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THE SOLDIER

Born in the southern Westphalian city of Siegen on February 25, 1896, Heinrich Gontermann grew into a tall slender man who abstained from smoking. Even though he was social drinker, Gontermann was a patriotic, religious introvert.

His father was a cavalry officer… who pushed young Heinrich towards a career in the military. After leaving school, Heinrich enlisted into the Sixth Uhlan Cavalry Regiment in Hanau two weeks after Imperial Germany declared war on Tsarist Russia. Mere days after arriving in the unit, he was sent into action!

Gontermann had a reputation for being aloof, but during his time with the Uhlans, his leadership qualities displayed began to show. Gontermann was slightly wounded in September 1914… and soon, he was promoted to Feldwebel. Early in the spring of 1915, Gontermann was given a field commission with the rank of Leutnant. He was also awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class.

While he continued to lead his men throughout 1915, Gontermann applied for a transfer to the newly formed German Army Air Service. But in October 1915, he was transferred to the 80th Fusilier Regiment.

PILOT TURNED ACE

Eventually, Gontermann was accepted for pilot and observer training. Upon his graduation in early 1916, Heinrich was posted to Kampfstaffel Tergnier as a reconnaissance pilot flying a Roland C.II. Later that spring, Gontermann was posted to Field-Abteilung 25, where he flew both as a pilot and as an observer on AGO C.Is.

Gontermann applied for (1) aviation training at Jastaschule and (2) a transfer to a fighter unit. On November 11, 1916, he joined Jasta 5. After only three days with the unit (and on his first combat sortie), Gontermann shot down his first aircraft: an FE.2b on patrol over Morval.

After the baptism of fire, there was a lull in Heinrich’s scoring that lasted for months! Finally on March 6, 1917, he shot down an FE.2d of Number 57 Squadron RFC. The day before this victory, Gontermann was awarded the Iron Cross, First Class.

For the next two weeks, Gontermann scored regularly… becoming an ace on March 24th by downing a Sopwith 1½ Strutter. He added a second one the following day. It was after this victory that he wrote home:

“Today I shot down a two-seater…. He broke up into dust in the air…. It is a horrible job but one must do one’s duty.”

During “Bloody April” 1917, Gontermann had twelve victories. On April 8th, he achieved his first success as a “balloon buster” (with all its extraordinary hazards) by downing an observation balloon. Heinrich then shot down four others within the month (including a double victory on April 16th).

On April 26, 1917, Gontermann brought his victory total to seventeen. He was also promoted to Staffelführer of Prussian Jagdstaffel 15 by month’s end, replacing Max Reinhold (who was killed in action).

LEADER IN THE SKIES

Heinrich Gontermann’s personal reputation was that of an aloof man with only a few friends. Professionally, he was a student of enemy aircraft types, with a special knack for picking off his foes from point-blank range within their blind spots. Gontermann was considered the premier marksman of his unit, as well as a skilled aerobat.

Ernst Udet wrote of Gontermann:

“Before he opens fire, he defeats his enemy by outflying him. When he finally fires, he requires, at most, a dozen rounds to tear apart the other’s machine.”

Gontermann was noted as nervous, stressed, and a poor sleeper. Such was the strain of combat that he was sent on a month’s leave in May 1917 to recuperate!

According to Udet, Gontermann once confronted a German NCO who was harassing a French girl:

“Gontermann was yelling the wits out of him, calling him a swine and threatening him with a court martial.”

On May 6, 1917, Gontermann was awarded the Knight’s Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern. Four days later, he scored his 19th triumph over five-victory ace Didier Lecour Grandmaison. On May 11th, Gontermann received Bavaria’s Military Order of Max Joseph. Six days after receiving that decoration, he was given the prestigious Pour le Merite.

Gontermann was then granted four weeks leave upon receipt of the Blue Max. When Heinrich returned to the Jasta on June 19, 1917, he found that acting Staffelführer Ernst Udet had requested a transfer. Under Udet’s leadership, the Jasta had suffered three demoralizing losses!

For the remainder of June 1917, Gontermann again targeted observation balloons, shooting down one on both the 24th and the 27th. He also scored two triumphs in July (one of which was a balloon).

ACE IN A DAY

August was a very productive a month for Gontermann. After shooting down a Nieuport on the 5th, he shot down two balloons each on both the 9th and the 17th!

But the date of August 19, 1917 was the peak of Heinrich Gontermann’s career. Flying a Fokker D.VII, he shot down a SPAD in the morning. At 1923 hours, Gontermann took out an observation balloon south of Aisne-Tal… with three others destroyed in minutes. In achieving five wins in a single day, Heinrich Gontermann (already an ace) earned the title of “ace in a day”! The five victories brought his overall score to thirty-five.

In September 1917, Gontermann shot down three more enemy aircraft. By mid-October, he had become a celebrated ace with thirty-nine victories. He was credited with defeating twenty-one enemy aircraft and eighteen balloons (plus one unconfirmed downed balloon). Gontermann would rank eighth among balloon-busting aces of the Great War. Only Friedrich Ritter von Röth outscored him among German fliers.

DEATH OF AN ACROBAT

On October 29, 1917, Gontermann took off in a Fokker Dr.I, despite not being fully recovered from a bout of dysentery. Nevertheless, he was anxious to try the new airplane, although there were a few misgivings about it!

After a few minutes, Gontermann tried some aerobatics at an altitude of 2,300 feet. He pulled out of the second loop and dove into a left turn. The upper wing collapsed and completely broke free, and the Fokker Dr.I plunged into the ground!

Amazingly, Gontermann was pulled from the wreck alive, but he did suffer severe head injuries from slamming into the machine gun breeches! Gontermann was taken to the Jasta’s medical bay, where he died from his injuries the following day in Marle, France. He was just twenty-one years old…

Heinrich Gontermann was only one of several German pilots killed testing the new Dr.I. As a result, Fokker was accused of shoddy construction… and was directed to change production methods for the manufacture of the plane.

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

– Pour le Mérite (May 17, 1917)

– Knight’s Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern (May 6, 1917)

– Military Order of Max Joseph (Bavaria, May 11, 1917)

– Iron Cross of 1914, First and Second Class