Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr[1] von Hünefeld (1 May 1892 – 5 February 1929) was a German aviation pioneer and initiator of the first transatlantic aeroplane flight from East to West.
Hünefeld was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, the son of the owner of Braxeinswalde near Preußisch Eylau, where he grew up. He was blind on his left eye and near-sighted on his right, and his childhood was characterized by several serious diseases. After attending school in Berlin, he studied at Berlin University and came in contact with the first flight pioneers at Berlin's Johannisthal Air Field. At the beginning of World War I he tried to join the German Air Service as a volunteer, but was rejected due to his poor health. After that he volunteered again as a motorcyclist, and was wounded in September 1914 in Flanders, which led to a shortened left leg. Due to his handicaps he could not return to service and joined the German Diplomatic Service, serving in Sofia, Constantinople, and as an Imperial Vice Consul in the Netherlands. After the end of World War I he stayed in the Netherlands for one and a half years with the German Crown Prince Wilhelm[citation needed], before returning to Germany, where he worked as spokesman for the Norddeutscher Lloyd shipping company in Bremen.
After Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic from West to East in May 1927, the idea of flying in the opposite direction, which is more difficult because of the prevailing winds, became more and more popular. In 1927 Hünefeld bought two Junkers W 33 aircraft from the Junkers company in Dessau, naming them after the two Norddeutscher Lloyd flagships SS Bremen and SS Europa. His plans were supported by Hugo Junkers and Hermann Köhl, a World War I pilot and head of the Deutsche Luft Hansa Nightflight Branch.
After some test flights, and breaking the record for flight duration, Hünefeld and Köhl flew to Baldonnel, Ireland, where they met James C. Fitzmaurice, the Irish Air Corps Commandant of the Baldonnel Airodrome. On 12 April 1928 these three left Baldonnel in the Bremen and crossed the Atlantic Ocean, landing at Greenly Island at the south coast of Labrador, Canada. Even though they failed to reach their original goal, New York City, they were the first to cross the Atlantic from Europe to America. By a special act of the Congress of the United States on May 2, 1928, Hünefeld and his two companions were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Round-the-world flight attempt
On 18 September 1928 von Hünefeld and Swedish pilot Karl Gunnar Lindner took off from Berlin in the Europa in an attempt to fly around the world. In Bushire, Iran, they met Friedrich Karl von Koenig-Warthausen who went on to complete the first solo circumnavigation principally by air.[2]: 58–9
After they arrived in Tokyo on 20 October, the flight was abandoned because of poor weather conditions and Hünefeld's declining health.[3]
Hünefeld died in February 1929 in Berlin from stomach cancer and is buried in the Landeseigener Friedhof Berlin-Steglitz cemetery.[4]
References
^Regarding personal names: Freiherr is a former title (translated as Baron). In Germany since 1919, it forms part of family names. The feminine forms are Freifrau and Freiin.
^von Koenig-Warthausen, Baron F K (1930). Wings Around the World.
^"Baron Hunefeld and Lindner Round-The-World Flight Attempt". Round the World Flights. 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
Blendermann, Karl-August (1995). Atlantikflug D 1167. Verlag Hauschild. ISBN3-929902-71-0.
