Lothar Sieber
Lothar Sieber | |
|---|---|
Lothar Sieber boarding the M23 prototype | |
| Born | 7 April 1922 Dresden, Germany |
| Died | 1 March 1945 (aged 22) near Stetten am kalten Markt, Germany |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Luftwaffe |
| Rank | Oberleutnant (posthumous) |
Lothar Sieber (7 April 1922 – 1 March 1945) was a German test pilot who was killed in the first vertical take-off manned rocket flight, in a Bachem Ba 349 "Natter".
Before he became a test pilot for Bachem, he piloted an Arado Ar 232 in highly risky sorties. Shortly before his flight, he had become engaged to Gertrud Naudit, a Luftwaffenhelfer. Sieber had held the rank of second lieutenant but was demoted to private after an alcohol-related AWOL. Posthumuously he was promoted to Oberleutnant.