Leutnant Hans Hoyer (20 September 1890 – 15 November 1917) was a German World War I soldier who was decorated as an artilleryman before turning to aviation. As a flyer, he became an

ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

credited with eight confirmed and three unconfirmed aerial victories before being killed in action while fighting.

Early life and service

Hans Hoyer was born in

Rostock Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, ...

on 20 September 1890; however he was Saxon. He performed his required military service in 1911, joining the First Field Artillery Regiment of the German Army. He rejoined for World War I, this time in the

Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxo ...

's Twelfth Field Artillery Regiment.Franks, et al. , p. 132.

World War I

Hoyer's valor while serving in field artillery won him the prestigious

Knight's Cross Knight's Cross (German language ''Ritterkreuz'') refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that often denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield. Most frequently the term Knight's Cross is used to refer to the Knight's Cr ...

of the Military Order of Saint Henry, awarded him on 30 November 1915. He transferred to the ''

Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as (Flyer Troops)—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, alth ...

'' in April 1916. By May 1916, he was operational with a two-seater unit, Flieger Abteilung 10, and stayed with them through their transition into

Feldflieger Abteilung Feldflieger Abteilung (''FFA'', Field Flying Company) was the title of the pioneering field aviation units of what became the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (German air service) by October 1916, during World War I. Composition The use of aircraft as a tact ...

270. In May 1917, he left the unit to attend ''Jastaschule''. After being trained there as a fighter pilot, he joined

Jasta 36 Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 36, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 36, 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 123 confirmed aerial vi ...

in late July under command of Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp. Hoyer would serve as acting '' Staffelführer'' from 4 August to 21 August 1917. Flying against the Royal Flying Corps, Hoyer staked his first combat claim on 22 August 1917. By the time Bülow-Bothkamp took

leave Leave may refer to: * Permission (disambiguation) ** Permitted absence from work *** Leave of absence, a period of time that one is to be away from one's primary job while maintaining the status of employee *** Annual leave, allowance of time away ...

on 29 October, Hoyer's victory total stood at six confirmed and two unconfirmed. Bulow returned to command on 7 November, and Hoyer scored his eighth accredited victory the following day. On 15 November 1917, Hoyer was on patrol flying an

Albatros D.V The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke and used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatro ...

.Franks, p. 61. He was reported to have downed a Spad before being shot down and killed east of Zandvoorde, Belgium at 1215 hours. It is uncertain whether he fell to a Spad, or under the guns of Philip Fullard.

List of aerial victories

Awards and decorations

of Military Order of Saint Henry * 1914

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...

, Second and First Class

Endnotes

References

* Franks, Norman, Frank W. Bailey, and 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 Publishing. , . * Franks, Norman (2000). ''Albatros Aces of World War 1: Volume 32 of Aircraft of the Aces: Volume 32 of Osprey Aviation Series: Volume 32 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces''. Osprey Publishing. , . {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoyer, Hans German World War I flying aces 1890 births 1917 deaths Military personnel from Rostock People from the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Luftstreitkräfte personnel German military personnel killed in World War I Aviators killed by being shot down