Flying Circus - The Aces behind the skins

[Cybermat47]

The aces of WWI are people who have held my interest for a long time, so I thought that it might be good to provide a bit more info about those who are represented in Flying Circus.

 

Rene Fonck

"I prefer to fly alone... when alone, I perform those little coups of audacity which amuse me..."

72 solo aircraft victories

3 shared aircraft victories

142 claimed aircraft victories

 

The second most successful ace of WWI, and the most successful French and Allied ace of all time, Rene Fonck was an amazingly skilled pilot and unrepentant braggart. He had few friends, but was amazing in the air, shooting down six enemy aircraft in a single day on multiple occasions. However, he was never able to captivate the public like the deceased Georges Guynemer. In WWII, his inter-war contact with Hermann Goering and Ernst Udet caused accusations of Nazi collaboration, but a post-war investigation cleared him of these charges, and saw him awarded the Certificate of Resistance. He died at the age of 59 from a stroke in 1953.

 

Henry de Slade

16 confirmed aircraft victories

3 confirmed balloon victories

 

The 16th most successful French ace of WWI, not much is known about Henry de Slade. But his ability speaks for itself - between May 1917 and October 1918 he scored 19 victories and was promoted to command Escadrille SPA 159 (French squadrons were designated by the type of plane they flew - a Nieuport squadron would be N 3, a SPAD squadron SPA, etc.). SPA 159 had lost 13 pilots and shot down no enemy aircraft, so de Slade painted bright red stripes on his aircraft so that his men could watch and copy his tactics. The squadron began to score. He continued to serve in the Armee de l'Air, rising to Colonel, and apparently taking part in WWII. In 1979, he died at the age of 86.

 

Eddie Rickenbacker

"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared."

21 confirmed aircraft victories

5 confirmed balloon victories

 

America's ace of aces in WWI, Rickenbacker was a racecar driver in civilian life, an occupation that he believed was perfect for future fighter pilots. A supporter of the Entente cause even before the USA's entry, Rickenbacher was nevertheless subjected to a long, vigorous strip-search when he visited Britain in 1916, causing him to change his surname to the less "Hun" sounding "Rickenbacker". Despite the fact that he wasn't academically qualified enough, he managed a transfer to the US Air Service as a mechanic. Unfortunately for him, he was too good at his job to be allowed to leave for pilot training. Only by finding a suitable replacement and flying in his free time was he able to finally secure his position as a fighter pilot. Between April and October he scored 26 victories, the most of any American in the war - despite being grounded for weeks by an ear infection. After the war he became happily married to Adelaide Rickenbacker and adopted two sons, formed a car company (that was destroyed by jealous competitors), worked with the Fokker aircraft company, formed Eastern Air Lines, and wrote comics. In WWII he supported Britain survived a B-17 crash that left him stranded near Japanese territory for 24 days, and visited the Soviet Union to aid and spy on the Soviets - and to accidentally leak the B-29 program to them. In 1973, Eddie Rickenbacker died of a stroke at the age of 82. In 1977, at the age of 93, Adelaide, blind, ill, and wracked with grief from her husband's death, committed suicide.

 

Lothar von Richthofen

40 confirmed aircraft victories

 

Overshadowed by his brother, the Red Baron, Lothar von Richthofen was a formidable pilot in his own right, scoring 40 victories despite multiple lengthy stays at hospital. Where his brother was calm, collected, and calculating, Lothar acted on impulse - yet he only scored half as much as his brother, and survived the war. Lothar's victories included multiple British aces, including the famed Albert Ball. However, it seems much more likely that Ball's death came as a result of disorientation from flying in clouds, as Lothar claimed a Sopwith Triplane, while Ball was flying an S.E.5a - and no Triplanes were lost that day. In the same combat, Ball had forced von Richthofen to make an emergency landing, making him Ball's last victory. After the war, Lothar married, had two children, and divorced. Working as a commercial pilot, he flew passengers and mail in an LVG C.VI. On July 4th, 1922, his engine failed, resulting in a fatal crash. He was only 27.

 

Robert Ritter von Greim

"I am the head of the Luftwaffe, but I have no Luftwaffe".

28 confirmed aircraft victories

 

Obscure but successful, Robert Greim's war service saw him go from observer to commander of an entire fighter group. Apparently he also destroyed a tank! Surviving the war, despite one occasion where his cowling came loose and smashed his wings and struts, he was awarded the Bavarian Military Order of Max Joseph, making him Robert Ritter von Greim. After the war, von Greim remained in the army, and in 1920 he flew Adolf Hitler to observe the Kapp Putsch. He studied law, helped form the Chinese Air Force, joined the Nazis, and took part in the Beer Hall Putsch. In 1933, Goering invited him to help form the Luftwaffe, and, by WWII, commanded a Luftflotte. His son, Hubert Greim, was a pilot with 11./JG 2 (which von Greim had commanded in 1938), was listed as missing in action in late 1942 - in reality he was a PoW in America. Von Greim commanded Luftwaffe forces during the Battle of Kursk and Operation Kutozov, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. In April 1945, he and Hana Reitsch, both ardent and fanatical Nazis, flew to Berlin to visit Hitler, who made von Greim a Generalfeldmarschall and commander of the Luftwaffe - Goering had been sacked for treason - then dispatched him and Reitsch to arrest Himmler, who had also committed treason. On May 8th, he surrendered to American troops, and committed suicide on May 24th at the age of 52.

Feel free to post any corrections or additional information.