Max Näther
| Max Näther | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 August 1899 Tepliwoda, Silesia |
| Died | 8 January 1919 (age 19 years, 137 days) Kolmar, Province of Posen |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Service/branch | Army, Air Service |
| Years of service | 1914–1919 |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | Jagdstaffel 62 |
| Commands held | Jagdstaffel 62 |
| Awards | Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross |
Leutnant Max Näther (24 August 1899 – 8 January 1919) Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross, was a German World War I ace fighter pilot noted for the destruction of ten enemy observation balloons and sixteen aircraft. He was probably the youngest German ace in World War I.
Max Näther was born in Tepliwoda, Silesia, in what was then the eastern part of the Kingdom of Prussia and is now Poland. Max Näther joined the German army in 1914, at age 15. He was twice wounded before being commissioned as Leutnant de Reserve 11 August 1916, just before his 17th birthday. He won both the Second and First Class Iron Crosses during this time, the latter on 1 February 1916. In the summer of 1917, he volunteered for transfer to the Air Service.
Näther took basic flight training in Bucharest. He then progressed to training with FEA 7 at Brunswick. His final training was at Jastaschule I at Valenciennes, France.
He graduated from Jastashule I and was assigned to Jagdstaffel 62 in March 1918. He flew an all black Albatros D.Va with a personal insignia of a German national flag streaming from a slanted staff imposed on a white square painted on the side of the plane's fuselage just aft of the cockpit.
Näther scored his first aerial victory on 16 May 1918, over a Spad XIII. Then, in June, he reeled off a string of six victories over enemy observation balloons between the 1st and the 28th. Balloons were well defended by surrounding anti-aircraft and nearby patrols of fighter planes, and attacks on them considered near suicidal.
July saw him vanquish a Sopwith Dolphin and three more Spad XIIIs. He became Staffelführer on 7 July 1918, just before his 19th birthday.
Näther spent August on leave; he probably waited to change planes to a Fokker D.VII until after his return.
He scored another six victories in September, including two more balloons. Especially notable was 26 September, when he downed a Spad XIII in the morning and a balloon and another Spad XIII in mid-afternoon. He was slightly wounded the following day.
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