Best fighting tandem?

scooterjmuggs · 6 December 2006, 06:40 PM

Here's one to stir up some lively discussion.

Even though the leader/wingman concept was not really instituted until the Second World War, what is everyone's vote for the most potent fighting dual (on either side) during the Great War. I am thinking of pairs such as Udet and Drekmann. Or others who flew and fought together often.

scooterjmuggs

Taz · 6 December 2006, 07:49 PM

scooterjmuggs- The pair you mention is outstanding, but two that stand out for me were Udet and Lowenhardt and

Lothar von Richthofen and Lowenhardt. Steve Anderson did a great painting of Udet in Du Doch Nicht! and Lowenhardt in his yellow fuselage D.VII. LvR mentions flying with Lowenhardt often and actually seeing him die in the mid-air collision with one of his squadron mates.

Taz
Terry Phillips

J.R. · 6 December 2006, 08:57 PM

Guys,

I think

Frank Luke and

Joe Wehner merit consideration as the American team.

J.R.

totoroman · 7 December 2006, 12:07 AM

how about Manfred and

Lothar von Richthofen. Lothar even says at one point that fighting with Lowenhardt was almost like flying with his brother again.

TomVrille · 7 December 2006, 07:21 AM

First and one of the best, despite their sometimes contentious relationship .....Boelcke and Immelmann!

Roadhog · 7 December 2006, 07:44 AM

Frank Luke and

Joe Wehner were about as good as they get. However, their tactics doomed poor Joe from the very start and eventually turned Luke into a "lone" wolf. And like the vast majority of other lone wolves, he died that way. VR, Scott Price, "Memento mori."

castiglione · 7 December 2006, 08:07 AM

I believe that

Manfred von Richthofen mentioned that it was wonderful to fly with his brother as each knew that they could utterly rely on the other.

I'm not sure if

Frank Luke and

Joe Wehner were really a "team". It seems to me it was more like Frank Luke charging headlong into the enemy and Joe Wehner sweating bullets trying to clear his tail (and probably realizing in the back of his mind that there was noone to clear HIS tail).