After being invalided from infantry duty after his fourth wound, Bernert joined the aviation branch.

[6] He transferred to Kampfeinsitzerkommando Metz, a temporary grouping of pilots mostly from Feldflieger Abteilung 71, for his initial assignment to a fighter unit.

[3] The ad hoc Kampfeinsitzerkommando Vaux was equipped with Halberstadt D.II planes and reorganized into a full-fledged permanent Prussian fighter squadron.

[1] This squadron, named in honor of Oswald Boelcke,[12] the founder of fighter aviation tactics and strategy, was considered the premier unit of the German Air Service.

[13] Bernert scored his first victory in this unit on 19 March; on 1 April, he achieved the status of double ace with his tenth win.

The three bombers were flying without aerial observers manning their rear guns; their gunners had been left home so more bombs could be loaded.

Then, with fuel and ammunition remaining, Bernert found an Airco DH.4 and shot it down at 0850 hours, killing the observer and wounding the pilot.

It had only happened once before, when the bomber crew of Austro-Hungarian aces Julius Arigi and Johann Lasi shot down five Italian assailants on 22 October 1916.

[1][note 2] In mid-May, Bernert crashlanded behind German lines after his engine quit in mid-combat.

A few days later, he landed long, ran out of airfield, and crashed next to his home aerodrome, breaking his jaw and bruising himself severely.

The previous commanding officer had scored no victories to inspire his pilots; as it turned out, because of his injuries, Bernert could do no better.

He also welcomed several pilots from Austro-Hungary during his tenure, including Raoul Stojsavljevic, and thus influenced the fighter tactics of Germany's allies.