Oberst Paul Aue was a World War I flying ace from the Kingdom of Saxony in the German Empire. Partial records of his early aviation career credit him with 10 aerial victories. He would join the nascent Luftwaffe during the 1930s and serve Germany through World War II. He died in a Soviet prison camp in 1945.
Early life Paul Aue was born on 7 October 1891 in Söbringen, Kingdom of Saxony.The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/aue.php Retrieved 15 May 2011. He matured into a small man; some sources even call him "diminutive".VanWyngarden 2004, p. 19.Franks et al 2003, p. 14.
World War I In 1916, Aue served with Kampstaffel 30 of Kampgeschwader 5. Flying a two-seater reconnaissance plane, Aue and his observer managed to down a similar craft, a Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c, on 25 October 1916. Aue was then credited with two more victories before being transferred to Jasta 10 that same month.Franks et al. 2003, p. 13.
He scored his—and his new squadron's—first victory on 25 March 1917. He struck again on 7 June, wounding a British Spad VII pilot, and driving pilot and plane into captivity.Guttman 2001, pp. 47, 78. Aue was wounded in action on 19 September 1917 while piloting a Pfalz D.III. During a dogfight at 3,000 meters with two dozen British Royal Naval Air Service planes from Naval 10 Squadron above Roulers, FranceVanWyngarden 2004, p. 55. the German sergeant ace was hit by three English bullets, one of them an explosive round.VanWyngarden 2006, p. 21 Though he refused to leave his unit, his wounds kept him out of action until February 1918; he would not score another victory until 3 May 1918, when he shot down a Bristol F.2 Fighter, killing the pilot and wounding the gunner.Guttman and Dempsey 2007, p. 17. It would be his last victory while flying the Pfalz, as Jasta 10 was upgrading to Fokker D.VIIs.VanWyngarden, p. 27
On 16 June 1918, Aue attacked and destroyed an enemy observation balloon for his seventh confirmed win. He went on to shoot down three more enemy fighter planes, his last victory coming on 4 September 1918.
Between the wars Paul Aue joined the nascent Luftwaffe during the 1930s.
World War II On 1 November 1939, Oberst Paul Aue was appointed to command of Blindflugschule 1 of the Luftwaffe. Blindflugschule 1's ("Blind Flying School 1")'s airfield was shared with a formation of Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket planes. Aue would head the school until 16 April 1945, when the school disbanded.Axis History website Retrieved 15 May 2011.Ransom et al. 2010, p. 35 He was captured by the Soviet Army, and died in a prisoner of war camp.
List of aerial victories Details of Paul Aue's victories are incomplete. An attempt to collate these details and produce a complete victory list appears below.
Please include a source/citation for any additions.
See also Aerial victory standards of World War I
No.Date/timeAircraftFoeResultLocationNotes 1 25 October 1916 Reconnaissance two-seater Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c Confirmed 2 Enemy aircraft Confirmed 3 Enemy aircraft Confirmed 4 25 March 1917 Pfalz D.III Nieuport serial number 3418 Confirmed Champs, France Jasta 10's first victory — 23 May 1917 @ 2115 hours Pfalz D.III Sopwith Triplane Unconfirmed Carvin, France — 27 May 1917 @ 0810 hours Pfalz D.III Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5 Unconfirmed 5 7 June 1917 Pfalz D.III Spad VII serial number B1524 Confirmed Menen, Belgium British pilot and aircraft capturedGuttman 2001, p. 47. — 7 June 1917 Pfalz D.III Spad Unconfirmed Coucou 6 3 May 1918 @ 1215 hours Albatros D.V Bristol F.2 Fighter Confirmed Proyart, France Aue's first victory after serious wounding 7 16 June 1918 @ 0645 hours Fokker D.VII Observation balloon Confirmed Villers-Cotterêts, France 8 19 August 1918 @ 0900 hours Fokker D.VII Sopwith Camel Confirmed Southwest of Puisieux, France 9 29 August 1918 @ 0955 hours Fokker D.VII Sopwith Camel Confirmed Estrées, France 10 4 September 1918 @ 1130 hours Fokker D.VII Spad Confirmed Montfaucon, France Basic information for this table came from http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/aue.php. Aircraft used by Aue were identified using "Aircraft of the Aces" titles listed in Reference section of this article. Other citations in the table identify sources for additions/corrections. All sources retrieved 15 May 2011.
Honors Paul Aue is known to have earned the following honors:Franks et al 1994, p. 63.
Kingdom of Saxony: Silver Military Order of Saint Henry awarded on 24 April 1917 Kingdom of Saxony: Gold Military Order of Saint Henry awarded during July 1918 Iron Cross First Class Silver Friedrich August Medal
Paul Aue also may have been awarded two other decorations:
Saxon Honor Cross with Crown and Swords Saxon War Merit Cross
Endnotes
References Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell. Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Grub Street, 1993. , . Franks, Norman; VanWyngarden, Greg; Weal, John. Fokker D VII Aces of World War 1, Part 1: Volume 53 of Aircraft of the Aces: Volume 53 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing, 2003. , . Gutmann, Jon. Spad VII Aces of World War I: Volume 39 of Aircraft of the Aces Osprey Publishing, 2001. , . Gutmann, Jon, and Dempsey, Harry. Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War I: Volume 79 of Aircraft of the Aces: Volume 79 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing, 2007. , . Ransom, Steven; Cammann, Hans-Hermann; Laurier, Jim. Jagdgeschwader 400: Germany's Elite Rocket Fighters: Volume 37 of Aviation Elite Units. Osprey Publishing, 2010. , . VanWyngarden, Greg. Pfalz Scout Aces of World War 1: Volume 71 of Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing, 2006. , . — Richthofen's Circus: Jagdgeschwader, Issue 1: Volume 16 of Aviation Elite Units. Osprey Publishing, 2004. , .