Josef Veltjens
Josef "Seppl" Veltjens (2 June 1894 – 6 October 1943) was a German World War I fighter ace credited with 35 victories. In later years, he served as an international arms dealer, as well as a personal emissary from Hermann Göring to Benito Mussolini. He was awarded Pour le Mérite, the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, and the Iron Cross. Early life Josef Veltjens was born in Geldern, Rhineland, Imperial Germany, the son of a factory manager. He attended the Humanistic High School in Berlin, then the Technical University in Charlottenburg, where he read mechanical engineering. His prime interest was internal combustion engines. He enlisted in the Kaiserin Augusta Guards Regiment Number 4 on 3 August 1914. Four days later, he and his regiment were at the front. When his column was attacked by the French, Veltjens and three others tried unsuccessfully to defend it. The vehicles were set on fire. As a straggler, Veltjens joined Infantry Regiment Number 8. Promotion to Vizefeldwebel (literally vice-sergeant) rapidly followed. After several requests, he was sent for aviation training. World War I service On 2 December 1915, at Johannisthal near Berlin, Veltjens first soloed in a plane. He took his pilot's examination on 15 December after three solo flights. Without waiting for his official pilot's ticket, he took advantage of the confusion of the holiday season to take himself to Tergnier. He was posted as a member of Flieger Abteilung 23 on 10 May 1916, to fly reconnaissance missions. Because of his success, he was commissioned as a Leutnant der Reserve (lieutenant in the reserves). He served there with another future ace, Rudolf Berthold. From there, he moved on to single-seat fighters with Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 14 when Berthold was given its command. Veltjens scored his first victory, over a SPAD, on 14 April 1917. He was flying an Albatros D.III at the time, with his own personal aircraft marking of a white barbed arrow pointed back from the scarlet nose down the length of the royal blue fuselage. By 1 June, he had downed three more SPADs and a Farman. Berthold mentored him through this, but was very demanding. Veltjens was then transferred to Royal Prussian Jasta 18 in August at commanding officer Berthold's request. This Jasta was then operating Albatros D.Vs and Fokker Dr.1s. Veltjens first scored for them on 16 September 1917; he scored his ninth victory on 15 November to close out 1917. He marked up his tenth kill on 18 February 1918. He was then reassigned to Jasta 15 the following month. This was an interesting swap, in which Berthold took his pilots with him when he transferred; Jasta 15s pilots in turn became Jasta 18. The exchange meant Berthold, Veltjens, and the rest of the new Jasta 15 were now part of the prestigious Jagdgeschwader II. Jasta 15 would soon be re-equipped with the Fokker D.VII. Veltjens rose to its command on 18 May, on the same day he scored his 13th victory. He was appointed to