Max Ritter von Mller

Not to be confused with the Bavarian ying ace Max

Ritter von Mulzer.

with FA 1b as a reconnaissance pilot and carried out several missions. On 18 August 1914 however, he crashed
taking o when his engine failed; both Mllers legs were
to pull his
Max Ritter von Mller (1 January 1887 9 January broken. However, he overcame his injuries
unconscious observer from the wreckage.[2]
1918) Orden Pour le Mrite, Iron Cross, Military Order
of Max Joseph was a German World War I ghter ace He returned to FA 1b and ying on 9 October. On 31
credited with 36 victories.[1] He was the highest scoring March 1915, ying an Otto CI 'pusher' biplane, he barely
Bavarian pilot of the war.[2]
survived a hard dogght against a French-own Farman.
Despite badly damaged elevators and a dozen bullets in
his plane, he returned safely to his base.[2]

Early life

On 13 December 1915, Mller ew a dangerous and daring mission behind enemy lines, photographing enemy
Max Mller was one of eight children born in Rottenburg positions. Upon his return, he was the rst ocer (and
an der Laaber, Bavaria, Germany, to Max Mller and his one of only seventeen soldiers) to be awarded the[2]Silver
wife Margarethe Wiesmller.[2] The senior Max Mller Award of his native Bavarias Medal for Bravery.
was a merchant.
Mller underwent single-seat ghter training and then
The younger Max Mller completed primary school and served with Feldieger Abteilung 32, beginning on 17
was apprenticed to a locksmith. When he nished his May 1916. As a two-seater pilot, Mller had own over
and had also earned the Iron Cross First
apprenticeship, he became a journeyman locksmith. He 160 missions,
[2]
Class
and
the
Iron Cross Second Class. Already noted
moved several times to pursue his trade. For recreas
an
aggressive
and skilled airman, Mller was one of
ation, he was a gymnast.[2] Physically Mller was small
the
rst
pilots
to
y
the Fokker Eindecker in action.[3]
in stature, being only 5 foot one inch tall.

Mller was posted to Kampfeinsitzer Kommando B, which

in May 1916 becvame Abwehrkommando Nord of FAA
32. He then was posted to the newly mobilized Prussian
Jasta 2 on 1 September 1916, to serve under Oswald Boelcke.[2][4][5]

Military service

He joined the army on 18 October 1907. He originally

served with 6 Kompanie, 1 Kniglich Bayrisches Infanterieregiment (Company 6, First Royal Bavarian Infantry
Regiment). On 1 October 1911, he transferred to the motorized company of the regiment as a driver.[2] It was soon
discovered that he had a natural mechanical aptitude, and
coming to the notice of his superiors, he was then assigned as chaueur to the Bavarian War Minister. He
used this opportunity to repeatedly importune the Minister for transfer to the Luftstreitkrfte.[1] In the meantime,
he had been promoted to Feldwebel on 18 April 1913.

On 10 October of that same year, he scored his rst victory: a DH.2 of No. 24 Squadron, RFC, the pilot being
captured. On 27 November, he became an ace.[1]
A transfer to the Kingdom of Wrttemberg's newly
formed Jasta 28 followed, in January 1917. On 7 April
1917 he opened their victory roll when he shot down an
F.E.2d of 20 Squadron.[6] On the 30th, he shot down
the 45 Squadron Sopwith Strutter of 8-kill ace Captain
William Wright, who survived; it was Mllers seventh
win.[1]

He was posted to the army ying school at Schleiheim

on 1 December 1913, and after four months of training
he became a fully qualied pilot on 20 April 1914. He
started ying missions immediately.[2]

Mllers tally quickly rose throughout 1917, with six in

May.[1] He was also promoted to Leutnant on 26 May,[2]
in the regular army, rather than the Reserve, the rst time
such a commission had been awarded.

He scored ve more times in June 1917. He was quickly

rising among the recognized German ying aces, and his
3 World War I
skill formed the cutting edge of Jasta 28. His native
Bavaria recognized him with the Bavarian Golden Medal
Mller was assigned to Feldieger Abteilung 1b on 2 Au- for Bravery. He also was awarded the Wrttembergian
gust 1914. When the war broke out, Mller was ying Order of Military Merit and the Members Cross with
1

Swords of the Royal Hohenzollern House Order, not to

be confused with the more usual Royal House Order of
Hohenzollern. The Members Cross (Kreuz der Inhaber)
was a lower order exclusively for non-commissioned ofcers or civilians and, especially with swords, was a rare
distinction.

