Spanish Lohner 'Pfeil' Bombers, 1913 --- Harry Woodman Article?

[Old Man]

This is a photograph often captioned as 'WWI airmen dropping bombs' or something similar....



I am quite certain I recall reading an article by Harry Woodman, many years ago, identifying it as actually being a photograph of Spanish airmen in Morocco in 1913, in a Lohner 'Pfeil', one of several in an organized bombing unit. If anyone has any information on this, or remembers the article or even has a copy, I would be most grateful.

[IanB]

Do these help? They're in Spanish but maybe one of our Spanish friends can help with a translation....it's the same pic in the first link

http://www.ejercitodelaire.mde.es/ea/pag?idDoc=9EE098D2F49BB080C12570D700465153&idRef=FB37F986ED1892D0C1257450003287D0

http://almadeherrero.blogspot.com/2011/09/lohner-b-l.html

It looks as though Spain bought a Lohner Pfeilflieger, it was named Flecha in Spanish, and maybe even built them under licence.

Ian

[Old Man]

Thank you, Sir.

That has the information I need. Wish I could remember where that article was, or more to the point, what I did with that old magazine, though....

[Beto]

Spain bought six of those planes during the spring/sumer of 1913, and their design inspired the Barrón "Flecha" (Arrow in spanish... or "Pfeil" in german if memory does not fail) built in 1915. Barrón is one of the pilots that appear in that picture. I'll translate for you the rest of the text tomorrow, right now I have to leave...

[Beto]

So here we go...

"The Lohner Pfeilflieger was the first tractor airplane of the Spanish Air Force. By then it was considered an advanced design, outclassing the Farman pushers and most monoplanes.

Aeronáutica Militar (the name given then to the Spainsh Air Force) acquired six Lohners during the spring/summer of 1913. Four of them formed the 1st escuadrilla leaded by Cpt. Kindelán, based in Tetuán in October. One of them was piloted by the Infant D. Alfonso de Orleans. Another one, flown by Captains Barrón and Cifuentes, made the first bombing mission in our story with real bombs (10k Carbonite bombs).

The Lohners were kept in service at Cuatro Vientos (the first military aerodrome in Spain, located near Madrid. Now it houses the Spanish Air Force Museum) up to 1917. They served as a base for the design of the Barrón Flecha (1915)"

[Old Man]

Thank you very much, Sir.

Kind of you to take the time.