Hans von Adam

Hans Ritter von Adam (May 24, 1886 - November 15, 1917) was a German flying ace in World War I, with 21 victories before being killed in action in 1917.

He was born Hans Adam in Eisenstein in the Upper Palatinate region of the Kingdom of Bavaria (a town now divided between Germany and the Czech Republic), son of a railway official, Andreas Adam, and his wife Hildegard "née" Fischer. Hans Adam entered the Royal Bavarian Army as a one-year volunteer ("Einjährige-Freiwilliger") on October 1, 1906, serving in the 4th Infantry Regiment in Metz. He then became a businessman in Munich.

When World War I began, Adam returned to service as a lieutenant in the Bavarian Landwehr ("Leutnant der Landwehr"). He was assigned to the Bavarian 15th Reserve Infantry Regiment. He fought in the Battle of the Frontiers and was wounded in the fighting around the French fortifications in the Nancy-Épinal region on September 2, 1914. After recuperating, he returned to the front in late 1915, but then chose to enter pilot training (despite his age, which made him much older than most pilot trainees). He received his Observer's Badge on May 15, 1916 and began service as an observer. He flew as an observer for Eduard Ritter von Schleich. He scored his first three victories in an Albatros D.III. In March 1917, he joined Jagdstaffel (Jasta) 34 and in July 1917 transferred to Jasta 6. He became squadron commander ("Staffelführer") of Jasta 6 on August 30, 1917, after Eduard Ritter von Dostler was shot down. Lt. Adam was shot down and killed on November 15, 1917 near Langemarck in his Albatros D.V, possibly by Kenneth Barbour Montgomery of No.45 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. [http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/adam.html Retrieved August 1, 2006]

On May 20, 1919, Bavaria's highest military decoration, the Military Order of Max Joseph ("Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden"), was bestowed on Adam, retroactive to July 28, 1917. On that date, as deputy "Staffelführer" of Jasta 6, while his "Staffelführer" chased one bomber, Adam had attacked and broken up the rest of a formation of enemy bombers, and continued the pursuit despite damage to his own aircraft, until his squadron had destroyed the enemy formation. For a commoner, award of the Military Order of Max Joseph carried with it a patent of non-hereditary nobility, signified by the title "Ritter von", and Hans Adam became Hans Ritter von Adam.

Decorations

* Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd Class
* Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph
* Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern

References

* Bayerisches Kriegsarchiv: "Bayerns Goldenes Ehrenbuch", gewidmet den Inhabern der höchsten bayerischen Kriegs-auszeichnungen aus dem Weltkrieg 1914/18", München 1928 (Bavarian War Archives: "Bavaria's Golden Book of Honor", dedicated to the holders of the highest Bavarian war decorations of the World War 1914-18", Munich, 1928). Includes the citation for Hans Ritter von Adam's award.

* Rudolf von Kramer, Otto Freiherr von Waldenfels und Dr. Günther Freiherr von Pechmann: "Virtuti Pro Patria: Der königlich bayerische Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden", München 1966 (Rudolf von Kramer, Otto Freiherr von Waldenfels & Dr. Günther Freiherr von Pechmann: "Virtuti Pro Patria: The Royal Bavarian Military Order of Max Joseph", Munich, 1966). Includes a biography of Hans Ritter von Adam.