Heinrich Gontermann

Infobox Military Person
name= Heinrich Gontermann


caption=
born=25 February 1896
died=30 October 1917
placeofbirth= Siegen, Southern Westphalia, Germany
placeofdeath=La Neuville, near Marle
nickname=
allegiance=Germany
branch=
serviceyears=1914-1917
rank=Leutnant
unit=FA 25, Jasta 5, 15, Kampfstaffel Tergnier
commands=
battles=
awards=Pour le Mérite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
relations=
laterwork=

"Heinrich Gontermann" (25 February 1896 - 30 October 1917) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 39 victories during the war. [ [http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/gontermann.php www.theaerodrome.com] . Accessed 9 June 2008.]

Born on in Siegen, Southern Westphalia, Heinrich Gontermann grew into a tall slender man, full of vitality. Gontermann's father, a cavalry officer, pushed him towards a career in the military. After leaving school, Heinrich was drafted into the 6th Uhlan Cavalry Regiment in Hanau in August 1914. Only days after arriving in his regiment, he was sent into action.

Gontermann had a reputation for being aloof, but during his time with the Uhlans, he displayed leadership abilities. He was wounded in September of that same year, although it wasn't serious, and he was promoted to Feldwebel. Early in the spring of 1915, he was given a field commission as Leutnant and he was also awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class. He continued to lead his men throughout 1915. Gontermann applied for a transfer to the newly formed German Army Air Service, but in October 1915 he was transferred to the 80th Fusilier Regiment.

Finally, he was accepted and sent for pilot/observer training. Upon his graduation in early 1916, he was posted to Kampfstaffel Tergnier as a recon pilot flying a Roland C.II. Later that spring, he was posted to FA 25 where he flew both as a pilot and as an observer on AGO C.Is.

Gontermann applied for Jastaschule and the transfer to a fighter unit. He was accepted and graduated on 11 November 1916, being attached to Jasta 5. Within three days, he'd shot down his first aircraft: an FE2b whilst on patrol over Morval.

There was a lull in his scoring until 6 March 1917, when he shot down another FE2B. He scored regularly in March, becoming an ace on the 24th by downing a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter. He added a second one the following day.

Bloody April 1917 was a terrible month for the battered Royal Flying Corps; it had fallen behind the Germans in aircraft technology, and its airmen paid in blood for the failure. Gontermann was one of the German pilots who exacted the price. He had eleven victories within the month. On the 8th, he achieved his first success in downing an observation balloon. He shot down four others within the month, including a double victory on the 16th.

By the end of April 1917, he'd brought his kill tally to 17 victories and had been made Staffelfuhrer of Jasta 15. The next month, he was reassigned to Jasta 15. In May, he was also awarded the Pour le Merite, the Knight's Cross with Swords of the Hohenzollern House Order, and the Bavarian Order of Max Joseph. His tally by month's end stood at 21 victories.

In June, Gontermann turned toward targeting observation balloons, shooting one down on both the 24th and the 27th. He also scored two triumphs in July, one of which was a balloon.

August was as incredible a month for Gontermann as April had been. After shooting down a Nieuport on the 5th, he shot down two balloons each on both the 9th and the 17th. Then came the 19th of August, which was the peak of Gontermann's career. He shot down a Spad in the morning. At 1923 hours, he took out an observation balloon south of Aisne-Tal; a minute later, a second one fell; a minute later, a third; a minute after that, a fourth. A single-handed victory over four balloons in three minutes was unprecedented. It was an obvious illustration of his gunnery tactics of pointblank fire; he was known to down a foe with just five shots. The downing of the balloons brought his score to 35.

In September, he shot down three more enemy aircraft. He was also noted to be nervous, stressed, and sleeping poorly. The strain of combat was working on him.

By 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 shoot-down.

On 30 October Gontermann took off in a Fokker Dr.I. He hadn't yet quite recovered from a siege of dysentery. Nevertheless, he was anxious to try his new airplane, despite misgivings about it. After a few minutes of flying, he tried aerobatics at 700 meters altitude. He pulled out of the second loop he flew, and dove into a left turn. The upper wing caved in and broke completely off. His airplane plunged into the ground.

Gontermann was pulled from the wreck, alive, though severely injured by his head slamming into his machine gun breeches. He was taken to the squadron's medical bay. He died there from his injuries several hours later. Some sources say his death occurred the day after his accident.

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 his production methods for the plane.

References/Outside links

* Alan C. Wood, Terry C. Treadwell. "German Knights of the Air 1914-1918" Brassey's (UK) Ltd, 1997.

* http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/gontermann.php Accessed 5 September 2008.

* http://www.jastaboelcke.de/aces/heinrich_gontermann/gontermann_story.htm Accessed 5 September 2008.