Erich Loewenhardt
Erich Loewenhardt (7 April 189710 August 1918) was a German soldier and military aviator who fought in the
First World War and became a
fighter ace credited with 54 confirmed aerial victories. Originally enlisting in an infantry regiment even though he was only 17, he fought in the
Battle of Tannenberg, winning a
battlefield commission on 2 October 1914. He would serve in the
Carpathians and on the
Italian Front before being medically discharged in mid-1915. Following a five month recuperation, Loewenhardt joined the
Imperial German Air Service in 1916. After serving as an
aerial observer and reconnaissance pilot, he underwent advanced training to become a fighter pilot with ''
Jagdstaffel 10'' in March 1917. Between 24 March 1917 and 10 August 1918, Loewenhardt shot down 45 enemy airplanes, as well as destroying nine
observation balloons. Shortly after his final victory, he was killed in a collision with another German pilot.
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