Why couldn't he recover?

[Ritter von Fear]

Originally Posted by history fan

Cigogne-
Great details on Immelmann's wreckage! Do you recall where you saw these photos? I would love to take a look if they are out there somewhere....

History Fan

I'd also like to see this photo, I have around 5 photos of the crash which I will add when I get home.

[Cigogne]

I'll do some digging. Some of these appeared in Over The Front and other sources. I'll need to gather them together.

[Ritter von Fear]

I wonder if the wing(s) folded due to losing the tail plane (the aircraft would have gone into a dive), causing possible structual failure.

[rammjaeger]

>>Was Max found inside the wreckage? one book I read suggests that when the aircraft broke up, Max 'fell to his death'.<<

The airplane lost the tail section, one or both wings followed, then the leftover (with MI on board) sommersaulted repeatedly and fell down from 2000 meters with a loud whistling noise and crashed.

So he fell to his death together with the "leftover" of his airplane. A report states he was discovered laying under the engine of the crashed plane and his stummeled body was identified with the help of his PLM and the initals "MI" on his waist coat and/or handkerchief .


VBR
Rammjaeger

[Ritter von Fear]

Thanks for the info.

What a horrible way to go. Must have seemed like ages to him before he died.

Strange how he came to be found under the engine.