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Rudolf
Berthold
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| Country: |
Germany |
| Born: |
24 March 1891 |
| Place of Birth: |
Near Bamberg |
| Deceased: |
15 March 1920 |
| Rank: |
Hauptmann |
| Units: |
FFA 23
Jasta 4, 14, 18
JG 2
Kek Vaux |
| Victories: |
44 |
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| Berthold joined the infantry in
1910 and learned to fly by the end of 1913. When
the war began, he transferred to the German Air
Service as an observer. In 1916, he began flying
single-seat fighters with Kek Vaux and was credited
with five victories before crashing a Pfalz E.IV
on 25 April 1916. Injured and wounded several
times throughout the war, Berthold earned a reputation
for returning to duty before he had fully recovered.
In August, he formed Jasta 4 before turning command
over to Hans Buddecke. Berthold then assumed
command of Jasta 14 until badly wounded in May
1917 when his Pfalz D.III was shot down. Recovering
from a broken nose, fractured skull, thigh and
pelvis, he returned to duty the following August
and assumed command of Jasta 18. He was wounded
again on 10 October 1917 when a bullet shattered
his right arm. When he returned to duty, he assumed
command of Jagdgeschwader 2, remaining in command
until wounded on 10 August 1918. Credited with
downing two D.H.4s that day, his career as a
fighting pilot ended when his crippled red and
blue Fokker D.VII crashed into a house after
colliding with his second opponent. Murdered
by rioters in 1920, some sources claim Berthold
was strangled with the ribbon from his Blue Max. |
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