Hans Hoyer
Born(1890-09-20)20 September 1890
Rostock, Germany
Died15 November 1917(1917-11-15) (aged 27)
near Zandvoorde, Belgium
AllegianceKingdom of Saxony, German Empire
Service/branchArtillery; aviation
RankLeutnant
UnitFirst Field Artillery Regiment;
Twelfth Field Artillery Regiment;
Flieger Abteilung 10/Feldflieger Abteilung 270;
Jagdstaffel 36
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Military Order of Saint Henry

Leutnant Hans Hoyer (20 September 1890 – 15 November 1917) was a German World War I soldier who was decorated as an artilleryman before turning to aviation. As a flyer, he became an ace credited with eight confirmed and three unconfirmed aerial victories before being killed in action while fighting.

Early life and service

Hans Hoyer was born in Rostock on 20 September 1890; however he was Saxon. He performed his required military service in 1911, joining the First Field Artillery Regiment of the German Army. He rejoined for World War I, this time in the Kingdom of Saxony's Twelfth Field Artillery Regiment.[1]

World War I

Hoyer's valor while serving in field artillery won him the prestigious Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Saint Henry, awarded him on 30 November 1915.[1]

He transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte in April 1916. By May 1916, he was operational with a two-seater unit, Flieger Abteilung 10, and stayed with them through their transition into Feldflieger Abteilung 270. In May 1917, he left the unit to attend Jastaschule. After being trained there as a fighter pilot, he joined Jasta 36 in late July under command of Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp. Hoyer would serve as acting Staffelführer from 4 August to 21 August 1917.[1]

Flying against the Royal Flying Corps, Hoyer staked his first combat claim on 22 August 1917. By the time Bülow-Bothkamp took leave on 29 October, Hoyer's victory total stood at six confirmed and two unconfirmed. Bulow returned to command on 7 November, and Hoyer scored his eighth accredited victory the following day.[1]

On 15 November 1917, Hoyer was on patrol flying an Albatros D.V.[2] He was reported to have downed a Spad before being shot down and killed east of Zandvoorde, Belgium at 1215 hours. It is uncertain whether he fell to a Spad, or under the guns of Philip Fullard.[1]

List of aerial victories

See also Aerial victory standards of World War I

Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c" and may or may not be listed by date.

No. Date/time Aircraft Foe Result Location Notes
u/c 22 August 1917 Albatros D.III Sopwith Houthulst Forest, Belgium
1 23 August 1917 @ 0835 hours Albatros D.III Bristol F.2 Fighter Destroyed Northeast of Zillebeke Lake, Belgium Victim was from No. 22 Squadron RFC
2 3 September 1917 @ 1040 hours Albatros D.III Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 Destroyed West of Tenbrielen, Belgium Victim was from No. 4 Squadron RFC
3 11 October 1917 @ 0830 hours Albatros D.III Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a Destroyed Between Koelberg and Gheluvelt, Belgium Victim was from No. 56 Squadron RFC
4 12 October 1917 @ 1215 hours Albatros D.III Sopwith Pup serial number B1830 Destroyed Westrozebeke, Belgium Victim was from No. 66 Squadron RFC
5 15 October 1917 @ 1510 hours Albatros D.III Bristol F.2b Fighter Destroyed Becelaere Victim was from No. 20 Squadron RFC
u/c 18 October 1917 Albatros D.III Bristol F.2b Fighter Moorslede, Belgium
6 24 October 1917 @ 1427 hours Albatros D.III Spad Destroyed South of Westroosebeke, Belgium Victim was from No. 23 Squadron RFC
7 31 October 1917 @ 1610 hours Albatros D.III Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a Destroyed Ketzelberg Victim was from No. 84 Squadron RFC
8 8 November 1917 @ 1510 hours Albatros Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a Destroyed Between Roeselare and Moorslede, Belgium Victim was from No. 84 Squadron RFC
u/c 15 November 1917 Albatros Spad Zandvoorde, Belgium[3]

Awards and decorations

Endnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Franks, et al. , p. 132.
  2. ↑ Franks, p. 61.
  3. ↑ List collated from Franks, et al., pp. 43-44, 132, and The aerodrome website at http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/hoyer.php Retrieved 27 November 2011.

References

  • Franks, Norman, Frank W. Bailey, and Russell Guest (1993). Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914-1918. Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
  • Franks, Norman (2000). Albatros Aces of World War 1: Volume 32 of Aircraft of the Aces: Volume 32 of Osprey Aviation Series: Volume 32 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-960-3, ISBN 978-1-85532-960-7.
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