Hi all,
As my Nieuport XVII build is coming to a close, I've started researching the next build.
The Fokker E.IV ‘Eindecker’, Serial No: 161/16 of home defence unit Kest 6, April 1917 at Bonn Hangelar, Cologne.
Flown (i think at least) by Leutnant Hans ‘Garrelt’ Müller.
There were two pilots with the same name.
1. Hans Karl Müller was a fighter pilot who scored 9 victories until being wounded in combat on the 26th of December 1916, after which he was withdrawn from operational flying and instead was given test pilot duties for the Siemens-Schuckert company.
2. Hans Müller was also a fighter pilot and survived the war and it’s the similarity of the pilot in the following photographs that leads me to believe he is the correct person for this aircraft, given the photograph in the aircraft was taken in April 1917.
However, given the information available, the identity of the actual pilot is my ‘best guess’ and may not be correct.
Hans Müller was born in Etzel, Ostfriesland on the 3rd of July, 1896.
WW1 service:On the 1st of April 1914 Müller joined the army and served in Infantry Regiment No.13.
He transferred to the German Air Force in November 1916 and flew two-seaters until the end of 1917. During 1917 it seems he may have been serving on the home defence Kest 6, where he was photographed in Fokker E.IV Serial No:161/16.
In late 1917 he joined Jagdstaffel 12 then in early 1918 moved to Jagdstaffel 15 flying the Fokker DR.1 Triplane. On the 9th of January 1918 he scored his first victory and on the 29th he claimed two more victories, although the second was unconfirmed. In March 1918, after shooting down an RE8 for his third confirmed victory, his aircraft was badly damaged over no man's land, but he managed to make it back to his own lines.
He finally moved to Jagdstaffel 18 and it was between the 27th of March and the 22nd of September 1918, that he shot down and destroyed ten more opponents, one of which was possibly Paul Baer, the first American ace of the United States Air Service.
It was between 9:00 and 9:15 AM on 14 September 1918, Müller shot down three SPAD XIII aircraft from the 103rd Aero and at 2.40 that that same afternoon, he shot down a fourth Spad from that same squadron.
A week later, he finished his tally with one last Spad.
It was during this day that Müller scored Jasta 18's 100th victory.
His total victory tally was twelve confirmed and one unconfirmed.
Footnote:At some point in time, Müller changed his surname to "Garrelt" as the name "Hans Müller" was rather common and he and another pilot with the same name were forever getting their mail
confused.
Post WW1:During World War II, Müller served on the staff of Lutflotte III under Generalfeldmarschall Sperrle.
Post WW2:After WW2 he worked in civilian live as an engineer, designing steam locomotives for ‘Hanomag and Henschel’ before going freelance.
Hans Müller died of a brain tumour in Munich in 1964.
Mike
