MvR writes to his friend von Falkenhayn
Event ID: 566
Categories:
18 July 1917
Source ID: 73
ISBN: 978-1-964637-35-8
“Dear Falkenhayn,
We are facing a greater cause! Last night, the artillery barrage began quite gently, but I think we’ll have a hell-of-a-mess here on the 20th. (Our forces) are well-trained for everything, but in the air it’s all topsy-turvy. I wanted to write to you about this in advance so that you’ll be prepared and not have too many illusions about the air war over Ypres this autumn! I am not a pessimist, but i see with open eyes what is already happening and will happen here.
We have 16 Jagdstaffeln in the (4.) Armée. These must really suffice. When an (enemy aircraft) has been shot down recently, it was (done) only by the Jagdgeschwader. What are the other 12 Staffeln doing? This (situation), of course, is not due to individual pilots or Staffel leaders; rather, the blame lies elsewhere.
When I came to this Armée, the following was told to me by Bufe: “It does not matter to me that (enemy aircraft) are shot down in my Armée; rather, that you with your Jagdstaffel (and) by your presence at the Front at a certain time will barricade the air!” This is such an insanely great mistake that one could not make a bigger one in fighter aviation. I explained to Bufe that this was not at all my view of fighter aviation and also gave him a copy (of a report) about what I think about the use of Jagdstaffeln and have accomplished so far. At the same time I sent it to (Hauptmann Hermann) Kastner. When you peruse it then you must know it is really a reply to Bufe’s remarks.
Bufe has arranged all of the Jagdstaffeln on a timetable whereby each Staffel has a set time, a set area, (and) a prescribed altitude to barricade for an hour and a quarter. It is indeed quite clear, of course, that this will never be a fighter sortie, but rather maintains the character of a barricade flight. But in Bufe’s view there should indeed be no fighter sorties; rather, he wants to have barricade flights.
The other Jagdstaffeln are, inasmuch as they know what fighter aviation means, unhappy about it. The Jagdgeschwader is a thorn in (Bufe’s) side, as from the beginning I have not engaged in routine barricade flights. So now he uses the opportunity of my being sick and issues the idiotic orders (regarding) how the Geschwader should fly, how the take-off preparations should go, etc., as if he were the Kommandeur of the Geschwader. I can assure you it is no fun these days to be leader of a Jagdstaffel or in this Armée. In the 6. Armée, after all, I had the good (Hauptmann Max) Sorg, who had no grasp at all of the fighter sortie and the mission of a Jagdstaffel. This Bufe is prejudiced in such a way that it is absolutely impossible to deal with him. The (lack of) success is also strikingly clear. For (the past) three days the British have done what they want. They come over, fly wherever they want and absolutely dominate the air (and), not just over their lines, oh no, they dominate the air far over the countryside. Almost none at all are shot down, in any case (few) in proportion to the massess (of aircraft deployed)…
Now comes a matter that I want to discuss with you: our aircraft, quite frankly, are ridiculously inferior to British (aircraft). The (Sopwith) Triplane and 200hp SPAD, as well as the Sopwith (Camel) single-seater, play with our (Albatros) D.V. In addition to having better-quality aircraft, they have far more (of them). Our really good fighter pilots are lost in this manner. The D.V. is so far surpassed by and so ridiculously inferior to the British single-seaters that one cannot begin to do anything with (the D.V.) But the people at home have brought out no new machines for almost a year, (only) these lousy Albatrosses, and have remained stuck with the Albatrosd D.III (types), in which I fought in the autumn of last year.
We must absolutely support and avail ourselves of every company, no matter how uncouthly they behaved or were unreliable in the past, if they have produced a model that is even slightly better than this damned Albatros. As long as Albatros doesn’t face vigorous competition, we’ll be stuck with our D.III (V). The English single-seater not only climbs better and is faster than us, but the English even have C-planes, i.e. two-seaters, that an Albatros can never catch up with and that can easily outclimb it in a turn, against which we are simply powerless.
What about Fokker, for example? It has two aircraft that are superior to the Albatros, but neither is being produced. There is its unbraced biplane with a stationary engine.
It is definitely faster and has better turning characteristics than the Alb D.V, but it is still not being built. I think Schwarzenberger is behind this!
Furthermore, it has a triplane which is no longer in the process of being developed, but has already demonstrated excellent climbing and speed performance, which must now be supported and, as soon as we have rotary engines, sent to the front in greater numbers.
You wouldn’t believe how bad the mood is now among frontline fighter pilots because of their bad machines. Nobody wants to be a fighter pilot these days. SHooting down aircraft is so difficult, the service in a Jagdstaffel so strenuous, and in this army so thankless, that I can’t really blame anyone.
Half are shot dead before they’ve earned honors and recognition. And then Bufe doesn’t even grant them that. He explained to us that it was entirely wrong for Supreme Army Command to award individual, capable persons rather than the leader of the Staffel, group, or army to which he belongs. (That is, he himself!) That is such a ridiculous point of view that I can get really worked up about it here in bed.
My head is feeling very good again. I can get up tomorrow and I plan to be able to return to the airfield on Sunday. It will be a while before I can fly, but I can at least be useful to the Geschwader on the ground.
This letter is not something from overwrought nerves or the boredom that torments me amply (as I lie) here in bed. Also it is no momentary irritation or personal antipathy against certain people; rather, I want only to bring to your attention the conditions in this Armée.
With best regards to all the ‘better’ gentlemen,
Manfred Richthofen
The photograph will go off in the next few days.”
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