On this Day (WWI aviation news)

[PJ Fisher]

Entwined Airplanes Fall 6000 Feet; 'Vaccinated' Pilots Walk Away Unscathed
(from the Mitchell Capital, 20 July 1916):

[PJ Fisher]

Poor Sportsmanship?  Austrian Surrenders Mid Air, gets Escorted to Italian Aerodrome... Then Shot Down!
(from the Forest City Press, 21 July 1918):

[PJ Fisher]

Ballon Buster and Blue Max... Non-Combat Incidents Claim Two German Aces in Two Days

First to fall was Friedrich Friedrichs of Jasta 10.  Ranking among Germany's top-scoring balloon busters and a candidate for the Pour le Merite, Friedrichs met his fate after the incendiary bullets loaded on his Fokker DVII spontaneously caught fire. Though he parachuted, his harness became entangled with his plane's tail and Friedrich was dragged to his death.

Hans Kirschstein of Jasta 6 died the next day.  He received the Blue Max just three weeks before his demise as a passenger of a Hannover CL on a routine maintenance fight with an inexperienced pilot.  A remarkable dogfight involving Kirschstein occurred earlier in March 1918, when a lone AW FK.8 (piloted by Canadian 2nd Lt. Alan McLeod, with observer Lt. Arthur Hammond) encountered nine Fokker Triplanes. The duo shot down four Fokkers until Kirschtein strafed them thoroughly, setting the FK.8 aflame. The rest of the story via wikipedia:

McLeod instantly pushed her over into a very steep side-slip, but the flames were scorching him, and so he jumped out of his cockpit on to the left wing and crouched low, with the joystick pulled hard over in his right hand. Then he smashed a hole through the fabric in the fuselage so that he could reach the rudder-wire with his left hand, and so he guided her towards the lines. In this way he kept the flames away from his wounded observer and prevented the aircraft from burning up. When the machine finally crashed in No Man's Land, the young pilot, not minding his own injuries, dragged his comrade from the burning wreckage and under heavy fire carried him to comparative safety, before collapsing from exhaustion and loss of blood.

Hammond was wounded six times and ultimately lost a leg.  McLeod, wounded three times, earned the Victoria Cross. He returned to Manitoba to recuperate but soon died in the Influenza pandemic.


(from the Youngstown Vindicator, 22 July 1918):


p.s. To underscore how bloody a war it was, note the unrelated story (upper left) of the Yank who had EIGHT horses shot from under him in one mission!

p.p.s.: Check out forum member RagIII's 1/32 build of Kirschstein's Dr.1: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=2890.msg221667#msg221667

[PJ Fisher]

Who Knew?  Liberty V12 based on Mercedes Motor
(from the Forest City Press, July 1918):




p.s. Here's a link to forum member PrzemoL's 2020 build of a Taurus 1/32 Liberty Engine for his AMC DH.9a: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11389.msg212250#msg212250

[PJ Fisher]

US Determines Bristol Fighter 'Overpowered' and 'Not of Military Value'
The War Department Bureau of Aircraft Production will instead focus on the S.E.5, the DH.4, and the Caproni.
(from the Washington Herald, 24 July 1918):

[KiwiZac]

I like the idea of a USAS Biff in the DH.4 "Dutch Girl" scheme...

[PJ Fisher]

Critical Camels & Brindle Boy
Here's a little article on the demonstration of flying a Sopwith Camel off of a battlecruiser.
(from the Glasgow Herald, 25 July 1918):




p.s. Here's link to forum member Gisbod's 2017 build of a 1/32 WNW Ship's Camel: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=8592.msg158076#msg158076

[PJ Fisher]

Balloon Busting Ace of Aces Willy Coppens Bags Three in One Day
More from Wikipedia:

"...Coppens' record was spectacular. Between April and October 1918 he was credited with destroying 34 German observation balloons and three airplanes, nearly as many victories as Belgium's other five aces combined. Unlike most fighter pilots of World War I, who used .303 caliber or 7.92 mm guns, Coppens used a larger bore 11 mm Vickers machine gun...".

