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Name: Hans Kirschstein
Orden Pour le Mérite (Blue Max)
Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class		 Hans Kirschstein [Thanks to Carsten Kopke at Arrowsoft Verlag]
Country: Germany
Rank: Leutnant
Units: FA 3, 19, 256
Jasta 6
Victories: 27
Born: 05 August 1896
Place of Birth: Koblenz
Died: 16 July 1918 Killed In Flying Accident
Place of Death: Near Fismes
 
 
Hans Kirschstein served with the 3rd Pioneer Battalion in Poland, France and Macedonia where he contracted malaria in 1915. In February 1916 he transferred to the air service and was sent to flying school in May. Upon graduating he was posted to FA 19 where he was awarded the Iron Cross, second class, for bombing Dover, England. In 1917 Kirschstein served with FA 256 and FA 3. He attended Jastaschule in February 1918 and was posted to Jasta 6 on 13 March 1918. With this unit he earned the Iron Cross, first class, and the Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern. Having scored 24 victories, he assumed command of Jasta 6 on 10 June 1918. After downing three more enemy aircraft, bringing his total to 27, he was awarded the Blue Max on 24 June 1918. Soon afterwards, Kirschstein was killed in a crash on a return flight from Fismes in a Hannover CL.II piloted by Leutnant Johannes Markgraf. A board of inquiry later concluded the crash was the result of pilot error.
 
Opponents
#13 Trevor DurrantEngland
 
Victories
Date Time Unit Aircraft Opponent Location
1 18 Mar 1918 1105 Jasta 6   Sopwith Camel (C6720) Vaux-Andigny
2 27 Mar 1918 1520 Jasta 6   A.W.F.K.8 (B5773) SW of Albert
3 27 Mar 1918 1525 Jasta 6   Sopwith Camel (C1570) NE of Albert
4 02 Apr 1918 1820 Jasta 6   S.E.5a (B8256) W of Harbonnières
5 06 Apr 1918 1525 Jasta 6   Sopwith Camel (C8248) NE of Wartisse
6 07 Apr 1918 1145 Jasta 6   Sopwith Camel (D6554) S of Proyart
7 03 May 1918 1250 Jasta 6   SPAD W of Pozieres
8 10 May 1918 1950 Jasta 6   Sopwith Camel Chipilly
9 15 May 1918 1205 Jasta 6   Sopwith Camel E of Demuin
10 15 May 1918 1515 Jasta 6   Bristol F.2b SE of Caix
11 15 May 1918 1820 Jasta 6   Bristol F.2b Orvillers
12 16 May 1918 1440 Jasta 6   Bristol F.2b (C4859) Sailly-le-Sec
13 16 May 1918 2110 Jasta 6   S.E.5a (B183) Contalmaison
14 17 May 1918 1110 Jasta 6   Bréguet 14 Cappy
15 18 May 1918 0700 Jasta 6   Bréguet 14 E of Caix
16 30 May 1918 1435 Jasta 6   Bréguet 14 Grand Rozoy
17 02 Jun 1918 1735 Jasta 6   SPAD 2 Cugny
18 02 Jun 1918 2100 Jasta 6   Bréguet 14 Troesnes
19 03 Jun 1918 1930 Jasta 6   Bréguet 14 Epaux-Bezu
20 03 Jun 1918 1935 Jasta 6   Bréguet 14 Fère-en-Tardenois
21 05 Jun 1918 1135 Jasta 6   SPAD Villamont
22 05 Jun 1918 1735 Jasta 6   Bréguet 14 Ambleny
23 05 Jun 1918 2025 Jasta 6   SPAD Chezy-en-Orxois
24 07 Jun 1918 0710 Jasta 6   SPAD 2 Montgobert
25 14 Jun 1918 0900 Jasta 6   Balloon French Villers-Cotterêts
26 14 Jun 1918 0915 Jasta 6   SPAD Villers-Cotterêts
27 24 Jun 1918 0945 Jasta 6   Bréguet 14 Oulchy le Château
 
Books
Treadwell, Terry C. and Alan C. Wood. German Knights of the Air 1914-1918: The Holders of the Orden Pour le Mérite. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1998
 
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