Rajlich, Jirí Feldwebel Eugen Bönsch & Fliegerkompagnie Nr. 51

Jagd on the Italian Front 1917–1918

A portrait of the Austro-Hungarian fighter pilot Eugen Bönsch. This publication guides the reader through the life of the Czech-German pilot, a native of the Giant Mountains, proprietor of the renowned Lucní Bouda mountain hut, and a pioneer of gliding in the region. Naturally, particular attention is paid to his military flying careerespecially his service with the most successful Austro-Hungarian fighter squadron, Flik 51J, on the Italian Front. The impetus for this book was the discovery of Bönsch's diary, over a century old, from the war years of 1917/18. In it, he describes, almost day by day, his entry into aviation, his pilot training, and above all, his combat missions over the Isonzo and Piave rivers with Flik 51J. The surviving diary, covering the period from mid-February 1917 to early May 1918, is a unique and valuable record of Austro-Hungarian fighter aviation and the air war on the Italian front. It offers numerous new insights, enriches existing archival holdings, and lends them a more personal and dramatic dimension. Bönsch's eyewitness account of the fierce engagement with British RFC fighters on March 30, 1918, near Ghirano airfield, even significantly revises the long-established British interpretation of this episode. Following Bönsch's wartime narrative, the book includes short biographical sketches of several pilots associated with his military service. The text is supplemented by tables summarizing the activities of Flying Company 51J and Eugen Bönsch, as well as by numerous documents and maps. Model builders will appreciate the colored profile drawings of the Albatros D.III (Oef) (various versions), Fokker B.II, Hanriot HD.1 and Sopwith F.1 Camel.