Karl Allmenröder
Encyclopedia
Leutnant Karl Allmenröder (3 May 1896 – 27 June 1917), Pour le Merite
, Knights Cross of Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
First and Second Class, was a German
World War I
flying ace
.
, Rhine Province
, the son of a Lutheran minister. He was interested in the practice of medicine and was a medical student in Marburg. His reputation became one of a quiet, good natured, dutiful young man.
Allmenröder was only 18 when the war began. He became an artilleryman, joining Field Regiment 62 for training, and being transferred to Field Regiment 20 for duty. While serving in Poland fighting against the Russian Imperial Army, he was awarded the Iron Cross
Second Class in March, 1915. He also was promoted to Oberleutnant
on 30 March 1915.
assumed command in January, 1917, Jasta 11 became one of the premier squadrons of the German Flying Service. Allmenröder rose in the pantheon of Jasta 11
stars. His career as a fighter ace was spectacular but short. He achieved his victories flying a scarlet Albatros D.III
with white nose and elevators.
"Karlchen" scored his first win on 16 February 1917 a B.E.2c of No 16 Squadron, with 2/Lt. EW Lindley and 2/Lt.LV Munn reported missing. He scored four more victories the following month and became an ace on 30 March. In March, he was also awarded the Iron Cross
First Class.
He had achieved nine victories by the end of April 1917, and took his tally to thirteen in May. On 13 May, he was promoted to acting Jasta leader, a prestigious honor for a young man just turned 21. He was lightly wounded on 25 May though this did not prevent him shooting down a New Zealand air ace, Captain Alan Scott
, on 28 May 1917.
On 9 June 1917, Allmenröder was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Hohenzollern Order and, on 14 June, he received the Pour le Mérite
. The following day, the man who had appointed him acting commanding officer, Manfred von Richthofen
, returned from leave and reassumed command for the next nine days. Richthofen not only entrusted Allmenroeder with command, he would even fly wingman in patrols led by Karl.
Allmenröder was also busy scoring eight more victories during June. His 29th, and penultimate victory, was scored on 25 June against Canadian ace Flight Lieutenant
Gerald Nash, who became a prisoner. He had succeeded to permanent command of Jasta 11 on that day, when von Richthofen had been promoted to command of Germany's first fighter wing, Jagdgeschwader 1, commonly called "The Flying Circus
".
but the Canadian's victory has no claim listed for the 27th. Collishaw had fired a long range burst at an Albatros on the 27th, but staked no claim. The time of day of Collishaw's sortie also doesn't match.
Allmenröder has also been reported to have been shot down by Allied aircraft, with no further details. Another report insists anti-aircraft fire hit him. In any event he died from wounds after crashing near Zillebeke. German infantry soldiers went into no man's land and retrieved his body the night he was killed. It was a ghoulish detail; the crashed Albatros was so embedded in a hasty cemetery of casualties from the year before that it took two hours to disinter Allmenröder from the decomposing bodies around him.
He was popular with his squadron comrades and was widely mourned. He was 21 years old at his death.
He was interred in the Evangelical Cemetery in Wald. His brother Willi married Karl's fiancee, Helene Kortenbach, after Karl's death.
His reputation was later marred by Nazi usage of his name and reputation for propaganda purposes. For this reason, streets named after him have been renamed and he is not honored in memoriam in his hometown.
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, Knights Cross of Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
First and Second Class, was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
.
Early life
Allmenröder was born in WaldSolingen
Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, Rhine Province
Rhine Province
The Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia or synonymous to the Rhineland , was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg...
, the son of a Lutheran minister. He was interested in the practice of medicine and was a medical student in Marburg. His reputation became one of a quiet, good natured, dutiful young man.
Allmenröder was only 18 when the war began. He became an artilleryman, joining Field Regiment 62 for training, and being transferred to Field Regiment 20 for duty. While serving in Poland fighting against the Russian Imperial Army, he was awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
Second Class in March, 1915. He also was promoted to Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
on 30 March 1915.
