348:
skilled aerobaticist. Udet wrote of
Gontermann, "Before he opens fire, he defeats his enemy by outflying him. When he finally fires, he requires, at most, a dozen rounds to tear apart the other's machine." Gontermann was noted as nervous, stressed, and slept poorly. Such was the strain of combat that he was sent on a month's leave during May to recuperate. According to Udet, Gontermann once confronted a German NCO who was harassing a French girl; "Gontermann was yelling the wits out of him, calling him a swine and threatening him with a court martial."
30:
418:. He had not yet recovered fully from a bout of dysentery. Nevertheless, he was anxious to try his new airplane, despite misgivings about it. After a few minutes, he tried aerobatics at 700 meters altitude. He pulled out of the second loop and dived into a left turn. The upper wing collapsed and broke completely off. His airplane plunged into the ground.
407:
389:
August was as productive a month for
Gontermann. After shooting down a Nieuport on the 5th, he shot down two balloons each on both the 9th and the 17th. 19 August saw the peak of Gontermann's career. He shot down a Spad in the morning, while at 1923 hours, he took out an observation balloon south of
347:
Gontermann's personal reputation was that of an aloof man with only a few friends. Professionally, he was a student of enemy aircraft types, with a special knack for picking off his foes from point-blank range within their blind spots. He was considered the premier marksman of his unit, as well as a
393:
In
September, Gontermann shot down three more enemy aircraft. By 2 October 1917, Gontermann had become a celebrated ace with 39 victories. He was credited with defeating 21 enemy aircraft and 18 balloons, plus an unconfirmed balloon shot down. He would rank eighth among balloon busting aces of the
385:
had requested a transfer. Under Udet's leadership the Jasta had suffered three demoralizing losses. For the remainder of June, Gontermann again targeted observation balloons, shooting down one on both the 24th and the 27th. He also scored two triumphs in July, one of which was a balloon.
421:
Gontermann was pulled from the wreck alive, though with severe head injuries after slamming into the machine gun breeches. He was taken to the Jasta's medical bay, where he died from his injuries several hours later. Some sources say his death occurred the day after his accident.
905:
317:. He added a second one the following day. It was after this victory that he wrote home, "Today I shot down a two-seater.... He broke up into dust in the air.... It is a horrible job but one must do one's duty."
425:
Gontermann was only one of several German pilots killed testing the new Dr.I. As a result, Fokker was accused of shoddy construction and directed to change production methods for the manufacture of the plane.
895:
915:
885:
220:, on 25 February 1896, Heinrich Gontermann grew into a tall slender man, full of vitality. He abstained from smoking and was only a social drinker. He was a patriotic, religious introvert.
910:
234:
Gontermann had a reputation for being aloof, but during his time with the Uhlans he displayed leadership abilities. He was slightly wounded in
September 1914, and he was promoted to
900:
259:
328:, with all its extraordinary hazards, by downing an observation balloon. He shot down 4 others within the month, including a double victory on the 16th.
557:
890:
880:
263:
851:
832:
816:
790:
774:
223:
Gontermann's father, a cavalry officer, pushed him towards a career in the military. After leaving school, Heinrich enlisted into the 6th
808:
766:
442:
352:
176:
600:
313:
the day after being awarded the Iron Cross First Class. He scored regularly in March, becoming an ace on the 24th by downing a
759:
Above the Lines: The Aces and
Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918
533:
Above the Lines: The Aces and
Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918
448:
395:
364:
180:
801:
Over the Front: A Complete Record of the
Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918
94:
246:
Second Class. While he continued to lead his men through 1915 Gontermann applied for a transfer to the newly formed
356:
268:
Gontermann was finally accepted for pilot/observer training, and upon his graduation in early 1916 was posted to
390:
Aisne-Tal; three others were destroyed in as many minutes. The downing of the balloons brought his score to 35.
247:
561:
314:
331:
On 26 April 1917, Gontermann brought his victory total to 17 victories. Gontermann was also promoted to
303:
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73:
310:
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360:
847:
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804:
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435:
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171:
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332:
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309:
There was a lull in his scoring until 6 March 1917, when
Gontermann shot down an FE.2d of
298:. Three days later, while on his first combat sortie, he shot down his first aircraft: an
201:
160:
726:
368:
336:
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141:
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on 14 August 1914. Only days after arriving in his regiment, he was sent into action.
864:
754:
135:
57:
324:, 1917, Gontermann had 12 victories. On the 8th, he achieved his first success as a
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and a transfer to a fighter unit. He was accepted and on 11 November 1916 joined
415:
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243:
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184:
53:
374:
Gontermann was granted four weeks leave in May–June 1917 upon receipt of the
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On 6 May 1917, Gontermann was awarded the Knight's Cross with Swords of the
235:
378:. Upon Gontermann's return to the Jasta on 19 June, he found that acting
271:
239:
112:
250:, but in October 1915 he was transferred to the 80th Fusilier Regiment.
295:
284:
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four days later. He replaced Max
Reinhold, who was killed in action.
213:
49:
177:
Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of
Hohenzollern
405:
299:
238:. Early in the spring of 1915, he was given a field commission as
228:
224:
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Fokker Dr.I 115/17 in which Gontermann crashed on 30 October 1917
406:
906:
Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in France
558:"Broken Wings: The Tragical Death of Heinrich Gontermann"
283:
25 where he flew both as a pilot and as an observer on
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355:. He scored his 19th triumph, over five-victory ace
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36:
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916:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1917
886:Military personnel from the Province of Westphalia
196:(25 February 1896 – 30 October 1917) was a German
896:Recipients of the Pour le MĂ©rite (military class)
729:. Theaerodrome.com. Retrieved on 8 October 2015.
