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Hauptmann Oskar Gustav Rudolf Berthold (24 March 1891 – 15 March 1920), commonly known as Rudolf Berthold, was a German flying ace of World War I. Between 1916 and 1918, he shot down 44 enemy planes—16 of them while flying one-handed. Berthold had a reputation as a ruthless, fearless and—above all—very patriotic fighter. His perseverance, bravery, and willingness to return to combat while still wounded made him one of the most famous German pilots of World War I. Berthold joined the German Imperial Army in 1909, and paid for his own piloting lessons, qualifying in September 1913. He was one of the pioneer aviators of World War I, flying crucial reconnaissance missions during his nation's 1914 invasion of France that won him some of the first Iron Crosses of the war. During 1915, he became one of the first aerial warriors. He rose to command one of the first dedicated fighter units in 1916; he scored five victories before suffering severe injuries in a crash and being dosed with narcotics while hospitalized for four months. Decamping from hospital, he returned to duty while still unwell to successively command two of Germany's original fighter squadrons. By 24 April 1917, when he was wounded again, he had brought his tally to 12 and won Germany's greatest honor, the ''Pour le Merite''. On 18 August, he once again bolted from medical care to return to battle. Over the next few weeks, he would score 16 more victories before being crippled by a British bullet on 10 October 1917. With an arm at hazard of amputation, Berthold was rescued by his sister Franziska, who had the medical connections to gain him care by a specialist. Berthold was bedridden until February 1918, only to return to duty to command one of the world's first fighter wings. On 28 May, he began once again to fly combat, though flying one-handed and under the influence of narcotics; he shot down 14 more enemy airplanes by 8 August 1918. On 10 August, he shot down his final two victims on his final flight before being downed. After two days in the hospital, he would once flee treatment and return to combat. Only a direct order from Kaiser Wilhelm II returned him to medical care for the rest of the war. Postwar, Rudolf Berthold organized a ''Freikorps'' and fought the Bolsheviks in Latvia. He was killed in political street fighting in Hamburg on 15 March 1920. ==Early life and entry into military== Oskar Gustav Rudolf Berthold entered the world at about 18:00 hours on 24 March 1891. He was born in Ditterswind, Kingdom of Bavaria in the German Empire, the sixth child of ''Oberförster'' (Head Forester) Oskar Berthold. The young child, who became familiarly known as simply Rudolf, was the first born to Helene Stief Berthold, Oskar's second wife. Oskar's first wife, Ida Anne Hoffmann Berthold, died in childbirth, leaving as survivors a daughter and three sons. Rudolf was followed by three younger brothers, two of whom survived to adulthood.〔Kilduff 2012, pp. 19, 174.〕 Rudolf's father was employed by a local nobleman, Oskar Freiherr von Deuster; Rudolf grew up roving the baron's great estate. Early in September 1897, Rudolf enrolled in the local elementary school. Upon his completion of studies there at age ten, he enrolled in the ''Humanistische Neue Gymnasium'' (New Secondary School for the Humanities) in nearby Bamberg. By the time he had completed his studies there at age 14, he had adopted a personal motto from Horace: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's Fatherland."〔Kilduff 2012, pp. 19–20, 174.〕 Rudolf moved to Schweinfurt's ''Königliches Humanistische Gymnasium'' (Royal Secondary School for Humanities) in September 1906 to begin sixth level classes. Winter of 1909 saw him transfer to the ''Altes Gymnasium'' (Old Secondary School) in Bamberg to better fit himself for a military career. He graduated on 14 July 1910, with a reputation for being fearless, cheerful, and studious.〔Kilduff 2012, pp. 20–21.〕 Although Ditterswind was a garrison town,〔Kilduff 2012, p. 20.〕 young Berthold's career began when he joined the 3rd Brandenberg Infantry Regiment〔Franks et al. 1993, p. 71.〕 in Wittenberg. He was required to serve a year and a half's training as a ''Fähnrich'' (Officer Candidate) before being voted upon by officers of the regiment. On 27 January 1912, they accepted Berthold and he was commissioned as a leutnant. Toward the end of Berthold's training, the ''Jungdeutschland-Bund'' (Young Germany Federation) was founded. He became the leader of the Wittenberg branch of this patriotic society that was mobilizing German youth for national service.〔Kilduff 2012, pp. 22, 24.〕 ''Der Fliegertruppe'' (The Flying Troop) became an official part of the German Imperial Army on 1 October 1912.〔Kilduff 2012, pp. 24–25.〕 Berthold learned to fly at his own expense in 1913, qualifying as a pilot in September 1913 with license No. 538.〔 He trained at the ''Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke'' (Halberstadt Factory) on dual control Bristol types; one of his fellow students was Oswald Boelcke. After informing his family he had a "special assignment" to a flying school, Berthold underwent military flight training during Summer 1914.〔Kilduff 2012, p. 25.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rudolf Berthold」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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