Exactly 110 years ago, the “Körting”, the last military airship of the Austro-Hungarian army, crashed after colliding with a biplane. Army crashed after colliding with a biplane. A memorial service for the nine victims of this disaster will take place today at 09:30 in Fischamend. Militär Aktuell sheds light on the greatest aviation tragedy of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
After the army command of the k.u.k. Army decided between 1910 and 1912 that airships had no future in the military, the existing guided balloons were scrapped or taken out of service. In 1914, the “Körting” was thus the last remaining airship of the k.u.k. Army. This guided balloon was stationed at the Fischamend Military Aeronautical Institute, the largest aviation research facility in the entire Danube Monarchy. Militär Aktuell reported in a separate report. By the way, in 2009 a historic anniversary flight day took place here, for which a separate illustrated book was published this year.
The “Körting” – exact type designation “M.III Körting” – was of semi-rigid construction. The buoyancy was generated by filling the airship’s hull with hydrogen (maximum capacity 3,600 cubic meters). The airship was steered by shifting the center of gravity using water weight. In addition, two air ballonets were installed in the belly of the airship for altitude control. The “Körting” had a length of 68 meters, a diameter of 10.5 meters and reached a maximum speed of 57 kilometers per hour. The regular cruising speed was 40 kilometers per hour and its range was around 500 kilometers. It was powered by two 75 hp engines with two four-bladed propellers, each with a diameter of three meters. The first flight of the airship took place on January 1, 1911 in Fischamend, where it was also housed in the specially built “Körting Hall”. Today, single-family houses stand on this site. https://militaeraktuell.at/rheinmetall-und-ukraine-weiten-zusammenarbeit-aus/ The airship was last used for aerial land surveying and for this purpose a “Scheimpflug apparatus” was installed to take photographs. Equipped in this way, the “Körting” took off again for the first time in a good 6 months on June 1, 1914, after a number of repairs had been carried out. Further trips followed and on June 19, the airship and its crew even took part in an exercise, which took them to Aspern ( the cradle of aviation in Austria since 1912) and Orth an der Donau, among other places. On Saturday, June 20, 1914, the “Körting” was to make another trip. But this ended in tragedy.
The crew of the “Körting”
“The originally planned crew had already been changed in the run-up to the flight, when Captain Hauswirth, in his function as commander of the airship station, withdrew the fireworker Geiswinkler, who was probably intended as a photographic assistant to the engineer Kammerer due to his relevant previous knowledge, but also for training in the operation of the ‘Scheimpflug apparatus’, from the journey to carry out clerical work. Geiswinkler came from Bruck an der Leitha and opened a photo studio in Fischamend after the First World War. The second change was probably caused by Lieutenant von Pachner arriving too late for the ascent. We can only speculate that his place had to be taken by an unfortunate person,” explains Rudolf Ster, chairman of the Interest Group Aviation Fischamend (ILF) and organizer of today’s memorial service in Fischamend.
As a result, the crew of the “Körting” consisted of seven people that day. Its commander was Captain Hans Hauswirth, an extremely capable officer and airship pilot. Under his command were First Lieutenant Ernst Hofstätter to operate the helm or valves and Lieutenant Otto Haidinger in the same function. Corporal Franz Chadima and Private Franz Weber were responsible for operating the two engines as so-called “apparatus operators”. Engineer Gustav Kammerer, on the other hand, was to assist Oberleutant Adolf Breuer, who was sent by the k.u.k. Military Geopraphic Institute, was to train Lieutenant Adolf Breuer in the technology of photographic land surveying. Commander Hauswirth had the reputation of being one of the best aeronauts in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The 35-year-old was already looking forward to his 36th birthday on June 23 and had graduated from the Technical Military Academy as part of his military career. Hauswirth initially served in the artillery before transferring to the airship division in 1904 at his own request. “From May 1 to September 30, 1905, he completed the ‘military aeronautical course’ and graduated with the remark ‘suitable for airship officer’ from his instructors,” reports expert Rudi Ster from the ILF. Further training followed and in 1913 the military leadership appointed Hauswirth commander of the Fischamend airship station. First Lieutenant Hofstätter had completed his training as a qualified guided balloon pilot and was 31 years old. His superiors’ assessments were always flawless. Lieutenant Haidinger, who was born on November 9, 1887 in Styria, was a member of the fortress balloon division of Fortress Artillery Regiment No. 6 and was probably the replacement for First Lieutenant von Pacher, who did not arrive on time.
