Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

That's the man, SimonCraig1 and you are up, Sir. Googling "ace + dental assistant" yields his name, as does "WWI ace + parachute". The Iron Eagle was quite a pilot. Thanks; Ernie P.


What warbird pilot do I describe?

Clues:
1. He was an ace.
2. And he was a top one.
3. He earned his private pilot’s license before the war.
4. Although he was working in dentistry at the time.
5. And when the war started, he joined an infantry unit.
6. After being wounded, he switched to the air service.
7. As a dental assistant.
8. Before finally being accepted for pilot training.
9. Whereupon, he was put to work as an instructor and was used to ferry aircraft.
10. Even when he finally got into combat, he wasn’t assigned as a fighter pilot.
11. When he finally was trained as a fighter pilot, and assigned to a front line unit, he quickly began to distinguish himself.
12. He scored three victories in less than three weeks, and was promptly reassigned to an elite unit.
13. In six months or so, he had scored 18 victories.
14. He was commissioned as an officer a few months later.
15. Shortly thereafter, he was injured in a crash and put out of action for several months.
16. In his first month back in action, flying a new type of fighter aircraft, he scored 16 more victories.
17. His aircraft carried his personal insignia; one well known.
18. In the same month, he was shot down in flames, but escaped his burning aircraft and parachuted to safety.
19. His first three victories were balloons.
20. He scored more than 40 victories in less than one year of actual combat flying.
21. After the war, he worked as a manual laborer before finally opening a dentist’s office.
22. One of his patients supposedly used his name in an iconic war novel.
23. He later founded his own aircraft company.
24. He died in an air crash.
25. While testing a new prototype fighter.
26. The prototype had crashed before; although the pilot survived.
27. The test of the new aircraft was going well, when he deliberately induced a spin. For some reason, he failed to recover and crashed into the sea.
28. On the day before the crash, he had set two new world records while flying the plane.
29. The designer of the prototype later created an iconic fighter aircraft. And several others.
30. While the company which produced the crashed prototype was acquired by another company.
31. The new company, with the same man in charge as the technical director, built several iconic warbirds.
32. And designed a VTOL aircraft which used the same system later used by the Osprey.
33. His nickname is in common use today.
34. Ernst Udet had also flown the prototype in which he was killed; and was very favorably impressed with it.

Answer: Paul Baumer, (The Iron Eagle)

Paul Wilhelm Bäumer (11 May 1896 – 15 July 1927) was a German fighter ace in World War I.
Bäumer was born on 11 May 1896 in Duisburg, Germany. He was a dental assistant before World War I, and earned a private pilot's license by Summer 1914.
At the start of the war, he joined the 70th Infantry Regiment. He served in both France and Russia, being wounded in the arm in the latter. He then transferred to the air service as a dental assistant before being accepted for military pilot training.
By October 1916, he was serving as a ferry pilot and instructor at Armee Flugpark 1. On 19 February 1917, he was promoted to Gefreiter. On 26 March, he was assigned to Flieger Abteilung 7; he was promoted to Unteroffizier on the 29th.
On 15 May 1917, he was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class. He subsequently received training on single-seaters, consequently being posted to fighter duty. Bäumer joined Jagdstaffel 5 on 30 June 1917, scoring three victories as a balloon buster in mid-July before going to the elite Jasta Boelcke.
Bäumer claimed heavily, reaching 18 victories by year end. He was commissioned in April 1918. On 29 May Bäumer was injured in a crash, breaking his jaw, and he returned to the Jasta in September. With the arrival of the Fokker D.VII he claimed even more success, including 16 in September. Nicknamed "The Iron Eagle", he flew with a personal emblem of an Edelweiss on his aircraft. He was one of the few pilots in World War I whose lives were saved by parachute deployment, when he was shot down in flames in September. He received the Pour le Mérite shortly before the Armistice and was finally credited with 43 victories, ranking ninth among German aces.
After the war, Bäumer worked briefly in the dockyards before he became a dentist, and reportedly one of his patients, Erich Maria Remarque, used Bäumer's name for the protagonist of his antiwar novel All Quiet on the Western Front.
Continuing his interest in flying, he founded his own aircraft company in Hamburg. Bäumer died in an air crash at Copenhagen on 15 July 1927, age 31, while test flying a Rohrbach Ro IX fighter.

