Offizierstellvertreter Offiziersstellvertreter, short OStv ( en: ''Officer deputy''), is a rank of the higher non-commissioned officers rank group (also staff NCO group) in the Austrian Bundesheer and Imperial German Army. ;See also Ranks of the Austrian Bundesheer ...

'' Willi Kampe (15 March 1888 – 8 March 1918) was a World War I german flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.The Aerodrome website page on Kamp

Retrieved on 25 October 2020

Biography

Willi Kampe was born on 15 March 1888 in

Hofgeismar Hofgeismar () is a town in the Kassel (district), district of Kassel, in northern Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km north of Kassel on the German Timber-Frame Road. In 1978 and in 2015, the town hosted the 18th ''Hessentag'' state festival. ...

, 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 ...

. He performed his mandatory military service in the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the l ...

between 1908 and 1910, serving with the 4th Guards Grenadier Regiment.Franks et al 1993, pp. 140-141. When World War I broke out in 1914, Kampe was recalled to service; he joined the 5th Guards Regiment. He transferred to ''Die Fliegertruppe'' (the flying troops) in 1915. He first flew with ''Flieger-Abteilung'' (Flier Detachment) 35, before transferring to a fighter squadron, ''

Jagdstaffel 8 Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 8 was a fighter squadron of the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. Although the ''Jasta'' went out of existence along with its parent units shortly after the Armistice end ...

'' for a short spell. On 15 February 1917, he took a posting with '' Jagdstaffel 27''. Beginning 12 August 1917, Kampe would shoot down eight opposing airplanes—seven fighters and an Airco DH.4 light bomber. His final victory came 8 March 1918 near Ypres, when he shot down a No. 19 Squadron Sopwith Dolphin at 1208 hours. He was killed in action in the process, probably by another 19 Squadron Dolphin flown by RAF 'ace' Capt.

Patrick Huskinson Air Commodore Patrick Huskinson, (17 March 1897 – 24 November 1966) was an officer of the Royal Air Force (RAF), who served during the First and Second World Wars. He began his military career in the Royal Flying Corps as a fighter ace, but ...

. Willi Kampe had been honored with both classes of the Iron Cross by the time of his death.

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. , . 1918 deaths 1888 births People from Hofgeismar Military personnel from Hesse-Nassau Prussian Army personnel German military personnel killed in World War I Luftstreitkräfte personnel German World War I flying aces Aviators killed by being shot down Military personnel from Hesse {{germany-mil-bio-stub