WAR

Carl-Augusbefor e a captured D.H.4
von Schoenebeck
Erwin Boehme.
June he reported to Jasta 11, having come to the attention of von Richthofen
who perceived that he had the makings of a first-rate fighter pilot. (A few weeks
past his twentieth birthday, in March 1918, von Schoenebeck assumed command
of his own squadron, Jasta 33.)
When he arrived at Jasta 11, von Schoenebeck had no single-seater experience
and his instruction was undertaken by von Richthofen personally. In this
way von Schoenebeck was close to the man; his impressions of the Rittmeister
are still vivid after 48 years: "He was about average height, stocky, dark blond
with blue eyes. A voice of middle range, his manner of speech clipped, clear and
concise. He had a noble way of speech and never swore or used foul language
of any kind. There was always a discussion after a flight and during these dissections
he was calm and self-controlled and spoke with much humor, no matter
how dangerous the action might have been. One could not help but feel and be
touched daily by his extraordinary energy and will power. He shone with calm
in the most critical moments which quite naturally exercised the most salutary
influence on all
of us."
When von Schoenebeck took over his own yellow-nosed Jasta 33 in the
Peronne 'St-Quentin sector, he took along some weighty words from von Richthofen:
"The leader is the deciding factor for the success of every squadron. Even
the best fighter pilots can prove their full worth only if their leader makes proper
use of them."
In September 1917 von Richthofen finally went on convalescent leave. While
on leave he was exhorted by the Kaiser, OHL, and Kogenluft to stay off active
flying duty and accept a position as a technical advisor so as to preserve his life
in the interests of the air service and the Fatherland. His reply—negative—was
expressed in virtually the same terms as had been used by Guynemer, who disappeared
at precisely this time: "I should consider myself a despicable person if,
now that I have achieved fame and wear many decorations, I should consent to
exist as a pensioner of my dignity ."
. .
On October 23 he returned to the Circus.
About the first of December, von Richthofen learned of the death in action
of Leutnant Erwin Boehme. Born in Holzminden on July 23, 1879, Boehme was
in the army before the war; was, in fact, a professional soldier. He had entered
the air service about the same time as von Richthofen and had been chosen by
Boelcke for Jasta 2 at the same time as von Richthofen since they were serving
in the same unit on the Russian Front. It was Boehme with whom Boelcke had
collided and von Richthofen was one of those who had dissuaded him from taking
his own life afterward. From August, 1917, Boehme had commanded Jasta
Boelcke, achieving a score of 24 victories and being awarded the Pour le Merite
on November 29—the same day he was killed over Zonnebeke. Next to von
Richthofen, Boehme had been the last survivor of Boelcke's original squadron.
Boehme was dead; only one left. How much longer now
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