Wolfgang Güttler

Last updated
Wolfgang Güttler
Born(1893-02-22)22 February 1893
Reichenstein
Died 20 February 1918(1918-02-20) (aged 24)
Reneuil Ferme
Allegiance German Empire
Service/branch Aviation
Rank Leutnant
Unit FA 72, FAA 285, Jagdstaffel 24 , Jagdstaffel 13
Commands heldJagdstaffel 13
Awards Iron Cross (both classes)

Leutnant Wolfgang Güttler was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. He would score the first four while flying with Jagdstaffel 24 , and the last four while flying as commander of Jagdstaffel 13 . He was killed in a midair collision over his home airfield on 20 February 1918. [1]

Flying ace Distinction given to fighter pilots

A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.

Royal Saxon Jagdstaffel 24 was a "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score 89 verified aerial victories.

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 13 was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score 108 aerial victories during the war, at the expense of twelve killed in action, one killed in a flying accident, two wounded in action, and two taken prisoner of war.

Wolfgang Güttler was born in Reichenstein on 22 February 1893. At the start of World War I, he served with the Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 11 (11th Jaeger Bataillon), and won a Second Class Iron Cross. He then transferred to the Die Fliegertruppen (Imperial German Air Service). [2]

Iron Cross military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1870–1918) and Nazi Germany

The Iron Cross is a former military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). It was established by King Frederick William III of Prussia in March 1813 backdated to the birthday of his late wife Queen Louise on 10 March 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars. Louise was the first person to receive this decoration (posthumously). The recommissioned Iron Cross was also awarded during the Franco-Prussian War, World War I, and World War II . The Iron Cross was normally a military decoration only, though there were instances of it being awarded to civilians for performing military functions. Two examples of this were civilian test pilots Hanna Reitsch who was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and 1st Class and Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg, who was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class, for their actions as pilots during World War II.

<i>Luftstreitkräfte</i> Air warfare branch of the German Empire

The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte —known before October 1916 as the Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches or simply Die Fliegertruppe—was the World War I (1914–18) air arm of the German Army, of which it remained an integral part. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, although that is not a literal translation of either name. German naval aviators serving with the Marine-Fliegerabteilung remained an integral part of the Imperial German Navy. Both military branches, the army and navy, operated conventional aircraft, observation balloons and Zeppelins.

After training as a pilot, Güttler was posted to Feldfliegerabteilung (Field Flier Detachment) 72 on the Eastern Front in 1916. He later served with Feldflieger Abteilung (Field Flier Detachment) 285. During this time, he was awarded the First Class Iron Cross in November 1916. [2]

Eastern Front (World War I) part of World War I

The Eastern Front or Eastern Theater of World War I was a theatre of operations that encompassed at its greatest extent the entire frontier between the Russian Empire and Romania on one side and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and the German Empire on the other. It stretched from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south, involved most of Eastern Europe and stretched deep into Central Europe as well. The term contrasts with "Western Front", which was being fought in Belgium and France.

He then underwent single-seater fighter training at Fliegerersatz-Abteilung (Replacement Detachment) 11. He was then posted to a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 24 , on 10 March 1917. He scored his first aerial victory on 2 May 1917, when he shot down a Nieuport 17 south of Bienes. By 9 August, he had shot down a Spad VII and two Sopwith Triplanes of 10 Naval Squadron RNAS. [2]

Nieuport 17 fighter aircraft

The Nieuport 17 C.1 was a French sesquiplane fighter designed and manufactured by the Nieuport company during World War I. An improvement over the Nieuport 11, it was a little larger than its predecessors, and better adapted to the more powerful engine than the interim Nieuport 16. Aside from early examples, it would incorporate the newly-developed Alkan-Hamy synchronization gear, permitting the use of a fuselage-mounted synchronised Vickers gun firing through the propeller disc.

Sopwith Triplane airplane

The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. It was the first military triplane to see operational service. The Triplane joined Royal Naval Air Service squadrons in early 1917 and was immediately successful. It was nevertheless built in comparatively small numbers and was withdrawn from active service as Sopwith Camels arrived in the latter half of 1917. Surviving Triplanes continued to serve as operational trainers until the end of the war.

No. 210 Squadron RAF

No. 210 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit established in World War I. Disbanded and reformed a number of times in the ensuing years, it operated as a fighter squadron during World War I and as a maritime patrol squadron during the Spanish Civil War, World War II and the Cold War before it was last deactivated in 1971.

On 29 September 1917, he was posted to Jagdstaffel 13 to command it as its Staffelführer (C.O.). He scored his fifth victory on 20 October 1917; on 19 February he scored his eighth. The following day, Wolfgang Güttler was engaged in aerial combat over Jasta 13's home aerodrome at Reneuil Ferme when he collided with another German pilot and was killed in action. [2] [3]

Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own combatants at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to hostile attack. KIAs do not come from incidents such as accidental vehicle crashes and other "non-hostile" events or terrorism. KIA can be applied both to front-line combat troops and to naval, air and support troops. Someone who is killed in action during a particular event is denoted with a † (dagger) beside their name to signify their death in that event or events.

Endnotes

  1. ↑ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/guttler.php
  2. 1 2 3 4 Franks et al 1990, p. 121.
  3. ↑ Franks et al 1990, p. 35.

Related Research Articles

Otto Kissenberth German flying ace

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.

Lieutenant August Hanko was a German World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.

Lieutenant Karl Deilmann was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.

Oberleutnant Erich 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.

Kurt Küppers German flying ace

Leutnant Kurt Küppers was a 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.

Hauptmann Otto Hartmann was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.

OffizierstellvertreterWilhelm Kühne was a World War I flying ace credited with seven confirmed aerial victories and five unconfirmed ones.

VizefeldwebelGustav Schneidewind was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.

Generalleutnant Franz Walz 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 upon 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.

Leutnant Kurt Adolf Monnington (1891–1939) was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.

Vizefeldwebel Fritz John Jacobsen was a World War I flying ace credited with eight confirmed and two unconfirmed aerial victories.

OffizierstellvertreterWilhelm Hippert IC was a World War I flying ace credited with eight confirmed aerial victories.

Leutnant Hans Gottfried von Häbler was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.

Leutnant Walter Böning was a 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.

Vizefeldwebel Karl Bohnenkamp was a World War I flying ace credited with 15 aerial victories. He scored his first victory on 21 September 1917 and continued through 28 October 1918. His 15 victories made him the leading ace in his squadron. He was awarded the Military Merit Cross on the latter date.

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 38, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 38, was a "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score 17 aerial victories during the war. The squadron's victories came at the expense of four losses, including one killed in action, one injured in a flying accident, and one wounded in action.

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 48, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 48, was a "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The squadron would score six aerial victories by the end of August 1918; records past that date are missing. The unit's victories came at the expense of five pilots killed in action, two killed in flying accidents, one wounded in action, and one taken prisoner of war.

References

Norman Leslie Robert Franks is an English militaria writer who specialises in aviation topics. He focuses on the pilots and squadrons of World Wars I and II.

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.


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.