Richard Wenzl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | Ricardo |
| Died | 13 February 1957 |
| Allegiance | Germany |
| Service/ | Aviation |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | Jasta 31, Jasta 11, Jasta 6 |
| Commands held | Jasta 6 |
| Awards | Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross First Class |
Leutnant Richard Wenzl was a German World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories.[1]
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
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 2 3 4 The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/wenzl.php Retrieved on 17 April 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918. p. 229.
- ↑ 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.