Leutnant Hans Karl Müller was a pioneering German

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

during World War I. He was credited with nine aerial victories. He also taught many others to fly, as an instructor in the German Air Service, and later, as a civilian instructor in Mexico.

Early life

Hans Karl Müller was born on 19 July 1892 in Loschwitz, Germany, which was then in the

Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxon ...

. When World War I broke out, Müller joined the German Air Service, then known as the ''Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches''.Franks, et al, p. 169.

World War I

Müller became one of Germany's first military pilots when he undertook pilot's training at ''Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 2''. He qualified as a pilot on 31 December 1914. Three days later, he was posted to FA 3. By 1 May 1915, he was stationed at ''Armee Flugpark 6''. His next assignment was instructor duty at Grossenhain. On 20 February 1916, Müller moved to the

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

front and joined''Kampfstaffel 11''. He scored his first aerial victory while with them, on 26 March 1916. By the next month, he was flying a

Fokker Eindekker The Fokker ''Eindecker'' fighters were a series of German World War I monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft designed by Netherlands, Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker.Boyne 1988 Developed in April 1915, the first ''Eindecker'' ("Monoplane") was the f ...

. On 28 June 1916, he transferred to ''Kampfeinsitzerkommando Avillers''. He scored two more victories while with this unit, destroying an enemy observation balloon and downing an enemy airplane over Verdun. He then became an original member of '' Jagdstaffel 5''; he joined the squadron on 21 August 1916 as a

Vizefeldwebel ''Feldwebel '' (Fw or F, ) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in several countries. The rank originated in Germany, and is also used in Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The rank has also been used in Russia, Austria-Hungary, occupi ...

. Over a four-month period, from 26 August through 26 December 1916, Müller scored six more aerial victories to become his squadron's leading ace. While scoring his ninth and final victory on 26 December, he was so severely wounded in the abdomen that he was removed from combat duty. Müller was commissioned as a ''leutnant'' on 14 January 1917. Upon recovery, he served as a pilot for Siemens-Schuckert#Aircraft, the airplane manufacturer. He would never again see combat; he would survive the war, having been awarded both classes of the Iron Cross.

List of aerial victories

Post World War I

Müller emigrated to Mexico after war's end. He ran a flying school there until 1931. He then moved across the border to Texas. He died in San Antonio on 23 July 1977.

References

Endnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muller, Hans Karl German World War I flying aces 1892 births 1977 deaths Military personnel from the Kingdom of Saxony Military personnel from Dresden Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class Luftstreitkräfte personnel German emigrants to Mexico Mexican emigrants to the United States