Alois Heldmann
Encyclopedia
Colonel Alois Heldmann was a World War I flying ace
credited with 15 confirmed aerial victories (plus three unconfirmed) while he was a leutnant. He later joined the Luftwaffe
and was a flying school inspector.
to fly. He would use the Pfalz for his first five wins, beginning 22 July 1917. He then upgraded to a Fokker D.VII
. He scored steadily throughout the last eight months of the war, with his last victory just five days before war's end. Twice he rose to temporary command of the squadron, from 19 June to 6 July 1918, and from 10 to 14 August.
in 1933. Having risen to the rank of colonel, he became an inspector of a flying school.
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 15 confirmed aerial victories (plus three unconfirmed) while he was a leutnant. He later joined the Luftwaffe
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....
and was a flying school inspector.
Early life
Alois Heldmann's native town was Grevenbrioch, near Cologne. He was studying engineering until the war began. Heldmann originally served as an infantryman on the Russian Front.Flying service
After switching to aviation, he served in artillery cooperation units operating two-seaters in Serbia, Bulgaria, and France. He was a well experienced pilot by the time he joined Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 10 in November 1916 and was given a Pfalz D.IIIPfalz D.III
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Grosz, Peter M. Pfalz D.IIIa . Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-94841-425-1.* Guttman, Jon. Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 ...
to fly. He would use the Pfalz for his first five wins, beginning 22 July 1917. He then upgraded to a Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
. He scored steadily throughout the last eight months of the war, with his last victory just five days before war's end. Twice he rose to temporary command of the squadron, from 19 June to 6 July 1918, and from 10 to 14 August.
Post World War I
Heldmann returned to being an engineer postwar. He joined the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
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....
in 1933. Having risen to the rank of colonel, he became an inspector of a flying school.
Reference
- Pfalz Scout Aces of World War 1. Greg VanWyngarden. Osprey Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-84176-998-3, 9781841769981.
- Albatros Aces of World War 1: Part 1 of Albatros aces of World War I. Norman L. R. Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-85532-960-3, 9781855329607.
- Fokker D VII aces of World War 1, Part 1. Norman Franks, Greg VanWyngarden. Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84176-533-3, 9781841765334.