Aerial service
Allmenröder transferred to the air service on 16 March 1916, at the same time as his brother. He trained at Halberstadt. He flew two-seaters as an artillery spotter in Jasta FA 227 before joining Jagdstaffel 11 in November 1916. After Manfred von RichthofenManfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
assumed command in January, 1917, Jasta 11 became one of the premier squadrons of the German Flying Service. Allmenröder rose in the pantheon of Jasta 11
Jasta 11
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 11 was founded on 28 September 1916 from elements of 4 armee's Keks 1, 2 and 3 and mobilized on 11 October as part of the German Air Service's expansion program, forming permanent specialised fighter squadrons, or "Jastas"...
stars. His career as a fighter ace was spectacular but short. He achieved his victories flying a scarlet Albatros D.III
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...
with white nose and elevators.
"Karlchen" scored his first win on 16 February 1917 a B.E.2c of No 16 Squadron, with 2/Lt. EW Lindley and 2/Lt.LV Munn reported missing. He scored four more victories the following month and became an ace on 30 March. In March, he was also awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
First Class.
He had achieved nine victories by the end of April 1917, and took his tally to thirteen in May. On 13 May, he was promoted to acting Jasta leader, a prestigious honor for a young man just turned 21. He was lightly wounded on 25 May though this did not prevent him shooting down a New Zealand air ace, Captain Alan Scott
Alan Scott (British Army officer)
Group Captain Alan John Lance Scott CB MC AFC was an officer in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force during World War I and the following years....
, on 28 May 1917.
On 9 June 1917, Allmenröder was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Hohenzollern Order and, on 14 June, he received the Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
. The following day, the man who had appointed him acting commanding officer, Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
, returned from leave and reassumed command for the next nine days. Richthofen not only entrusted Allmenroeder with command, he would even fly wingman in patrols led by Karl.
Allmenröder was also busy scoring eight more victories during June. His 29th, and penultimate victory, was scored on 25 June against Canadian ace Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Gerald Nash, who became a prisoner. He had succeeded to permanent command of Jasta 11 on that day, when von Richthofen had been promoted to command of Germany's first fighter wing, Jagdgeschwader 1, commonly called "The Flying Circus
The Flying Circus
. For other meanings of this term see the disambiguation page under Flying CircusThe Flying Circus were a short-lived Toronto-based group fronted by singer/songwriter, Bruce Cockburn...
".
Killed in action
Allmenröder reached 30 victories (a Nieuport flown by Lt CC Street of No 1 Squadron RFC on 26 June) before being shot down on 27 June. The cause of Allmenröder's death is debatable. It has been said that Allmenröder was shot down by Canadian ace Raymond CollishawRaymond Collishaw
Air Vice Marshal Raymond Collishaw CB, DSO & Bar, OBE, DSC, DFC, RAF was a distinguished Canadian fighter pilot, squadron leader, and commanding officer who served in the Royal Naval Air Service and later the Royal Air Force. He was the highest scoring RNAS flying ace and the second highest...
but the Canadian's victory has no claim listed for the 27th. Collishaw had fired a long range burst at an Albatros on the 27th, but staked no claim. The time of day of Collishaw's sortie also doesn't match.
Allmenröder has also been reported to have been shot down by Allied aircraft, with no further details. Another report insists anti-aircraft fire hit him. In any event he died from wounds after crashing near Zillebeke. German infantry soldiers went into no man's land and retrieved his body the night he was killed. It was a ghoulish detail; the crashed Albatros was so embedded in a hasty cemetery of casualties from the year before that it took two hours to disinter Allmenröder from the decomposing bodies around him.
He was popular with his squadron comrades and was widely mourned. He was 21 years old at his death.
He was interred in the Evangelical Cemetery in Wald. His brother Willi married Karl's fiancee, Helene Kortenbach, after Karl's death.
His reputation was later marred by Nazi usage of his name and reputation for propaganda purposes. For this reason, streets named after him have been renamed and he is not honored in memoriam in his hometown.
External links/References
- Karl Allmenröder's page on theaerodrome.com Accessed 31 August 2008.
- Bio and Photographs at pourlemerite.org Accessed 31 August 2008.
- http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/allmenroder.htm Accessed 31 August 2008.
- Albatros Aces of World War 1. Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1855329603, 9781855329607.
- Sopwith Triplane Aces of World War 1. Norman Franks, Osprey Publishing, 2004.ISBN 184176728X, 9781841767284.
- Richthofen's Circus: Jagdgeschwader Nr 1. Greg Vanwyngarden, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2004.
- http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Almenr%C3%B6der Accessed 1 October 2008. Translated via babelfish.