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    Otto Hess

    b. Braunfels

     

    11/21/16 -earns his SeefliegerAbzeichen in SFA II Wilhelmshaven

     

    5/21/17 -transferred to SFA I

     

    7/4/17 -promoted to FlugOberMaat

     

    6/8/17 -EKII awarded

     

    3/19/18 -Promoted to Flugmeister

     

    7/18/18 -A British patrol of two Short 184s out of Westgate (coast of Kent) escorted by two Sopwith Camels out of Manston were met by six Hansa-Brandenburg seaplane fighters (w.29) from Seeflugstation I, Zeebrugge.  The air battle occurred over Quadrant 1305K (Kentish Knock). 

     

    Both Short 184s were shot down.  Ace and PLM winner Kapitanleutnant Frederich Christiansen accounted for one of the downed airplanes.  Flugmeister Hess and his gunner Hahn were credited with the second. Either; Short 184 number "N2927" with Lt. Pegram (KIA) and 2Lt. Thrower(KIA) or Short 184 number "N2937" with Lt. Vowles (survived) and 2Lt. Farrall (survived)

     

    11/21/18 -Hess and Hahn receive an Ehrenpries, the naval equivalent to the Ehrenbecker.  The Ehrenpries trophy is two bronze eagles frozen in aeronautical battle mounted on a black plinth.  It currently resides in a WWI Aviation museum in New Zealand.

     

     

    ----There are no known photos of Otto Hess or his airplane.----

     

     

     

     (my many thanks to those that have provided me with much of Hess' career information, dates and details of his victory) 

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    I'm glad that you found one of this badges: sometimes it feels like "100 years" to find a real one of this navy badges.

     

    It seems you have the informations from the diary of SFS Flandern I.

     

    Regards

     

    Alex

    Edited by jaba1914
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    Hi

     

    Agree, what a wonderful badge !!!!

     

    Otto Hess (Heß) apparently served in SFS Borkum while receiving that badge. I only have some fragmentary notes from the KTB of that unit.

     

    The name of the observer to Hess is Lt dR MA Otto Holm. (a Swedish sounded name but he was born in Hamburg)

     

    :)

    Gunnar

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    @ Gunner -Thanks.  I will make the "Holm" corrections to my notes.  I should have said from the onset that my chronography on Hess is a work in progress.

     

    @Chris Liontas -Thanks.  I (of course) agree, these badges and the ones that can be attributed to an individual's WWI history are really special. 

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    • 1 month later...
    • 3 weeks later...

    Nice picture of Seeflugstation Flandern I at Seebrügge.

    SFS_Flandern_I_.thumb.jpg.555cc4fe9b166e

    Following planes are on this picture:

    Fdh FF 33e #503        
    Fdh FF 33f  #537        canceled 09.10.1916
    Fdh FF 33e #542        canceled 01.02.1917
    Fdh FF 33e #547        
    Fdh FF 33e #633        canceled 07.09.1916
    Fdh FF 33h #638        canceled 22.10.1916
    Fdh FF 33h #639        canceled 16.09.1916

     

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    • 2 weeks later...
    • 4 weeks later...

    I feel forced to show a snapshot, taken by my great grandfather on board of SMS Danzig....it is "Friedrichshafen F 33 ", somewhere in the Baltic Sea.

     

    Hope you like it...

     

    Best regards

    Roman

     

     

    post-700-0-20601600-1418849922.jpg

    ​Nice picture, a cousin of my greatgrandfather actually flew #835, of the FF33E.

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    ​Nice picture, a cousin of my greatgrandfather actually flew #835, of the FF33E.

    ​David,

     

    your relative flew more planes at SFS Varna, like:

    FF33e #529 (Flugmaat Müldner / Ob.Strm.Mt. Wittmann) on 26.01.1916, 29.01.1916, 30.01.1916, 31.01.1916, 01.02.1916 and many more

    FF33e #507 (Flugmaat Müldner / bulg. Kapitänleutnant Liaptscheff) on 02.04.1916, 14.04.1916 and many more

    FF33e #723 (Vize-Flugmeister Müldner / Flugmeister Wienecke) on 26.09.1916

    FF33e #738 (Vize-Flugmeister Müldner / Flugmeister Wienecke) on 27.09.1916

    FF33e #851 (Vize-Flugmeister Müldner / Lt.z.S. Wagner) on 01.05.1917

    Regards

     

    Alex

     

     

     

    Edited by jaba1914
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    Great info, Alex. Does it also mentions the date 04.06.1916 and maybe a hint why he got the EK2 at that time or any possible reasons for the other awards he got? I would also like to know why he suddenly goes into a staff-position in September 1917. Was he unfit for active-flying duty from then, did he maybe have an accident?

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    Hi David,

     

    I couldn't find a special reason for the award of the EK2 and the other awards. He got the EK2 for the good work he done during numerous flights, not for one reason. Same for the bulgarian awards. The unit at Varna works vary close with the bulgarian navy. On various flights bulgarian officers flew as observer on german planes. Müldner was one of the pilots who flew with bulgarian officers several reconnaissance missions.

    Regards Alex

      
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    • 3 weeks later...

    Now I recognise the picture of the reverse with the notation.

    Flugmaat Harms received the observer badge on 21th May 1918 while he was at Kofl N.

    Flugmeister Harms was canceled from the list of observer on 19th Sept. 1918 while hw was with II. SFA.

    Regards Alex

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