Service/branch Cavalry; aviation Died February 15, 1917 | Name Hans Keudell Rank Leutnant | |
Unit Kaiser Alexander II von Russland Uhlan Regiment#3, FEA 2, BAO/Kagohl 1, KEK B, Jasta 1 Awards House Order of Hohenzollern | ||
Leutnant Hans von Keudell was a World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories.
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Early life and service
Keudell was educated in Berlin. In 1904, he joined the cadets at Bensberg. In 1911, he joined the Uhlans. He began World War I with the Uhlans, and went into combat with them in both France and Poland. He was commissioned by April 1915, transferred to aviation and began training on 7 June. On 13 December, he was posted to fly bombing missions, objectives Verdun, Toul, and Dunkirk, for Brieftauben Abteilung Ostende.
Service as a fighter pilot
By early summer of 1916, Keudell was training as a fighter pilot. On 4 August, he joined KEK B under the command of Hans Bethge. From there, on 22 August, Keudell became a founding member of Jasta 1, destined to fly successively a Fokker D.I, a Halberstadt D.III and an Albatros D.III for them. On 31 August 1916, he shot down a Martinsyde Elephant for his first win. He then scored steadily through the rest of the year, reaching ten on 22 November.
1 January 1917 saw Keudell awarded the Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern. He shot down his eleventh victim on 24 January 1917. On 5 February, he was appointed to raise and command Jasta 27. He then scored the brand new jasta's first victory on 15 February, only to be in turn killed in action flying Albatros D III #2017/17 by Lt. Stuart Harvey Pratt, flying a Nieuport two-seater of No. 46 Squadron RFC (his first claim of 7).