did not hit his stride until assigned to Royal Württemberg Jagdstaffel 28 on 12 June 1917. In July, August, and September 1917, he reeled off a dozen confirmed wins for them, with three others going unconfirmed. Hess shot down an Airco DH.4 from No. 55 Squadron RFC, killing the crew of Lt A. P. Matheson with Second Lieutenant Frank Lambton Oliver, west of Audenarde/Oodenaarde on 13 July 1917. Another of his confirmed victories, on 9 August 1917, was over Australian ace Cecil Roy Richards. Hess then transferred to Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 19 as their Staffelführer and won three victories for them flying an Albatros D.Va before being killed in action by Adjutant De Kergolay of Escadrille N.96 in a Nieuport on 23 December 1917. Hess had just been notified of his further promotion to command of a jagdgruppe (fighter group) being formed by First Army. Ernst Hess was buried in the Südfriedhof Cemetery in his native Wiesbaden. Awards and honors Iron Cross both Second Class and First Class: Awarded prior to October 1917. Royal House Order of Hohenzollern: Awarded 5 December 1917. Sources of information References Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell (1993). Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Grub Street. , . VanWyngarden, Greg (2006). Early German Aces of World War I, Osprey Publishing Ltd. 1893 births 1917 deaths Aviators killed by being shot down German military personnel killed in World War I German World War I flying aces Luftstreitkräfte personnel People from Hesse-Nassau Military personnel from Wiesbaden Prussian Army personnel