Eduard Ritter von Schleich
Encyclopedia
Eduard Ritter von Schleich (August 9, 1888 – November 15, 1947), née Eduard-Maria Joseph Schleich was a high scoring Bavarian flying ace
of World War I
. He was credited with 35 aerial victories at the end of the war. During World War II, he served in the Luftwaffe
as a general.
, Bavaria to an artist his family soon moved to the spa city of Bad Tölz
. After he finished school Schleich decided to enroll to a cadet programm in the Bavarian Army and eventually earned a commission with the 11th Bavarian Infantry Regiment in 1909. Prior to the outbreak of World War I, Schleich was plagued with medical problems and released from active duty. He volunteered again and on 25 August 1914 was badly wounded in the Battle of Lorraine
.
The wound meant he did not see further service until September, when he assumed command of Fliegerschule 1. He joined Jasta 21 in May 1917, and commanded the unit from June onwards. Prior to his leadership, Jasta 21 had a lacklustre combat record and low morale, but under Oberleutnant von Schleich within a month the Jasta had downed 36 enemy aircraft, 19 credited to Schleich personally.
When his best friend on the Jasta, Leutnant Erich Limpert was killed in a dogfight, Schleich ordered his plane to be painted all black. This black plane soon led to Schleich being dubbed 'The Black Knight'.
Ongoing Prussian and Bavarian political arguments over a non-prussian commanding a Prussian fighter unit caused a new Bavarian Jasta to be formed and Schleich was re-assigned to command Jasta 32 in October 1917, with his tally at 25.
He was awarded the Order Pour le Mérite
in December, and after a spell commanding Jastaschule 1, on 15 March he took command of Jagdgruppe Nr. 8, a collection of Jastas 23, 34 and 35, in the last month of the war he commanded Jasta 21. By the war's end his score was 35.
regaining his strength after many years of combat. In 1919, he was assigned to as Inspector with the Bavarian Air Service, an aviation unit of the Bavarian State Police.
In April 1919, The German Communist Party forcibly gained control of Munich, and von Schleich was marked for immediate arrest and trial. Government troops were able to oust the Communists the following month, returning Bavaria once again to the Weimar Republic
.
After a short stint as a pilot with the Bavarian Police, von Schleich became a liaison officer with the Army Peace Commission, responsible for the implementation of the Armistice terms.
Demobilised in December 1921, von Schleich worked as a peat farmer, and later as a Lufthansa airline pilot. Leaving the airlines in 1929, he started a flying club in Munich. He joined the Nazi Party in 1931, and at the same time became a member of the SS-Fliegerstaffel, a paramilitary flying organization. He was given control of the Hitler Youth flying programmes, and promoted to General.
With the creation of the Luftwaffe in 1935, von Schleich’s returned to military service as a Major overseeing the training of air reserve units and of dive-bombing pilots.
He was then assigned to command the new Jagdgeschwader 234 in 1937. Von Schleich was promoted to Oberst and assigned to Jagdgeschwader 132 ‘Schlageter’, tasked with defending the western frontier of Germany. Re-designated in 1939 as Jagdgeschwader 26, the wing saw only limited service during the initial phases of World War II.
As a Generalmajor von Schleich became the commander of the fighter pilot school at Wien-Schwechat, Austria
in December 1939. In late 1940 when he was sent to Romania
to the Luftwaffe Mission, assisting in the organization and training of the Romanian Air Force
.
In mid 1941 Von Schleich then became Commander of the Occupation Forces in Denmark, spending nearly two and one-half years there.
Von Schleich’s final assignment was Luftwaffe Ground Forces Commander in Norway, a post he held until late 1944. The regional command was disbanded in September, nine months after von Schleich arrived. Placed onto the reserve list in mid-November, von Schleich eventually retired as a Generalleutnant.
Held by British forces after the war, he died in custody on 15 November 1947, aged 59 years, from a heart condition. Von Schleich was buried in Diessen am Ammersee, near Munich.
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was credited with 35 aerial victories at the end of the war. During World War II, he served in the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
as a general.
