On this Day (WWI aviation news), Vol. 2

[PJ Fisher]

To Berlin and Back, Plus Chaput Scores
Two mid-war reports on French aerial activity today.  The first features the forced landing of one Antone Merchal on the return leg of a 1,200-mile trek to Germany's capital.  The second focuses on the eighth victory of ace Jean Chaput of Escadrille N.57, who downed an Aviatik C type over Fresnes-en-Woevre the day prior.
(from the Daily Star-Mirror, 24 July 1916):



Similar to the Sanke publicity postcards shared here yesterday, here's one of Jean Chaput depicting his Nieuport (940) and noting his eight wins over enemy airplanes (plus one balloon) at that time.  Chaput would double this tally before being killed in combat in May 1918.


(images via eBay and wikipedia)

Here's an interesting thread from the forum that discusses Chaput's Nieuport and includes a period autochrome revealing its true colors: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13874.msg257048#msg257048

[Davos522]

If anyone wants to find out more about Jean Chaput, there's a short bio, photos and profiles of his Nieuport and a couple of SPADs that he flew, as well as photos of some of his personal items on Albin Denis's site here:

http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/escadrille057.htm

It's in French, but it's easy enough to translate stuff these days if you don't happen to speak it.

Dave V.

[PJ Fisher]

Good stuff -thanks Dave!

[PJ Fisher]

Ambitious Salesman Vows to Win War By August... 1919
In a gesture of either strategic brilliance or just enthusiastic marketing, this retrospectively short-sighted proposal, promulgated by the general manager and American representative for Handley Page Ltd, would have been something to witness had the war not ended one year before anticipated.
(from the Forest City Press, 25 July 1918)



Check out forum member Squiffy's build of the classic 1/72 Airfix kit of the Handley Page O/400: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=3517.msg89746#msg89746

[PJ Fisher]

Ready for Recon
This official British government photo shows the pilot and gunner of a Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 that looks to bear the name 'Golly II'.  Over 4,000 of these machines were produced.  I personally wouldn't want to be flying in one over the front so late in the war when it must have been considered obsolete.
(from the Bridgeport Times and Evening Farmer, 27 July 1918)



Here are a few images of my attempt to resuscitate the archaic 1/72 Airfix R.E.8.  Built over twenty years ago, it's patterned after a plane that served with No.34 Squadron RFC, in 1917.   This was my first go at scale modelling since school days.  The photos were taken in the park near my apartment in New York City.  I see from my old post over on the WWI Modeling Page Gallery that I considered it "somewhat of an 'overworked canvas' as I was quite clumsy in how I went about learning the ropes.  I think the challenger/vickers is one of the more successful parts of the model. Alas, the old Airfix mold has many fatal flaws and I did not correct them all."   

[PJ Fisher]

Felixstowe Raid
As most of you likely know, Felixstowe was home to a seaplane base for Britain's Royal Naval Air Service while Harwich harbored a Royal Navy Dockyard.  Located on England's east coast in the North Sea, both were obvious targets for German attack.  The unit at Felixstowe was commissioned back in August 1913 on the River Orwell at Landguard and originally named Seaplanes, Felixstowe.  Its final name was RAF Seaplane Experimental Station until being disbanded in June 1919.  Not sure what aircraft types were involved in this action.
(from the Clearwater Republican, 27 July 1915):



Though this wouldn't be Germany's last raid, here's an interesting article suggesting that Felixstowe and Harwich may have been spared from significant bombardment thanks to sympathies of... the Empress of Germany: https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21721653.gallery-empress-save-felixstowe-german-bombardment-first-world-war/

[PJ Fisher]

Air Power Compared
While this is a rather uneven assessment of the three major air forces warring over the Western Front, it does hint at the evolution in aertial tactics that materialized throughout 1917.  For a more recent and realistic discussion on this transitional year, here's a good read: https://www.historynet.com/year-air-power-came-age/
(from the Tonopah Daily Bonanza, 28 July 1917):



Amidst the British bravado this article does reference the short-lived but influential Sopwith Triplane that burst on to the scene in early 1917. Check out forum member Alexis' 1/48th scale Eduard 'Tripehound': https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=3685.msg62634#msg62634

[PJ Fisher]

Parschau Perishes
Leutnant Otto Parschau was one of Germany's pre-eminent Fokker Eindecker aces.  Parshcau's flying and combat skills earned him the Iron Cross, First Class; and the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern.  While an instructor at Feldflieger Abteilung 62 (FFA 62) he influenced Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke.  On 10 July 1916, Parschau was awarded the coveted Pour le Mérite.   Four days following he was appointed as commander of FFA 32. One week after that... he was dead.  Parshscau was shot in the chest and head during combat with No. 24 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps over Grévillers.  He managed to land behind the safety of his home country's lines but soon died of his wounds.  It has been suggested that Parshau was felled by future Air Vice Marshal John Oliver Andrews, flying an Airco D.H.2 (serial #5948).  Andrews would also duel directly with German aces Stefan Kirmaier, Max Immelmann and Manfred von Richthofen.
(from the St. Croix Avis, 29 July 1916; and the Detroiter Abend-Post, 17 August 1916):





Evidently Parschau's medals were auctioned recently in 2019, for a relatively reasonable €3,200.