Corporal Franz Chadima (24) came from Dux (Duchcov) in northern Bohemia, a town that until 1945 was predominantly inhabited by German-Bohemian Old Austrians, the so-called Sudeten Germans. Sudeten Germanswas inhabited. ILF chairman Rudi Ster: “Corporal Chadima was a trained engine fitter and was therefore responsible for operating the engines. After completing his service, he actually wanted to get married.” The last member of the aircrew, Private Franz Weber, was born in Budapest and was 23 years old. He had a wife and two small children waiting for him at home. The 47-year-old engineer Gustav Kammerer was called in as an expert and teacher for the further development of airborne land surveying in Austria-Hungary and was to pass on his knowledge on the Körting’s voyages – on June 20, his apprentice was First Lieutenant Adolf Breuer, also an Austrian German Bohemian, who was born on February 5, 1883 as the son of a secondary school professor in Pilsen (Plzeň). Ster: “Oberleutnant Breuer was on board as a representative of the k.u.k. Military Geographical Institute on board and was to be instructed in the practice of aërophotogrammetry.”
The “Körting” sets off to its doom
After all preparations had been completed, the “Körting” slowly rose into the sky from the Fischamend military aeronautical institute in the morning and set course for Königsberg near Enzersdorf an der Fischa. The airship’s cruising altitude was around 300 meters. While the crew was taking photographs for land surveying as instructed, a “Farman HF-20” biplane, also launched a little later by the Military Aeronautical Institute, approached the airship. At the controls was the 29-year-old Bosnian-born field pilot Lieutenant Ernst Flatz.
On board – it was a kind of “familiarization flight” – was Lieutenant Commander Wolfgang Ernst Siegfried Puchta (24), who was born in Czernowitz, Bukowina (now Ukraine) and had only recently been assigned to Fischamend for flight training. “Oberleutnant Flatz was an excellent pilot but also a daredevil. He was therefore both admired and feared by his comrades,” researched local Fischamend historian Rudolf Ster. The men on board the “Körting” and the biplane therefore came from all regions of the multi-ethnic state of Austria-Hungary and thus literally represented the “old Austria” in all its facets, which is also sung about by Peter Alexander and Heinz Conrads in the song “Wie Böhmen noch bei Österreich war …”. Field pilot Flatz flew his biplane close to the “Körting” several times and circled it. Why he did this is unclear. Rumors later arose that Flatz may have received orders from his superiors to approach the airship because it was making “unusual movements”. Rudolf Ster says: “The fact that Flatz had received a relevant reconnaissance order due to the ‘unusual flight maneuvers of the airship observed from the ground’ was so vehemently denied after the accident by all those who could or even had to give such an order that one can rightly speculate that the order could have been given in the rather general form of ‘just check what’s going on’.” https://militaeraktuell.at/eurosatory-gdels-zeigt-pandur-mit-crossbow-moerser/
Deadly flame inferno after collision
In any case, disaster struck during Flatz’s maneuvers. His “Farman HF-20” collided with the airship, turned on its back and crashed to the ground. Although no fire broke out on impact, the two occupants, First Lieutenant Ernst Flatz and Frigate Lieutenant Wolfgang Ernst Siegfried Puchta, were killed instantly and their horribly disfigured bodies were trapped in the shattered wreckage. Although it initially looked as if she had survived the collision relatively unscathed, the fate of the “Körting” and her crew of seven was also sealed. Initially, the guided balloon hovered calmly in the air for a few more seconds. According to eyewitness reports, however, the men were probably aware of their impending doom, as the doomed men climbed up from the gondola on the retaining ropes, shouting loudly for help. Local historian Rudi Ster knows why: “It was probably Commander Hauswirth’s last order. Because this tried and tested measure served to reduce the effects of the impact on the ground in an emergency.” Then suddenly a jet of flame shot out of the balloon envelope and the Körting crashed to the ground as a burning torch enveloped in thick black smoke. All seven men on board were killed. The crash had been observed by several people and the first helpers soon arrived at the scene of the accident – they were met with a scene of horror, as can be seen from contemporary reports. One captain described it as follows: “What I found is too horrible for me to describe. In a lump the remains of the balloon and its occupants, and thirty paces away the aeroplane with the two airmen. All nine people were undoubtedly dead. The aeroplane showed no signs of fire damage. I was no longer able to help.”
