Karl Bolle

Rittmeister Carl Bolle (also as Karl Bolle) (20 June 1893 – 9 October 1955) was a German fighter ace with 36 aerial victories during World War I and a recipient of the Order Pour le Mérite, Prussia's highest award for bravery. He became a Jagdstaffel commander during that war, and an advisor to the Luftwaffe during World War II.

Life before flying

Karl Bolle was born in Berlin on 20 June 1893, to a family owning a well-known dairy. He studied economics at The University of Oxford in 1912, and was also well known for his athletic prowess, playing ice hockey while there.

He returned home to Germany to enlist as a leutnant (lieutenant) in the 7th (Magdeburg) Cuirassiers "von Seydlitz" Regiment in 1913 as a one-year volunteer. At the start of World War I his regiment served on the Western Front, By the end of 1915, Bolle had won an award for bravery, the Iron Cross, Second Class and transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte.

Bolle went to Jastaschule (fighter pilot's training) in early 1917. He joined Jagdstaffel 28 in April 1917, while still recuperating from a leg wound. While assigned as a non-flying adjutant, he began tutelage on the fighter pilot's craft with two aces, Karl Emil Schaefer and Otto Hartmann, as well as Bolle's friend, Max Ritter von Müller. as he invented the first fighter tactics, strategy, and organization. It was being re-equipped with Fokker Dr.I triplanes as it was being incorporated into Jagdgeschwader 3. It was a dispirited squadron, having lost three consecutive Pour le Mérite holding commanding officers killed in action. Bolle was destined to be the final commander of Jagdstaffel 2. along with a yellow fuselage band edged by black and white to honor his old cavalry regiment.

Bolle's command of English turned out to be handy upon occasion, when he questioned downed British Empire fliers. These were Bolle's final victories.

A week later, he and his pilots defiantly marked their Fokker D.VIIs with their names and victory scores before surrendering them into British hands at Nivelles, Belgium.

Bolle's final score of 36 victories included a preponderance of wins over enemy fighters; he downed 25. The other 11 victories were two-seater reconnaissance, ground attack, and bomber aircraft. More importantly, he led Jagdstaffel 2 through the intense battles of 1918 to the second highest victory total in the German Air Force, with a total of 336 victories to the Jasta.

Post World War I After war's end, he became a flying instructor. He also became the Director of the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (German Air Transport School) in the 1920s. Subsequently, he helped in the covert training of pilots for the Luftwaffe.

During World War II, he served as an advisor with the Luftwaffe, reporting to Hermann Göring.

Karl Bolle died in his native city of Berlin on 9 October 1955.

Honors and awards Kingdom of Prussia: Order Pour le Mérite (28 August 1918) Kingdom of Prussia: Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight's Cross with Swords (August 1918) Kingdom of Prussia: Iron Cross, First Class Kingdom of Prussia: Iron Cross, Second Class (1915) Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin: Military Merit Cross, Second Class (August 1918) Kingdom of Württemberg: Friedrich Order, Knight's Cross Second Class with Swords

Sources of information