On this Day (WWI aviation news)

[PJ Fisher]

"My God, How Many People Were There"
(from the New-York Tribune, 10 March 1918)
Inspired by yesterday's naval painting by the British artist William Lionel Wyllie, today's story focuses on a solo art exhibition, featuring the French artist Henri Farré, that toured America while the war was on.  Farré was appointed France's Peintre de la Marine in 1910.  During the Great War his repertoire grew to include aviation subjects (including pilot portraits) which were the highlight of this exhibition.  According to writer Allison Meier, "Farré was the first eyewitness to transport the viewer up among the clouds, where the shadow of death met the ethereal light of the skies."  For his artistic contributions to the allied war effort Lieutenant Farré was ultimately decorated with the Legion of Honor and the Croix de guerre 14-18.



Today his paintings remain relatively affordable.  It appears that the hight auction price ever achieved for one of his wartime canvases was realized way back in 2004, which this dogfight scene sold at Heritage for just under $9,000:


Here are two more examples of work.  For further images and reading, check out Meier's article 'The Artist Who Witnessed the Beauty and Horror of WWI Aerial Combat' on hyperallergic.com:  https://hyperallergic.com/466822/the-artist-who-witnessed-the-beauty-and-horror-of-wwi-aerial-combat.

[PJ Fisher]

Black Sea Raiders
(respectively from the Evening Public Ledger and the El Paso Herald, 11 March 2023):

 

[PJ Fisher]

Riddled with Shrapnel
'Local boy' Willis Bradley Haviland was the sixteenth American to volunteer for the Lafayette Escadrille, after having served in the U.S. Navy from 1907-1911 and American Ambulance Corp in France in 1915.  Flying primarily reconnaissance planes, he is credited with two confirmed 'kills'.  Though both Haviland and his flying partner, Ronald Wood Hoskier lived to tell today's tale, Hoskier's luck would soon run out and he would be dead one month later.  Details on his final flight:

“Hoskier, who often claimed that a two-seater could do more damage in a dogfight that a single-seater... asked to pilot a Morane Saultier 3 (sic) on its final sortie in April 1917 on the French-German line near St. Quentin, France. Hoskier flew in the rear of a small formation and became separated from other fliers, who had faster planes. When he emerged from a cloud, he spied an enemy’s Albatros D III below him. He dived on it and was attacked in return. It was an ambush.  Ronald Hoskier fought for 15 minutes, while his co-pilot manned the rear Lewis guns. When his ammunition was gone, Hoskier was struck in the head. His airplane’s wings folded and the Morane struck the earth just inside French lines, near St. Quentin.  Hoskier was buried two days later, on April 23, near Genet at Ham. On May 1, he was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre. The New York Times described him as “one of the best of the American flying corps... [who] had distinguished himself for daring and brilliancy of operation.”"

(from the Evening Times-Republican, 13 March 1917):


;
(portrait of Haviland via wikipedia; image of Hoskier's grave via patch.com)

After the war Haviland became the first U.S. aviator to fly a plane off a battleship:

"Haviland's idea, which he had proposed to Captain Nathan C. Twining on the USS Texas (BB-35), was to build a 40-foot-long (12 m), 12-foot-wide (3.7 m) runway of timbers lashed together on the Number 2 guns of the battleship's forward deck. His Sopwith Camel biplane would then be winched down on the runway and its wheels held by a bridle to be released at Haviland's command, after the plane's propeller had sufficient speed for takeoff. "Haviland climbed into the cockpit and revved and raced the plane's motor until it seemed to the nearby sailors that the prop blast and vibration would tear the fuselage apart. Haviland signaled for the cables to be released. The straining aircraft roared down the runway, dropped precipitously toward the sea, then climbed into the sky." (via wikipedia)

[PJ Fisher]

B.E.4 204 No More
The Royal Aircraft Factory's long-lived 'Blériot Experimental' series included a handful of rotary-engined designs, the first of which being the B.E.3 and B.E.4 of mid-1912.  Possibly 1/2 dozen variants were produced.  As this article relates, serial #204 was assigned to No.3 Squadron and was in the air on 11 March 1914 when, in what may be the first recorded instance of metal fatigue in an aircraft, its rudder broke, causing a crash that killed its crew.
(from the Cambria Daily Leader, 14 March 1914):

     
(image via flyingmachines.ru)

[PJ Fisher]

Von Richtofen's 25th
This snippet from a regional Missouri weekly records the Red Baron's victory of 9 March 1917.  Though no names are given, we know that the loser in this fight was Lt. Arthur John Pearson, of 29 Squadron, RFC, who was piloting D.H.2 #A2571.  He was last seen diving to earth in flames.  The victor subsequently reported:

‘At 11:55 a.m. between Roclincourt and Bailleul, 500 metres behind our trenches, I attacked, with three of my planes, several enemy planes. The machine I had singled out soon caught fire and dashed after 100 shots downwards. The plane is lying on our side, but cannot be salvaged as it is nearly completely burned out and too far in front.’

Evidently Pearson's body was burnt beyond recognition and he was buried by German soldiers in an unmarked grave.
(from the Butler Weekly Times, 15 March 1917):



Get a glimpse of forum member Snowbird3a's 1/48 Eduard build of von Richtofen's Albatros D.III (alongside two other planes) that he flew to victory during this encounter: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11871.msg221118#msg221118

[PJ Fisher]

Dangerous Monoplanes
(from the New Britain Herald, 16 March 1916):

[PJ Fisher]

In the War Zone
Here's one-page photo feature featuring aviators from three nations at work.  I'd forgotten that the British were sending homing pigeons up in airplanes.  A cropped version of photo showing the American aiming a Graflex camera gun was also featured here in a post from another paper last week, demonstrating how these stories made the rounds in the press in the era before commercial radio (let alone 24hr news channels).
(from the Sunday Star, 17 March 1918):

   

[PJ Fisher]

Doppelgänger Above Isonzo
(from the Kansas City Sun, 18 March 1916):

[PJ Fisher]

Guynemer Goes Down
Hey gang,

So today marks a year since I started sharing these daily news articles.   I hope you've enjoyed these as I have.  My purpose has been to reinvigorate my interest in the hobby by reviving all these stories from the past.  They've definitely inspired me to get back to the bench and start building again.  As a side benefit I'm sometimes able to link these historic events to the brilliant models our forum members have contributed over the years.  Is anyone interested in reading further?  If so, there are plenty more articles to share.  Just let me know and I'll keep at it!

My first post featured the famous French ace Georges Guynemer, and I thought to bring it full circle with another spotlight on him.  This snippet notes him being shot down... not his well-documented final fight of September 1917, but rather one of the seven other times he was previously winged but survived (according to theaerodrome.com).

(from the Evening Star, 19 March 1916):



Check out forum member Will Levesley's 1/72 Eduard build of Guynemer's Nieuport Ni17 from Escadrille N.3, 1916: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13241.msg246606#msg246606

[rhallinger]

Thanks PJ.  Please keep going.  I read these every day and really enjoy the history and personalities.

Best regards,

Bob

[guitarfool]

I read it every day as well. Keep it up!