Friedrich Altemeier

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Friedrich Altemeier (born June 4, 1886 in Niederbecksen (today Bad Oeynhausen ), † September 18, 1968 ) was one of the most successful fighter pilots in the German air force in World War I and was awarded the Golden Military Merit Cross .

Life

Friedrich Altemeier did his military service from 1906 to 1908. Then he worked at the Krupp company . At the beginning of the war, Altemeier was drafted as an infantryman and served as a front line machine gunner from August 1914 until he was seriously wounded on January 15, 1915 . Since he was no longer suitable for the front, Altemeier reported to the air force after his recovery, where he served as a deputy officer in the aviation department 67 from September 21 to December 1, 1916 . After that he only joined Jagdstaffel 14, in December 1916 he joined the Saxon Jagdstaffel 24 on the Western Front. After his 9th victory in the air in September 1917, Altemeier was wounded again, again after five more victories on July 25, 1918, whereupon he received the Silver Wound Badge .

Altemeiers aircraft registration: The three seamless railway tires from Krupp

As a loyal employee of the Krupp company, Altemeier marked his aircraft with his company's three triangular rings. As a fighter pilot, he achieved 20 recognized aerial victories, including the 88th and last aerial victory of the Jasta 24, just one day before the armistice.

Due to his extraordinary bravery, Altemeier received the Golden Military Merit Cross on April 11, 1918, after his eleventh victory in the air, the highest honor that NCOs and men could be awarded. Altemeier survived the war and was reactivated as an Air Force aviator during World War II . Most recently, Altemeier served as a major and head of training at a flight school.

Altemeier died on September 18, 1968.

See also

literature

  • Klaus D. Patzwall (Ed.): The Prussian Golden Military Merit Cross. Militair-Verlag Patzwall, Norderstedt 1986. (Sources and representations on the history of orders and decorations, Volume 2).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ to frontflieger.de at Jasta 34
  2. ↑ cf. Color profile in: Grosz, Peter M .: Fokker D.VIII, Windsock Datafile 25, Berkhamsted 1991
  3. ↑ according to theaerodrome.com 21 victories
  4. ↑ according to books.google.de this (21st?) victory in the air probably remained unconfirmed
  5. ↑ Die Fliegerlegende in INFOS No. 25 - November 2008 (PDF file; 2.86 MB), Arbeitsgemeinschaft Essener Geschichtsinitiativen, p. 623
personal data
SURNAME Altemeier, Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German fighter pilot
DATE OF BIRTH June 4, 1886
PLACE OF BIRTH Niederbecksen
DATE OF DEATH 18th September 1968