100:
263:). After surviving a case of typhoid fever, he fought on both the Eastern and Western fronts. Impressed by his valorous performance, his superiors returned him to school to finish his education. He was subsequently commissioned in 1916 shortly after his 18th birthday He was wounded in combat in France on 3 April 1916 After his recovery, he transferred to the German Army Air Service, or
231:, he initially struggled to gain his first aerial victories. Something clicked after his fifth victory, and he began to regularly shoot down enemy airplanes, scoring 35 victories between 1 July and 22 October 1918. Most notably, he shot down four SPADs on 26 September. He survived the war, but died in action in 1920 while combating communist revolutionaries near
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in 1918, Büchner came into his own; he flew at least three different machines during his career, scoring three victories in June and becoming
Commanding Officer of the squadron on 15 June. It was after his fifth victory that he landed and announced to his colleagues that he had now learned how to win
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On 10 August, Büchner's career nearly ended. While attacking and shooting down a two seater in bad flying weather, his plane's fuel tank was hit. Drenched in gasoline, he landed in no man's land and tagged along with two retreating German machine gunners The incident does not seem to have slowed him
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down in flames with just 14 rounds. His wingman, Leutnant Werner
Niethammer, cited this combat as an illustration of Büchner's skill as a marksman; according to Niethammer's account, Büchner had no sooner spotted the American than he had set the enemy aircraft on fire. This would be the last of his
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In
September Büchner scored 17 victories. On 10 October, Büchner survived a mid-air collision with a squadronmate; both of them parachuted to safety. He brought his tally to 40 victories by 22 October 1918. Three days later, he was belatedly awarded the
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Above the Lines: The Aces and
Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918
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316:, one of Germany's most dedicated soldiers. However, it was several months before he scored again, on 15 October.
436:, Prussia's highest military honor, Büchner also received the highest military honor of his home state, Saxony's
405:. Its lion's head insignia was cut from its fuselage as a souvenir, but was later lost in the Second World War.
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just after his 18th birthday, in early 1916. After being wounded and invalided from the infantry, he joined the
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in
September 1914, aged 16, after his elder brother Max was killed in action. Franz Büchner served in the
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during a reconnaissance flight near his hometown of
Leipzig on 18 March 1920, three days after
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seven victories in July. It was at this juncture that Büchner's brother Felix joined
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A Fokker D.VII. Büchner's had a golden lion's head on its royal blue fuselage.
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This article is about the German fighter ace. For the German pathologist, see
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444:), on 7 October 1918. Büchner's other decorations include the Prussian
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By March 1919, Büchner's Fokker D.VII was in the hands of the
American
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211:(2 January 1898 – 18 March 1920) was one of the most successful German
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In the turbulent postwar period the 22-year-old Büchner flew against
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On 2 July, he shot down and killed "The Mad Major", Irish ace Major
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1st and 2nd Class, the Knight's Cross with Swords of
Prussia's
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revolutionaries but was shot down and killed by members of the
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on 25 October 1918, one of the last awards before the Kaiser's
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Kgl. Sächsisches 7. Infanterie-Regiment König Georg Nr. 106
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down. It was the second of his eight victories in August.
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851:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
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456:, and the Knight's Cross with Swords of Saxony's
324:in aerial combat. It was a prescient statement.
856:Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
257:106th (7th Royal Saxon) Infantry "King George"
452:, the Knight's Cross with Swords of Saxony's
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846:Military personnel of the Kingdom of Saxony
768:Franks, Norman; VanWyngarden, Greg (2003).
749:; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell (1993).
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789:Jagdgeschwader Nr II: Geschwader Berthold
366:On 29 July 1918 Büchner shot an American
288:List of aerial victories of Franz Büchner
729:Buechner's page in World War I history.
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292:Aerial victory standards of World War I
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706:"Royal House Order of Hohenzollern"
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627:Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993)
519:Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993)
450:Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
177:Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
826:20th-century Freikorps personnel
791:. Oxford UK: Osprey Publishing.
772:. Oxford UK: Osprey Publishing.
770:Fokker D VII Aces of World War I
588:Franks & VanWyngarden (2003)
564:Franks & VanWyngarden (2003)
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841:Military personnel from Leipzig
296:In March 1917 Büchner became a
831:German World War I flying aces
199:brother Max KIA; brother Felix
1:
664:"Military Order of St. Henry"
319:With the introduction of the
787:VanWyngarden, Greg (2005).
442:Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden
438:Military Order of St. Henry
312:, he found his niche under
225:Imperial German Air Service
186:Military Order of St. Henry
32:Franz Büchner (pathologist)
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836:Luftstreitkräfte personnel
753:. London UK: Grub Street.
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282:Service as a fighter pilot
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267:, and was assigned as an
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734:World War I parachutists
300:, joining the Prussian
137:106th Infantry Regiment
687:. www.theaerodrome.com
666:. www.theaerodrome.com
546:. www.theaerodrome.com
490:. www.theaerodrome.com
428:Decorations and awards
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221:battlefield commission
708:. www.theaerdrome.com
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115:Years of service
353:No. 209 Squadron RAF
339:in a solo attack on
276:Fliegerabteilung 270
243:Büchner was born in
140:Fliegerabteilung 270
651:VanWyngarden (2005)
641:, pp. 112–114.
639:VanWyngarden (2005)
612:VanWyngarden (2005)
600:VanWyngarden (2005)
576:VanWyngarden (2005)
531:VanWyngarden (2005)
403:138th Aero Squadron
335:, who was flying a
333:No. 87 Squadron RAF
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183:1st and 2nd Class
798:978-1-84176-727-7
779:978-1-84176-533-4
760:978-0-948817-73-1
629:, pp. 86–87.
590:, pp. 57–59.
249:Kingdom of Saxony
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689:. Retrieved
685:"Iron Cross"
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668:. Retrieved
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432:Besides the
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347:killed in a
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321:Fokker D.VII
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239:Early career
229:Fokker D.VII
213:fighter aces
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190:Albert Order
159:Battles/wars
79:Near Leipzig
75:(1920-03-18)
821:1920 deaths
816:1898 births
454:Merit Order
269:observation
163:World War I
810:Categories
740:References
712:2009-07-25
691:2009-07-25
670:2009-07-25
550:2009-07-25
544:"Jasta 13"
494:2009-07-25
446:Iron Cross
391:abdication
286:See also:
181:Iron Cross
105:Saxon Army
84:Allegiance
464:Citations
410:communist
196:Relations
118:1914–1920
65:, Germany
61:Leipzig,
149:Commands
127:Leutnant
92:Service/
422:Harburg
247:in the
245:Leipzig
233:Leipzig
215:of the
87:Germany
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169:Awards
94:branch
274:with
272:pilot
793:ISBN
774:ISBN
755:ISBN
290:and
253:army
133:Unit
123:Rank
70:Died
56:Born
351:of
209:PlM
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