January 20, 2023
ehrenfried, günther, freiherr, hünefeld, ehrenfried, günther, freiherr, hünefeld, 1892, february, 1929, german, aviation, pioneer, initiator, first, transatlantic, aeroplane, flight, from, east, west, freiherr, hünefeldborn, 1892, 1892königsberg, east, prussia. Ehrenfried Gunther Freiherr 1 von Hunefeld 1 May 1892 5 February 1929 was a German aviation pioneer and initiator of the first transatlantic aeroplane flight from East to West Ehrenfried Gunther Freiherr von HunefeldFreiherr von HunefeldBorn 1892 05 01 1 May 1892Konigsberg East PrussiaDied5 February 1929 1929 02 05 aged 36 Berlin GermanyResting placeLandeseigener Friedhof Berlin SteglitzNationalityGermanOccupationAviatorKnown forFirst transatlantic flight from East to West Contents 1 Early life 2 First east west transatlantic flight 3 Round the world flight attempt 4 References 5 LiteratureEarly life EditHunefeld was born in Konigsberg East Prussia the son of the owner of Braxeinswalde near Preussisch Eylau where he grew up He was blind on his left eye and near sighted on his right and his childhood was characterized by several serious diseases After attending school in Berlin he studied at Berlin University and came in contact with the first flight pioneers at Berlin s Johannisthal Air Field At the beginning of World War I he tried to join the German Air Service as a volunteer but was rejected due to his poor health After that he volunteered again as a motorcyclist and was wounded in September 1914 in Flanders which led to a shortened left leg Due to his handicaps he could not return to service and joined the German Diplomatic Service serving in Sofia Constantinople and as an Imperial Vice Consul in the Netherlands After the end of World War I he stayed in the Netherlands for one and a half years with the German Crown Prince Wilhelm citation needed before returning to Germany where he worked as spokesman for the Norddeutscher Lloyd shipping company in Bremen First east west transatlantic flight Edit The Bremen after the transatlantic crossing After Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic from West to East in May 1927 the idea of flying in the opposite direction which is more difficult because of the prevailing winds became more and more popular In 1927 Hunefeld bought two Junkers W 33 aircraft from the Junkers company in Dessau naming them after the two Norddeutscher Lloyd flagships SS Bremen and SS Europa His plans were supported by Hugo Junkers and Hermann Kohl a World War I pilot and head of the Deutsche Luft Hansa Nightflight Branch After some test flights and breaking the record for flight duration Hunefeld and Kohl flew to Baldonnel Ireland where they met James C Fitzmaurice the Irish Air Corps Commandant of the Baldonnel Airodrome On 12 April 1928 these three left Baldonnel in the Bremen and crossed the Atlantic Ocean landing at Greenly Island at the south coast of Labrador Canada Even though they failed to reach their original goal New York City they were the first to cross the Atlantic from Europe to America By a special act of the Congress of the United States on May 2 1928 Hunefeld and his two companions were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Round the world flight attempt EditOn 18 September 1928 von Hunefeld and Swedish pilot Karl Gunnar Lindner took off from Berlin in the Europa in an attempt to fly around the world In Bushire Iran they met Friedrich Karl von Koenig Warthausen who went on to complete the first solo circumnavigation principally by air 2 58 9 After they arrived in Tokyo on 20 October the flight was abandoned because of poor weather conditions and Hunefeld s declining health 3 Hunefeld died in February 1929 in Berlin from stomach cancer and is buried in the Landeseigener Friedhof Berlin Steglitz cemetery 4 References Edit Regarding personal names Freiherr is a former title translated as Baron In Germany since 1919 it forms part of family names The feminine forms are Freifrau and Freiin von Koenig Warthausen Baron F K 1930 Wings Around the World Baron Hunefeld and Lindner Round The World Flight Attempt Round the World Flights 2009 Retrieved 5 December 2011 Berlin deLiterature Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ehrenfried Gunther Freiherr von Hunefeld Kohl Hermann 1928 The Three Musketeers Of The Air Putnam Walter Friedrich 1929 Trutz Tod Des jungen Hunefeld Werden und Weg Ernte Verlag Potsdam Walter Friedrich 1930 Hunefeld Ein Leben der Tat Ernte Verlag Potsdam Hofbauer Michael Leder Dieter Schmelzle Peter 2003 Die Welt der Uberflieger 75 Jahre Nordatllantikflug Ost West Deutsche Post AG Hotson Fred W 1996 Die Bremen NARA Verlag ISBN 3 925671 22 6 Blendermann Karl August 1995 Atlantikflug D 1167 Verlag Hauschild ISBN 3 929902 71 0 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ehrenfried Gunther Freiherr von Hunefeld amp oldid 1125730293, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
