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Post by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. on Jul 12, 2012 13:50:43 GMT -5
Who shot von Richthofen?
Three separate parties claim to have killed von Richthofen. The Red Baron, hunting a Canadian novice who'd broken away from a group air battle, failed to notice that he was himself being pursued by another, more experienced Canadian, Roy Brown. Von Richthofen followed the novice towards the Australian lines near Corbie, virtually skimming the ground. What happened next is far from clear, but it seems that almost simultaneously, von Richthofen was fired on by at least three parties: by Roy Brown, by two Australian machine-gunners, and by two Australian anti-aircraft gunners. The fuselage of von Richthofen's triplane was riddled with bullets, but the pilot himself was reportedly killed by a single bullet through the chest. The angle of the shot is said to have accorded with Roy Brown's attack position, although doubt remains. Brown didn't actually claim the kill, but on reading his combat report, the RAF – amid much controversy – credited him with it. Von Richthofen was given a full military funeral by No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps., and after the war, his body was returned to Germany. www.awesomestories.com/assets/manfred-von-richthofen-death-of-the-red-baronSee the previous post for the Wikipedia data on Manfred von Richthofen. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Brown_%28RAF_officer%29
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Post by Jim Broshot on Jul 12, 2012 21:09:49 GMT -5
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Post by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. on Jul 24, 2012 18:32:16 GMT -5
“Parachutes are bad for morale”
Scarcity of British aircraft led to a draconian measure. Airmen were not equipped with parachutes. Bailing out was not an option. By forbidding the use of parachutes, the authorities could be sure that aeroplanes would not be abandoned (prematurely or otherwise). Possibly, concern for military property was not the only consideration. It was the first war in which civilians had been called on to fight; the problem, as the authorities saw it, was to be sure that these civilian combatants did indeed fight to the last gasp. For the soldier, where conviction or courage failed, discipline (including the threat of execution) provided the goad. But enforcing battle readiness in the wide skies was another matter. And so pilots stayed with their aircraft, unable to use their judgement about when to escape a doomed craft. Pilots most dreaded fire, and some carried pistols with which to shoot themselves rather than endure death by burning. By contrast, observers in balloons – spotting for the artillery – were equipped with parachutes, so that they might escape when their gas-filled balloons were set on fire. Balloons were cheaper than aircraft.
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Post by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. on Jul 25, 2012 11:07:52 GMT -5
Le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche
“The pilots are the Knighthood of the Air, without fear and without reproach. Every aeroplane flight is a romance, every record an epic.”
David Lloyd George, British Prime Minister, 1916-22
“Oh, if only I could have brought him down alive!”
Lt. Ryhs-Davids (No. 56 Squadron), after shooting down the German ace Werner Voss
“To be alone, to have your life in your own hands, to use your own skill, single-handed, against the enemy. It was like the lists of the Middle Ages, the only sphere in modern warfare where a man saw his enemy and faced him in mortal combat, the only sphere where there was still chivalry and honor. If you won, it was your own bravery and skill; if you lost, it was because you met a better man.”
Cecil Lewis, No. 56 Squadron
'To the memory of Captain Boelke, our brave and chivalrous opponent.”
RFC tribute, dropped over German lines, October 1916.
There was much mutual respect – often expressed in acts of chivalry – between aces on both sides. When the German ace, Oswald Boelke, collided fatally with a comrade during a dogfight in 1916, the British dropped a wreath and a tribute over enemy lines. Sometimes a pilot would risk his own life to drop a message over an enemy aerodrome, relaying the death and burial of a brave opponent. When Britain's Albert Ball failed to return from a patrol in May 1917, the Germans dropped a message over his base, to say he had been buried near Lille. When Manfred von Richthofen was shot down in April 1918, he was buried by the Australians, with full military honors, and a message was dropped at his aerodrome. Only six months earlier, when the Red Baron was at the height of his killing career, No. 56 Squadron mess had generously toasted his health as the greatest enemy pilot of all.
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Post by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. on Jul 27, 2012 15:38:10 GMT -5
RNAS seaplanes
From 1913, the British Admiralty began planning for the use of seaplanes: for coastal defense, for scouting ahead of its ships, and – most boldly of all – as offensive aircraft launched from battleships. The aircraft carrier had its modest beginning in the earliest days of powered flight. Only seven years after the right brothers' 1903 success at Kittyhawk, another American airman, Eugene Ely , made the first successful flight from a warship. A year later, in 1911, the exploit was matched in Britain. By 1913, the British Admiralty had a rudimentary aircraft carrier, HMS Hermes, with three seaplanes. By 1915, HMS Ark Royal was in action carrying ten seaplanes. The first carrier designed for launching and recovering land planes was HMS Furious. She was equipped with six Sopwith Pups and four seaplanes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Burton_Ely
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Post by Jim Broshot on Jul 27, 2012 19:01:02 GMT -5
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Post by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. on Jul 28, 2012 15:33:46 GMT -5
Thanks Jim. I have corrected my post. That is all, Major Tom  |
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Post by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. on Jul 28, 2012 15:37:52 GMT -5
Pilots in training
When the RFC was formed in 1912, it numbered less than twelve qualified pilots. Midway through the war, 1,300 British pilots were being turned out each month. Training was less than stringent: 18 hours of flight, including a mere 60-mile flight across country and only two night landings. Altogether Britain trained about 22,000 pilots during the war. France, by comparison trained about 16,500. However, the French casualty rate was much lower than Britain's: probably about 39%, compared with about 50% for British pilots.
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Post by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. on Jul 29, 2012 17:52:16 GMT -5
Final installment in this series. I hope you enjoyed it and I apologize again for any errors. I will be starting another one soon titled “WWI History.” This one should be more accurate. Aviation casualtiesOn the face of it, German and British casualty figures would seem to be remarkably similar, with French figures lagging behind. But, as experts point out, the methods of compiling statistics varied from force to force (i.e. “died” in one arm might mean only “died of wounds”; in another it might include “died of sickness"). The French figures, in particular, are probably incomplete. Armistice“I cannot describe my feelings, right off the bat. But I can say I feel ninety-nine percent better. There is a chance of living now and the gang is glad.” Eddie Rickenbacker, American ace, on the signing of the Armistice.
Confessions of leading aces
“When one has shot down one's first, second, or third opponent, then one begins to find out how the trick is done.” Manfred von Richthofen“The most important thing in fighting was shooting; next, the various tactics in coming into a fight, and last of all flying ability itself.” Billy Bishop“The smallest amount of vanity is fatal....Self-distrust rather is the quality to which many a pilot owes his existence.” Eddie Rickenbacker
An Aircraft BoomOverall, France produced the most aircraft during the war: 52,000, to Germany's 48,000 and Britain's 43,000. France's achievement was even more impressive in the light of its record for engine manufacture: 88,000, compared with 82,000 for Germany and Britain combined. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Rickenbackeren.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bishop |
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