PEEBLES PROFILES
EPISODE XXXIII
Karl Bolle
Born in Berlin on June 20, 1893 to a family owning a well-known dairy, Karl Bolle studied economics at The University of Oxford in 1912. While there, he was well known for his athletic prowess… in particular, ice hockey.
The young Bolle returned home to Germany to enlist as a one-year volunteer in the 7th (Magdeburg) Cuirassiers “von Seydlitz” Regiment in 1913 with the rank of Leutnant (lieutenant). At the start of World War I, his regiment served on the Western Front, advancing through Belgium and taking part in the First Battle of the Marne.
The regiment then transferred to the Eastern Front, and Bolle saw action in both Poland and Courland (Latvia). By the end of 1915, he had won an award for bravery (Iron Cross, Second Class) and was transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte.
Bolle undertook his initial training at Johannistal, then forwarded to FEA 5 in Hannover. Later, he trained to become a fighter pilot at Valenciennes, France at Jastaschule I. The standard German practice was to be trained initially at a Fliegerschule or an FEA (Flieger-Ersatz Abteilung, or Pilot Replacement Unit), serve initially in a two-seater unit, and then later transfer for training as a fighter pilot at a Jastaschule (where they would be closely tutored by experts with frontline experience). They also had access to captured British and French fighters to familiarize themselves with their opponent’s aircraft. Upon his completion, Bolle was assigned to the bombing group Kagohl IV in July 1916.
Later that October, Bolle was wounded in combat against five French fighters. He crash-landed within friendly lines… and despite the wounds, Bolle dragged his injured observer safely out of the shell-fire directed at their downed aircraft.
Upon his recovery, Bolle had been assigned to Kampfstaffel 23 of KG IV. Lothar von Richthofen was assigned as Bolle’s observer and gunner.
It was about this time that Bolle was awarded the Kingdom of Württemberg’s Second Class Knight’s Cross of the Friedrich Order. He was the only fighter ace to win this award.
Bolle finally went to Jastaschule (fighter pilot’s training) in early 1917. He joined Jagdstaffel 28 that April, still recuperating from a leg wound. While assigned as a non-flying adjutant, Bolle 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.
In July 1917, Bolle commenced operational flying with Jasta 28. His first victory was over an Airco DH.4 of Number57 Squadron on August 8, 1917. Within five months, Karl Bolle became an air ace!
On February 20, 1918, Bolle was promoted to Oberleutnant and transferred to command Jasta 2 at Marcke, France. This was the squadron that Oswald Boelcke had commanded, as he invented the first fighter tactics, strategy, and organization. It was being re-equipped with Fokker Dr.I triplanes and 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 Jasta 2’s final commander.
Despite seemingly modest credentials, Bolle set his mark upon the squadron. The Fokker Dr.I triplane was of limited speed, but great maneuverability and climb rate. Its slower speed made it more difficult to close the distance for gunnery against faster fighters. Bolle’s solution was the use of an Oigee telescopic sight for his guns. He also painted distinctive white stripes on his upper wings, to denote his leadership role, 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.
He opened his tally with Jasta 2 on April 25, 1918 as part of a huge air offensive launched to support ground assault on Kemmel Ridge. Bolle then began a steady collection of single and double victories, with five in May, seven in June, nine in July, and three in August. By autumn, he had scored twenty-eight victories, received the Military Merit Cross, the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, and the Pour le Mérite (commonly known as the Blue Max). The latter was awarded to Bolle on August 28, 1918.
Bolle did not score again until the first day of November. Three days later, he downed four British fighters: two RAF SE.5A planes of Number 56 Squadron and two Sopwith Snipes of Number 4 AFC. The Snipes (claimed with Leutnant Ernst Bormann) were flown by aces Captain Thomas Baker (twelve victories) and Lieutenant A. J. Palliser (seven victories). These were the last of Bolle’s victories.
One 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 thirty-six victories included a preponderance of wins over enemy fighters (he had downed twenty-five such planes). The other eleven victories were two-seater reconnaissance, ground attack, and bomber aircraft. More importantly, Bolle led Jasta 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.
After the war, Karl Bolle became a flying instructor. He also became the Director of the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (German Air Transport School) in the 1920s. Subsequently, Bolle helped in the covert training of pilots for the Luftwaffe.
During the Second World War, he served as an advisor with the Luftwaffe, reporting directly to Hermann Göring.
Karl Bolle died in his native city of Berlin on October 9, 1955 at the age of sixty-two.