WAR

Hauptmann von Tutschek was a wiry and impulsive Bavarian who was
a skillful leader, liked and admired by his men. On August 11, 1917, he had been
seriously wounded and out of action for the rest of the year, the Jasta being led
in his absence by Oberleutnant Blumenbach. In December 1917 von Tutschek
had visited the Pfalz works at Speyer, along with von Richthofen and others, to
evaluate new designs, then in February 1918 had returned to the Front at the head
of his old Jasta 12 and the newly-formed J.G. 2.
The photograph of the men of Jasta 12 was taken at Toulis as they posed
on the steps of their Kasino. From right to left they are: Oberleutnant Krapfenbauer
(Geschwader adjutant), Leutnant Koch, von Tutschek, Oberleutnant
Blumenbach, Leutnants Staats, Hoffman, Muller, Becker (with Dackel in his left
arm), Bock, and Officer-Candidate Ulrich Neckel.
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In February and March von Tutschek shot down four more macnines, but
on March 15, 1918, fate caught up with him over Laon. Just inside the German
lines the wreckage of his Triplane was found with no visible evidence of bullet
damage, and von Tutschek himself had not been shot. On his right temple
was a superficial injury that seemed inconsistent with crash injuries, and it was
conjectured that a spent bullet or a ricochet had hit him there and stunned him
and his machine had fallen out of control bearing him to his death. His men,
at any rate, were convinced that he had perished undefeated—except by fate.
Hermann Becker was in Berlin that day, requisitioning stores for the
squadron, and he heard the news of the death of his comrade and commander
the next day from the chauffeur who met him in Marie to drive him back to
the aerodrome. His only thought was that perhaps it wouldn't have happened
if he had been with his flight near von Tutschek. "Too late, too late," he said
bitterly,
170
"Fate attacked too fast."
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