[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD]Date
[/TD]
[TD]Time
[/TD]
[TD]Unit
[/TD]
[TD]Aircraft
[/TD]
[TD]Opponent
[/TD]
[TD]Location
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD]12 Jul 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1010
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 5
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Balloon
[/TD]
[TD]Nurlu
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2
[/TD]
[TD]13 Jul 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1700
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 5
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Balloon
[/TD]
[TD]St. Quentin
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3
[/TD]
[TD]15 Jul 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1840
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 5
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Balloon
[/TD]
[TD]St. Quentin
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4
[/TD]
[TD]09 Sep 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1525
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]R.E.8
[/TD]
[TD]Mannessvaere
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]20 Sep 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1510
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]Albatros D.V (4409/17)
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel (B3906)
[/TD]
[TD]Ramskapelle
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6
[/TD]
[TD]21 Sep 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1750
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel
[/TD]
[TD]Boesinghen
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7
[/TD]
[TD]05 Nov 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1250
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel
[/TD]
[TD]St. Julien
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8
[/TD]
[TD]06 Nov 1917
[/TD]
[TD]0825
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel (B2414)
[/TD]
[TD]Vierlavenhoek
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9
[/TD]
[TD]06 Nov 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1150
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]SPAD
[/TD]
[TD]E of Zonnebeke
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10
[/TD]
[TD]07 Nov 1917
[/TD]
[TD]0810
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]R.E.8 (A8746)
[/TD]
[TD]Moorslede
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11
[/TD]
[TD]08 Nov 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1645
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]S.E.5a
[/TD]
[TD]Zillebeke
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12
[/TD]
[TD]08 Nov 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1650
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]S.E.5a
[/TD]
[TD]Zonnebeke
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13
[/TD]
[TD]18 Nov 1917
[/TD]
[TD]0920
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]R.E.8
[/TD]
[TD]NE of Zillebeke Lake
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14
[/TD]
[TD]19 Nov 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1600
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]R.E.8
[/TD]
[TD]Dixmude
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15
[/TD]
[TD]28 Nov 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1400
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]R.E.8
[/TD]
[TD]N of Gheluvelt
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]16
[/TD]
[TD]07 Dec 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1155
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]SPAD
[/TD]
[TD]Zonnebeke
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17
[/TD]
[TD]16 Dec 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1410
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]R.E.8
[/TD]
[TD]N of Boesinghen
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]18
[/TD]
[TD]18 Dec 1917
[/TD]
[TD]1600
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel
[/TD]
[TD]W of Becelaere
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19
[/TD]
[TD]09 Mar 1918
[/TD]
[TD]1110
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel
[/TD]
[TD]N of Zonnebeke
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]20
[/TD]
[TD]23 Mar 1918
[/TD]
[TD]1330
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel (C1564)
[/TD]
[TD]S of St. Leger
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]21
[/TD]
[TD]23 Mar 1918
[/TD]
[TD]1545
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]R.E.8
[/TD]
[TD]N of Tilloy
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]22
[/TD]
[TD]23 Mar 1918
[/TD]
[TD]1615
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]R.E.8
[/TD]
[TD]S of Douai
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]23
[/TD]
[TD]05 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD]1840
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]D.H.4 (F6168)
[/TD]
[TD]S of Douai
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]24
[/TD]
[TD]06 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Bristol F.2b
[/TD]
[TD]W of Cantaing
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]25
[/TD]
[TD]14 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]R.E.8
[/TD]
[TD]Cantaing
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]26
[/TD]
[TD]16 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Bristol F.2b -or- D.H.4
[/TD]
[TD]NE of Henin-Lietard
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]27
[/TD]
[TD]20 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD]1550
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel (F6192)
[/TD]
[TD]E of Rumancourt
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]28
[/TD]
[TD]21 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]D.H.9
[/TD]
[TD]E of Bourlon Wood
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]29
[/TD]
[TD]21 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]D.H.9
[/TD]
[TD]E of Lagnicourt
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]30
[/TD]
[TD]21 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]D.H.9
[/TD]
[TD]E of Morchies
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]31
[/TD]
[TD]24 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel
[/TD]
[TD]Sailly
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]32
[/TD]
[TD]24 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]D.H.9
[/TD]
[TD]SW of Clary
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]33
[/TD]
[TD]27 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Snipe
[/TD]
[TD]S of Cisy
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]34
[/TD]
[TD]27 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]D.H.4
[/TD]
[TD]W of Cambrai
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]35
[/TD]
[TD]27 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]S.E.5a
[/TD]
[TD]W of Cambrai
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]36
[/TD]
[TD]29 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Bristol F.2b
[/TD]
[TD]Marcoing
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]37
[/TD]
[TD]29 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]S.E.5a
[/TD]
[TD]Bourlon Wood
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]38
[/TD]
[TD]29 Sep 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel
[/TD]
[TD]S of Sailly
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]39
[/TD]
[TD]03 Oct 1918
[/TD]
[TD]1430
[/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Bristol F.2b
[/TD]
[TD]Rumilly
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]40
[/TD]
[TD]04 Oct 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]S.E.5a
[/TD]
[TD]Montbehain
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]41
[/TD]
[TD]04 Oct 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Bristol F.2b
[/TD]
[TD]Cambrai Station
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]42
[/TD]
[TD]08 Oct 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Sopwith Camel
[/TD]
[TD]Bautigny
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]43
[/TD]
[TD]09 Oct 1918
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Jasta 2
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Bristol F.2b (E2256)
[/TD]
[TD]Presau
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]