Max Müller (pilot)

__NOTOC__ Infobox Military Person
name= Max Ritter von Müller


caption=
born=01 January 1887
died=09 January 1918
placeofbirth=Rottenburg an der Laaber, Bavaria
placeofdeath=Near Moorslede
nickname=
allegiance=Germany
branch=
serviceyears=
rank=Leutnant
unit=FA 1b, FA 32, Jasta 2, Jasta 28, KEK B
commands=
battles=
awards=Orden Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross, Military Order of Max Joseph
relations=
laterwork=

Max Ritter von Müller (1 January 1887 - 9 January 1918) Orden Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross, Military Order of Max Joseph was a German World War I fighter ace credited with 36 victories.

Early Life

Max Mueller was one of eight children born in Rottenburg an de Laar, Bavaria, Germany, to Max Mueller and his wife Margarethe Wiesmuller. The senior Max Mueller was a merchant.

The younger Max Mueller completed primary school and was apprenticed to a locksmith. When he finished his apprenticeship, he became a journeyman locksmith. He moved several times to pursue his trade. For recreation, he was a gymnast.

Military Service

He joined the army on 18 October 1907. He originally was in 6 Kompanie of 1 Koniglich Bayrisches Infanterieregiment (Company 6 of the First Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment). In 1911 he transferred to the motorized company of the regiment as a driver. Inevitably, it was soon discovered that he had a natural mechanical aptitude. He soon came to the notice of his superiors, and he was then assigned to chauffeur the Bavarian War Minister about. He used this opportunity to repeatedly opportune the Minister for transfer to the "Luftstreitkräfte". In the meantime, he had been promoted to sergeant on 18 April 1913.

He was posted to the army flying school at Schliessheim on 1 December in 1913, and after four months of training he became a fully qualified pilot on 20 April 1914. He thus had time to fly some peacetime missions before World War I began.

World War I

When the war broke out, Mueller was flying with FA 1b as a recon pilot and carried out several missions there. On 18 August 1914, however, he crashed. One account says he was just taking off when his engine failed; another blames the crash on enemy fire. Whatever the cause of the crash, it broke both of Mueller's legs. However, he overcame his injuries to pull his unconscious observer from the wreckage.

During his period of recovery from the accident, he was informed that he'd been promoted to the rank of Offiziersstellvertreter. When healed, he returned to flying.

On 31 March 1915, he barely survived a hard dogfight against two enemy airplanes. Somehow, despite badly damaged elevators and a dozen other bullets in his plane, he brought it home.

On 9 November 1915, he was promoted to Offizierstellvertreter.In December 1915, Mueller flew a dangerous and daring mission behind enemy lines, photographing enemy positions. Upon his return, he was the first officer to be awarded the Bavarian Bravery Medal in Silver.

As a recon pilot, Mueller had flown a total of over 160 missions (one source says over 200), and had also earned the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Iron Cross 2nd Class.

Mueller would also go on to serve with FA 32 and KEK B, which were also two-seater squadrons.

The German found himself being moved to fighter squadron Jasta 2 on 1 September 1916. On 10 October of that same year, he scored his first victory: a DH.2 of No. 21 Squadron, RFC. On 27 October, he became an ace.

There was a break in his victory list until 7 April 1917. On that date, having been reassigned to Jasta 28, he shot down an F.E.2d. On the 30th, he shot down another ace, Captain William Wright.

Mueller's tally quickly rose throughout 1917. He scored six times in May. He was also promoted to leutnant (lieutenant) He scored five more times in June of 1917. He was quickly rising among the recognized German flying aces, and his skill clearly formed the backbone of his Jasta. His native Bavaria recognized him with the Bavarian Golden Medal for Bravery. He also was awarded the Wurttembergian Order of Military Merit and the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern.

An example of his developing skills was the next in his series of triumphs. On 28 July, he shot up a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter containing aces Captain Matthew Brown Frew and Lieutenant George Al Brooke. Although Frew managed get the Sopwith back to its home aerodrome, it was an unsalvagable wreck, and credited as Muller's 19th win.

Exactly a year after Mueller had joined Jasta 2, he had gotten an impressive score of 27 victories and had already earned the Pour le Merite. The Blue Max, as it was nicknamed, was awarded on 3 September 1917. Several other distinguished medals had been awarded to him; he was the highest decorated ace in the entire German air service, second only to Manfred von Richthofen.

August 1917 was Mueller's highest scoring month, with seven victories, and he added another in September, and two in October. After a transfer back to Jasta 2, he shot down victim number 30 on 6 November. For the second win in November, on 11 November 1917, Mueller shot down yet another ace, Captain Arthur Claydon, RFC. It was his 31st triumph. Mueller also shot down an unidentified aircraft down on the 29th.

Mueller shot down four aircraft in December of 1917 to close out his year. The last of these, on 16 December 1917, was his fifth triumph over a fellow ace. This time it was Lieutenant Kenneth Seth-Smith.

At the beginning of 1918, much had changed for Mueller's squadron. Jasta 2's leader, Walter von Buelow, had been killed on 06 January, and with a score of 36 victories, Mueller seemed the next best choice. So it was that he became the commander of the squadron.

Killed in Action

Unfortunately, Leutnant Mueller didn't have time to enjoy his new command. Just three days later on 9 January 1918, whilst on a patrol over Moorslede, Mueller's flight came across an RE.8 of No. 21 Squadron and two SE5a fighters of No 60 Squadron, flown by Captain Frank O. Soden and Captain R. L. Childlaw-Roberts. Mueller quickly engaged the fighters, and after a lengthy battle, he was taken down. Bullets had struck his fuel tank, and his Albatros D.Va had begun to go into a spiral several thousand feet up. With fire quickly burning through the interior panel of the cockpit, Mueller, who wasn't wearing a parachute, decided he'd take the painless way out. Rather than burn, he jumped to his death.

His body was recovered and buried with full military honors.

After the war, Mueller was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Max Joseph Order which conferred a knighthood on him, backdated to 11 November 1917. Thus in death, he became Max, Ritter von Mueller.

Reference/External Links

* Terry C. Treadwell. "German Knights of the Air, 1914-18: The Holders of the Ordre pour le Merite" Brassey's (UK) Limited, 1997.

* http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/muller3.php Accessed 4 September 2008.

* http://www.jastaboelcke.de/aces/max_v_mueller/mueller_bio.htm Accessed 14 September 2008.