Oberleutnant Stefan Kirmaier (28 July 1889 – 22 November 1916) was a World War I 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 ...

credited with eleven aerial victories. Kirmaier would succeed

Oswald Boelcke Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...

as commander of the famed ''

Jagdstaffel 2 Jasta 2 (Jagdstaffel Zwei in full and also known as ''Jasta Boelcke'') was one of the best-known German Luftstreitkräfte Squadrons in World War I. Its first commanding officer was the great aerial tactician Oswald Boelcke, and it was the incubator ...

'' before being killed in action.

Early life

Stefan Kirmaier was born in Lachen, 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 28 July 1889.Franks, Bailey, p. 143.

World War I service

Kirmaier began World War I as an infantryman. After transferring into aviation, he was posted to ''Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie)'' (Flier Detachment (Artillery)) 203 in 1915 and early 1916. He was then attached to ''Kampfeinsitzerkommando'' (Combat Single-Seater Command) Jametz, and scored his first three victories during July 1916 while 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 5 October, he was moved up to fly a fighter in ''

'' (Fighter Squadron 2) under the command of

. Kirmaier then scored four wins between 17 and 26 October while flying a reddish-brown

Albatros D.II The Albatros D.II was a German fighter aircraft used during World War I. After a successful combat career in the early '' Jagdstaffeln'', it was gradually superseded by the Albatros D.III. Design and development Albatros designers Robert Thelen ...

. On 28 October 1916, Boelcke was killed in action, and Kirmaier was entrusted with command of the squadron. While in command, he scored four more victories, all in November. On 22 November, Kirmaier died in action from a bullet through the head fired by either John Oliver Andrews or Kelvin Crawford. Kirmaier was also awarded the

Royal House Order of Hohenzollern The House Order of Hohenzollern (german: Hausorden von Hohenzollern or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various ...

on the 22nd.Franks, pp. 12—14.

Citations

References

* Franks, Norman and Frank Bailey (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. . * Franks, Norman (2000).''Albatros Aces of World War I''. Osprey Publishing. 1889 births 1916 deaths Aviators killed by being shot down German military personnel killed in World War I Luftstreitkräfte personnel Military personnel from Bavaria People from Unterallgäu Military personnel from the Kingdom of Bavaria {{germany-mil-bio-stub