Why is he your favorite ace?

[GMU]

Originally Posted by Willi Von Klugerman

Fritz Otto Bernert is also another favorite of mine.He was obviously a strong fellow as he flew with only his right arm.When he was in the army,his left arm was struck by a bayonet which severed a major nerve,making his arm useless.
He joined the air service (while hiding his disability) and was accepted.He then went to be an ace with 24 victories and awarded the Blue Max!

The fact that he flew with practically with one arm is amazing as we all know how difficult it is to fly those old birds!

Oh no, his left arm wasn´t useless at all. I have seen him waiving his left arm quite vigorously on film.







.

[GMU]

In case you ask, here it is.





Look at 01:35:51:23 here

[Gregvan]

Yup, mea culpa. I too have been guilty of perpetuating the "useless left arm" myth . Lance B and I discussed this during our presentation at the recent San Antonio Seminar.

Zuerl wrote in Pour le Mérite Flieger :"Bereits nach einer halben Stunde ist er schwer verwundet: drei Schüsse, in Oberarm, Schulter und Brust."

Live and learn. I just wish I could magically erase those flawed passages in my books!

Greg

[Paddy]

Flt Cdr. Francis Dominic Casey. Several reasons: He was Irish. He flew Sopwith Pups. He claimed his first H.A. on St. Patrick's Day, 1917. The accounts in Michael O'Connor's Airfields & Airmen Channel Coast book, which quotes Redford Mulock's book, depicts him as quite a character. Just about what you'd expect, to see the pictures of him...

If anyone has ever seen a photograph of Sopwith Pup Serno N6163 or N6182 please post it! I desperately want to build a model of either one.

[VtwinVince]

I'm going to have to go with my uncle, Leutnant d.R. Albrecht Ochs. Although he only scored one victory in the first conflict, he made ace status during the BoB in the second, leading a squadron of 109's. He did all this while blind in one eye from a childhood disorder, which must have played havoc with his depth perception. I still don't know how he managed to fit into the cockpit of his 109, since he was well over six feet tall.

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Oh crap! I stand corrected

He looks like a friendly guy.

[wulffo]

Germany: Voss, Udet
UK Ball, Rhys Davis, McCudden
France: Guynemer

overall Voss

[Raineranton]

Originally Posted by Gregvan

Yup, mea culpa. I too have been guilty of perpetuating the "useless left arm" myth . Lance B and I discussed this during our presentation at the recent San Antonio Seminar.

Zuerl wrote in Pour le Mérite Flieger :"Bereits nach einer halben Stunde ist er schwer verwundet: drei Schüsse, in Oberarm, Schulter und Brust."

Hello Greg and George,

I think it´s not wrong, that Bernert could not use his left arm.

From the book “Als Sänger-Flieger im Weltkriege” from Carl Holler alias Niels Sörnsen:

„In einem Patrouille-Gefecht wurde ihm (Bernert) durch Bajonettstich die Nerven am linken Oberarm durchschnitten. Den Arm konnte er (danach) nicht mehr (ge)brauchen.“
- During a patrol-fight he (Bernert) got a bayonet-stitch and his nerves were cut through his left upper arm. This arm he could not use thereafter.

I´m not a Doctor, but I think if you can wave your arm, it don´t indicates, that you can make with your hand a hard grip or can push or pull or if you can bend your arm exactly.

Also I think there is a lot of wrongness and rubbish in the Walter Zuerl-Pour le Mérite-Flieger-book:

"Bereits nach einer halben Stunde ist er schwer verwundet: drei Schüße, in Oberarm, Schulter und Brust. Nur mit einem Notverband versehen, stürmt er weiter, bis eine Knöchelverstauchung durch Granatsplitter ihn kampfunfähig macht."
-Already after half an hour he is badly injured: three shots in upper arm, shoulder and chest. Only furnished with an emergency-bandage, he attacked along, till an ankle-spraining through a shell splinter disabled him.
!!!!!!!!!!


Rainer

[FrankLuke?]

Frank Luke Jr. is by far my favorite ace. Originally he was known as the "Arizona Boaster" for claiming he was a great pilot before he was even in the cockpit. In the book, Terror of the Autumn Skies, by Pardow, it staes Luke would tell the time he would shoot down a German obsevation ballon before he took off. What makes him my favorite ace is he was true to his word! He would destroy enemy ships as he predicted. This is when "Boaster" turned to "Buster"!

[Mode One]

Originally Posted by FrankLuke?

Frank Luke Jr. is by far my favorite ace. Originally he was known as the "Arizona Boaster" for claiming he was a great pilot before he was even in the cockpit. In the book, Terror of the Autumn Skies, by Pardow, it staes Luke would tell the time he would shoot down a German obsevation ballon before he took off. What makes him my favorite ace is he was true to his word! He would destroy enemy ships as he predicted. This is when "Boaster" turned to "Buster"!

Have you read "The STAND"? I would love to but $70.00 is a little steep for me!