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Hauptmann Wilhelm "Willi" Reinhard was a German pilot during World War I. Reinhard became a flying ace during the war, credited with 20 confirmed aerial victories. After commanding two successive fighter squadrons, he was picked to replace Manfred von Richthofen as commander of Jagdgeschwader 1 when the Red Baron fell in combat. Reinhard died on 3 July 1918 while testing a prototype fighter.
Otto Kissenberth was a German flying ace of World War I credited with 20 aerial victories. He was a prewar mechanical engineer who joined the German air service in 1914. After being trained and after serving as a reconnaissance pilot, he became one of the first German fighter pilots, flying with Kampfeinsitzerkommando KEK Einsisheim. He scored six victories with this unit as it morphed into a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 16. His success brought him command of Jagdstaffel 23 on 4 August 1917. He would run his victory tally to 20, downing his final victim using a captured British Sopwith Camel on 20 May 1918. Nine days later, a crash while flying the Camel ended Kissenberth's combat career. His injuries were severe enough he was not returned to combat, instead being assigned to command Schleissheim's flying school. Although Otto Kissenberth survived the war, he died soon after in a mountaineering accident on 2 August 1919.
Hans Kirschstein, winner of the Pour le Merite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, and the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class, was a German lieutenant and World War I flying ace credited with 27 aerial victories.
Leutnant Hermann Becker, was a World War I German flying ace credited with 23 victories.
StandartenführerLudwig Gaim was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He ended the war as a Vizefeldwebel.
VizefeldwebelHermann Juhnke was a German World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.
LeutnantKurt Seit was a German World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.
Leutnant Karl Deilmann was a German World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.
OberleutnantErich Hahn was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.
Vizefeldwebel Max Kahlow was a German World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.
Major Hermann Gilly was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He came to aviation service after two years infantry combat service, which saw him promoted to Leutnant in March 1916 while in Russia. He would not begin his flying career until November 1916. He served as an artillery cooperation pilot in Italy from November 1917 to March 1918. He was reassigned to a fighter unit, Jagdstaffel 40, effective 14 April 1918. Gilly scored seven aerial victories from 24 May 1918 through war's end. He was discharged on 22 January 1919.
VizefeldwebelGustav Schneidewind was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.
Generalleutnant Franz Walz (1885-1945) began his military career in the infantry in 1905. In 1912, he switched to aviation. He attained the rank of Hauptmann (Captain) while becoming a flying ace during World War I. He flew more than 500 combat sorties in Palestine and on the Western Front. He scored seven confirmed aerial victories in the latter theater. His later career led him to join the Luftwaffe during World War II. Toward the end of the war, he was captured by the Russians and died in one of their prison camps in December 1945.
Oberleutnant Hans Schilling was an early World War I German observer flying ace. He scored his eight confirmed aerial victories teamed with Albert Dossenbach. The pair of them were shot down on 3 November 1916. Dossenbach was wounded; Schilling was burnt. As a result, Schilling was teamed with another pilot, and killed in action on 4 December 1916 by Charles Nungesser.
LeutnantWalter Böning was a German World War I flying ace from the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg credited with 17 aerial victories. He began his World War I military service as an infantryman. He distinguished himself by winning both the Gold Medal for Bravery and the Second Class Iron Cross. He then transferred to aviation duty, training originally as a reconnaissance pilot before advancing to become a fighter pilot. Between 6 April 1917 and 30 May 1918, he was credited with 17 aerial victories. On 31 May 1918, he survived a midair collision while being attacked by British fighters. Although he coaxed his damaged machine home, the serious leg wound he had suffered sidelined him through war's end.
Leutnant Ernst Hess HOH IC was a World War I flying ace credited with 17 confirmed and four unconfirmed aerial victories. Hess was one of a few World War I pilots involved in aviation prewar, as he gained his civil pilot's license on 26 September 1913. He was already enrolled in Die Fliegertruppen of the Imperial German Army when World War I began. He qualified for his military pilot's license on 21 November 1914, and was launched on his flying career as one of Germany's first fighter pilots. He would score his first aerial victory in tandem with Oswald Boelcke on 5 January 1916. He would rotate through four assignments before scoring a dozen victories within July–September 1917 while flying an Albatros D.Va for Jagdstaffel 28. On 19 September 1917, he was promoted to command of Jagdstaffel 19. He had just been appointed to command of a Jagdgruppe being formed by Germany's First Army when he was killed in combat on 23 December 1917.
LeutnantRudolf Klimke IC was a German World War flying ace credited with 17 confirmed and two unconfirmed aerial victories. Serving initially as a bomber pilot, his aggressiveness in bombing England, and in shooting down a couple of enemy airplanes got him reassigned to a fighter squadron. After a string of a dozen victories during 1918, he was wounded in action on 21 September 1918.
LeutnantKarl Odebrett was a German World War I flying ace credited with 16 aerial victories.
Leutnant Walter Höhndorf (1892-1917) was a pioneer aviator, test pilot, airplane designer and constructor, and fighter ace during World War I. He was credited with twelve aerial victories while flying for the Imperial German Air Service. Only one of his victories was achieved with a fighter squadron; the rest were scored while he flew for artillery direction and reconnaissance units.
Oskar Hennrich was a German World War I flying ace credited with 20 aerial victories. He was a notable balloon buster, as thirteen of his wins were destructions of observation balloons. He was the leading ace of his squadron, and ended his service with the rank of Vizefeldwebel.
References
- Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918 Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
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