Commandant Oswald Boelcke - Bapaume, France
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member pmaupin
N 50° 06.221 E 002° 50.989
31U E 489259 N 5550169
[EN] Oswald Boelcke was an Ace of the German Air Force during the First World War, he was shot down over Bapaume in 1916. [FR] Oswald Boelcke fût un As de l'aviation allemande lors de la 1ère guerre mondiale, il fût abattu à Bapaume en 1916.
Waymark Code: WMW1B9
Location: Hauts-de-France, France
Date Posted: 06/26/2017
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member lumbricus
Views: 1

On October 28, 1916, when he had already completed five missions with his squadron, a new frontal call arrived at 4:30 pm Ten minutes later, Boelcke and five other pilots took off with their Albatross D.II. They quickly engage in air combat with two Airco DH.2s from the 24th Squadron piloted by Lieutenants Knight and McKay.

Boelcke attacked a plane, not noticing that his friend, Second Lieutenant Erwin Böhme, had chosen the same target. The lower part of the Böhme fuselage touches the upper left wing of the Boelcke aircraft, and both crash to the ground.

Böhme survives the accident, while Boelcke dies on the spot. In his haste, he had failed to tie his belt, which could have saved his life.

The British then dropped a sheaf in her honor over the brow. His tomb is in Dessau-Roßlau.

Boelcke enacted several basic rules of air combat: the Dicta Boelcke. Some are still applicable today.

Sources : Le Combat

Le 28 octobre 1916, alors qu'il avait déjà effectué cinq missions avec son escadrille, un nouvel appel du front parvient à 16 h 30. Dix minutes plus tard, Boelcke et cinq autres pilotes décollent avec leurs Albatros D.II. Ils engagent rapidement un combat aérien avec deux Airco DH.2 de la 24e escadrille pilotés par les lieutenants Knight et McKay.

Boelcke attaque un avion, sans remarquer que son ami, le sous-lieutenant Erwin Böhme, avait choisi la même cible. La partie inférieure du fuselage de Böhme touche l'aile supérieure gauche de l'avion de Boelcke, et tous deux s'écrasent au sol.

Böhme survit à l'accident, tandis que Boelcke meurt sur le coup. Dans sa hâte, il avait omis d'attacher sa ceinture, ce qui aurait pu lui sauver la vie.

Les Britanniques larguèrent par la suite au-dessus du front une gerbe en son honneur. Sa tombe se trouve à Dessau-Roßlau.

Boelcke a édicté plusieurs règles fondamentales du combat aérien : le Dicta Boelcke. Certaines sont toujours applicables de nos jours.

Sources : Le Combat

Web Address for Related Web Sites: [Web Link]

Date of Crash: 10/20/1916

Aircraft Model: Albatros D.II

Military or Civilian: Military

Cause of Crash:
[EN] The crash took place during an air battle over Bapaume. [FR] Le crash a eu lieu lors d'une bataille aérienne au-dessus de Bapaume.


Tail Number: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Only log waymarks if you have visited the site personally.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Plane Crash Sites
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
pmaupin visited Commandant Oswald Boelcke - Bapaume, France 04/28/2017 pmaupin visited it