Early life
Born in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Bavaria to an artist his family soon moved to the spa city of Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
. After he finished school Schleich decided to enroll to a cadet programm in the Bavarian Army and eventually earned a commission with the 11th Bavarian Infantry Regiment in 1909. Prior to the outbreak of World War I, Schleich was plagued with medical problems and released from active duty. He volunteered again and on 25 August 1914 was badly wounded in the Battle of Lorraine
Battle of Lorraine
The Battle of Lorraine was a battle of World War I fought in August 1914 between France and Germany. This followed Plan XVII, which proposed a French offensive through Lorraine and Alsace, and into Germany itself.- French Offensive :...
.
World War I
While he was recovering from his wounds he decided to volunteer in the Royal Bavarian Air Service, and was accepted for training as an observer. After service with FEA 1 on two seaters, he applied for pilot training and qualified in September 1915, he joined FA 2b in October 1915, and in January 1916 during an observation flight, Schleich was wounded in the arm by an exploding anti-aircraft shell. Instead of returning to base, Schleich had his crewman bandage his wound while still in the air and then continued to complete his assignment. He was decorated with the Iron Cross First Class for this action.The wound meant he did not see further service until September, when he assumed command of Fliegerschule 1. He joined Jasta 21 in May 1917, and commanded the unit from June onwards. Prior to his leadership, Jasta 21 had a lacklustre combat record and low morale, but under Oberleutnant von Schleich within a month the Jasta had downed 36 enemy aircraft, 19 credited to Schleich personally.
When his best friend on the Jasta, Leutnant Erich Limpert was killed in a dogfight, Schleich ordered his plane to be painted all black. This black plane soon led to Schleich being dubbed 'The Black Knight'.
Ongoing Prussian and Bavarian political arguments over a non-prussian commanding a Prussian fighter unit caused a new Bavarian Jasta to be formed and Schleich was re-assigned to command Jasta 32 in October 1917, with his tally at 25.
He was awarded the Order Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
in December, and after a spell commanding Jastaschule 1, on 15 March he took command of Jagdgruppe Nr. 8, a collection of Jastas 23, 34 and 35, in the last month of the war he commanded Jasta 21. By the war's end his score was 35.
Post war
Von Schleich was briefly hospitalised in Bad ReichenhallBad Reichenhall
Bad Reichenhall is a spa town, and administrative center of the Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. It is located near Salzburg in a basin encircled by the Chiemgauer Alps ....
regaining his strength after many years of combat. In 1919, he was assigned to as Inspector with the Bavarian Air Service, an aviation unit of the Bavarian State Police.
In April 1919, The German Communist Party forcibly gained control of Munich, and von Schleich was marked for immediate arrest and trial. Government troops were able to oust the Communists the following month, returning Bavaria once again to the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
.
After a short stint as a pilot with the Bavarian Police, von Schleich became a liaison officer with the Army Peace Commission, responsible for the implementation of the Armistice terms.
Demobilised in December 1921, von Schleich worked as a peat farmer, and later as a Lufthansa airline pilot. Leaving the airlines in 1929, he started a flying club in Munich. He joined the Nazi Party in 1931, and at the same time became a member of the SS-Fliegerstaffel, a paramilitary flying organization. He was given control of the Hitler Youth flying programmes, and promoted to General.
With the creation of the Luftwaffe in 1935, von Schleich’s returned to military service as a Major overseeing the training of air reserve units and of dive-bombing pilots.
He was then assigned to command the new Jagdgeschwader 234 in 1937. Von Schleich was promoted to Oberst and assigned to Jagdgeschwader 132 ‘Schlageter’, tasked with defending the western frontier of Germany. Re-designated in 1939 as Jagdgeschwader 26, the wing saw only limited service during the initial phases of World War II.
World War II
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in December 1939. In late 1940 when he was sent to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
to the Luftwaffe Mission, assisting in the organization and training of the Romanian Air Force
Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade...
.
In mid 1941 Von Schleich then became Commander of the Occupation Forces in Denmark, spending nearly two and one-half years there.
Von Schleich’s final assignment was Luftwaffe Ground Forces Commander in Norway, a post he held until late 1944. The regional command was disbanded in September, nine months after von Schleich arrived. Placed onto the reserve list in mid-November, von Schleich eventually retired as a Generalleutnant.
Held by British forces after the war, he died in custody on 15 November 1947, aged 59 years, from a heart condition. Von Schleich was buried in Diessen am Ammersee, near Munich.
Decorations
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
- Order of Max-JosephMilitary Order of Max JosephThe Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
- Order Pour le MéritePour le MériteThe Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, Patent from Dec 05 1917