Andreas Dombrowski

Andreas Domorowski was born in Mahrisch-Ostrau, in the present day Czech Republic, on 30 November 1894. He was of Sudeten German heritage.[1]

See also Aerial victory standards of World War I

In 1915, he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian military and volunteered for aerial service as soon as he finished recruit training. He had a natural talent for flying. When he completed pilot's training in June 1916 by earning Austrian Pilot's Certificate No. 382, he was posted to Flik 29. This squadron operated Hansa-Brandenburg C.I two-seater reconnaissance craft on the Russian Front. Dombrowski arrived at a time of vigorous aerial activity linked to the Brusilov Offensive.[1][2]

On 17 August 1916, he and his observer were credited with driving down a two-seater Voisin aircraft in a ten minute fight during which Dombrowski outflew his opponent while his observer manned the machine gun.[1]

Flik 29 then transferred to the Romanian Front in late September 1916. There the Austro-Hungarians faced formidable opponents. The Romanian and French pilots were reinforced by Russian squadrons, which were equipped with Anatra reconnaissance airplanes[3] and recent model SPADs. Despite this bitter opposition, Dombrowski excelled at long range reconnaissance and photographic missions, conducted effective artillery direction missions, and bombed the enemy in his Hansa-Brandenburg C.I. He soon became so highly regarded as a pilot that officers vied with one another to fly with him.[note 1][1][2]

In his normal course of flying, Dombrowski was bound to clash with his enemies. On 5 February 1917, with Karl Patzelt flying in the rear seat, the Austro-Hungarian air crew was attacked by an enemy Nieuport. They forced it to land in a ravine in enemy-held territory, west of Comănești.[4]

Dombrowski flew on into summer. On 13 June 1917, at 0930 hours, he clashed with an intercepting Nieuport fighter. After a short dogfight, the Nieuport was forced to land northwest of Onești.[4]

Eight days later, on 21 June 1917, with Karl Patzelt once again in Domborwski's rear seat, they engaged another Nieuport fighter. This one was shot down to crash in a forest north of Borșani.[4]

On 10 July 1917, Dombrowski flew a mission with an observer who usually manned an observation balloon's gondola. The pair came across a "three-engined large aircraft" and shot it down into enemy territory near Soveja. It was Andreas Dombrowski's fifth aerial victory.[5]

Dombrowski's heroic feats had not gone unrewarded. He had received both the Silver and Gold Medals for Bravery; the latter was the highest award available for a noncommissioned officer. The Prussians also bestowed a War Merit Medal on him.[note 2][6]

In April 1918, Dombrowski transferred again, this time to fly fighters with Flik 68J in northern Italy. His commanding officer there was his former observer, Karl Patzelt. They were out on a late morning squadron patrol on 4 May 1918 when they were attacked by two flights of Sopwith Camels. Dombrowski used his Albatros D.III's machine guns to light a Camel afire in midair. When he returned to the dogfight, he took a bullet to the face that forced him to crashland. Patzelt and another Austro-Hungarian pilot were killed in action during the fight.

After his recovery, Dombrowski went to a photo reconnaissance unit, Flik 57Rb, which flew two-seater Phönix C.Is in addition to Hansa-Brandenburg C.Is. He proved to be quite talented in using specialized airborne cameras for photographic mapping.[6] Dombrowski would fly with Flik 57Rb until war's end.[2] He then vanished into obscurity.[6]