Lieutenant Alois Rodlauer (1897-1975) was a Austro-HungarianWorld War Iflying ace credited with five aerial victories. Originally a valorous infantry officer in 1915, 1916 and 1917, he turned to aviation in mid-1917. After pilot training, he managed to score five aerial victories between March and October 1918, despite two spells in hospital. Rodlauer returned to civilian life postwar, but returned to serve in the Luftwaffe from 1939 to 1945. He died a natural death in 1975. In 1983, aviation historians pieced together Rodlauer's combat record and realized he was an ace.
Rodlauer applied for transfer to the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops in early 1917. He was accepted in July and was sent for training. He did not qualify as a pilot until 20 December 1917, being granted Austrian Pilot Certificate No. 934. On 17 March 1918, he was posted off to Flik 60J at Feltre in northern Italy, under command of OberleutnantFrank Linke-Crawford; the unit was equipped with a mix of Aviatik and Phönix D.I fighters. Rodlauer's aircraft were distinguished by a large white letter 'R' painted on a black band encircling the fuselage. Only ten days after his arrival, a crash hospitalized Rodlauer until May. Still, by June, Rodlauer had managed to share three confirmed victories with other pilots, though at the time he was not credited with them. He was awarded the Military Merit Cross with War Decorations and Swords for this feat.[3][2]
On 9 July 1918, Rodlauer transferred to Flik 9J; the unit not only had Aviatiks and Phönix D.Is, but also Albatros fighters. Flik 9J mostly flew defensive escort missions for two-seater reconnaissance planes, taking more casualties than they inflicted. Nevertheless, Rodlauer scored two more victories in October 1918. In late October, he was injured in a forced landing after being shot down. He was still in hospital when the war ended.[4][5]
Post World War I life
A postwar Orders Commission accepted a document from the Flik 9J commanding officer verifying Rodlauer's two October 1918 victories. He was awarded the Order of the Iron Crown with War Decorations and Swords.[6]
Rodlauer returned to Linz postwar and set up in an electrical business. In 1939, as World War II began, he returned to service in the Luftwaffe. He was serving in the rank of major as a liaison officer in Belgrade, Yugoslavia when American forces captured him in 1945.[4][6]
Alois Rodlauer died in Linz, Austria on 26 April 1975 of natural causes.[4][6]
In 1983, aviation historians piecing together Austro-Hungarian records discovered a quirk. Until early 1918, Austro-Hungarian authorities had awarded a victory to all pilots involved in shooting down an enemy aircraft. Then, for about six to eight months, the requirements were tightened, and the rule became one victory, one victor. During this period, Rodlauer assisted in shooting down three enemy airplanes that were credited solely to other pilots. However, the policy switched back in latter 1918; as a result, Rodlauer was belatedly given his three early victories and was posthumously recognized as an ace.[2]
Franks, Norman; Alegi, Gregory; Guest, Russell (2008), Above the War Fronts: A Complete Record of the British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian, and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914-1918, London: Grub Street, ISBN978-1898697565
O'Connor, Dr. Martin (1995), Air Aces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire 1914-1918, Flying Machines Press, ISBN978-0-9637110-1-4
Friedrich Hefty, also referred to as Frigyes Hefty, was a World War I Austro-Hungarian flying ace credited with five confirmed and five unconfirmed aerial victories. His early interest in aviation led him to drop out of school in 1913 and become a glider pilot. When World War I began, he served first as an aerial observer, then as a pilot. He scored his first aerial victory as an observer, on 7 October 1915. Once he became a pilot, he claimed nine other victories, four of which were verified. On 22 August 1918, he became one of the first combat pilots to bail out using a parachute. Hefty ended the war with ten awards of the Medal for Bravery.
Fregattenleutnant Friedrich Lang was a World War I flying ace. He emerged from obscurity to begin his military career in 1912 by training for sea duty. He was serving on SMS Balaton when World War I began. In March 1916, he transferred to aviation duty. He would score five confirmed aerial victories by war's end. He was one of only two flying aces of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, the other being Gottfried von Banfield. Postwar, Lang lapsed back into obscurity.
Oberleutnant Béla Macourek was a Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He entered the First World War as a mounted artillery officer. Two years campaigning brought him a Bronze Military Merit Medal. In mid-1916, he volunteered as an aerial observer. Over the next two years, he would progress to pilot, deputy commander, then commander while destroying five enemy airplanes. He was awarded the Silver Military Merit Medal and the Military Merit Cross.
OberleutnantKurt Nachod served during World War I in the Austro-Hungarian Air Force, in which he was credited with downing five enemy aircraft, ranking him 42nd in the list of Austro-Hungarian flying aces. Unusually, all of these victories were gained while acting as an observer.
OberleutnantKarl Patzelt (1893-1918) was an Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. Entering World War I as an officer in an infantry regiment, he distinguished himself during the first two years of the war. Decorated twice for valor, he was also honored by a rare early promotion in rank. A serious wound inflicted on 16 June 1916 hospitalized him. While recuperating, he transferred to aviation service. Trained and posted as a technical officer for Flik 29J in Romania, he volunteered to fly as an observer with Andreas Dombrowski. On their missions, Patzelt would benefit from Dombrowski's tuition as a pilot, while downing two enemy aircraft with the observer's gun. In October, Patzelt was transferred to the Italian Front to observe at the Battle of Caporetto. By mid-November 1917, he was flying with a fighter squadron, Flik 42J. He would score three more victories before being killed in action on 4 May 1918.
