Walter Ewers
Encyclopedia
Oberleutnant Walter Ewers was a World War I flying ace
credited with eight aerial victories.
's Field Artillery
Regiment Number 7. At some point, he transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte
. After aviation training, he was assigned to Flieger-Abteilung
26 to serve in two-seaters. He was upgraded to piloting a fighter plane, transferring to Jasta 8
. After a further transfer to Jasta 12 in 1917, he scored his first three aerial successes against the Royal Flying Corps
, downing a couple of Airco DH.5
s from No. 41 Squadron RFC
and a Sopwith Pup
from No. 46 Squadron RFC
. The latter was part of a large offensive patrol of mixed British aircraft escorting 46 Squadron's DH.5s.
He was chosen to command Bavarian Jagdstaffel 77 as Staffelführer
on 21 January 1918. He had been commissioned a leutnant on 22 May 1917; he was further promoted, to oberleutnant
, on 15 March 1918. As pilot or as commander, he continued to score victories; in the first three months of 1918, at least three out of five of his victims were French. Ewers was honored with both classes of the Iron Cross, his native Bavaria's Military Merit Order, and the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern for his exploits.
At 0930 hours on 15 May 1918, Oberleutnant Walter Ewers was killed in action
while piloting his Albatros D.V
in combat over Villers-Bretonneux
with No. 65 Squadron RAF
. He was buried in a mass grave.
Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c" and may or may not be listed by date.
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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...
credited with eight aerial victories.
World War I
Ewers began military service as an artilleryman in BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
's Field Artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
Regiment Number 7. At some point, he transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. After aviation training, he was assigned to Flieger-Abteilung
Luftstreitkräfte
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...
26 to serve in two-seaters. He was upgraded to piloting a fighter plane, transferring to Jasta 8
Jasta 8
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 8 was a fighter squadron in Germany's World War I air service, the Luftstreitkräfte. Although the jasta went out of existence along with its parent units shortly after the Armistice ending World War I, its experiences would strongly influence the subsequent...
. After a further transfer to Jasta 12 in 1917, he scored his first three aerial successes against the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
, downing a couple of Airco DH.5
Airco DH.5
-Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. Warplanes of the First World War, Vol. 1. London: MacDonald, 1965, pp. 128–132.* Jackson, A.J. De Havilland Aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam, 1962....
s from No. 41 Squadron RFC
No. 41 Squadron RAF
No. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
and a Sopwith Pup
Sopwith Pup
The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very...
from No. 46 Squadron RFC
No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.- World War I :...
. The latter was part of a large offensive patrol of mixed British aircraft escorting 46 Squadron's DH.5s.
He was chosen to command Bavarian Jagdstaffel 77 as Staffelführer
Staffelführer
Staffelführer was one of the first paramilitary ranks used by the German Schutzstaffel in the early years of that group’s existence...
on 21 January 1918. He had been commissioned a leutnant on 22 May 1917; he was further 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 15 March 1918. As pilot or as commander, he continued to score victories; in the first three months of 1918, at least three out of five of his victims were French. Ewers was honored with both classes of the Iron Cross, his native Bavaria's Military Merit Order, and the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern for his exploits.
At 0930 hours on 15 May 1918, Oberleutnant Walter Ewers was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
while piloting his Albatros D.V
Albatros D.V
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X....
in combat over Villers-Bretonneux
Villers-Bretonneux
Villers-Bretonneux is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway.-History - World War I:...
with No. 65 Squadron RAF
No. 65 Squadron RAF
No. 65 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.-World War I:The squadron was first formed at Wyton on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps with a core provided from the training ground at Norwich. By the end of World War I, it had claimed over 200 victories...
. He was buried in a mass grave.
List of aerial victories
See also Aerial victory standards of World War IAerial victory standards of World War I
During World War I, the national air services involved developed their own methods of assessing and assigning credit for aerial victories.The victory scores of the pilots represented at List of World War I flying aces often cannot be definitive, but are based on itemized lists that are the best...
Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c" and may or may not be listed by date.
| No. | Date/time | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 September 1917 @ 1120 hours | British Airco DH.5 Airco DH.5 -Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. Warplanes of the First World War, Vol. 1. London: MacDonald, 1965, pp. 128–132.* Jackson, A.J. De Havilland Aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam, 1962.... |
Destroyed | Wambaix Wambaix -References:*... , France |
Victim from No. 41 Squadron RFC No. 41 Squadron RAF No. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No... |
| 2 | 10 October 1917 @ 1705 hours | British Airco DH.5 | Destroyed | Hendicourt | Victim from No. 41 Squadron RFC |
| 3 | 11 October 1917 @ 1745 hours | British Sopwith Pup Sopwith Pup The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very... |
Destroyed | East of Sains-lès-Marquion Sains-lès-Marquion Sains-lès-Marquion is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Sains-lès-Marquion lies about southeast of Arras, at the junction of the D15 and D16 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:... , France |
Victim from No. 46 Squadron RFC No. 46 Squadron RAF No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.- World War I :... |
| 4 | 5 January 1918 | French Dorand AR.2 or Paul Schmitt | Destroyed | Saint Liggert | |
| 5 | 5 January 1918 | Spad | Destroyed | Southwest of Retzwiller Retzwiller Retzwiller is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... , France |
|
| 6 | 23 February 1918 @ 1620 hours | French Spad | Destroyed | Oberburnhaupt | Victim from Escadrille 49 |
| 7 | 12 March 1918 | Spad | Destroyed | Belfort Belfort Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-... , France |
|
| 8 | 18 March 1918 @ 1629 hours | French Dorand AR.2 or Paul Schmitt | Destroyed | Ballersdorf Ballersdorf Ballersdorf is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... , France |
|
Reference
- Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914-1918. Norman FranksNorman FranksNorman Leslie Robert Franks is an English writer who specialises in aviation books on the pilots and squadrons of World Wars I and II.-Biography:...
, Frank W. Bailey, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0948817739, 9780948817731. - Airfields and Airmen: Somme: Battleground Europe: WWI Series. Mike O'Connor. Leo Cooper, 2002. ISBN 085052864X, 9780850528640.
- Sopwith Pup Aces of World War 1: Volume 67 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces: Issue 67 of Aircraft of the Aces. Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1841768863, 9781841768861.
Endnotes
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