High-quality postcard photos of aviators had begun to appear before World War I. After hostilities began in 1914, however, a small industry of postcard providers saw profits to be made by offering the likenesses of flyers and other national heroes. Thus, Göring’s Albatros served as the setting for his first exposure to national fame. After his fifth victory, a view of him – which he captioned ‘I in my fighter-machine, Albatros D.III 2049’²⁹ – appeared in June³⁰ as Postcard No. 535 in the series of views offered by Berlin-based Postkartenvertrieb [postcard sales by] W. Sanke. That company specialised in airmen’s likenesses and distributed their images nationwide. The cards were widely collected by Germans young and old to show support for their country’s aviation heroes.

Now Göring could consider himself to be a success. Loerzer outranked him, but he had shot down more enemy aeroplanes at the time – eight to Loerzer’s five – and his picture had appeared on a postcard. Just like Manfred von Richthofen and the major aces and Pour le Mérite recipients.

It was small glory, perhaps, but it was important to Göring.