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Date: |
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Description: | DS64 85
obverse design : Flight Commander Max Immelmann, bust, left profile, in uniform
obverse text : "MAX IMMELMANN" (ornate characters)
reverse design : male figure, nude, sitting facing left on the back of an eagle which is flying to left. The figure holds two thunderbolts
in his raised left hand
German First World War medal by Else Fürst commemorating the famous German air 'ace' Max Immelmann (1883-1916).
Immelmann, who had previously served in the German Army, was recalled for duty on the outbreak of war in 1914. He rapidly transferred to
the Flying Service and qualified for active air operations by March 1915. Following initial reconnaissance duties Immelman's obvious skill
and daring manifested itself in some spectacular aerial combats. His aggressive offensive patrols over the Lille battlefront earned him the
nickname 'Der Adler von Lille' ('The Eagle of Lille'). An innovative flyer Immelmann perfected a combination of a half loop and half roll
as a counter-attacking ploy, a manoeuvre which came to be known as the 'Immelmann Turn' and one which was imitated (often with less
success) by many subsequent airmen. By the time of his death in June 1916 he had been credited with 15 'kills'. Controversy surrounds the
precise circumstances of his death as the British claimed that he crashed as a result of an attack by an FE2b. German opinion was that he
shot himself down when his synchroniser gear malfunctioned. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | portrait / personification Max Immelmann Death of & 18/6/1916 Western Front Air Operations & Immelmann commemorative First World War DE.A & Air Service | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Fürst, Else | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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