Search results for ""Pour Le Merite""

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, to give it its full name, owes its origins to the 'Pour le Merite' (Blue Max), an imperial award dating back to 1740. The Complete Knight's Cross volumes tell the story of all 7,364 men who were granted the award (including all the disputed awards). The three volumes have over 200 photos of holders of the medal and over 100 photos of their graves. Volume One deals with 1939-41 (numbers 1-1267) and is subtitled 'The Years of Victory'. Volume Two deals with 1942-43 (numbers 1268-3685) and is subtitled 'The Years of Stalemate'. Volume Three deals with 1944-45 (numbers 3686-7364) and is subtitled 'The Years of Defeat'. The recipients are listed in the order of the date of award. Each entry starts with the recipient's rank and name, followed by details of the action or actions for which they were granted the award. Other interesting facts and stories are also included for many of the awards. Burial locations, where known, are also given. Any higher awards (Oak Leaves, Swords, Diamonds and the ultimate Golden award) are also covered.

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The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, to give it its full name, owes its origins to the Pour le Merite (Blue Max), an imperial award dating back to 1740. The Complete Knight's Cross is the only book to tell the story of all 7,364 men who were awarded it (including all the disputed awards). The book has over 200 photos of holders of the medal and over 100 photos of their graves. Volume One deals with 1939-41 (numbers 1-1267) and is subtitled The Years of Victory. Volume Two deals with 1942-43 (numbers 1268-3685) and is subtitled The Years of Stalemate. Volume Three deals with 1944-45 (numbers 3686-7364) and is subtitled The Years of Defeat. The recipients are listed in the order of the date of award. Each entry starts with the recipients rank and name, followed by details of the action or actions for witch they were awarded it. Other interesting facts and stories are also included for many of them. Finally their burial locations, where known are given. Any higher awards (Oak Leaves, Swords, Diamonds and the ultimate Golden award) are also covered.

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The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, to give it its full name, owes its origins to the 'Pour le Merite' (Blue Max), an imperial award dating back to 1740. The Complete Knight's Cross volumes tell the story of all 7,364 men who were granted the award (including all the disputed awards). The three volumes have over 200 photos of holders of the medal and over 100 photos of their graves. Volume One deals with 1939-41 (numbers 1-1267) and is subtitled 'The Years of Victory'. Volume Two deals with 1942-43 (numbers 1268-3685) and is subtitled 'The Years of Stalemate'. Volume Three deals with 1944-45 (numbers 3686-7364) and is subtitled 'The Years of Defeat'. The recipients are listed in the order of the date of award. Each entry starts with the recipient's rank and name, followed by details of the action or actions for which they were granted the award. Other interesting facts and stories are also included for many of the awards. Burial locations, where known, are also given. Any higher awards (Oak Leaves, Swords, Diamonds and the ultimate Golden award) are also covered.

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Oswald Boelcke was Germany’s first ace in World War One with a total of forty victories. His character, inspirational leadership, organisational genius, development of air-to-air tactics and impact on aerial doctrine are all reasons why Boelcke remains an important figure in the history of air warfare. Paving the way for modern air forces across the world with his pioneering tactics, Boelcke had a dramatic effect on his contemporaries. The fact that he was the Red Baron’s mentor, instructor, squadron commander and friend demonstrates the influence he had upon the German air force. He was one of the first pilots to be awarded the famous Pour le Mérite commonly recognised as the ‘Blue Max’. All of this was achieved after overcoming medical obstacles in his childhood and later life with a willpower and determination. Boelcke even gained the admiration of his enemies. After his tragic death in a midair collision, the Royal Flying Corps dropped a wreath on his funeral, and several of his victims sent another wreath from their German prison camp. His name and legacy of leadership and inspiration live on, as seen in the Luftwaffe’s designation of the Tactical Air Force Wing 31 ‘Boelcke’. In this definitive biography RG Head explores why Oswald Boelcke deserves consideration as the most important fighter pilot of the 20th century and beyond; but also for setting the standard in military aviation flying. This book will appeal to enthusiasts of the German air force, military aviation in general and World War One in particular.

