Major Theodor Quandt (22 June 18976 June 1940) 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 15 aerial victories."The Aerodrome"
Retrieved 25 January 2010. He would return to his nation's service for World War II, being killed on 6 June 1940 during the Fall of France.

Birth and early military service

Theodor Quandt was born in Mollaud, Prussia on 22 June 1897.''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918'', p. 184 He enlisted in the infantry on 4 August 1914, while he was still 17 years old. He later served as an artilleryman. He was a combatant in the

Battle of Tannenberg The Battle of Tannenberg, also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg, was fought between Russia and Germany between 26 and 30 August 1914, the first month of World War I. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russ ...

on the Eastern Front. He was switched to the Western Front in early 1916. On 1 July, he began aerial service, training as a pilot. Once qualified, he was posted to ''Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie)'' (Flier Detachment (Artillery) 270), an artillery direction unit, on 1 January 1917. He served with them until transferred to '' Jagdstaffel 36'' (Fighter Squadron 36) on 1 April. Rather unusually, he did not undergo fighter training before making the switch.

World War I flying service

Quant began his victory roll with ''Jagdstaffel 36'' as a balloon buster, setting a pair of observation balloons on fire on 21 May 1917. This string of wins ran until the eighth one, on 8 November 1917, the seventh having been over British aces Arthur Taylor and William Benger. On 24 December 1917, Quandt was transferred to '' Jagdstaffel 53'' as its commanding officer. After almost a ten month lapse, Quant resumed scoring on 27 August 1918 with a double victory. His eleventh triumph, on 1 September 1918, was over American ace John Donaldson. He then scored four more times in the next three days, and finished the war as a lieutenant.

World War II flying service

Quandt was killed in action while flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109 during the Fall of France in the beginning of World War II.

Sources of information

References

* ''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918''. Norman Franks, Frank W. Bailey, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1993. , . * ''Albatros Aces of World War 1: Part 1 of Albatros aces of World War I.'' Norman L. R. Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000. , . * ''Albatros Aces of World War 1: Part 2 of Albatros aces of World War I.'' Norman L. R. Franks, Greg VanWyngarden. Osprey Publishing, 2007. , .

Birth and early military service

World War I flying service

World War II flying service

Sources of information

References

Further reading