Julius Arigi

Julius Arigi (3 October 1895 – 1 August 1981) was a flying ace of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I with a total of 32 credited victories. He was Austro-Hungary's most highly decorated ace. His victory total was second only to Godwin Brumowski. Arigi was considered a superb natural pilot.

Arigi was born in Děčín, Bohemia, to a Sudeten German family. He volunteered in October 1913 for Artillery Regiment No. 1 of the Austro-Hungarian Army and was transferred in March 1914 to the airship detachment. He trained as a pilot, passing final tests on 23 November 1914, to become "Zügsfuhrer" (sergeant). Initially during World War I, Arigi was assigned to Fliegerkompanie 6, based in southern Dalmatia, flying Lloyd Type LS 2 and Lohner biplane aircraft in operations against Serbian and Montenegrin forces. In October 1915, Arigi became a prisoner of war when he was forced down due to engine failure during a reconnaissance flight behind enemy lines in Montegro. He escaped captivity on his sixth try, however, and rejoined his unit which later moved to Albania.

While flying on the Albanian front, Arigi sank an Italian steamboat in the port of Valona (now Vlore).

On 22 August 1916, Stabsfeldwebel (Staff Sergeant) Arigi ignored standing orders that an officer had to be aboard to command his plane. He took Feldwebel (Sergeant Major ) Johann Lasi along to engage six Italian Farman aircraft over the Skumbi estuary in a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I aircraft. They shot five of the Farmans down, and Arigi became an ace in this one sortie.

Towards the end of 1916, he was transferred to the Isonzo front in Italy. There he mostly flew escort missions in a Hansa-Brandenburg D1 single seat fighter. By May, 1917, his victory total was up to 12.

He was unhappy with the tail assembly of this aircraft because he felt it lacked directional stability. He redesigned the tail assembly. His redesign was later copied from his plane and became standard on the D1.

He then spent a short time in Fliegerkompanie 41J, but clashed with its commanding officer, Hauptmann Godwin Brumowski. In August, he was transferred to newly formed Fliegerkompanie 55J at Haidenschaft. He would score 13 victories while with Flik 55J,running his total to 25. Ten of those victories were scored as he cooperated with two other two Austro-Hungarian aces, Hauptmann (Captain) Josef von Maier and Leutenant (Second Lieutenant) Josef Kiss.

In April, 1918, he was transferred back to Flik 6 on the Albanian front. In his short stay there, he scored 3 more kills while flying an Avatik D1.

In summer, 1918, he was again transferred, to Flik 1J at Igalo in Dalmatia. There he was equipped with two new Avatik D1 fighters, which he used to score his final 4 victories.

His combat career extended over four years; his last victory was scored on 23 August 1918. He spent the tag end of the war as a factory test pilot.

After the war, he cofounded Ikarus, one of Czechoslovakia's pioneer civil aviation companies.

He became a Luftwaffe fighter instructor beginning in 1938. Two of his students became some of the most successful aces of World War II--Walter Nowotny (258 victories) and Hans-Joachim Marseille (158 victories). Their ability to repeatedly shoot down multiple enemies on the same sortie can be traced to Arigi's teaching them to close to minimum range before firing.

Arigi died in his sleep of natural causes in Attersee, Austria.

A list of his victories may be found at reference 7).

References

1) Franks, N., Guest, R. & Alegi, G. "Above the War Fronts, Vol. IV". Grub Street, London. ISBN 1-898-69756-6

2) http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/arigi.htm

3) http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?autocom=downloads&showfile=5988

4) Austro Hungarian Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 46)

5) Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War I

6) Air Aces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1914-1918

7) http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/austrhun/arigi.php