Wolfgang Güttler

Leutnant Wolfgang Güttler was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. He would score the first four while flying with Jagdstaffel 24, and the last four while flying as commander of Jagdstaffel 13. He was killed in a midair collision over his home airfield on 20 February 1918.[1]

Wolfgang Güttler
Born(1893-02-22)22 February 1893
Reichenstein
Died20 February 1918(1918-02-20) (aged 24)
Reneuil Ferme
AllegianceGerman Empire
Service/branchAviation
RankLeutnant
UnitFA 72, FAA 285, Jagdstaffel 24, Jagdstaffel 13
Commands heldJagdstaffel 13
AwardsIron Cross (both classes)

Wolfgang Güttler was born in Reichenstein on 22 February 1893. At the start of World War I, he served with the Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 11 (11th Jaeger Bataillon), and won a Second Class Iron Cross. He then transferred to the Die Fliegertruppen (Imperial German Air Service).[2]

After training as a pilot, Güttler was posted to Feldfliegerabteilung (Field Flier Detachment) 72 on the Eastern Front in 1916. He later served with Feldflieger Abteilung (Field Flier Detachment) 285. During this time, he was awarded the First Class Iron Cross in November 1916.[2]

He then underwent single-seater fighter training at Fliegerersatz-Abteilung (Replacement Detachment) 11. He was then posted to a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 24, on 10 March 1917. He scored his first aerial victory on 2 May 1917, when he shot down a Nieuport 17 south of Bienes. By 9 August, he had shot down a Spad VII and two Sopwith Triplanes of 10 Naval Squadron RNAS.[2]

On 29 September 1917, he was posted to Jagdstaffel 13 to command it as its Staffelführer (C.O.). He scored his fifth victory on 20 October 1917; on 19 February he scored his eighth. The following day, Wolfgang Güttler was engaged in aerial combat over Jasta 13's home aerodrome at Reneuil Ferme when he collided with another German pilot and was killed in action.[2][3]

Endnotes

  1. http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/guttler.php
  2. Franks et al 1990, p. 121.
  3. Franks et al 1990, p. 35.

gollark: Well, it has been said that they work.
gollark: They have RPi3-level specs, which is *okay*.
gollark: I disagree.
gollark: ++remind 8w <@!593113791252660224> `GF2P8INVAFFINEQB`
gollark: A Redmi AI 7 Dual Camera, of course.

References

  • Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell. Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.