Heinrich Kroll
| Heinrich Kroll | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 3 November 1894 Flatzby, Shleswig-Holstein, Germany |
| Died | 21 February 1930 (aged 35) Hamburg, Germany |
| Buried at | Ohlsdorf Cemetery |
| Allegiance | Germany |
| Service/branch | Infantry, Air Service |
| Years of service | 1914 - 1918 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant |
| Unit | FA 17, Jagdstaffel 9, Jagdstaffel 24 |
| Commands held | Jagdstaffel 24, Jagdgruppe 12 |
| Awards | Pour le Merite, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Albert Order, Iron Cross |
Oberleutnant Henrich Claudius Kroll (3 November 1894 – 21 February 1930) Pour le Merite, Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Saxony's Albert Order Knight Second Class with Swords,Iron Cross First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter ace credited with 33 victories.
Kroll was born in the village of Flatzby near Flensburg, Germany, the son of a school teacher. Kroll the younger also aspired to become a teacher. He passed his examinations at Kiel and was being credentialed as a teacher when World War I started. He was also active in athletics as a member of the Kiel sports club.
He volunteered for service in the "Queen Augusta Victoria" infantry regiment, Fusilier Regiment No. 86, in Flensburg, on 6 August 1914. From there he transferred into Reserve Regiment No. 92. He was in heavy fighting around Hartmannswillerkopf in Alsace, the battle for which began on 31 December 1914. He earned an Iron Cross Second Class, and was commissioned an officer in May 1915.
He then applied for a transfer to the Air Service in January 1916.
Kroll trained with Replacement Division 3 at Gotha. From there he went to FA 17 based at Rethel, France, to fly the Rumpler C.I. He was the only officer pilot in FA 17; commonly, in these early days of aviation reconnaissance the observer was an officer and the pilot a non-commissioned "chauffeur". Following this practice, Kroll's observer was Lieutenant Holzhausen.
In October, 1916, two new Albatros fighters were assigned to the unit, and Kroll started flying one occasionally. The unit was reorganized into Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 9, operating Fokker E.IIIs.
In November 1916 he was posted to Jasta 9. On 12 February 1917, Kroll was awarded the Iron Cross First Class. It was about this time that Kroll wrote about the difficulty of confirming victories: "It is difficult to get confirmation of a victory–especially the first one! It must be confirmed by our own ground troops...this is even more difficult if hazy conditions prevail."
After being shot down and forced to land by a Caudron in November 1916, Kroll's first victory was on 1 May 1917, over a Spad. He downed four more Spads in May, his fifth victory being one of the most significant victories; on 25 May 1917, he shot down and killed the man who was then the second highest scoring ace in the French Air Force, René Dorme. As Kroll's diary related, the two pilots had locked in a circling dogfight beginning at 5300 meters (about 17,400 feet) and devolving down to 800 meters (about 2600 feet). Dorme's Spad suddenly nosed over and barreled straight into the ground, bursting into flames upon impact. Dorme's body was so disfigured it could only be identified by his watch.
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