Check out forum member Mike Norris' diorama depicting Otto Parschau and his Fokker E.1: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=5163.msg91255#msg91255

[PJ Fisher]

Stolen Valor
In a sad coda to our recent story of the death of Wilford Salmon, who had been a pilot for only three days and was dubbed "the first man to die in action defending London since the Norman Conquest" (read here: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13750.msg257117#msg257117), this article reports on the court appearance and fining of five civilians who were caught pilfering the dead aviator's body amidst the wreckage of his crashed Sopwith Pup, #16230 (illustrated below).  Thousands of bystanders witnessed Salmon's fall from the sky; many later lined the streets near Holy Trinity Church, Dartford for his funeral.  According to crayfordhistory.org.uk, the procession was led by his brother Jack, and involved hundreds of Australian and British soldiers and munition girls from Vickers who walked his coffin to Watling Street Cemetery.
(from the Queensland Times, 30 July 1917)




Postscript:  The embroidered RFC pilot's wings from Salmon's tunic (seen in his portrait) survive today in the collection of Ballarat Clarendon College, Australia.  They are also item #83 in Ian Castle's coffee-table book 'The First Blitz in 100 Objects', published in 2020.


Check out forum member Gisbod's WNW Sopwith Pup build: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13768.msg254072#msg254072

[PJ Fisher]

Working Overtime
Workers at the Royal Aircraft Factory were kept busy during the summer of 1915.  Contract production of their new R.E.7 bomber/reconnaissance plane was underway with Coventry Ordnance Works, Austin, Napier and Siddeley-Deasy.  Their B.E.12 made its first flight three days before this article was published.  Their bizarre B.E.9 was being readied for its first flight that would happen two weeks hence. Their F.E.8 was on the drawing board.  Their S.E.4a scout prototypes were undergoing testing, and their SS-Class airships were in full production.  How nice for their operation to be given a rest for the first time in nearly a year!

(from Llais Llafur, 31 July 1915):



Check out forum member IanB's 1/72-scale vacuform build of Scaleplane's F.E.8:  https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11763.msg219414#msg219414

[PJ Fisher]

French Flight Defeated

It was a rough Sunday over the front for France's Aéronautique Militaire.  Today's news also notes the eleventh victory of German Ace Leutnant Walter Höhndorf, who was in the spotlight just last week for his tenth victory, which earned him the 'Blue Max' (https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13750.msg257270#msg257270).  Höhndorf was assigned to the air unit Kek Vaux, which was stationed at Château de Vaux in the town of Fouchères, Aube, France.  The following images show Höhndorf standing (back right) with his fellow kampffleiger on the steps of the Cháteau, which stands today.
(from the Richmond Palladium, 1 August 1916):



(images respectively via theaerodrome.com and montjoye.net)

[PJ Fisher]

Down to Earth
These low-res images remind us how comparatively fragile early aircraft could be.  I can't tell what the first plane was...anyone recognize this photo?  The rooftop wreckage looks to be the back half of a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c.
(from Illustrated War News, 2 August 1917):

 

Here's a chequered B.E.2c by forum member Early Bird Fan: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11123.0

[PJ Fisher]

Bleriot Goes to War
I haven't yet been able to corroborate the details of this very early aerial action which occurred the day Germany declared war on France, but it's certainly newsworthy.  Here's a great oil-on-canvas study of a Bleriot XI from 1914 by the French artist Henri Farré (who headlined here back in March: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=12930.msg253054#msg253054).  The original painting is in the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk VA.

(from the Newark Evening Star, 3 August 1914):




Check out forum member Des' 1/32-scale scratch-built Bleriot: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=2912.msg48385#msg48385

[PJ Fisher]

Flying Easier Than Driving!
Anyone who's ever driven the New Jersey Turnpike around exit 10 at rush hour might agree!
(from the Perth Amboy Evening News, 4 August 1917):



Let's revisit forum member ianschippee's old-school Curtiss JN-4 build of the 1/48th-scale Lindberg kit:
 https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=8632.msg158694#msg158694

[PJ Fisher]

Voisin Report Revised
This dogfight double-take is short on details and a search of the aviators' names proved elusive, but at least their airplanes are identified. 
(from the South Wales Weekly Post, 5 August 1916):



Though nearly 2,000 various Voisins were produced during the war the maker's name didn't appear in the papers often.  That makes today an opportunity to share this killer illustration of what looks to be a Voisin IV with a 37mm cannon, painted by Edwin Frank Bayha, which graced the cover of the September 1915 issue of Scientific American.



This is also a good time to revisit forum member Stuart Malone's 1/72nd-scale build of the Voisin III by Flashback: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=12875.msg240240#msg240240.  This is the first kit I bought when I decided to focus exclusively on WW1 planes... I still haven't gotten up the nerve to start it!