Heinrich Gontermann (25 February 1896 – 30 October 1917) was a German fighter ace credited with 39 victories during the First World War.

[1] Born in Siegen, Southern Westphalia, on 25 February 1896,[2] Heinrich Gontermann grew into a tall slender man, full of vitality.

After leaving school, Heinrich enlisted into the 6th Uhlan Cavalry Regiment in Hanau on 14 August 1914.

Early in the spring of 1915, he was given a field commission as leutnant and he was also awarded the Iron Cross Second Class.

[1] Gontermann was finally accepted for pilot/observer training, and upon his graduation in early 1916 was posted to Kampfstaffel Tergnier as a reconnaissance pilot flying the Roland C.II.

Professionally, he was a student of enemy aircraft types, with a special knack for picking off his foes from point-blank range within their blind spots.

[3][dead link‍] Udet wrote of Gontermann, "Before he opens fire, he defeats his enemy by outflying him.

On 6 May 1917, Gontermann was awarded the Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern.

[2] Upon Gontermann's return to the Jasta on 19 June, he found that acting Staffelführer Ernst Udet had requested a transfer.

He shot down a Spad in the morning, while at 1923 hours, he took out an observation balloon south of Aisne-Tal; three others were destroyed in as many minutes.

[1] He would rank eighth among balloon busting aces of the war; only Friedrich Ritter von Röth outscored him amongst German fliers.

[3][dead link‍] Gontermann was pulled from the wreck alive, though with severe head injuries after slamming into the machine gun breeches.

As a result, Fokker was accused of shoddy construction and directed to change production methods for the manufacture of the plane.