A report on the recovery of the victims stated: “At first glance, it was clear that it was impossible to help the casualties. The recovery of the bodies was very difficult. The occupants of the plane, First Lieutenant Flatz and Frigate Accelerant Puchta, could soon be pulled out from under the wing. On the other hand, the crew of the Körting balloon had to be rescued by first extinguishing the fire with earth and then removing the debris. Private Weber was so wedged in that a rope had to be pulled under his arms in order to drag him out.” “The bodies of the casualties looked horrible. The facial features of the two airmen were horribly distorted, their limbs broken several times, the top of their skulls shattered, their eyes torn open in horror, and both had their tongues hanging out of their mouths. The other seven bodies were in such a state that it seemed impossible to identify them at first. There was almost no clothing left, the bodies were all burnt, the limbs crushed. Almost all of them had their arms crossed over their heads. The remains of a yellow shoe could only be found on one corpse, and from this it could be recognized that it was that of engineer Kammerer. The watches and rings of the victims were completely melted. Strangely, the wallets of two of the bodies were found almost completely intact. They belonged to First Lieutenants Hofstätter and Breuer,” the report continued.
Finally, it was reported: “After the bodies had been freed, they were laid on parts of the wings of the Aeroplane, covered with grass and stalks and carried to a truck. However, only three bodies at a time could be placed on the truck, which took them to the mortuary of the local cemetery. The car had to make the journey three times.”
Even the Archduke came to Fischamend
The significance of the crash of the “Körting” for the k.u.k. Archduke Karl Franz Joseph (protector of the “Central Committee for the Creation of the Austrian Air Fleet”, 1916-1918 as Charles I last Austrian Emperor, as Charles IV last King of Hungary) visited the scene of the accident on the same day and was informed about what had happened.
The post-mortem examination of the nine airmen who died in the accident was carried out by the Fischamender community doctor, Dr. Alexander Blitz. However, the small mortuary at the local cemetery did not have enough space to accommodate the nine dead bodies. Some of them were therefore laid on the ground next to the cemetery chapel (destroyed in the Allied air raid in 1944). Contemporary records state: “Next to the entrance lay the bodies of First Lieutenant Flatz and Frigate Lieutenant Puchta. Both were fully clothed, only the naval officer was missing a shoe. A charred corpse, a black metal band around the forehead of the well-preserved face, the remains of an officer’s cap, was Captain Hauswirth. Two corpses lay on stretchers, two on a platform-like frame, two on wooden planks on the floor. Multiple pieces of bone were sticking out of the dead bodies, one body, said to be Lieutenant Breuer, was pierced by a metal part of the gondola. The mortuary was locked and could only be viewed with the permission of the military station command.”
Funeral services and burial
With the crash of the “Körting”, the era of airships in the k.u.k. Army came to a dramatic end. The tragedy quickly became known throughout the monarchy and beyond, and the military leadership decided to hold a large ceremony in honor of those killed. Rudolf Ster: “In view of the terrible mutilations on the bodies of the casualties, the corpses, marked only by fragments of their clothing, were placed in the coffins by soldiers under the supervision of the chief district physician from Bruck an der Leitha, Dr. Ehlig, and Dr. Blitz, and the coffins were immediately sealed. Not only the bodies of the officers rested in metal coffins, but also those of the non-commissioned officers. Each metal coffin, which had been soldered under military supervision, bore a note at the foot with the name of the deceased.” On the morning of June 22, two days after the crash, numerous family members of the victims arrived at the command of the military airship division to make the arrangements for the funeral. “As all the relatives gave their consent to a joint funeral service and burial in a common grave, it was decided to transfer the bodies to the Vienna Central Cemetery and bury them there,” says ILF Chairman Rudolf Ster. It was also decided that the blessing of the deceased would be performed by local priest Ludwig Noah on June 23 at nine o’clock in Fischamend. On the evening of the same day, the municipal council held a mourning meeting. The “Neue Zeitung” reported on the funeral services in Fischamend on June 23 on June 24: “The funeral service for the nine victims of the aviation catastrophe in Fischamend turned into a profound mourning rally. The nine metal coffins were laid out in the mortuary of this place, decorated with numerous wreaths from military authorities, comrades, friends and relatives. There were deeply moving farewell scenes. Above the entrance to the mortuary was a large double-headed eagle, framed by flower garlands, the work of fireworks artist Geiswinkler, who had been prevented from taking part in the last flight of the Körting balloon at the last moment for official reasons and had thus escaped death.”
