Max Muller WIA

[James A. Pratt III]

Does anyone know the date in 1915 (?) when future Ace Max Muller was WIA?He was flying a Otto C I with FFA 1b which I believe was attached to the German 2nd Army which was holding the Somme sector. He was downed by a "French Farmen". Any help would be welcome.

[rammjaeger]

According to COTGAS he was wounded on 18 August 1914.
According to Rolf Roingh "Zwei Generationen Luftwaffe" Müller broke both legs but saved his unconsciousness observer who did lay under the airplane.

According to Roingh again Müller was also downed on 31 March 1915 when in combat with two e/a. His "Höhenruder" was shot and heavily damaged. Despite this damage and a dozen other hits he landed his aircraft.

VBR
Rammjaeger

[rammjaeger]

German historian Zuerl reported: On 18 August 1914 Müller should fly from Saarburg via Blamont to Bühl.
One day earlier he was fired at by German infantry. The latter thought his airplane would be a French Farman. His airplane got 12 hits.

After the start on 18 August his engine quit in 20 m altitude - possibly because of hits from the day before. Müller removed his unconsciousness observer Oberleutnant Peter from under the wreck despite of his own broken legs. He got EK2 for this deed.

Later Müller was said to fly over French airfield Villers-Bretonneux with the intend to bomb the place when his airplane was attacked by three MG-armed French Farman. His observer had the saving idea to shot with his flare pistole what made (allegedly) the Frenchmen vanish.

On 27 April 1915 Müllers airplane was attacked by a French Nieuport. After a long fight, shot rudder and another 12 hits he made for home with his observer Hauptmann Prestele and got EK1.

So you can see we have a bit contradicting reports by Zuerl and Roeingh here. What fits best to your report? I think 18 August 1914 but he was not shot down by a French Farman but rather downed by German infantry mixing his Otto aircraft with a French Farman-design.

[Cigogne]

The Otto aircraft would not have been a C.I, but rather the earlier Otto pusher design, which Pfalz also built under license.

[James A. Pratt III]

The account of Muller's 1915 wounding came from the book "Under the Guns of the Kaiser's Aces". On 31 March 1915 in the FASWC has Sgt Bonette & ??? C47 2EA FTL, CGAS has this day Ofstv Paul Welk P FA32 killed Cambrai as the only other casualty. No claims in TSTB. Looks like Bonette could have possibly got them both. As for 27 April 1915 there are no claims mentioned on this date in either the FASWC or TSTB.