Who was Immelmann?
World War I flying ace who became the first aviator to win the prestigious Pour le Mérite honor.
He received numerous medals and awards for his bravery, including the Iron Cross, First Class; the Iron Cross, Second Class; and the Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern.
Biography1890 Max Immelmann was born Dresden on September 21st 1905-1911 Immelmann joins the corps of cadets in Dresden 1912-1914 Immelman choses to study engineering at the technical college in Dresden. 1914 With the beginning of World War I, Immelmann signs up for the flying corps. [1] 1915 `His initial experiences as an airman were not glamorous however, operating as a reconnaissance pilot near Lille in France. In short order however Immelmann established a reputation as an effective fighter pilot: in Germany (and France, but unlike Britain) successful fighter pilots gained wide public renown and acclaim. Thus the 'Eagle of Lille' (as German newspapers dubbed him) achieved promotion to First Lieutenant in September 1915. He was responsible for developing a dogfight maneuver whose name - the Immelmann Turn remains to this day, comprised of a simultaneous loop and roll design to allow him to dive back at a pursuing airman. It became standard practice during the remainder of the war.´ [2] 1916 January: After his eight victory in the sky, he is awarded the Pour le Mérite. April: Immelmann is promoted to first Lieutenant 22. May: He is given command of the Kampf-Einsitzer-Kommando (KEK) 3. 18. June: Immelmann is shot down in a dogfight over Sallaumines in the northern part of France [3] Winter: He wrote numerous letters to his mother which later helped to inspire the autobiography "Meine Kampfflüge" ( My combat missions) |
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