Ludwig Hanstein
| Ludwig Hanstein | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 January 1892 Sudwalde, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | 21 March 1918 (aged 26) |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Service/branch | Aviation |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | FA 9, Jagdstaffel 16, Jagdstaffel 35 |
| Commands held | Jagdstaffel 35 |
| Awards | House Order of Hohenzollern, Bavaria's Military Merit Cross Fourth Class with Swords; also with Crowns and Swords |
Leutnant Ludwig Hanstein HOH, Bavaria's MMO was a World War I flying ace credited with 16 aerial victories.
Hanstein rose through the enlisted ranks to become a Leutnant in command of a fighter squadron. Rather unusually, this Prussian usually served in Bavarian units; he rose to command of Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 35. After shooting down 16 enemy aircraft, including three observation balloons, Hanstein was killed in aerial combat on 21 March 1918.
Ludwig Hanstein was born on 20 January 1892 in Sudwalde, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire. His life and military service are unknown until he began aviation service in early 1916. In May 1916, he was posted to a Bavarian unit, Flieger-Abteilung (Flier Detachment) 9. While repelling a British strategic bombing raid on 12 October 1916, he used a Fokker D.II fighter plane to force down a RNAS Sopwith 1½ Strutter onto Freiburg Airfield by wounding its pilot through the neck.
Taking a transfer as a Vizefeldwebel on 31 October 1916, Hanstein shifted to Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 16, whose theater of operations was generally the French sector of the Western Front. Hanstein scored again on 17 March 1917; by 25 September, he had added nine more to his tally to become Jasta 16's first ace. On that same day, having been commissioned a Leutnant, he was posted to command of Jagdstaffel 35.
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