Among the mourners were the highest political, clerical and military representatives, including Prince Alfred Montenuovo and his wife as well as his two daughters Princess Fanny Montenuovo and Countess Ledebour, the apostolic field vicar Bishop Bjelik and Section Chief Field Marshal Lieutenant Leopold Schleyer from the Imperial and Royal War Ministry. War Ministry. The commander of the airship division, Lieutenant Colonel Uzelac and Major v. Umlauff with the airship officers, the municipal council of Markt Fischamend headed by Mayor August Schütz and Mayor Burkart of the village of Fischamend were also present. Friends and comrades of the casualties also took part in the farewell to the dead. Rudolf Ster: “It must have been moving scenes. According to the ILF’s research in the archives, for example, Corporal Chadima’s young bride was standing by his coffin. The relatives of Captain Hauswirth and the widow of Lieutenant Hofstätter were also present. Even the Chamber of Deputies in Budapest, in the Hungarian half of the empire, expressed its grief over what had happened.” The funeral procession set off at nine o’clock. Accompanied by the church bells, it moved through a dense line of people, all the houses carried mourning flags. Time seemed to stand still. The entire population of Fischamend paid their last respects to the victims of the “Körting” crash as far as the market tower. https://militaeraktuell.at/eurofighter-operieren-im-sommer-auch-aus-hoersching/ The nine coffins were then taken to the Vienna Central Cemetery, where they were buried on June 24 at around 1 pm “in the presence of members of the imperial family, the Minister of War and the heads of the military and civilian authorities”, as can be read in the archives. There was a large funeral service with full military honors and a squadron of planes took off from Aspern airfield to drop flowers. The “Fremden-Blatt” devoted a detailed report to the event on June 25, 1914 (spelling in original): ”
Yesterday afternoon, the bodies of the airmen who died in the accident were laid to rest at the Central Cemetery. His Majesty the Emperor expressed his deep sympathy for the tragic fate of the unfortunate victims of the catastrophe by sending a representative to the funeral service, members of the court attended the central cemetery or sent deputies, representatives of the government and the highest military circles walked behind the coffins and the population of Vienna stood in a wide arc around the grave of honor, which held the last remains of the fallen fighters for the control of the air. The most poignant moment of the impressive funeral service was the moment when flying machines became visible in the blue ether (note: coming from the north) and the aviators of the Aspern meeting paid their last respects to their fallen comrades.”
“Carried to the grave were: Civil Engineer Gustav Kammerer, Captain Johann Hauswirth of Fortress Artillery Regiment No. 5, First Lieutenant Ernst Hofstätter of Infantry Regiment No. 47, First Lieutenant Adolf Breuer of Feldjäger Battalion No. 8, assigned to the Military Geographical Institute, First Lieutenant Ernst Flatz of Infantry Regiment No. 91, Frigate Lieutenant Wolfgang Puchta of the Kriegsmarine, Lieutenant Otto Haidinger of Fortress Artillery Regiment No. 6, Motorchauffeur Corporal Franz Chadima of Infantry Regiment No. 35 and Private Franz Weber of Infantry Regiment No. 32, all of whom belonged to the airship section. The nine coffins, which almost disappeared under the countless donations of flowers, were laid out in the mortuary.”
