Otto Kissenberth

Name:

Otto Kissenberth

Country:

Germany

Rank:

Oberleutnant

Units:

FA 8b, 9b
Jasta 16, 23
KEK E

Victories:

Insignia:

Edelweiss, white and yellow

Born:

26 February 1893

Place of Birth:

Landshut, Bavaria

Died:

02 August 1919

Place of Death:

Bavarian Alps

A mechanical engineer with an interest in aircraft design, Kissenberth joined the German Air Force in 1914. Toward the end of the year, he completed his training as a reconnaissance pilot and was posted to FA 8b. On 21 March 1915, he was wounded in action over the Vosges Mountains. When he recovered, he joined FA 9b on 8 July 1915, serving in Italy and on the Vosges front. In 1916, as a fighting pilot with KEK Einsisheim, Kissenberth was credited with his first three victories on 12 October. Not until the summer of the following year would he score again. This time, as a member of Jasta 16, he downed two SPADs and flamed a balloon. On 4 August 1917, Kissenberth assumed command of Jasta 23. One of several German aces who wore glasses during the war, he most often flew an Albatros D.V with yellow and white Edelweiss painted on its fuselage. After scoring more than a dozen victories with this aircraft, he scored his final victory flying a captured Sopwith Camel. Less than two weeks later, on the evening of 29 May 1918, he was seriously injured when he crashed the British fighter. Returning to duty later that year, he served as commanding officer of the Schliessheim flying school until the end of the war. In 1919, Kissenberth was killed in a climbing accident while mountaineering in the Bavarian Alps.

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	12 Oct 1916	about 1520	KEK E		Farman	Widensolen
2	12 Oct 1916	about 1521	KEK E		Farman	Ihringen
3	12 Oct 1916	1659	KEK E		Bréguet V (9181)	Oberenzen
4	26 May 1917		Jasta 16		SPAD	Somme-Py
5	19 Jun 1917		Jasta 16		Balloon	Aubreville
6	16 Jul 1917	1235	Jasta 16		SPAD VII	Morte Homme
7	12 Aug 1917	1810	Jasta 23		SPAD VII	Avecourt Wood
8	17 Aug 1917		Jasta 23		Nieuport 17	Morte Homme
9	19 Aug 1917	1735	Jasta 23		SPAD VII	Morte Homme
10	20 Aug 1917	1015	Jasta 23		SPAD VII	Morte Homme
11	20 Aug 1917	1950	Jasta 23		SPAD VII	Haumont
12	22 Aug 1917	1216	Jasta 23		Paul Schmidt	Hill 304, Verdun
13	06 Sep 1917	1402	Jasta 23		SPAD VII	Beaumont
14	19 Sep 1917	1640	Jasta 23		SPAD VII	Montzeville
15	22 Sep 1917	1430	Jasta 23		SPAD VII	Vaux
16	23 Sep 1917	0950	Jasta 23		Sopwith 1½ Strutter	Hill 304, Verdun
17	23 Sep 1917	0815	Jasta 23		SPAD VII	E of Vaqois
18	02 Oct 1917		Jasta 23		Sopwith 1½ Strutter	S of Avecourt
19	25 Jan 1918	1250	Jasta 23	Albatros D.V	SPAD	Hill 304, Verdun
20	16 May 1918	1055	Jasta 23	Sopwith Camel	S.E.5a	Tilly-Neuville

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