On this Day (WWI aviation news), Vol. 3

[PJ Fisher]

First to Fly
Captain Herbert Ambrose Cooper was the first New Zealander to join the Royal Flying Corps and learned to fly before the Great War.  Cooper was awarded Aviator's Certificate #729 by the Royal Aero Club in January 1914.  Here he's shown sitting in the pulpit of a Vickers F.B.5 'Gunbus' - the first aircraft purpose-built for air-to-air combat.  "The F.B.5 began to be seen on the Western Front when the first reached No.2 Squadron RFC on 5 February 1915.[11] The type served in ones and twos with several other units before No. 11 Squadron RFC became the world's first fighter squadron when, fully equipped with the F.B.5, it deployed to Villers-Bretonneux, France on 25 July 1915" (via wikipedia).  Cooper was flying with No. 11 Squadron when he was killed accidentally one year after today's report was published.
(from the Auckland Weekly News, 10 June 1915):



(image via iwm.uk.org)

[PJ Fisher]

Rising Sons
Ninety-five-hundred kilometers east of the Western Front the latest and largest cadet class has graduated from the Nippon Flying School.  Following is a photo dated to 1917 that may likely depict these fledgling flyers assembled in front of one of the school's Tamai trainer biplanes.  Alas, this report comes just a week before the crash of NFS trainer #3, which resulted in the death of the school's flying instructor and a civilian passenger (as reported here last June: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13750.msg256004#msg256004)
(from the Montgomery Advertiser, 11 June 1917):



(image via wikimedia.org)

[PJ Fisher]

Salute to Saufley
Ensign R. C. Saufley was designated Aviator #14 by the United States Navy in 1915. He was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1908. Today's news marks the anniversary of his death in a flying accident at NAS Pensacola, Florida, while attempting a seaplane endurance record.  His Curtiss Model E 'Triad' (serial AH-8) was airborne nearly nine hours when it crashed for unknown reasons on crash on Santa Rosa Island. The Model E lays claim to being the first successful flying bpat and the first airplane acquired by the U.S. Navy. The Fletcher-class destroyer USS SAUFLEY (DD-465), one of the most-decorated US ships of WWII, was named in this airman's  honor.
(from the Bourbon News, 12 June 1917):



Check out this video of a Model E replica in flight:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcaAyOtgWoA

[PJ Fisher]

Air Girls!
(from the Richmond Palladium, 1 June 1917)

[PJ Fisher]

'Flying Pig'
This cover pictorial looks to depict a dud 9.45-inch heavy trench mortar bomb.  Nicknamed the 'flying pig', this British muzzle-loading adaptation of a French 240mm shell weighed about 150 pounds and was newly introduced at the time of today's publication.  Though mortar shells were vernacularly known 'aerial torpedoes' at the time, they weren't associated with aviation use; though various attempts to equip them on aircraft did occur. This particular shell was converted for aerial bomb dropping by the addition of fin extensions.  Below is a 3D rendering I've created based on original plan drawings from a wartime publication.
(from the Illustrated War News, 14 June 1916):

[PJ Fisher]

"Most Conspicuous and Consistent Bravery"
Captain Albert Ball, Britain's leading ace at the time of his demise, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross last week, as today's news reports.
(from the Perth Western Mail, 16 June 1917):



Here's a well-written article about Ball's diary, which was published on the centenary of his death: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4477130/Final-diary-entry-Britain-s-celebrity-flying-ace.html

[PJ Fisher]

One Day From Death
Here's a picture story celebrating Air VC Reginald Warneford of Britain's Royal Naval Air Service that recounts his heroic destruction of Zeppelin L17 (the first aerial victory of its kind) along with a fantastical artist's interpretation. What the publisher could not now is that the very next day following this story Warneford would be dead - having suffered from the collapse of a new Farman MF.11 just hours after he was awarded the Légion d'honneur from the French Army Commander in Chief, General Joffre. 
(from the Tulsa Daily World, 16 June 1915):



Warneford headlined here back in June 2022: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=12930.msg245240#msg245240

[PJ Fisher]

"Qui s'y frotte s'y pique"
Capitaine Georges Felix Madon ranked among France's top aces of the Great War and among most experienced pilots of any nation.  In a combat era when an airman's life was measured in weeks, Madon fought through the entire war.  The Tunisian-born pioneer pilot learned to fly way back in 1911 and, after being denied acceptance as a pilot for the Ottoman Empire, enlisted in the French military in 1912.  Upon the outbreak of hostilities Madon was flying reconnaissance and night-bombing missions with Escadrille BL30. A stray flight led him to being interned in neutral Switzerland for most of 1915, until he managed to escape by 'chloroforming and kidnapping his guard'! 

