Oskar Freiherr Von Boenigk - World War I Aviation Service

World War I Aviation Service

Boenigk trained with the 7th Flying Replacement Battalion from 20 December 1915 through 29 February 1916. Upon graduation from this observer training, he was assigned to Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 32. He flew in the back seat of a Roland D.II fighter as a gunner. His duty with Jasta 32 lasted from 1 March 1916 through 6 April 1917. This tour ended when he returned to the 7th Flying Replacement Battalion for training as a fighter pilot.

Jastaschule lasted from 7 April 1917 until 23 June 1917. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 4, which was becoming part of Germany's first fighter wing, Jagdgeschwader II. His arrival in Jasta 4 was coincidental with that of his commanding officer, Oberleutnant Kurt-Bertram von Döring. The two of them would serve under Germany's ace of aces, Manfred von Richthofen, who would be appointed to command the newly formed JG II on 26 July.

Von Boenigk scored his first aerial victory on 20 July 1917. By 9 September, when he scored his fifth and final victory for Jasta 4, he was an ace, even without credit for two unconfirmed claims. He would serve as a pilot in Jasta 4 for four months, before being promoted to command Jagdstaffel 21 on 23 October 1917. He would command Jasta 21 until 27 August 1918.

He scored win number six for his new squadron, on 25 November 1917, then lapsed for six months. When he resumed scoring on 1 June 1918, he began a steady trickle of triumphs, with six victims in June, four in July, and five in August. He notched number 21 on 11 August 1918.

He would then be promoted on 28 August to lead Jagdgeschwader II, and would hold that position until 27 December 1918, after the end of the War. He shot down his last five opponents in ten days in September 1918.

In October 1918, he was awarded the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order< and Order of Albert. On 25 October 1918, he was awarded Germany's premier award for courage, the Pour le Merite.

His final tabulation was 14 enemy fighters confirmed downed, along with 2 unconfirmed. He also shot down seven observation balloons; balloons were usually well-defended and difficult to bring down. There were also five two-seaters to his credit.