Background
Ernst Freiherr von Althaus was born in Coburg. He was the son of the Adjutant to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
Ernst Freiherr von Althaus was born in Coburg. He was the son of the Adjutant to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
He was one of the original Fokker Eindekker pilots who became known collectively as the Fokker Scourge. He joined the 1st Saxon Husaren-Regiment Near 18 as an ensign in Grossenhain in 1909 and was serving in that unit at the outbreak of war.
At the start of war, von Althaus was a leutnant with his unit
He was awarded the on 27 January 1915 for an action when he led a patrol of 15 hussars into a French village which led and captured twenty-two prisoners. In the spring of 1915 he transferred to the Fliegertruppen and trained at Federal Energy Administration 6 at Grossenhain.
He was promoted to Oberleutnant on 6 August 1915 before being posted to FA 23 on 20 September where he led long distance flights. He also served in Kō Enerugī Kasokuki Kenkyū Kikō Vaux, Kō Enerugī Kasokuki Kenkyū Kikō Sivry, and Kō Enerugī Kasokuki Kenkyū Kikō Jamitz.
On 3 December 1915, he shot down a Royal Aircraft Factory Bachelor of Engineering.2c near Roye.
In February 1916, he scored twice more, in March again, and on 30 April became an ace. He was wounded in the process. During the early summer of 1916, he was awarded the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern.
He continued with Kō Enerugī Kasokuki Kenkyū Kikō Vaux when it became Jasta 4, and was wounded in action with them on 4 March 1917.
Althaus then transferred to Jasta 14. Manfred von Richthofen personally requested Althaus"s transfer to Jasta 10.
Althaus took command on 6 July 1917. He made a bit of a splash, marking his Albatros Doctorate.V"s chrome yellow fuselage with the five dots and a dash that Morse Coded his nickname initials of "H A".
He scored one last victory here, after a year"s break, on 24 July 1917.
However, four days before, at the Red Baron"s request, he had relinquished command of Jasta 10 to Werner Voss. Althaus"s failing eyesight caused his removal from command and combat. He also seems to have been regarded as a scandalous gambler.
He shifted to commanding Jastaschule II, but that assignment was also ended by his diminishing vision.
In a reversal of the usual system of transfers, Althaus shifted back into the command of an infantry company at Verdun. After a battle in which his company was reduced to fifteen men, he was captured by Americans on 15 October 1918, and not repatriated until September 1919.
Althaus studied law. He became a lawyer despite his total loss of vision by 1937.
He did well enough that during World World War II, he rose to become Landgerichtsdirektor (Director) of the County Court of Berlin. In 1945, he served briefly as an interpreter for the victorious Allies.
He died of illness the following year.
Knight"s Cross of the Military Order of Saint Henry Iron Cross of 1914, 1st and 2nd class Knight"s Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords Pour le Mérite Knight"s Cross of the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order with Swords War Merit Cross, 2nd class (Brunswick) General Honor Decoration (Hesse).