Karl Urban was an Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. Urban joined the Austro-Hungarian military as war broke out in 1914. He volunteered for pilot's school as soon as he finished recruit training. In mid-July 1915, Urban was posted to the Russian Front as an aerial reconnaissance and bombing pilot. Between 15 May and 2 August 1916, Urban and his various observers—including Otto Jäger—were credited with four victories. On 28 August 1916, Urban was severely wounded in action. After his recovery, he would progress to flying a Phönix D.I for his fifth victory on 19 May 1918. Transferred to test pilot duty, he was looping a new model Phönix D.I when it shed its wings at 1,500 meters altitude on 12 July 1918.
FeldwebelAndreas Dombrowski was an Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories scored on three different fronts. He was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian military in 1915. Dombrowski underwent pilot's training, gaining his license in June 1916. Posted to the Russian Front during the Brusilov Offensive to fly reconnaissance, he was credited with his first victory on 17 August 1916. In September, 1916 he was transferred to the Romanian Front. Still flying a reconnaissance aircraft, he fought four more successful engagements during 1917, becoming an ace. Transferred to the Italian Front in April 1918, he flew an Albatros D.III for his former observer, Karl Patzelt. On 4 May 1918, Dombrowski scored his sixth and final victory, then took a bullet to the face and crashlanded. Once healed, he went to a photographic reconnaissance unit for the rest of the war.
Hauptmann Johann Frint was a World War I flying ace and professional soldier credited with six aerial victories while flying as an aerial observer. Crippled as an infantry officer in November 1914, Frint volunteered for the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops. He would score his victories on the Italian Front, from the rear seat of two-seater reconnaissance aircraft for a variety of pilots, including a triple victory while being flown by his commanding officer, Heinrich Kostrba. Rewarded with the Order of the Iron Crown and Military Merit Medal, Frint became a mediocre pilot. He was entrusted with successive commands of a number of squadrons before dying in an airplane crash on 25 February 1918.
FeldwebelAlexander Kasza was an Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.
Hauptmann Karl Nikitsch was a professional soldier who served, in succession, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the First Austrian Republic. His First World War service in the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops was marked by his abilities in organizing, staffing, and commanding flying squadrons. He also became a flying ace credited with six aerial victories Postwar, he commanded the Austrian Flugpolizei.
Roman Oto Kažimir Schmidt or Roman Šmidt (1893-1959) was a World War I flying ace of the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops, credited with six aerial victories.
OberleutnantRudolf Weber was an Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. Weber was an experienced infantry officer when World War I began in 1914, and he went into action on the Russian Front. He transferred to aerial service in late 1915. During his 1916 service as an observer, he scored his first victory and suffered a disfiguring wound to his face. Once healed, he trained as a pilot and returned to action, but on the Italian Front. Between 11 August and 26 October 1917, he scored five more victories. In January 1918, he was posted to command Flik 102G, a night bombing squadron. In October 1918, as the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved in defeat, Weber led an exodus home from his unit. Along the way, a trigger-happy militiaman shot Weber to death.
Hauptmann Josef von Maier was an Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.
Hauptmann Heinrich (Jindřich) Kostrba was an Austro-Hungarian aviator, the first which to score three victories in a single day, on 18 February 1916, and three more on 29 June 1916. He went on to amass eight aerial victories and become a squadron leader and flying ace.
Károly Kaszala (1892–1932) Hungarian: Kaszala Károly, German: Karl Kaszala) was an Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories, thus winning his nation's highest honor, the Gold Medal for Bravery. Joining the military in 1914, he volunteered for aviation duty after recruit training. After pilot's training, he was posted to Fliegerkompanie 14, where he refused to fly his assigned aircraft. He was transferred for his insubordination; as he gained experience in his new unit, he and his observers managed to score three aerial victories from his reconnaissance two-seater. He was then upgraded to single-seat fighters, winning four more victories by the end of 1917. He was then posted to test pilot duties until war's end. In addition to the Gold Medal for Bravery, he had won three Silver Medals for Bravery and a German Iron Cross.
Kurt Gruber was an Austro-Hungarian flying ace during the First World War who held the rank of Offiziersstellvertreter. He was credited with eleven aerial victories, 5 shared with other pilots.
Oberleutnant Franz Rudorfer was an Austro-Hungarian World War I flying ace credited with eleven confirmed and two unconfirmed aerial victories.
Oberleutnant Ernst Strohschneider was an Austro-Hungarian flying ace during World War I. He was credited with 15 confirmed aerial victories during his rise to the simultaneous command of two fighter squadrons. He died in a flying accident on 21 March 1918.
Stabsfeldwebel Ferdinand Udvardy was a Hungarian conscript into the military of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who became a flying ace credited with nine aerial victories. Upon the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, Udvardy became a Hungarian citizen, and in the aftermath of World War I, defended his new nation against invasion.
Oberleutnant Georg Kenzian Edler von Kenzianshausen followed his father's profession of arms, and served the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I. He became a fighter ace, scoring eight aerial victories. After the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in the aftermath of World War I, he became a citizen of German Austria and defended his new nation against invasion.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Austro-Hungarian Empire 
Nazi Germany 
