'' Hauptmann'' Paul Henning Aldabert Theodor von Osterroht (13 September 1887–23 April 1917) IC was a German military aviation pioneer who became a flying ace in World War I. After valorous service as a bomber pilot and commander, he was called upon to found one of the original German Jagdstaffels. By March 1917 he led that unit into combat. Between 29 March and noon of 23 April, he scored seven aerial victories. Six hours later, he was killed in action while on patrol.

Early life and service

Paul Henning Aldabert Theodor von Osterroht was born on 13 September 1887 in Luneberg, 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 ...

. His father, Ernst Theodor Gustav Osterroht, since 1863 von Osterroht, was a Captain, later Oberstleutnant in the

Dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat ...

. His oldest brother Hermann Theophil Ernst Siegfried von Osterroht was Rittmeister and Eskadronchef in World War I. His youngest brother Helmut Theodor Gotthilf Wilhelm von Osterroht (born 19 January 1894 in Tilsit) was at last Oberst of the Wehrmacht and from 1 June 1942 until 17 September 1944 "Stadt-/Kampfkommandant" of

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

. Paul von Osterroht also chose the profession of arms, and joined the

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

's Deutsch Ordens-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 152 in May 1906. He was commissioned an officer on 18 August 1907. He switched to aviation duty, and was forwarded to Gotha on 13 April 1912 for pilot's training.Franks et al 1993, p. 178. He received license number 305 on 9 October 1912.

World War I

Osterroht was serving in FFA 18 when World War I began. He was one of the first German airmen to be awarded the Iron Cross First Class, received on 7 October 1914. After FFA 18, he served with ''Brieftauben-Abteilung Ostende'' in 1914 and 1915; one of his aerial observers was Manfred von Richthofen. Together they downed a French airplane so far behind French lines the victory could not be verified.VanWyngarden, p. 25. On 30 January 1915, Osterroht was promoted to ''

Oberleutnant () is the highest lieutenant officer rank in the German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. Austria Germany In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Trans ...

''. In May 1916, he transferred to ''Kampfstaffel'' (Tactical Bomber Squadron) 1 of ''Kampfgeschwader'' (Tactical Bomber Wing) 1. He was soon given command of the squadron. His service with them ended when he was appointed to command one of Germany's original

fighter squadron A squadron in air force, army aviation, or naval aviation is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, dependi ...

s, ''

Jagdstaffel 12 Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 12 was a World War I "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would scor ...

'', as it was being founded. The unit was founded with over-age

Fokker D.I The Fokker D.I (company designation M.18) was a development of the D.II fighter. The D.I was also flown in Austro-Hungarian service as a fighter trainer aircraft under the designation B.III. Confusing the matter further, both the D.II and D.I ar ...

s; however, by March 1917, they had been re-equipped with newer Albatros D.III fighters. Osterroht claimed serial number 1958/16 for his own, and had it marked with a four square checkerboard in black and white. On 24 March, the ''jasta'' received a telegram from their higher command congratulating the unit on its performance in downing 14 enemy aircraft.VanWyngarden, p. 24-25. Osterroht scored his first aerial victory on 19 March 1917; at noon of 23 April he scored his seventh. Later on the 23rd, he flew an evening patrol to

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department and in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, regio ...

. There he engaged Sopwith Pups of 3 Naval Squadron, and fell to his death at about 1800 hours.

Aerial victory list

References

Norman Franks Norman Leslie Robert Franks (born 1940) is an English militaria writer who specialises in aviation topics. He focuses on the pilots and squadrons of World Wars I and II. Biography He published his first book in 1976. He was an Organisation a ...

, Frank W. Bailey, Russell Guest (1993). ''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918''. Grub Street. , . * Greg VanWyngarden. (2005) ''JAGDGESCHWADER, Issue 2: Volume 19 of Aviation Elite Units: Volume 19 of Osprey Aviation Elite''. Osprey Publishing. , . * — (2007) ''Albatros Aces of World War 1: Aircraft of the Aces: Part 2 of Albatros Aces of World War I.'' Osprey Publishing. , .

Endnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osterroht, Paul von 1887 births 1917 deaths German military personnel killed in World War I Prussian Army personnel Luftstreitkräfte personnel German untitled nobility Aviators killed by being shot down German World War I flying aces Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class People from Lüneburg People from the Province of Hanover