. At that stage of the war, the Eindekker had proved itself a potent fighter at the Front - in particular against the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC). This aerial supremacy achieved by the Eindekker would last for only a few months, for by the Spring of 1916, the British and French had developed fighter planes (the DeHavilland 2 and Nieuport 11, respectively) that were better in performance than the Eindekker.
Jacobs managed to achieve his first confirmed victory flying the Eindekker on May 12, 1916. Sometime afterward, his unit was posted behind the Front, serving as a kind of 'aerial body guard' for the headquarters of a high-ranking general. Jacobs was unhappy at having to play this role and was glad when he was sent back to front line duty in September 1916. At this time, the first true German fighter squadrons (Jastas) were being set up. Jacobs served with both Jastas 12 and 22, scoring 3 confirmed and several more unconfirmed victories. He was growing in experience and skill as a fighter pilot. Indeed, in recognition of that skill, Jacobs was given his first command as the squadron leader for Jasta 7 in August 1917. Between that date and the end of the war in November 1918, Jacobs flew a number of Germany's top fighter planes from the Albatros DIII to the DV (and DVa), the Fokker Triplane, and what was arguably Germany's best fighter of the conflict - the Fokker DVII. He achieved many confirmed kills, was awarded the Blue Max on July 18, 1918, having achieved 23 victories in aerial combat. Jacobs survived the war with 47 confirmed victories (with many more unconfirmed) and would live a long life before dying, age 84, in July 1978.
The second airman in the book, Gotthard Sachsenberg, was a naval officer whose length of wartime service was similar to that of Josef Jacobs. Sachsenberg had begun his stint in the Navy prewar, serving as a sea cadet on a warship in 1913. Two years later, he transferred to the naval air arm, where he initially served as an observer with Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II. During this time, Sachsenberg was commissioned as an officer, underwent flight training, and returned to Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II, this time flying the Fokker Eindekker.
By February 1917, Sachsenberg was given his first command of a naval fighter unit in Flanders. He would go on to be vested with greater authority at the Front, commanding a fighter group of several fighter squadrons, and would survive the war as a holder of the Blue Max with 31 victories.
In the immediate postwar era (January 1919), Sachsenberg was put in command of an aviation unit made of several veteran airmen (e.g. Josef Jacobs) which helped to successfully defend the independence of the new nation of Latvia against a Bolshevik invasion from Russia. He later became involved in business and the aviation industry. What's more: Sachsenberg ran successfully for a seat in the Reichstag in the late 1920s. In 1934, he was arrested for his anti-Nazi stance (but was soon released in recognition of his previous military service). Sachsenberg would return to business postwar and die in 1961, age 70.
All in all, Volume 20 is one of the best books in the series. Highly recommended.