Dicta Boelcke

[W.G.Ewald]

Oswald Boelcke (German: [ˈbÅ“lkÉ™]; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a German flying ace of the First World War and one of the most influential patrol leaders and tacticians of the early years of air combat. Boelcke is considered the father of the German fighter air force,[1] as well as the "Father of Air Fighting Tactics";[2] he was the first to formalize rules of air fighting, which he presented as the Dicta Boelcke. While he promulgated rules for the individual pilot, his main concern was the use of formation fighting rather than single effort.[3]

Oswald Boelcke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1. Try to secure the upper hand before attacking. If possible, keep the sun behind you
2. Always continue with an attack you have begun
3. Open fire only at close range, and then only when the opponent is squarely in your sights
4. You should always try to keep your eye on your opponent, and never let yourself be deceived by ruses
5. In any type of attack, it is essential to assail your opponent from behind
6. If your opponent dives on you, do not try to get around his attack, but fly to meet it
7. When over the enemy's lines, always remember your own line of retreat
8. Tip for Squadrons: In principle, it is better to attack in groups of four or six. Avoid two aircraft attacking the same opponent

Dicta Boelcke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Oswald Boelcke was assigned to the newly formed aviation Section 62 at Döberitz. Here, Tony Fokker first demonstrated his first E-I monoplane, Eindecker, equipped with a fixed Spandau machine gun, which fired forward through the propeller arc, thanks to an interrupter mechanism. As related in the Immelmann article, the two of them shortly went after some British bombers and Immelmann shot one down. The so-called "Fokker Scourge" had begun.

Boelcke downed five enemy aircraft by the end of 1915, while flying the Fokker monoplane.

Oswald Boelcke - Early WW1 German ace