Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp (1894-1918) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 28 confirmed aerial victories. He began his aerial victory career in 1915, shooting down a couple of enemy airplanes in October. Transferred from France to the Middle East, he scored a couple of victories in Egypt during 1916. Shifted back to France in December, Bülow-Bothkamp joined a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 18. He shot down eight more enemy airplanes and an observation balloon by mid-1917. He then went to another fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 36, to destroy two more observation balloons and 13 more enemy airplanes before being killed in action on 6 January 1918.
The victory list
Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp's victories are reported in chronological order, which is not necessarily the order or dates the victories were confirmed by headquarters.
No.DateTimeFoeUnitLocationRemarks 1 11 October 1915 Voisin Metz, France 2 11 October 1915 Farman 3 8 August 1916 Enemy airplane El Arish, Egypt 4 17 September 1916 Sopwith Baby HMS Ben-my-Chree East of Al Arish, Egypt Unconfirmed 17 September 1916 Sopwith Baby East of El Arish, Egypt Damaged; forced to land on sea 5 23 January 1917 Sopwith 1½ Strutter No. 45 Squadron, RFC Gheluvelt, Belgium 6 23 January 1917 p.m. Royal Aircraft Factory FE.8 No. 41 Squadron RFC Bixschoote, Belgium 7 26 January 1917 Sopwith 1½ Strutter No. 45 Squadron RFC Recham 8 7 February 1917 1325 hours Sopwith 1½ Strutter No. 45 Squadron RFC Linselles, France 9 11 March 1917 1430 hours Observation balloon 9th Kite Balloon Section North of Armentières, France 10 7 April 1917 1815 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d No. 20 Squadron RFC South of Ploegsteert, Belgium 11 8 April 1917 p.m. Nieuport 12 No. 46 Squadron RFC East of Ypres, Belgium 12 24 April 1917 0940 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d No. 20 Squadron RFC Ypres, Belgium 13 7 May 1917 1200 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d Menen, Belgium Downed on Jagdstaffel 18's home airfield 14 and 15 21 May 1917 Two observation balloons Bouvancourt, France French balloons 16 6 July 1917 SPAD S.VII No. 23 Squadron RFC Saint Julien 17 7 July 1917 1940 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d No. 20 Squadron RFC Hooge, Belgium 18 3 September 1917 0830 hours Sopwith Camel Tenbreilen 19 13 September 1917 0810 hours Sopwith Camel No. 10 Naval Squadron, RNAS Vicinity of Becelaere, France 10 Naval Squadron later became No. 210 Squadron RAF 20 23 September 1917 Nieuport 23 Warneton 21 26 September 1917 a.m. Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 No. 21 Squadron RFC Polygon Wood, Belgium 22 18 October 1917 1045 hours SPAD S.VII Escadrille SPA.73, Service Aéronautique East of Passchendaele, Belgium 23 24 October 1917 0950 hours SPAD No. 19 Squadron RFC Near Arras, France 24 24 October 1917 1005 hours SPAD No. 19 Squadron RFC Linselles, France 25 8 November 1917 0950 hours SPAD No. 19 Squadron RFC Houthem 26 23 November 1917 1630 hours Sopwith Camel No. 65 Squadron RFC West of Moorslede, Belgium 27 29 November 1917 1635 hours SPAD S.VII No. 19 Squadron RFC Passchendaele, Belgium 28 2 December 1917 1135 hours Bristol F.2 Fighter No. 20 Squadron RFC Becelaere, Belgium Ace Harry G. E. Luchford KIA;The Aerodrome webpage on Luchford Retrieved 17 March 2021. J. E. Johnston POW
This list is complete for entries, though obviously not for all details. Background data was abstracted from Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918, , p. 74; and The Aerodrome webpage on Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp . Added facts are individually cited. Abbreviations were expanded by the editor creating this list.
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