INLINE CITATIONS

ghters and after a lengthy battle, he was taken down,

although there is some speculation as to who was responsible. Somerville also claimed the Albatros.[11]

What is known is that bullets struck his fuel tank, and

his Albatros D.Va had begun to go into a spiral several
thousand feet up. With re quickly burning through the
On 28 July, he shot up a Sopwith 1 Strutter contain- interior panel of the cockpit, Mller, who wasn't wearing
ing 10-kill 'ace' Captain Matthew Brown Frew and 7-kill a parachute, jumped to his death.[1]
'ace' gunner Lieutenant George Al Brooke. With a dam- Mllers nal victory toll included 22 enemy ghter
aged undercarriage and two bullets through the propeller, planes among his 36 victims. He was also an ace over
Frew managed to get the Sopwith back to its home aero- aces, having downed ve aces himself.[1]
drome, but was written o and credited as Mllers 19th
Mllers body and some personal eects were returned to
victory.[1]
his home town on 11 January 1918. His belongings are
August 1917 was Mllers highest scoring month, with in the keeping of the mayor; his diary has been translated
seven victories, and he added another in September, and into modern German for the benet of researchers.[2]
two in October. Exactly a year after Mller had joined
Jasta 2, he had gotten an impressive score of 27 victo- After the war, Mller was awarded the Knights Cross
ries and had already earned the Pour le Merite. The Blue of the Military Order of Max Joseph which conferred
Max, as it was nicknamed, was awarded on 3 September a knighthood on him, backdated to 11 November 1917.
[12]
1917.[7] With the several other distinguished medals that Thus in death, he became Max, Ritter von Mller.
had been awarded to him, he was one of the most highly
decorated aces in the entire German air service, second
only to Manfred von Richthofen.
5 Decorations and awards
After a transfer back to Jasta 2 on 29 October,[2] he
shot down number 30 on 6 November. On 11 November 1917, Mller shot down future 7-kill ace Captain
Arthur Claydon of No 32 Squadron as his 31st claim.[1]
Mller also shot down an unidentied aircraft down on
the 29th.[1] With the death of Heinrich Gontermann in
late October, Mller (with 29 claims) was second only to
Manfred von Richthofen as the highest scoring ace still at
the front.[8]
On 29 October 1917, Mller was then posted to Jasta 2,
opening his account with his new unit on 6 November,
when he claimed a SPAD, possibly of 19 Squadron.[9]
On 11 November he downed a DH-5 of No.32 Squadron,
piloted by future 7-kill ace Lt. Arthur Claydon, who force
landed.
Mller shot down four aircraft in December 1917.[1] The
last of these, on 16 December 1917, was his fth over a
fellow or future ace, 70 Squadrons Lieutenant Kenneth
A. Seth-Smith (7 kills), who survived.[10]
When Jasta 2's leader, Walter von Blow-Bothkamp, was
killed on 6 January, Mller became the commander of
the Jasta.[5]

Killed in Action

Just three days later, on 9 January 1918, while on a

patrol over Moorslede, Mllers ight came across an
RE.8 of No. 21 Squadron own by Capt.G.F.W. Zimmer and Lt.H.A. Somerville, and two SE5a ghters of
No 60 Squadron, own by Captain Frank O. Soden and
Captain R. L. Childlaw-Roberts.[1] Mller engaged the

Iron Cross of 1914, 1st and 2nd class

Members Cross (Kreuz der Inhaber) of the Royal
House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (14 July
1917)
Pour le Mrite (3 September 1917)
Pilot badge (Bavaria)
Silver and Gold Medal of Honour (Bavaria)
Knights Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph
Gold Military Merit Order (Wrttemberg)

6 Inline citations
[1] Max Ritter von Muller. www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
[2] Max Ritter von Muller January 1, 1887 August 26,
1917. www.jastaboelcke.de. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
[3] 'Under the Guns of the Kaisers Aces; Franks & Giblin,
2003, page 46
[4] Jagdstael 2 Boelcke: Von Richthofens Mentor. p. 10.
[5] Jasta 2 (Boelcke)". www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved
2009-08-12.
[6] Jasta 28. www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2009-0812.
[7] Orden Pour le Merit. Retrieved 2009-08-12.

[8] 'Under the Guns of the Kaisers Aces; Franks & Giblin,
2003, page 48
[9] Under the Guns of the Kaisers Aces; Franks & Giblin,
2003, page 90
[10] Kenneth Seth-Smith. www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
[11] 'Under the Guns of the Kaisers Aces; Franks & Giblin,
2003, page 98
[12] Military
Order
of
MaximilianJoseph.
www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2009-08-12.

References
Van Wyngarden, Greg (2007). Jagdstael 2 Boelcke: Von Richthofens Mentor. Osprey Publishing.
ISBN 9781846032035.

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