Richard Wenzl

Leutnant Richard Wenzl was a German World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories.[1]

Richard Wenzl
Nickname(s)Ricardo
Died13 February 1957
AllegianceGermany
Service/branchAviation
RankLeutnant
UnitJasta 31, Jasta 11, Jasta 6
Commands heldJasta 6
AwardsRoyal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross First Class

World War I service

Wenzl flew first for an artillery cooperation unit, FAA 236. He transferred, first to KEK Ost, then to Jagdstaffel 31 in the spring of 1917.[2] For his first victory, he shot down and destroyed a Spad on 19 April 1917. He had an unconfirmed claim the following month.[1] He would not score again for a year, after he had switched into Jagdstaffel 11 on 27 March 1918.[2] After his second victory, on 16 May,[1] he transferred to Jagdstaffel 6 the next day.[2] He began a five-month scoring streak on 5 June, running his total to 11 destroyed enemy aircraft and an observation balloon on 5 November 1918.[1] Wenzl also served as the squadron's acting commander from 10 August to 9 September 1918.[2]

In the early Autumn of 1918, Wenzl met Ernst Jünger while in an infirmary in Hanover. Jünger described Wenzl as "one of the tall and fearless types our nation still produces. He lived up to the motto of his squadron, 'Hard - and crazy with it!' and had already brought down a dozen opponents in single combat, although the last had splintered his upper arm with a bullet first."[3]

Victory list
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I

Confirmed victories are numbered; unconfirmed claims are denoted as U/C.

No. Date/time Unit Foe Location Notes
1 19 April 1917 Jasta 31 SPAD South of Moronvillers
U/C 26 May 1917 Jasta 31 Caudron Malmy Caudron forced to land
2 16 May 1918 @ 1930 hours Jasta 11 Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a South of Bois de Vaire Victim from No. 56 Squadron RAF
3 5 June 1918 @ 1735 hours Jasta 6 Breguet 14 Soissons
4 22 July 1918 @ 1620 hours Jasta 6 SPAD
5 1 August 1918 @ 0915 hours Jasta 6 Nieuport 28 Fere-en-Tardenois Victim from 27th Aero Squadron
6 8 August 1918 @ 1940 hours Jasta 6 Airco DH.9 Genermont
7 4 September 1918 @ 1100 hours Jasta 6 Sopwith Camel South of Raillencourt-Sainte-Olle Victim from No. 3 Squadron RAF
8 5 September 1918 @ 1525 hours Jasta 6 Observation balloon Croisselles Balloon serial number 45-12-13
9 29 October 1918 @ 1100 hours Jasta 6 SPAD Sommerance
10 3 November 1918 @ 1455 hours Jasta 6 SPAD S.XII Montfaucon
11 3 November 1918 @ 1455 hours Jasta 6 SPAD S.XII Montfaucon
12 5 November 1918 @ 1010 hours Jasta 6 Airco DH.4 (s/n 32910) Stenay, Malmy Victim from 20th Aero Squadron. 1st Lt. S. P. Mandell and 2nd Lt. R. B. Fulton

Sources of information
  1. The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/wenzl.php Retrieved on 17 April 2010.
  2. Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918. p. 229.
  3. Jünger, Ernst (2004). Storm of steel. Hofmann, Michael, 1957 August 25-. New York: Penguin Books. pp. 288–289. ISBN 978-0-14-243790-2. OCLC 54349647.

References
  • Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918 Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.


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