Wilhelm Biltz | |
|---|---|
 Wilhelm Biltz | |
| Born | (1877-03-08)8 March 1877 |
| Died | 13 November 1943(1943-11-13) (aged 66) |
| Alma mater | University of Greifswald |
| Known for | Colloid-Chemistry Thermal analysis of non-metallic systems |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Göttingen, Clausthal University of Technology, Leibniz University Hannover, |
| Doctoral advisor | Friedrich Wilhelm Semmler, |
Wilhelm Biltz (8 March 1877 – 13 November 1943) was a Germanchemist and scientific editor.
In addition to his scholarly work, Biltz is noted for commanding the principal German tank involved in the first ever tank-on-tank battle in history at theSecond Battle of Villers-Bretonneux.
Wilhelm Biltz was the son of Karl Friedrich Biltz who was a literary scholar andtheatre critic. His older brother,Heinrich Biltz, was also a noted chemist.[1]
After his university entrance diploma at the Royal Grammar School (Königliches Wilhelm-Gymnasium) in Berlin in 1895 and influenced by his elder brother Heinrich, Wilhelm Biltz began studying chemistry in theHumboldt University of Berlin, theUniversity of Heidelberg and continued his studies in 1898 with professor Friedrich Wilhelm Semmler in theUniversity of Greifswald where he was awarded his doctorate in natural science with research on the chemistry ofTerpenes.
From 1900 Wilhelm Biltz worked as an assistant and from 1903 as an associate professor withOtto Wallach at theUniversity of Göttingen. There he concentrated his work firstly on the determination ofvapour density in solutions ofinorganic compounds and later he was engaged in researches into the chemistry ofcolloids.[2][3] He gained further scientific and practical experiences in the university research institute ofClemens Winkler inanalytical andinorganic chemistry and later inMetallurgy in Göttingen with Gustav Tamman. During these years he also investigated the influence of temperature on the properties of non-metallic systems as for examplePolysulfides ofRubidium andCaesium by the use ofthermal analysis.[4]
At the age of 28, on March 15, 1905, he succeeded on being promoted to professor at theClausthal University of Technology where he lectured until 1921.
His work was interrupted when he participated in World War I. He held the rank ofSecond lieutenant throughout the war and was honoured with theIron Cross first class.
His military service is notable for his command of the GermanA7V tank that took part in history's first tank-versus-tank battle, during theSecond Battle of Villers-Bretonneux in April 1918. During the battle his tank encountered a group of three BritishMark IV tanks – two "female tanks", armed only with machine guns and a single "male tank", armed with 6-pound guns.[5]
Both the British female tanks were damaged and retreated, as their machine guns had no effect on Blitz's A7V.In a running battle that followed, both tanks manoeuvred to avoid the other's fire while lining up on their opponent. Biltz's tank lost the duel – it was hit three times by the British tank and heeled over on its side. The crew abandoned their A7V but five were killed by continued fire from the Mark IV, which went on to engage two more A7V tanks that had appeared on the scene.
Despite attempts by Biltz to recover the tank, damage to the engine forced demolition crews to blow it up on the night of 23–24 April.
After the war, Biltz continued his academic career. He was appointed as professor and director of the inorganic-chemical institute of theTechnical University of Hannover on 22 March 1921. Here he had his most successful years and he supported young chemistry talent such asWilhelm Klemm and Werner Fischer.
During his activities as a long-time member of theGöttingen Academy of Sciences, as member of theGerman Academy of Sciences Leopoldina ofHalle and as constant member of the board of theGerman Bunsen Society he applied his energies for the further development of sciences and research.
In 1933 Blitz signed theLoyalty Oath of German Professors to Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist State.
In addition to the above memberships he acquired renown as an author of textbooks and some of them he wrote together with his brotherHeinrich Biltz. Furthermore, he was an academic author of the ‘journal for inorganic and general chemistry’ for many years until his early retirement due to impaired health.
He never married and remained childless.
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