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For the first time in eighty-five years, the famous Sanke postcards of World War I Imperial German Aviators have been reproduced. Clear, large scale copies of all known and highly collectible Sanke personality photo postcards produced during World War I are now available, carefully replicated, and included all under one cover in this deluxe volume. Over 270 different cards of 132 individual aviators are included in this ground-breaking edition. Boelcke, Immelmann, the Richthofen brothers, Udet, and Göring are just a few of the famed aces and Pour le Mérite flyers photographed by Postkarten-Vertrieb Willi Sanke. Each postcard is given full page coverage, accompanied by a brief history of each man, together with his victories and highest attained award. A bibliography is included for the reader desiring to further research the lives of Germany’s unusual, heralded, and greatest heroes of the First War. This book is a must for the student of uniforms as it depicts the amazing variety worn by the flyers of the Luftstreitkräfte 1914-1918, and also shows them wearing the multitude of awards and decorations presented to Germany’s airborne heroes. Both private and museum collections have been combed to provide this book with the finest possible coverage ever compiled on the work of Willi Sanke and his talented photographers. This is an excellent companion volume to Schiffer’s recently published Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany, Volume VII by the late Neal O’Connor.

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Oswald Boelcke was Germanys first ace in World War One with a total of forty victories. His character, inspirational leadership, organisational genius, development of air-to-air tactics and impact on aerial doctrine are all reasons why Boelcke remains an important figure in the history of air warfare. Paving the way for modern air forces across the world with his pioneering tactics, Boelcke had a dramatic effect on his contemporaries. The fact that he was the Red Barons mentor, instructor, squadron commander and friend demonstrates the influence he had upon the German air force. He was one of the first pilots to be awarded the famous Pour le Mérite commonly recognised as the Blue Max. All of this was achieved after overcoming medical obstacles in his childhood and later life with a willpower and determination. Boelcke even gained the admiration of his enemies. After his tragic death in a midair collision, the Royal Flying Corps dropped a wreath on his funeral, and several of his victims sent another wreath from their German prison camp. His name and legacy of leadership and inspiration live on, as seen in the Luftwaffes designation of the Tactical Air Force Wing 31 Boelcke. In this definitive biography RG Head explores why Oswald Boelcke deserves consideration as the most important fighter pilot of the 20th century and beyond; but also for setting the standard in military aviation flying. This book will appeal to enthusiasts of the German air force, military aviation in general and World War One in particular.

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Max Immelmann was born in Dresden, the son of a paper board container factory owner. When World War I started, Immelmann was recalled to active service, transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte and was sent for pilot training in November 1914. He was initially stationed in northern France as a reconnaissance aviator. On June 3, 1915 he was shot down by a French pilot but managed to land safely behind German lines. He was decorated with the Iron Cross, Second Class for preserving his aircraft. Later in 1915, he became one of the first German fighter pilots, quickly building an impressive score of air victories. He became known as “The Eagle of Lille” (Der Adler von Lille) due to Lille being one of his favourite scouting areas.Immelmann was the first pilot to be awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest military honour. The medal became colloquially known as the "Blue Max" in the German Air Service in honor of Immelmann. His medal was presented by Kaiser Wilhelm II in January 1916. Oswald Boelcke received his medal at the same ceremony. Immelmann was credited with 15 victories. His final victory was on 30 March 1916.Immelmann will forever be associated with the Fokker Eindecker, Germany's first fighter aircraft, and the first to be armed with a machine gun synchronised to fire forward, through the propeller arc. Along with Oswald Boelcke and other pilots, Immelmann was one of the main instigators of the Fokker Scourge which inflicted heavy loses upon British and French aircrews during 1915. This new edition has been entirely reoriginated. Not a word has been changed, but the original type and page layout have been reworked, as has been the format in which the book is presented, to give a beautiful new treatment for this classic of aviation literature.

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