911:German military personnel killed in World War I
359:, on 10 May 1917. Heinrich Gontermann received
260:List of aerial victories of Heinrich Gontermann
8:
781:Franks, Norman; Van Wyngarden, Greg (2001).
660:
658:
290:Gontermann applied for aviation training at
901:Knights of the Military Order of Max Joseph
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551:
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467:
414:On 29 October Gontermann took off in a
264:Aerial victory standards of World War I
603:. www.pourlemerite.org. Archived from
200:credited with 39 victories during the
560:. www.jastaboelcke.de. Archived from
398:outscored him amongst German fliers.
279:. Later that spring he was posted to
275:as a reconnaissance pilot flying the
7:
757:; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell.
714:Albatros Aces of World War I, part 2
666:Albatros Aces of World War I, part 2
825:Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1
739:Balloon Busting Aces of World War I
627:Balloon Busting Aces of World War I
441:Knight's Cross with Swords of the
14:
799:Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.
443:Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
353:Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
28:
783:Fokker Dr I Aces of World War 1
587:Fokker Dr.1 Aces of World War I
891:German World War I flying aces
881:Military personnel from Siegen
727:Balloon-Busters of World War I
1:
844:Albatross Aces of World War 1
842:Van Wyngarden, Grey (2007).
449:Military Order of Max Joseph
365:Military Order of Max Joseph
242:and he was also awarded the
181:Military Order of Max Joseph
932:
457:of 1914, 1st and 2nd class
257:
122:6th Uhlan Cavalry Regiment
396:Friedrich Ritter von Röth
357:Didier Lecour Grandmaison
27:
187:(First and Second Class)
343:Gontermann as commander
248:German Army Air Service
694:. www.theaerodrome.com
692:"Orden Pour le Merite"
643:. www.theaerodrome.com
497:. www.theaerodrome.com
451:(Bavaria, 11 May 1917)
430:Awards and decorations
411:
371:followed on the 17th.
124:80th Fusilier Regiment
846:. Osprey Publishing.
827:. Osprey Publishing.
823:Guttman, Jon (2005).
803:. Grub Street, 1992.
785:. Osprey Publishing.
761:. Grub Street, 1993.
601:"Heinrich Gontermann"
495:"Heinrich Gontermann"
409:
127:Kampfstaffel Tergnier
101:Years of service
607:on 24 September 2015
227:Cavalry Regiment in
95:Imperial German Army
367:on the 11 May. The
315:Sopwith 1½ Strutter
311:No. 57 Squadron RFC
194:Heinrich Gontermann
22:Heinrich Gontermann
412:
131:Field-Abteilung 25
853:978-1-84603-179-3
834:978-1-84176-877-9
817:978-0-948817-54-0
792:978-1-84176-223-4
775:978-0-948817-73-1
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47:25 February 1896
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564:on 10 June 2011
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302:on patrol over
281:Field-Abteilung
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210:
202:First World War
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161:First World War
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67:30 October 1917
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755:Franks, Norman
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679:Over the Front
671:
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592:
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556:Graf, Gaston.
537:
508:
466:
465:
463:
460:
459:
458:
452:
446:
439:
436:Pour le MĂ©rite
431:
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369:Pour le Merite
344:
341:
337:Jagdstaffel 15
326:balloon buster
255:
254:Aerial service
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189:
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172:Pour le MĂ©rite
168:
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142:Jagdstaffel 15
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71:(aged 21)
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809:0-948817-54-2
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767:0-948817-73-9
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716:. p. 47.
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668:. p. 38.
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629:. p. 47.
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589:. p. 20.
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438:(17 May 1917)
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380:StaffelfĂĽhrer
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333:StaffelfĂĽhrer
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270:Kampfstaffel
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136:Jagdstaffel 5
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84:German Empire
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58:German Empire
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696:. Retrieved
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645:. Retrieved
635:
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621:
609:. Retrieved
605:the original
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566:. Retrieved
562:the original
532:
499:. Retrieved
445:(6 May 1917)
424:
420:
413:
402:Last mission
392:
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379:
373:
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335:of Prussian
330:
322:Bloody April
319:
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157:Battles/wars
140:
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69:(1917-10-30)
15:
876:1917 deaths
871:1896 births
416:Fokker Dr.I
292:Jastaschule
277:Roland C.II
216:, Southern
198:fighter ace
74:La Neuville
52:, Southern
865:Categories
749:References
641:"Jasta 15"
455:Iron Cross
394:war; only
383:Ernst Udet
258:See also:
244:Iron Cross
218:Westphalia
208:Early life
185:Iron Cross
81:Allegiance
54:Westphalia
43:1896-02-25
681:, p. 183.
535:, p. 116.
236:Feldwebel
104:1914–1917
698:7 August
647:6 August
611:7 August
568:7 August
376:Blue Max
285:AGO C.Is
272:Tergnier
240:leutnant
212:Born in
152:Jasta 15
149:Commands
113:Leutnant
89:Service/
76:, France
741:, p. 89
361:Bavaria
320:During
296:Jasta 5
850:
831:
815:
807:
789:
773:
765:
501:9 June
304:Morval
214:Siegen
167:Awards
91:branch
50:Siegen
462:Notes
300:FE.2b
229:Hanau
225:Uhlan
848:ISBN
829:ISBN
813:ISBN
805:ISBN
787:ISBN
771:ISBN
763:ISBN
700:2009
649:2009
613:2009
570:2009
503:2008
262:and
119:Unit
109:Rank
64:Died
37:Born
363:'s
867::
811:,
769:,
657:^
578:^
540:^
511:^
470:^
306:.
287:.
204:.
56:,
856:.
837:.
819:.
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45:)
41:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
