Franz Büchner

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This article is about the German fighter ace. For the German pathologist, see Franz Büchner (pathologist).
Franz Büchner
Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class
Military Order of St. Henry
Albert Order
Relationsbrother Max KIA; brother Felix

Franz Büchner

Imperial German Air Service. Once he progressed to become a fighter pilot flying a Fokker D.VII, he initially struggled to gain his first aerial victories. Something clicked after his fifth victory, and he began to regularly shoot down enemy airplanes, scoring 35 victories between 1 July and 22 October 1918. Most notably, he shot down four SPADs on 26 September. He survived the war, but died in action in 1920 while combating communist revolutionaries near Leipzig
.

Early career

Büchner was born in

pilot with Fliegerabteilung 270.[1][2]

Service as a fighter pilot

See also: List of aerial victories of Franz Büchner and Aerial victory standards of World War I

In March 1917 Büchner became a

Rudolph Berthold, one of Germany's most dedicated soldiers.[3] However, it was several months before he scored again, on 15 October.[1][2]

With the introduction of the Fokker D.VII in 1918, Büchner came into his own; he flew at least three different machines during his career, scoring three victories in June and becoming Commanding Officer of the squadron on 15 June.[4] It was after his fifth victory that he landed and announced to his colleagues that he had now learned how to win in aerial combat. It was a prescient statement.[5]

On 2 July, he shot down and killed "The Mad Major", Irish ace Major

Merrill Taylor killed in a Sopwith Camel of No. 209 Squadron RAF.[1]

A Fokker D.VII. Büchner's had a golden lion's head on its royal blue fuselage.

On 29 July 1918 Büchner shot an American Sopwith Camel down in flames with just 14 rounds. His wingman, Leutnant Werner Niethammer, cited this combat as an illustration of Büchner's skill as a marksman; according to Niethammer's account, Büchner had no sooner spotted the American than he had set the enemy aircraft on fire.[7] This would be the last of his seven victories in July.[1][2] It was at this juncture that Büchner's brother Felix joined Jagdstaffel 13.[8]

On 10 August, Büchner's career nearly ended. While attacking and shooting down a two seater in bad flying weather, his plane's fuel tank was hit. Drenched in gasoline, he landed in no man's land and tagged along with two retreating German machine gunners[9] The incident does not seem to have slowed him down. It was the second of his eight victories in August.[1][2]

In September Büchner scored 17 victories. On 10 October, Büchner survived a mid-air collision with a squadronmate; both of them parachuted to safety.[2] He brought his tally to 40 victories by 22 October 1918.[1][10] Three days later, he was belatedly awarded the Pour le Mérite on 25 October 1918, one of the last awards before the Kaiser's abdication. However, by that date, Büchner was in Berlin for trials of new fighter aircraft.[11]

Post war service

By March 1919, Büchner's Fokker D.VII was in the hands of the American 138th Aero Squadron. Its lion's head insignia was cut from its fuselage as a souvenir, but was later lost in the Second World War.[12]

In the turbulent postwar period the 22-year-old Büchner flew against

communist revolutionaries but was shot down and killed by members of the Spartacus League during a reconnaissance flight near his hometown of Leipzig on 18 March 1920, three days after Rudolf Berthold was murdered in Harburg.[10]

Decorations and awards

Besides the Pour le Mérite, Prussia's highest military honor, Büchner also received the highest military honor of his home state, Saxony's

Royal House Order of Hohenzollern,[15] the Knight's Cross with Swords of Saxony's Merit Order, and the Knight's Cross with Swords of Saxony's Albert Order.[2]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Franz Buchner". www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993), p. 86.
  3. ^ VanWyngarden (2005), p. 11.
  4. ^ "Jasta 13". www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  5. ^ Franks & VanWyngarden (2003), p. 57.
  6. ^ VanWyngarden (2005), p. 75.
  7. ^ Franks & VanWyngarden (2003), pp. 57–59.
  8. ^ VanWyngarden (2005), p. 92.
  9. ^ VanWyngarden (2005), p. 81.
  10. ^ a b Franks, Bailey & Guest (1993), pp. 86–87.
  11. ^ VanWyngarden (2005), pp. 112–114.
  12. ^ VanWyngarden (2005), p. 119.
  13. ^ "Military Order of St. Henry". www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  14. ^ "Iron Cross". www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  15. ^ "Royal House Order of Hohenzollern". www.theaerdrome.com. Retrieved 2009-07-25.

External links

References

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