List of aerial victories of Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp

Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp (1894-1918) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 28 confirmed aerial victories. He began his aerial victory career in 1915, shooting down a couple of enemy airplanes in October. Transferred from France to the Middle East, he scored a couple of victories in Egypt during 1916. Shifted back to France in December, Bülow-Bothkamp joined a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 18. He shot down eight more enemy airplanes and an observation balloon by mid-1917. He then went to another fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 36, to destroy two more observation balloons and 13 more enemy airplanes before being killed in action on 6 January 1918.[1]

The victory list

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Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp's victories are reported in chronological order, which is not necessarily the order or dates the victories were confirmed by headquarters.

No. Date Time Foe Unit Location Remarks
1 11 October 1915 Voisin Metz, France
2 11 October 1915 Farman
3 8 August 1916 Enemy airplane El Arish, Egypt
4 17 September 1916 Sopwith Baby HMS Ben-my-Chree East of Al Arish, Egypt
Unconfirmed 17 September 1916 Sopwith Baby East of El Arish, Egypt Damaged; forced to land on sea
5 23 January 1917 Sopwith 1½ Strutter No. 45 Squadron, RFC Gheluvelt, Belgium
6 23 January 1917 p.m. Royal Aircraft Factory FE.8 No. 41 Squadron RFC Bixschoote, Belgium
7 26 January 1917 Sopwith 1½ Strutter No. 45 Squadron RFC Recham
8 7 February 1917 1325 hours Sopwith 1½ Strutter No. 45 Squadron RFC Linselles, France
9 11 March 1917 1430 hours Observation balloon 9th Kite Balloon Section North of Armentières, France
10 7 April 1917 1815 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d No. 20 Squadron RFC South of Ploegsteert, Belgium
11 8 April 1917 p.m. Nieuport 12 No. 46 Squadron RFC East of Ypres, Belgium
12 24 April 1917 0940 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d No. 20 Squadron RFC Ypres, Belgium
13 7 May 1917 1200 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d Menen, Belgium Downed on Jagdstaffel 18's home airfield
14 and 15 21 May 1917 Two observation balloons Bouvancourt, France French balloons
16 6 July 1917 SPAD S.VII No. 23 Squadron RFC Saint Julien
17 7 July 1917 1940 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d No. 20 Squadron RFC Hooge, Belgium
18 3 September 1917 0830 hours Sopwith Camel Tenbreilen
19 13 September 1917 0810 hours Sopwith Camel No. 10 Naval Squadron, RNAS Vicinity of Becelaere, France 10 Naval Squadron later became No. 210 Squadron RAF
20 23 September 1917 Nieuport 23 Warneton
21 26 September 1917 a.m. Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 No. 21 Squadron RFC Polygon Wood, Belgium
22 18 October 1917 1045 hours SPAD S.VII Escadrille SPA.73, Service Aéronautique East of Passchendaele, Belgium
23 24 October 1917 0950 hours SPAD No. 19 Squadron RFC Near Arras, France
24 24 October 1917 1005 hours SPAD No. 19 Squadron RFC Linselles, France
25 8 November 1917 0950 hours SPAD No. 19 Squadron RFC Houthem
26 23 November 1917 1630 hours Sopwith Camel No. 65 Squadron RFC West of Moorslede, Belgium
27 29 November 1917 1635 hours SPAD S.VII No. 19 Squadron RFC Passchendaele, Belgium
28 2 December 1917 1135 hours Bristol F.2 Fighter No. 20 Squadron RFC Becelaere, Belgium Ace Harry G. E. Luchford KIA;[2] J. E. Johnston POW

This list is complete for entries, though obviously not for all details. Background data was abstracted from Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1, p. 74; and The Aerodrome webpage on Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp [2]. Added facts are individually cited. Abbreviations were expanded by the editor creating this list.

Endnotes

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  1. ^ Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993), p. 74.
  2. ^ The Aerodrome webpage on Luchford [1] Retrieved 17 March 2021.

References

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  • Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank; Guest, Russell (1993). Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. London UK: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.