“Soon after half past 1 o’clock, two companies with the music, the cross bearer and two non-commissioned officers with 20 men from Infantry Regiment No. 4 marched in front of the main entrance to the mortuary as a guard of honor. Six men from the airship detachment lined up in front of the chapel for each coffin. At the same time, four guns of the Feldhaubitz Regiment No. 2 had lined up in marching column on Simmering’s main street, their head in front of the 2nd gate of the cemetery. Soon afterwards, the mourners began to arrive, after the public had already begun to arrive from the city long before. Heavy silk ribbons in many colors, mostly regimental colors, decorated the threads. Around 200 wreaths had been handed in. Only the foreign military attachés and the generals were admitted to the chapel. At 1 o’clock the apostolic field vicar Dr. Bjelik began the blessing with the assistance of the field clergy. The mourners followed the ceremony with deep emotion.”
“When it was finished, the court opera choir sang “Wanderers Nachtlied” by Reißiger (see below for a reference), whereupon Field Bishop Bjelik spoke the following obituary: ‘You dear dead, heroes of duty, parents and relatives weep for you, we warriors and comrades mourn your loss, but praise you happily that the beautiful lot fell to you to die for your fatherland! We offer you the highest that love and piety can give to the dear dead: we offer you the salute of honor into the early grave with our prayers! Rest gently! May God’s blessed peace surround your tomb and may the crown of immortality adorn you in heaven! Amen!’ Now the servants of the municipal undertakers lifted the coffins and carried them out of the chapel. In the avenue in front, the soldiers of the airborne division stepped forward six to a coffin and took over the coffins, which were marked with ribbon bows bearing the name of the deceased.”
“Non-commissioned officers flanked the coffins, that of the frigate lieutenant Puchta a non-commissioned officer of the Kriegsmarine. The first coffin to be carried was that of Engineer Kammerer, then those of the officers and finally those of the crew. At the head of the procession walked the cross bearer, followed by Bishop Bjelik with the clergy. Then followed the coffins, accompanied by the members of the families, behind which walked Count Paar, representing the Emperor, then Archduke Peter Ferdinand and the representatives of the Archdukes. They were followed by the ministers, the generals, the officer corps, the foreign attachés and the other mourners. On the way to the grave of honor, the music played funeral marches. At the grave, Bishop BJELIK blessed the coffins once again. The Protestant field curate then blessed the body of First Lieutenant Hofstätter. The coffins were lowered into the ground.”
“At this moment the flying machines coming from Aspern became visible in the air, approaching the cemetery in rapid flight. At 1:35 a.m., the Frenchmen Chevillard, Audemars, Prevost, Garros, Gilbert, Bathiart and Bielovucic, as well as the German pilot Hirth and the Austrian Sparmann, took to the air for this funeral parade. Mourning flags flew from their aircraft on both sides. The pilots flew up in a swarm and headed straight for the central cemetery. There they circled the cemetery several times, descending in several loops. It was an overwhelming funeral service that made a deep impression. From a height, the pilots threw flowers down onto the cemetery, which were intended for their unfortunate comrades. Then the aviators turned for the return flight to Aspern, where they landed at 1:54 am. Afterwards Legagneux and Stiploschek, the latter with engineer Kürth on board, ascended to the central cemetery to offer floral tributes from the skies to the dead of Fischamend. The funeral service ended around 2 o’clock. The two companies had taken up position near the grave and now fired the salute. They marched through the Schwechat Gate onto Simmeringer Hauptstraße, while the artillery fired the salute at the northeast corner of the Protestant cemetery. Then the infantry and artillery marched and moved in. ”
The grave of honor, where the dead of the “Körting” disaster were laid to rest, still exists today and is located at the central cemetery in Group 0, Row F, Number 1 (opposite the graves in Group 0, Row 0, Numbers 69-71). In Fischamend itself, a memorial near the church commemorates the victims of June 20, 1914 by name, as well as a number of other aviation pioneers who have been saved from oblivion thanks to the efforts of local historian Rudolf Ster and his friend, Captain (ret.) Reinhard Ringl, co-founder of the Fischamend Aviation Interest Group, who sadly died far too early in 2022.
