Thirty-Three Victories and Counting

Thirty-three Victories and Counting (The Life and time of Oblt Kurt (Robert Wilhelm) Wolff) Part One by Thomas Crean

Here is the life of Kurt Wolff, a World War One German fighter pilot, with 33 enemy aircraft victories to his credit, wearier of Germany's highest award for bravery - the Order 'Pour le Mérite' along with the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class.

 

The book beings from his birth on 06 Feb 1895, his earlier upbringing, the loss of his Father and mother while at a young age and having to live (along with his two sisters) with this Aunt in Memel, Germany until his enlistment in the German Army Active service in Berlin to become an officer candidate attached to the Eisenbahn-Regiment IV on 07 Mar 1914 at the age of 19.

The First World War (Great War) began as of 28 June 1914 and young Kurt Wolff marched off to the Western Front with his railway construction company as a Gefreiter (Corporal) into the war and was later promoted to Officer Cadet on 04 Aug 1914.

After requesting and being selected, he began his flight training in Germany and was assigned to F.E.A. 1 located at Nieder-Neuendorf Military Aviation School until he completed/passed his flying tests and then was transferred on 1 Oct 1915 to an Army Flug (Aviation) Park (AFP) to await reassignment to a flying unit.

All pilots in the German Air Force, before they got to wear the 'official' flying badge, were required to be a pilot in a bomber squadron to accumulate 40 operational combat missions. He and his observer believed that they had scored two victories over the enemy but as they could not be confirmed they were dis-allowed. He completed this on 5 Mar 1916 and then moved on to more advanced pilot training to become a fighter pilot.

On 12 Oct 1916 Ltn. Wolff was assigned to Jagdstaffel (JASTA) 11 (‘No. 11 Fighter Squadron’) as a fighter pilot which was formed earlier that month at the La Brayelle/Douai airfield and flew a Halberstädter D.II single-seater with a big "W" on the side panels indicating who the pilot was.

This book contains lots and lots of photo's, maps from the time as well as a documented gemological information about Kurt Wolff, his family and the pilots he met and flew with all the way up to 1 May 1917, where Book 2 will continue until he his shot down on 15 Sept 1917 and beyond.