Ernst Strohschneider
Ernst Strohschneider | |
---|---|
Military Merit Medal with Swords; Military Merit Medal Third Class |
Oberleutnant Ernst Strohschneider was an
Early life
Ernst Strohschneider was born on 6 September 1886 in Aussig an der Elbe (present day
World War I
Strohschneider was wounded by a bullet in the tibia early in the war, on 28 August 1914. After hospitalization, he was posted to a Guards unit, the 42nd Infantry Regiment on the Russian Front. He went into bitter winter battle at the Chryszcata Heights in the Carpathian Mountains and suffered a knee wound on 9 February 1915. He returned from hospital after this injury to command a machine gun section. On 19 September 1915, he was wounded for the third time, and captured by the Russians. He escaped to friendly lines. After convalescence, he was then invalided from the army as unfit for further service.[1][2]
He joined the
Once transferred to Flik 28 along the
Strohschneider was then transferred from his general purpose assignment to a fighter squadron at Prosecco when he was appointed second-in-command of Flik 42J. He would score nine victories during his tenure with this squadron. He would also befriend Reserve Leutnant Franz Gräser, with whom he ultimately shared seven victories. However, in an incident that demonstrated Strohschneider's belief in the rigid Austro-Hungarian class structure, he was the squadron's sole officer who did not congratulate an enlisted fellow ace on a medal awarded in October 1917. The incident did not harm Strohschneider's professional reputation; on 29 October he was commended by his superiors for his exemplary temporary command of his squadron.[5]
He was then posted to command of a fighter unit, Flik 61J on 28 December 1917, the first reserve lieutenant to do so. He was joined by his friend, Franz Gräser, at Flik 61J's field at Motta di Livenza.[6] Strohschneider also found himself simultaneously commanding a second fighter squadron while its commander Karl Nikitsch was ill. Under Strohschneider's leadership, Flik 61J undertook a wide variety of missions. It flew fighter interceptions, fighter escort missions, strafed trenches and artillery batteries, attacked enemy airfields and naval ships. They also flew night sorties.[5] Strohschneider was awarded the Order of the Iron Crown, Third Class, with War Decoration and Swords for his feats.[1]
On the night of 20 March 1918, Ernst Strohschneider took off in
List of aerial victories
Credited victories are numbered. Others are marked "u/c" for "unconfirmed".
No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
u/c | 15 June 1916 @ 0730 hours | Lloyd C.III serial number 43.61
|
Italian seaplane | Cima Alta | Pilot: Oberleutnant Franz Schorn | |
1 | 3 June 1917 @ 1030 hours | Hansa-Brandenburg D.I | Farman two-seater reconnaissance plane
|
Holed gas tank | Monte Korada | Confirmed by both air and ground observers |
2 | 21 June 1917 | Hansa-Brandenburg D.I. | Farman two-seater | Cormons, Italy | ||
3 | 23 September 1917 | Unknown | French Spad fighter
|
Set on fire | Nova Vas, Croatia, near Kostanjevica | Victory shared with Ferdinand Udvardy. Confirmed by both air and ground observers |
4 | 23 September 1917 | Unknown | Savoia Pomilio two-seater | Crashed | Kostanjevica, Croatia | Victory shared with Ferdinand Udvardy. Confirmed by both air and ground observers |
5 | 26 September 1917 | Unknown | Spad fighter | Ronchi, Italy | Victory shared with Ferdinand Udvardy, Karl Teichmann, and Vincenz Magerl | |
6 | 3 October 1917 | Probably an Albatros D.III fighter | French Spad two-seater | Pilot F. Di Rudini KIA | Gradisca d'Isonzo, Italy | Confirmed by both air and ground observers. |
7 | 25 October 1917 | Probably an Albatros D.III | Italian seaplane | Set on fire | Grado, Friuli–Venezia Giulia , Italy
|
Victory shared with Franz Gräser |
8 | 26 October 1917 | Probably an Albatros D.III | Italian seaplane | Grado, Friuli–Venezia Giulia, Italy | ||
9 | 27 October 1917 | Probably an Albatros D.III | Italian seaplane | Set afire | Victory shared with Franz Gräser | |
10 | 15 November 1917 | Probably an Albatros D.III | Sopwith | Meolo Monastier di Treviso | Victory shared with Franz Gräser | |
11 | 29 November 1917 | Probably an Albatros D.III | SAML S.2 2 seater
|
Forced to land; Italian aircrew captured (Tenente Vincenzo Lioy and Sergente Francesco Montesi) | Casa Tagli | Victory shared with Franz Gräser, Karl Patzelt |
12 | 26 January 1918 @ 1810 hours | Albatros D.III fighter | seaplane | "swamp area" of Lagune Palude Maggiore | Victory shared with Franz Gräser | |
13 | 30 January 1918 | Albatros D.III fighter serial number 153.119 | Sopwith two-seater | Cana Reggio | Victory shared with Franz Gräser. Strohschneider WIA | |
14 | 24 February 1918 | Albatros D.III 153.119 | Macchi M.5 flying boat marked "M-18" | Crashed with pilot WIA | Marcello | Victory shared with Franz Gräser and two other pilots |
15 | 16 March 1918 | Albatros D.III 153.119 | Italian Ansaldo S.V.A.
|
Crashed into a somersaulting wreck | Casonetti, near Porto di Piave Vecchia
|
Victory shared with Franz Gräser[7] |
See also
Aerial victory standards of World War I
Endnotes
- ^ a b c d e Franks, et al, p. 200.
- ^ a b c O'Connor, p. 59.
- ^ O'Connor, pp. 22, 60.
- ^ O'Connor, p. 59, 60.
- ^ a b O'Connor, p. 60.
- ^ Chant, p. 73.
- ^ List compiled from The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/austrhun/strohschneider.php Retrieved 30 May 2011; O'Connor, pp. 60, 289–290; Franks, et al, pp. 200–201; and Chant p. 73
References
- Chant, Christopher (2002). Austro-Hungarian Aces of World War 1. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-376-7.
- ISBN 978-1898697565.
- O'Connor, Martin (1994). Air Aces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire 1914 - 1918. Flying Machines Press. ISBN 978-0-9637110-1-4.