Heinrich Bongartz

Infobox Military Person
name= Heinrich Bongartz


caption=
born=31 January 1892
died=23 January 1946
placeofbirth=Walsum, Rhineland
placeofdeath=Rheinberg, Rhineland
nickname=
allegiance=Germany
branch=Luftstreitkräfte
serviceyears=
rank=Leutnant
unit=FA 5
Jasta 36
Kasta 27
commands=
battles=
awards=Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross
relations=
laterwork=

Heinrich Bongartz (31 January 1892 - 23 January 1946) was a German World War I fighter pilot credited with 33 confirmed victories and one unconfirmed.

Heinrich Bongartz was born in Walsum, Rhineland (today northern district of Duisburg). In civilian life, Bongartz was a schoolteacher. He came to the German air service after enlisting in the 16th Infantry Regiment in August 1914 and fighting at the Battle of Verdun the following year. He transferred to the "Luftstreitkräfte" in early 1915, to pilot training with FA 5. He was commissioned a Leutnant in March, 1916. Upon graduation in October, he was posted to a reconnaissance unit, KG 5. From there, he had a short lived tour with another bombing unit before he was assigned to flying fighters in Jasta 36 in April.

His initial success as a fighter ace came during Bloody April, starting on the 6th. April, 1917 was called such because of the severe losses suffered by the Royal Flying Corps. Bongartz contributed to the British bloodshed by flying his Albatross to four victories during April; he became an ace on 2 May.

His third, fourth, and sixth through eighth triumphs came over balloons, and were unassisted attacks, in contrast to other aces of the era. The remainder of his victories were over aircraft. He accrued victims at a steady rate when he scored, with a triple kill day on 31 October, and three days on which he shot doubles.

On 12 July, he shot down number 11. On 13 July 1917, he was wounded. Possibly because of this wound, he did not score again until 26 September.

In September, 1917, he succeeded to command of Jasta 36. In December, he was personally awarded the "Pour le Mérite" by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

His final victories came on 27 March. On 30 March 1918, he was downed by anti-aircraft fire. He was injured, and his plane was damaged.

April, 1918 turned out to be Bongartz's own personal Bloody April. On the 25th he was wounded again. Nevertheless, on the 29th, he took on several Royal Air Force planes of 74 Squadron single-handed. Among the bullets that riddled his Fokker Dr.1 during the uneven battle was one which hit him in the left temple, took out his left eye, and stuck in his nose. Despite excruciating pain and semiconsciousness, he managed a crash landing which flipped his plane over. He crawled from under it and still had the presence of mind to check his aircraft's damage and to bow an introduction to his rescuers and introduce himself. One rescuer noted the grotesquerie of the eyeball dangling down Bongartz's cheek during the bow.

This wound, with its partial blinding and loss of depth perception, ended Bongartz's war but not his aviation career. After he recovered from his wound, he became a postwar Director of the German Aeroplane Inspectorate. After helping deactivate the air service in which he had served so gallantly, he went on to fight against the Spartakists who were attempting to overthrow the German government. The leg wound he suffered in this fight finally ended his military career.

Later in life, he became the Director of German Air Trade.

He also survived World War II, only to die of a heart attack in 1946.

Decorations

"Pour le Mérite","Knight's Cross with Swords of the Hohenzollern House Order","1st Class Iron Cross","2nd Class Iron Cross"

Reference

Norman Franks, et al (2001). "Fokker Dr I Aces of World War I"Osprey Publishing.

-- "Albatros Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 32), Osprey Publishing.

http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/bongartz.php

http://www.pourlemerite.org/wwi/air/bongartz.html

http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=74:the-aces&id=686:bongartz&Itemid=109