BLACK DEVIL

Josef Carl Peter Jacobs (15 May 1894 – 29 July 1978) , was a German flying ace with 48 victories during the First World War. The victory total of the prewar flier tied him with Werner Voss for fourth place among the war's German aces. His skill in aerial warfare brought him squadron and wing-level commands. By war's end, he was the leading ace flying the Fokker Triplane. He was also the longer user of this type of plane ( flying it almost to the end of war ) . With Dr 1 he achieved about 30 victories, what makes him best Fokker Dr 1 ace. Red Baron achieved with DR 1 - 19 victories, Werner Voss - 10.
His most famous plane was Black Fokker Dr I with devil head emblem. Jacobs said that it was "fire-spitting witch" or "the god of north wind" but most people were calling this emblem just devil's head. It was an ironic choice of emblem as Jacobs was devoutly religious young man who attended church frequently and who never flew without a small leather pouch containing several holy medals.
Jacobs survived the war, later he was fighting Bolshevik forces in the Baltic area in 1919. Later he became a flying instructor in the Turkish Army, before completely withdrawing from military activity. In addition to aviation, Jacobs was a keen participant in bob sleighing and car and speedboat racing. He won the first AVUS (the forerunner of Formula 1) race in Berlin. After Hitler came into power, Jacobs became a Major in the Luftwaffe Reserves, but declined to join the Nazi Party. Then, after refusing to let Göring become a major shareholder in his company, Jacobs moved his company to the Netherlands, and for a time after the German invasion went into hiding. Jacobs moved to Bavaria after World War II. He owned a construction crane operation, became president of The German Bobsleigh Society, and aided aviation historians of World War I. He died in Munich on 29 July 1978.