Erich Loewenhardt

Erich Loewenhardt was a German soldier and military aviator who fought in the First World War and became a fighter ace credited with 54 confirmed aerial victories. Originally enlisting in an infantry regiment even though he was only 17, he fought in the Battle of Tannenberg, winning a battlefield commission on 2 October 1914. He would serve in the Carpathians and on the Italian Front before being medically discharged in mid-1915. Following a five month recuperation, Loewenhardt joined the Imperial German Air Service in 1916. After serving as an aerial observer and reconnaissance pilot, he underwent advanced training to become a fighter pilot with Jagdstaffel 10 in March 1917. Between 24 March 1917 and 10 August 1918, Loewenhardt shot down 45 enemy airplanes, as well as destroying nine observation balloons. Shortly after his final victory, he was killed in a collision with another German pilot.

7 April 1897

Born on the same birth date (7 April 1897): Walter Winchell

Born on the same birth day (7 April): Babatunde Olatunji • Edwin T. Layton • Gary Wilkinson (snooker player) • Iris Johansen • James Curtiss • Martin Buß • Paul Berth • Russell Crowe

Born in the same month (April 1897): Ardito Desio • Joe Kirkwood Sr. • John B. Gambling • Manuel Ávila Camacho • Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood • Odd Lindbäck-Larsen • Pierre Fresnay • Thornton Wilder • Werner Voss