Otto Esswein

Background

Otto Esswein was born in Waiblingen, in the Kingdom of Württemberg within the German Empire, on 3 March 1890.

Career

Esswein transferred from ground service to aviation in mid-1915. On 30 October 1917, he was assigned to Jasta 26. He scored his first victory, shooting down a Sopwith Camel on 15 November.

He was then slightly wounded in the right eye on 27 November.

When he returned to the squadron in early 1918, a new Fokker Doctor.I triplane awaited him. He used it to shoot down another Camel on 2 February, three more the next day, and two more British fighters on the 5th, one of which was the Southeast-5 of 84 Squadron"s Lieutenant

Cyril Ball, brother of English ace Albert Balliol By 26 March 1918, he was a double ace with ten victories.

On 31 May, he increased his tally to a dozen with his two last victories.

On 16 July, in one of the pioneer usages of a parachute, he successfully bailed out of his burning plane after being shot down attacking a balloon. Five days later he was unable to repeat the feat and was killed in action in another flaming aircraft over Hartennes-et-Taux, France.

Achievements

• He was awarded the Military Merit Cross on 3 June 1918 to join his Iron Crosses, and later awarded his home kingdom"s Military Merit Order in Gold and Silver.