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Name: Heinrich Bongartz Balloon-Buster
Orden Pour le Mérite (Blue Max)
knight's cross w/swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class 		Heinrich Bongartz
Country: Germany
Rank: Leutnant
Units: FA 5
Jasta 36
Kasta 27
Victories: 33
Born: 31 January 1892
Place of Birth: Walsum, Rheinland (Rhineland)
Died: 23 January 1946
Place of Death: Rheinberg
 
A school teacher prior to the war, Bongartz was commissioned at Verdun where he served with an infantry regiment. After transferring to the Luftstreitkräft he was wounded five times before his days as a combat pilot ended. On 29 April 1918, Bongartz was shot down by an S.E.5a piloted by Clive Glynn. Despite a terrible facial wound which resulted in the loss of his left eye, Bongartz safely landed his Fokker DR.I.
 
Victories
Date Time Unit Aircraft Opponent Location
1 06 Apr 1917 Jasta 36   SPAD VII Vitry
2 13 Apr 1917 1700 Jasta 36   Caudron Cornicy
3 27 Apr 1917 Jasta 36   Balloon Berry-au-Bac
4 27 Apr 1917 Jasta 36   Balloon Ornes-Thillons
5 02 May 1917 Jasta 36   Caudron Reims
6 20 May 1917 Jasta 36   Balloon French Bouvacourt
7 20 May 1917 Jasta 36   Balloon Villers-Marmery
8 23 May 1917 Jasta 36   Balloon French W of Pruney
9 07 Jul 1917 1945 Jasta 36   F.E.2d (A6494) Ypres
10 11 Jul 1917 0900 Jasta 36   Sopwith Triplane Tenbrielen
11 12 Jul 1917 2135 Jasta 36   Sopwith SE of Zillebeke
12 26 Sep 1917 Jasta 36   Sopwith Triplane Houthulst Forest
13 10 Oct 1917 1700 Jasta 36   D.H.4 Westroosebeke
14 14 Oct 1917 Jasta 36   R.E.8 Zonnebeke
15 17 Oct 1917 1930 Jasta 36   D.H.4 Houthulst Forest
16 18 Oct 1917 1505 Jasta 36   R.E.8 Molenhoek
17 27 Oct 1917 1500 Jasta 36   Sopwith Camel (B2463) Roulers
18 31 Oct 1917 0820 Jasta 36   R.E.8 S of Poelcapelle
19 31 Oct 1917 0840 Jasta 36   SPAD Neuville
20 31 Oct 1917 1610 Jasta 36   S.E.5a Roulers-Menin Road
21 08 Nov 1917 1505 Jasta 36   Bristol F.2b Ledeghem
22 12 Nov 1917 1135 Jasta 36   R.E.8 E of Merken
23 15 Nov 1917 1135 Jasta 36   Nieuport Scout (B6800) NE of Zillebeke Lake
24 23 Nov 1917 1150 Jasta 36   Sopwith Camel (B2415) Becelaere
u/c 23 Nov 1917 1150 Jasta 36   Sopwith Camel (B2409) Becelaere
25 29 Nov 1917 1258 Jasta 36   Bristol F.2b (A7253) Moorslede
26 02 Dec 1917 1205 Jasta 36   D.H.4 NE of Moorslede
27 18 Dec 1917 1525 Jasta 36   Sopwith Camel Roulers
28 29 Jan 1918 1350 Jasta 36   Sopwith Camel Poelcapelle
29 05 Feb 1918 1540 Jasta 36   D.H.4 Thielt
30 05 Feb 1918 1543 Jasta 36   D.H.4 Oudenburg
31 23 Mar 1918 1300 Jasta 36   Sopwith Camel Lagnicourt
32 27 Mar 1918 0755 Jasta 36   D.H.4 Albert
33 27 Mar 1918 0800 Jasta 36   Sopwith Camel SW of Albert
 
Books
Franks, Norman, Frank Bailey and Russell Guest. Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914-1918. London: Grub Street, 1993

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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