Werner Preuss
Werner Preuss (born September 21, 1894 in Gardelegen ; † March 6, 1919 Westerrönfelder Heide near Rendsburg ) was an officer in the air force and scored 22 confirmed kills in the First World War .
Life
Werner Preuss was the son of the tax inspector Walter Preuss in Gardelegen. Until Easter 1907 he attended the local secondary school and, as a result of his father's transfer to Rendsburg in Holstein, the local high school.
After graduation he joined on 14 August as a volunteer in the infantry regiment Duke of Holstein no. 85 and was four weeks later at Western Front sent. 15 May Officer's school in Germany and return to the front as Vice Sergeant. He was promoted to lieutenant on January 16, 1916. It was buried on May 25, 1916 during the fighting for Verdun . However, he managed to free himself and return to his troops.
After a year of healing from his paralysis, he reported to the air force. On September 20, 1917, he began training in Poznan , passed the first pilot's test on October 7, 1917, the second field pilot's test on October 15, 1917, and set a record with this short period of time. On October 26, 1917, Preuss was assigned to the Artillery Aviation School in Alt-Autz in Courland and sent from there to the Western Front at the end of December.
In January 1918 he was deployed on the Western Front, initially as an infantry aviator. In order to be able to work independently, he obtained his transfer to Jagdstaffel 66 . His 3rd kill there was the French aviator Jaques Gerard, who had already been named in the French army report and was awarded the military medal.
On April 19, 1918, he received the pilot's badge, on June 25, 1918, a silver honorary goblet, and in July 1918, the Iron Cross, 1st class. On September 21, he was awarded the Knight's Cross for the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern and in November 1918 he was submitted to the Pour le Mérite . On October 15, 1918, he was named for the first time in the army report with 20 recognized kills.
Werner Preuss has had a total of 22 recognized kills. He was unable to achieve recognition for 7 others, as they took place behind the French front without witnesses. After the armistice, he led his squadron back to Lübeck and was released from service on January 29, 1919.
death
On February 13, 1919, he joined the aviation department of the Schleswig-Holstein Border Guard North Freikorps. On March 6, 1919, he crashed on a business flight over the parade ground of the Westerrönfelder Heide near Rendsburg and died.
Awards
- Prussian military pilot badge
- Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class
- Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with swords
literature
- Walter Zuerl: Pour le merite-Flieger. Steinebach-Wörthsee, Luftfahrtverlag Axel Zuerl 1987, ISBN 3-934596-15-0 .
See also
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Preuss, Werner |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German air force officer with 22 confirmed kills in the First World War |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 21, 1894 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Guards |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 6, 1919 |
| Place of death | Westerrönfeld Heath |