(from the Montreal Gazette, 26 July 1918):




p.s. check out forum member Lone Modeller's 1/72 build of Coppens' Hanriot HD.1 (converted from an Airfix Sopwith Camel way back in the 1970s): https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=9854.msg179621#msg179621

p.p.s. have a look also at MoFo's 3d-printed Drachen and observation baskets: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11808.msg239193#msg239193

[PJ Fisher]

Blue Max Felled by Rookie on First Combat Flight
Carl Menckhoff had 39 confirmed victories when he encountered neophyte Walter Avery over Ville Nueve Sur Fere.  Details from wikipedia:

During the ensuing dogfight, Menckhoff was shot down by American Lieutenant Walter Avery of the 95th Aero Squadron, United States Air Service. When Avery maneuvered onto Menckhoff's tail, the German ace cut his engine and dropped in a falling leaf pattern of zigzagging side-slips. Avery instantly did the same. When they recovered from the side-slips by switching their engines back on, Avery was in position to shoot Menckhoff down.

Captured by French troops at the crash site, Menckhoff was chagrined to learn that Avery was a rookie pilot on his first combat flight. Avery arrived at the crash site and respectfully refused to remove the Pour le Merite from Menckhoff's throat as a souvenir. Instead, Avery cut a fabric letter "M" from the crashed Fokker's covering as a keepsake before Menckhoff was led away by French soldiers.

Menckhoff remained a prisoner after the armistice, until he escaped to Switzerland and the safety of his in-law's castle (as one does).
(respectively from the Washington Reporter, Youngstown Vindicator, Meriden Daily Journal, Newburgh Daily News; 26-27 July, 1918):




In an incredible coda to this story: nearly ninety years later in 2007, Avery's daughter discovered that Menckhoff's son lived nearby in Washington D.C.; in a small ceremony, she returned her father's war trophy (the fabric 'M' cut from his Fokker way back in 1918) to his heir.  Details here:   https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/may/11/20070511-102739-7444r/

[PJ Fisher]

End of an Era
The Great War officially began today.  Austria declared against Serbia, which was immediately defended by Russia.  By week's end Germany, Britain and France would be drawn into the fray.  Soon, more nations would also take up arms (and aircraft) against each other. 

Pioneer pilots heeded the call to combat, ending overnight that romantic age of early aviation which was always fraught with risk, but maintained a certain sense of innocence.  However, mankind's fascination with conquering the skies continued in new directions.  Fittingly, I found two simple, side-by-side snippets that provide a poignant juxtaposition of the tragedy and triumph of two little boys who never knew each other but played out their passion for reaching the sky to the fullest on that last day before the dawn of war.  Tens of thousands of men will follow their alternate paths over the next four years.

(from the Bridgepoint Evening Farmer, 27 July 1914):

[PJ Fisher]

The First War in the Air
Here are two unrelated articles from day two of the Great War hinting at the potential impact of aircraft in the international conflict:
(from the Daily Gate City, 29 July 1914):





(and from the Richmond Palladium & Sun Telegram, 29 July 1914):

[PJ Fisher]

Battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud!
(from the Evening World, 30 July 1914):

[jeroen_R90S]

Checking in to let you know I really enjoy these snippets!

[PJ Fisher]

Glad to hear.  Finding them has been a fun journey for me.

[PJ Fisher]

The Curious Call of Netheraven
Just a few days before England entered the Great War, this charming little anecdote about a quirky Royal Flying Corps custom appeared in the papers.  I believe the aerodome at Salisbury Plain was home to Nos. 3&4 Squadrons immediately prior to mobilization.  Soon thereafter is became a training squadron for fledgling pilots.
(From the Dakota County Herald 30 July 1914):



Here's pilot's-eye view of Netheraven taken just a few weeks before this article was published (from Flight, 5 June 1914):


Wondering if this old contraption might still exist over 100 years later I searched around and discovered that a similarly described gong was offered at auction back in 2009 for a mere £100-150.  I would totally have bought that!