Madon's first aerial victory occurred on the same day the Imperial German Flying Corps established Jagdstaffeln 9-12, 14 and 15.  From the fall of 1916 until the armistice he scored a run of forty confirmed kills with another sixty-four non confirmé.  This winning streak made clear his oft-repeated boast of the old French phrase 'he who rubs against it gets pricked'.  Today's news marks Madon's victory over a German two-seater in the sky above Rosnay-Gueux. Like so many other aces who survived the war, Madon was killed in a flying accident and too young an age.
(from the Cambria Daily Leader, 17 June 1918):



(image via albindenis.free.fr)

Check out forum member John Marco's virtual rendering of Madon's scarlet Spad XIII: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=3656.msg98978#msg98978

[PJ Fisher]

Crowded Clouds
Austrians raiding Italy... Germans strafing the French... Italians Bombing Austrians.  Just another busy day up in the air.
(from the Albuquerque Morning Journal, 18 June 1916):

[PJ Fisher]

Flying From Fifty
Admiral Mark Edward Frederic Kerr was fifty years old when he was awarded the Royal Aero Club's Aviator's Certificate no. 842 - the month before Britain joined the Great War.  Britain's first flying flag officer was then the head of the Royal Navy's mission to Greece, and was Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Hellenic Navy.  During that early phase of the conflict, Greece had acquired a small number of Sopwith Admiraly Type 806 pusher biplanes (as headlined here last September: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13750.msg258763#msg258763).  In 1916 Kerr was serving as Commander-in-Chief of the British Adriatic Squadron.  The following summer he was seconded to the Air Board to assist in the formation of the Air Ministry and the Royal Air Force.  Around the time of today's publication, Kerr's "found himself in disagreement on several matters of strategy with Sir Hugh Trenchard, the Chief of the Air Staff... when the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps were merged to form the RAF, Kerr left the Air Council and was appointed General Officer Commanding No. 2 Area. (via wikipedia).  He requested retirement from the Royal Navy in October, 1918.  The month before Britain ended the Great War.

But Kerr didn't retire from flying - soon after the Armistice he was manning a team attempting to win the Daily Mail's 'Great Atlantic Air Race' (as reported here last October: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13750.msg259783#msg259783').  Among his teammates was the intrepid Norwegian Major Jens Tryggve Harman Gran (who headlined here back in April 2022: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=12930.msg242489#msg242489).

[PJ Fisher]

Australian Ace
The Australian Flying Corps' top combat pilot garners a postwar spotlight today.  Air Commodore Arthur Henry Cobby, CBE, DSO, DFC & Two Bars, GM; scored twenty-nine aerial victories (all in a Sopwith Camel), while flying for less than a sixth months with No.4 Squadron AFC.  Much like America's top ace Eddie Rickenbacker, who achied twenty-six victories also in the last six months of the war, who knows what his total tally would be had hostilities continued beyond November 1918.
(from the Dungog Chronicle, 20 June 1919):



Here's a link to an older post by coyotemagic of one of Cobby's Camels in 1/28 scale (though the images don't show for me): https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=6255.msg114074#msg114074

[PJ Fisher]

"Our Splendid Dead"
These old articles really do come in couplets.  Following yesterday's headline on the exploits of Australia'a third-highest-scoring Great War ace A.H. Cobby, today's news announces the death of Australia's second-ranked ace Roderic Stanley Dallas.  Already a commissioned lieutenant before the war, Dallas was twice rejected by Britain's Royal Flying Corps before joining Royal Naval Air Service in the summer of 1915.  The majority of his thirty-two victories were achieved while piloting a Sopwith Triplane.  Upon the founding of the Royal Air Force on April Fools Day 1918, Dallas was given command of No. 40 Squadron.

Dallas' final victory occurred on 27 May 1918 - the same day Australia's ace-of-aces, Robert A. Little (who headlined here last February: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13750.msg263176#msg263176), was killed in combat.  Three days later a message was sent to Dallas notifying him of a promotion to lieutenant colonel and ordering him to cease flying.  Reportedly he never received it and went out flying a solo mission from which he never returned.  His defeat has been credited to Leutnant Hans Werner, Staffelführer of Jagdstaffel 14, flying a Fokker Triplane.  A fellow airman is noted to have proclaimed "The world is upside down ... Dallas has been killed ... Too good for this world I suppose."
(from the Sydney Mirror, 21 June 1918):



Here's a look back at forum member RussellSmith's two-dimensional rendering of Dallas' well-known camouflaged S.E.5s: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=4511.msg84206#msg84206

[PJ Fisher]

Leutnant Loerzer
Bruno Loerzer was Germany's eigth-highest-ranking ace of the Great War.  He was assigned command of Jagdgeschwader III three months before today's news that he has been wounded in action.  No information is shared regarding the circumstances.  His most recent prior victory, over a SPAD, occurred one week earlier.  His next victory would not be until 26 July, when he will fell a Nieuport 28 over Putnay.
(from the Norwich Bulletin, 22 June 1918):




Here's a look at forum member DaveB's build of the 1/28-scale Revel kit styled as Loerzer's Fokker Dr.1:  https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=14409.msg264899#msg264899

[PJ Fisher]

The Hornets of Zeebrugge
This sextet of shoreside seaplanes from Seeflugstation Flandern I looks to have one black sheep in the foreground - the same Sopwith Bat Boat that coincidently headlined here earlier this month: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=14363.msg266302#msg266302
(from The Land (Sydney), 25 June 1916)

[PJ Fisher]

First to Fall
Victor Emmanuel Chapman joined the French Foreign Legion on 30 August 1914, and spent time in the trenches before requesting transfer to the Aéronautique Militaire.  One of the founding members of N.124, the Escadrille Americaine (also known as the Lafayette Escadrille), he suffered a head would in combat against  Walter Höhndorf nine days before today's news.  He must have still been recovered from this wound when he was back flying his Nieuport XVI north of Douaumont on the 24th.  Here he was intercepted and shot down by German ace Leutnant Kurt Wintgens, in a Halberstadt D.II; becoming the first American pilot to be killed in combat during the Great War.





Chapman made the new here last July during a memorable outing to Paris: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13750.msg256724#msg256724