Leutnant Heinrich Henkel (born 11 May 1896, date of death unknown) was a World War I
flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.
[The Aerodrome website page on Henkel http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/henkel.php Retrieved 18 February 2013.]
Biography
Heinrich Henkel was born in
Hamburg, the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
on 11 May 1896.
[Franks et al 1993, p. 128.]
On 1 September 1914, Henkel volunteered for military service in Reserve Fusilier Artillery Regiment Nr. 3. He went into battle with them at Nancy, France, at
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, , and at
Ypres. On 1 July 1915, he was transferred to the infantry. He was
wounded in action on 25 September 1916. He was subsequently promoted to the
officer's ranks as a
Leutnant in December 1916. He volunteered for aviation duty and began training at ''Fliegerersatz-Abteilung'' (Replacement Detachment) 1 in February 1917.
[
Henkel would also undergo ]fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat and sometimes electronic warfare while in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft. Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and ...
's training at Valenciennes, France before joining Jagdstaffel 37
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 37, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 37, was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score over 70 aerial victories ...
in May 1918. He scored his first aerial victory on 9 July, and had scored seven more by 31 October 1918. Three of his eight victories were shot-down observation balloon
An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War ...
s, making him a "balloon buster
Balloon busters were military pilots known for destroying enemy observation balloons. These pilots were noted for their fearlessness, as balloons were stationary targets able to receive heavy defenses, from the ground and the air. Seventy-seven fl ...
". Heinrich Henkel survived the war, having won the Iron Cross for his gallantry, but faded into obscurity.[
]
Sources of information
References
* Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell. ''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918''. Grub Street, 1993. , .
1896 births
German World War I flying aces
Year of death missing
Military personnel from Hamburg
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914)
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