He was killed in action on 15 July 1918 when his Fokker D.VII burst into flames in midair.

Upon graduation on 23 September 1915, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the reserves and posted to Infantry Regiment No.

[3] During its campaign in Serbia, he was hit by shellfire and wounded so seriously that he was declared unfit for further duty because of permanent damage to his left leg.

He undertook aviation training at Cologne and Paderborn before learning artillery observation at Jüterbog.

Upon completion, he moved up to Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 10, a part of Jagdgeschwader 1,[1] to fly a Pfalz D.III.

Three days later, he became a balloon buster, blasting one of the floating observation posts at Ruyalcourt, France, in the vicinity of the Somme.

Three days later, he began a string of six consecutive victories over observation balloons that ended on 8 June 1918.

It seems most probable that the incendiary bullets loaded on his airplane spontaneously ignited and set his Fokker D.VII on fire.