On this Day (WWI aviation news)

[PJ Fisher]

Friendly Fire Fells Five Fliers in Fifty-Fighter Fray
(from the Spokesman Review, 12 June 1918):

[PJ Fisher]

Frankreichs Kreigsflugzeuge (French Warplanes)
Here's an interesting early-war review of French aircraft (including Farmans, Caudrons, and Nieuports) and tactics found in a German-language newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland.  The print is a bit faded... and in the old High German standard font... so good luck to those in need!

(from Der Deutsche Correspondent, 13 June 1915):

[PJ Fisher]

How Our Forefathers Did It

(from Boy's Life, June 1918):

[PJ Fisher]

Operation Türkenkreuz
News of the deadliest bombing raid of WWI (and the first daylight raid over London), which occurred two days prior.  Over 100 planes involved. Details from wikipedia:

"An attack on 5 June was diverted to Sheerness in Kent due to a poor weather forecast but a third raid on 13 June, taking off at 10:00 a.m., was the first daylight raid on London. As there had been little planning, early attempts to intercept the Gothas were ineffective. In England, 92 aircraft took to the air but few were able to climb high enough to engage the bombers. A Bristol F.2 Fighter of 35 (Training) Squadron flown by Captain John Cole-Hamilton with Captain C. H. C. Keevil as the observer, attacked three Gothas over Ilford but Keevil was hit by return-fire and killed instantly. British anti-aircraft guns near the coast managed to hit the aircraft of Captain T. Grant of 39 Squadron, who made a forced-landing at Rochford. As the Gothas flew on the crews could see aircraft taking off from airfields as they approached, the air peppered with smoke from anti-aircraft fire. Beyond Southend, the formation was approached by a Sopwith Triplane (114 mph (183 km/h), time to 10,000 ft (3,000 m), ten minutes) which fired at too great a distance to have an effect. Near Ostend, a British formation was spotted and one fighter made a head-on attack on a Gotha which was then attacked by a Sopwith Camel from the rear, hitting the aircraft with gunfire before the combined fire of several Gothas drove off the British fighters.

The raid caused 162 deaths and 432 injuries. Among the dead were 18 children, killed by a bomb falling on the Upper North Street School primary school in Poplar. The reason for the relatively large numbers of casualties seems to have been public ignorance as to the threat posed by aerial bombardment in daylight. Lieutenant Charles Chabot, a RFC pilot on leave, recorded that: "...Raids hadn't become a very serious thing and everybody crowded out into the street to watch. They didn't take cover or dodge". This was the deadliest air raid of the war and no Gothas were lost. News of the raid was received enthusiastically in Germany and Brandenburg was summoned to Berlin to be awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest military honour. On taking off for the return journey, his aircraft had an [sic] failure; Brandenburg was severely injured and his pilot, Oberleutnant} Freiherr von Trotha, was killed."

(from the Youngstown Vindicator, 15 June 1917):




p.s. Check out this Roden model by malaula of a Gotha G.IV that participated in Operation Türkenkreuz: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=6676.msg122423#msg122423

[KiwiZac]

It's fascinating to see a model depicting a piece of history as we read it - great detective work, PJ!

[PJ Fisher]

On Your Marks, Get Set, Go...
By the way, adjusted for inflation the prize money equals about $1,150!
(from the Youngstown Vindicator, 16 June 1915):

[PJ Fisher]

Warneford Falls in France
News of his heroic deed spread fast.  He had single-handedly destroyed a Zeppelin (LZ37) by bombing it from above (in his Morane Saulnier Type L 'Parasol'). Warneford's victory boosted morale throughout the British Empire.  Then, only ten days later, he was dead.  He was just 23 years old.

(from the Daily Kennebac Journal, 17 June 1915):




Check out rhallinger's 1/32 scale portrait miniature of Lt. Warneford: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11186.msg208744#msg208744
Along with his customized paper card model of Warneford's plane: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11062.msg204862#msg204862

[PJ Fisher]

Ghost Riders in the Sky
(from the Nevada Silver State, 18 June 1918):

[PJ Fisher]

"They go Up Tiddly Up Up, They Go Down Tiddly Down Down..."

(from the Youngstown Vindicator, 19 June 1918):




Bonus for anyone who recognizes the headline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPgS26ZhqZs

[PJ Fisher]

Italian Plane Trounces Austrian Gun Float, Hollywood Style
(from the Youngstown Vindicator, 20 June 1918):

[PJ Fisher]

Japanese 'Ace' Jumps from Burning Plane at 9,000ft
You read it right.  Though the Japanese aviator Kobayashi Shukunosuke's ace status is unverified and unlikely, he did fight and fall (literally) for France over the Western Front.  He was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre. More info on the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army Airforce can be found here: https://en.w3we.com/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Army_Air_Service
(Respectively from the Deseret News and the Montreal Gazette (21 June 1918), and the Herald of Asia (on 29 June):

[PJ Fisher]

Italy's top ace killed!  America's top ace Killed!  German Ace Loerzer Wounded!
A busy news day covering a bloody week.
(respectively from the Pittsburgh Press, the Toronto World, and the Morning Leader; 22 June 1918):

[PJ Fisher]

Whatever Works
(from the New York Tribune, 23 June 1918):

[PJ Fisher]

Sikorsky Flees to France
Just one week after the Russian Provisional Government's failed attack on Germany, Igor Sikorsky, designer of the Ilya Murometz four-engine bomber, found himself in France, where he would continue his work as an aircraft engineer.  Within months after the Armistice he would emigrate to America and re-establish himself as a pioneer in aviation design.
(from the Calgary Daily Herald, 24 June 1918):

[PJ Fisher]

"Girl" Aviator Shot Above Galicia
Though not named here, this news snippet notes one of the few female military pilots to see action in WWI. Nedeshda Degtereva also holds the distinction of becoming the first woman pilot to have been wounded in combat (as noted, while on a reconnaissance mission over the Austrian front in Galicia).
(from the St. Joseph News-Press, 1915):