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Name: Friedrich "Fritz" Ritter von Röth Balloon-Buster
Orden Pour le Mérite (Blue Max)
Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
Iron Cross 1st class
Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max-Joseph		 Friedrich von Röth [Thanks to Carsten Kopke at Arrowsoft Verlag]
Country: Germany
Rank: Oberleutnant
Units: FA(A) 296
Jasta 16, 23, 34
Victories: 28
Born: 29 September 1893
Place of Birth: Nürnberg
Died: 31 December 1918
Place of Death:
 
Röth was badly wounded while serving with an artillery regiment. He transferred to the German Air Force after recovering from his wounds but was injured in a flying accident during training. In and out of hospitals for nearly two years, Röth eventually scored his first three victories on 25 January 1918. On that day, he shot down 3 enemy balloons in less than ten minutes. On 30 July 1918, he scored his 17th victory, shooting down a Bristol Fighter flown by John Cowell. Röth was wounded in action on 14 October 1918. By the end of the war, he was Germany's highest scoring balloon-buster. Of his 28 confirmed victories, 20 of them were balloons.

Extremely depressed that Germany had lost the war, Röth committed suicide. His Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max-Joseph was awarded posthumously in 1919.
 
Victories
Date Time Unit Aircraft Opponent Location
1 25 Jan 1918 1257 Jasta 23   Balloon Recicourt
2 25 Jan 1918 1301 Jasta 23   Balloon Betheleville
3 25 Jan 1918 1305 Jasta 23   Balloon Framereville
4 26 Feb 1918 1250 Jasta 23   R.E.8 Mericourt
5 21 Mar 1918 1130 Jasta 23   Balloon Marcoing
6 21 Mar 1918 Jasta 23   Balloon Beugny
7 01 Apr 1918 1730 Jasta 23   Balloon Cambrin
8 01 Apr 1918 1735 Jasta 23   Balloon Hulloch
9 01 Apr 1918 1737 Jasta 23   Balloon Loos
10 01 Apr 1918 1740 Jasta 23   Balloon S of Loos
11 29 May 1918 1600 Jasta 16   Balloon Dixmude-Poperinghe
12 29 May 1918 1604 Jasta 16   Balloon Dixmude-Poperinghe
13 29 May 1918 1609 Jasta 16   Balloon Dixmude-Poperinghe
14 29 May 1918 1612 Jasta 16   Balloon Poperinghe-Hazebrouck
15 29 May 1918 1615 Jasta 16   Balloon Poperinghe-Hazebrouck
16 25 Jul 1918 0950 Jasta 16   Bristol F.2b Gheluvelt
17 29 Jul 1918 2035 Jasta 16   D.H.9 Gheluvelt
18 30 Jul 1918 2100 Jasta 16   Bristol F.2b S of Ypres
19 12 Aug 1918 0840 Jasta 16   S.E.5a Langemarck
20 13 Aug 1918 1920 Jasta 16   Balloon Lampernisse
21 13 Aug 1918 1922 Jasta 16   Balloon Lampernisse
22 13 Aug 1918 1925 Jasta 16   Balloon Lampernisse
23 04 Sep 1918 0930 Jasta 16   D.H.9 Neuf Berquin
24 08 Oct 1918 Jasta 16   R.E.8 (C2674) Gheluvelt
25 10 Oct 1918 1730 Jasta 16   Balloon Staden-Ypres
26 10 Oct 1918 1731 Jasta 16   Balloon Staden-Ypres
27 10 Oct 1918 1733 Jasta 16   Balloon Staden-Ypres
28 14 Oct 1918 Jasta 16   D.H.9 Ledeghem
 
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