Oswald Boelcke

The great preponderance in the air, which the Germans had since the Fokker scourge began in 1915, became lesser and lesser very quick, as the English -SE5- and the French -SPAD- made better planes. In August 1916 Boelcke was ordered to reorganise the Luftwaffe. He came to an organisation which remained the rest of the war unchanged. Instead of several types of airplanes in one squadron, as it was common then, he started in August 1916, fighter units consisting of 8 airplanes of one type and special trained crew, so the Jagdstaffel were formed. These "JASTA's" had together one and the same task and allways in the same formation and was stationed on the same airbase. Ten of these JASTA's together were formed to a JagdGeschwader. Also a new airplane was delivered; The Fokker D3, in which Boelck had a lot of succes.
Boelcke was given command of Jasta 2 and allowed to select his own pilots. Among his disciples were future aces as Max Muller, Erwin Böhme, and Manfred von Richthofen. Boelcke not only fought, raising his own score into the thirties, he also taught his men the elements of and keys to successful air fighting. His rules, the 'Dicta Boelcke,' remained valid until the modern era of 'fly by wire.'
Oswald Boelcke died after a collision in the air, most probably with his friend Erwin Böhme, fighting the English 24th squadron. Even his English adversaries honored him by dropping a wreath and a note that read, 'to the memory of Captain Boelke (sic), our brave and chivalrous opponent.' Jasta 2 was later renamed Jasta Boelcke in his honor.
With 40 victories to his name at the time of his death and noticed the short time he was in the war, Hauptmann Boelcke was perhaps Germany's greatest fighter pilot of all times, and maybe greater then Manfred von Richthofen.