On this Day (WWI aviation news)

[KiwiZac]

Aww man, that would've been such a cool buy!

[PJ Fisher]

Spithead Royal Review

Following a tradition dating back to the 14th century and as mobilization to war, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill assembled Britain's Grand Fleet for review by King George V in the summer of 1914.  In what must then have been history's most grandiose flex of maritime muscle, hundreds of ships amassed, including: 55 Battleships, 4 Battle cruisers, 27 Cruisers, 28 Light cruisers, and 78 Destroyers.  Making this event extra special was the appearance of the RNAS armada of seventeen airplanes, including 9 Shorts, 7 Farmans, 2 Royal Aircraft Factory BE's, and a Sopwith Bat Boat.  Two airships also made an appearance. 

(from the Boston Evening Transcript, 1 August 1914 [Kudos to the newspaper man who had the audacity/foresight to place the 'undertaker & embalmers' advert alongside this military article]):




p.s. History really comes alive today thanks to an attic hunter who, last year, discovered and digitized some forgotten film footage of the 1914 Fleet Review.  It features one of the Short seaplanes (S.41) taxiing around.  The action starts at the 13 sec. mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPgBszLCQb4

p.p.s. Here's an in-flight image of another Short at the Review (from Flight, 24 July 1914):

[PJ Fisher]

U.S. Uses New Nieuports
(from The Day, 2 August 1917):

[PJ Fisher]

"THIS IS SURE DEATH"! "Whirlpool of Battle"! "First Duel in the Clouds"!
Sensational headlines mix fiction with fact today - particularly of the famous Roland Garros' false fiery death by ramming a Zeppelin. Garros did actually die in combat... one month before the war ended in 1918.
(respectively from the Seattle Star, the Washington Times, and the Daily Gate City, 3 August 1914):










p.s. Check our forum member przemoL's 1/72nd scale AZ Model build of Garros' 1915 Morane L: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=5219.msg92785#msg92785

[PJ Fisher]

First Bomb Drop of War
One of the first mentions of aerial bombs being deployed.
(from the El Paso Herald, 4 August 1914):



Clearly the French were already at it too, though this contraption looks a bit dubious.
(from the Bridgeport Evening Farmer, 4 August 1914):

[PJ Fisher]

And in this Corner...
Here's a brief synopsis of the belligerents' air power as of week one.
(from the Cairo Bulletin, 5 August 1914):




(and from the Watertown Weekly Leader, 4 August 1914):

[PJ Fisher]

Mystery Agent Claims Air Mastery
(from the Grand Forks Daily Herald, 6 August 1914):

[PJ Fisher]

Airman's View Shared by Few
Taking a break from the sensationalist stories of the war's first week, this picturesque post describes the scenery still seen only by the smallest percentage of the population in those days.
(from the Evening Star, 7 August 1917)

[PJ Fisher]

Albert Ball Posthumously Awarded the Victoria Cross
Word circled the world today of the London Gazette's July 22 announcement the Captain Ball had been awarded Britains highest honor for 'most conspicuous and consistent bravery'.
(from the Sydney Mail, 8 August 1917):




p.s. For anyone who may have missed it, check our forum member macsporran's recent 1/32 scale Special Hobby build depicting Albert Ball alongside his Nieuport XVI (his favorite mount): https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13104.msg244306#msg244306

[PJ Fisher]

Ground Fire Sets Russian Aviators Aflame
(from the Montreal Daily Mail, 9 August 1916):

[PJ Fisher]

Turkish Aviator Sinks Allied Sub
This brief report appeared in a number of newspapers this week, though none offered further detail.  If this story is verified could it be the first sinking of a sub by an airplane?
(from the Washington Evening Star, 10 August 1915):

[PJ Fisher]

Are You Fit to Fly?
(from the Middletown Transcripts, 11 Aug 1917):

[PJ Fisher]

Dog is My Co-Pilot
(from the Turner County Herald, 12 August 1915):

[PJ Fisher]

Bulletproof Birdman
Clipped ten times, his plane riddled with holes... but still completes mission.
(from the Spokesman-Review, 13 August 1918):



p.s. More details about this lucky day come from the book Montana & The Sky c/o the Internet Archive: 
Harwood was assigned to the 12th Aero Squadron, flying in Salmson 8 observation aircraft...  Military records show that Benjamin P. Harwood exhibited extraordinary heroism in action near Chateau Thierry, France, on July 5, 1918. He volunteered as a gunner to fly protection for a photo airplane, at which time he engaged several enemy aircraft and, with his pilot, successfully protected the photo airplane, which was thereby able to accomplish the mission. Harwood was severely wounded in the engagement, but with the pilot was able to return to our lines despite the fact that their airplane had been riddled by enemy fire.  For this engagement Ft. Harwood received citations including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Croix de Guerre, the War Medal of the Aero Club of America, and the Purple Heart.

[PJ Fisher]

LEAGUE OF DEATH!  French Fight Club Suicide Squad
(from the Eugene Register-Guard, 14 August 1914):