Karl Hammes (25 March 1896 – 6 September 1939) was a German operatic baritone, also a fighter pilot in the First and Second World Wars.
[1] In August 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War, Hammes joined an artillery regiment (the Schleswig-Holstienische Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr.
In February 1915, Hammes was promoted to Leutnant, and in October, his unit was transferred to the Balkans for operations against Serbia.
Hammes claimed four French and British aircraft shot down, but was wounded on 9 September 1917 while scoring his final victory, and spent several months in hospital.
[1] From 1929 to 1935, he was a member of the Vienna State Opera, with appearances at the Salzburg Festival, where he performed the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni from 1929 to 1931.