Friedrich Friedrichs Leutnant Friedrich Friedrichs was a World War I fighter ace credited with 21 confirmed victories . Undaunted by an early invaliding by infantry combat during early World War I , Friedrichs switched to aviation . After serving reconnaissance duty , he moved to being a fighter pilot with Jagdstaffel 10 . He shot down 11 enemy observation balloons , making him a top balloon buster ; he also shot down 10 enemy airplanes . He was killed in action on 15 July 1918 when his Fokker D . VII burst into flames in midair . Early life and military service . Friedrich " Fritz " Friedrichs was born in Spork , Westphalia , in western Germany , on 21 February 1895 . His father was a customs official . Friedrichs attended Hermann - Tast Gymnasium . He received his diploma in 1914 . He was interested in a medical career . He volunteered for service in the German Imperial Army ' s Infantry Regiment No . 85 on 14 August 1914 . On 9 October , he went to the front . He served with them until seconded to officer training in Munich . Upon graduation on 23 September 1915 , he was commissioned a lieutenant in the reserves and posted to Infantry Regiment No . 32 . 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 . Aerial service . See also Aerial victory standards of World War I . Friedrichs then transferred to the " Luftstreitkräfte " . He underwent training from 1 October 1916 through 20 February 1917 . He undertook aviation training at Cologne and Paderborn before learning artillery observation at Jüterbog . On 9 June , having trained as both observer and pilot , he was posted to FA ( A ) 264 , an artillery observation squadron . While serving with them , he won both classes of the Iron Cross . On 4 January 1918 , he began a week ' s " Jastashule " . Upon completion , he moved up to Royal Prussian Jasta 10 , a part of Jagdgeschwader 1 , to fly a Pfalz D . III . His first claim , on 18 March 1918 , went unconfirmed . Three days later , he became a balloon buster , blasting one of the floating observation posts at Ruyalcourt , France , in the vicinity of the Somme . He scored once more in March , downing a SE . 5a on the 27th . Friedrichs had no successes in April . He shot down a D . H . 9 on 3 May , and a Sopwith Camel on the 15th . Three days later , he began a string of six consecutive victories over observation balloons that ended on 8 June 1918 . This brought his count to ten . He ran off nine more triumphs that month , including four more balloons . He had one confirmed win , over a Nieuport 28 on 2 July , and an unconfirmed claim on 8 July . Killed in action . On 15 July , an unexpected hazard caught up with Friedrichs . His aircraft caught fire in midair . It seems most probable that the incendiary bullets loaded on his airplane spontaneously ignited and set his Fokker D . VII on fire . Friedrichs parachuted out of the conflagration , but the parachute ' s harness and lines entangled in the plane ' s tail and Friedrichs fell to his death . Friedrich Friedrichs had already been awarded the Knight ' s Cross with Swords of the Hohenzollern House Order . He had also been recommended for the Pour le Merite . Reportedly , it was awarded on 20 July , five days after his death . However , the rolls of the order do not list him as a recipient .