22 April 1918 – The Red Baron’s funeral

In line with the mores of the time, Manfred Von Richthofen was given a full military funeral by the  British Forces. There was no douby an element of propaganda in the respectiful approach and the cermony was both photographed and filmed. At the same time there was also a mutual respect between airmen which is amply demonstrated in the way enemy airmen were treated by their foes in the opposing air forces.

The service was conducted by men from 3 Squadron Australian Flying Corps and other local Australian Forces. Fitters with the Squadron made a coffin and a zinc plate for the lid as well as fashioning a cross and nameplate. Representatives and wreaths from other Squadrons were also present. There was apparently some ill feeling between the RAF and the Australian ground forces who were both claiming the victory. Nevertheless the funeral was conducted in a sombre and respectiful fashion, including a military salute.

The appreciation was not shared by the local French who apparently vandalised the grave during the night. A stern warning from Sir John Monash, the Australian commander to the local mayor prevented any further issues.

Photographs of the funeral were subsequently dropped over the German lines.

Some additional discussion of the event by Australian Screen is here. More photos are available at the Australian War Memorial.

21 April 1918 – The Red Baron is dead

Wilfred May

Today, Manfred Von Richthofen was killed. As with the deaths of many aces, his final demise is shrouded in mystery.

His Jagstaffel was involved in combat with aircraft from 209 Squadron RAF and 3 Squadron AFC. Just before 1100, he was pursuing a Sopwith Camel at very low altitude, piloted by a novice pilot Lieutenant Wilfrid “Wop” May from 209 Squadron. May had in turn just attacked Richthofen’s cousin Leutnant Wolfram von Richthofen. Manfred had flown to his rescue and fired on May, causing him to pull away and saving Wolfram’s life. Richthofen pursued May across the Somme. May’s flight commander Captain Arthur “Roy” Brown spotted this and dove steeply to intervene, and then had to climb steeply to avoid hitting the ground. Richthofen turned to avoid this attack, and then resumed his pursuit of May.

Arthur Roy Brown

Shortly after this he made a rough landing in a field on a hill near the Bray-Corbie road. Members of Australian forces in the area were on the scene quickly and found Richthofen with a single bullet wound to the chest and he died not long after.

Many books and theories have been put forward over the years but essentially it boils down to three potential scenarios.

• Roy Brown
• Machine gunners from Australian Forces
• A single shot from a rifleman

The theory that Roy Brown fired the fatal shot has generally been discounted. Richthofen died following a chest wound from a single bullet, penetrating from the right armpit and resurfacing next to the left nipple. Brown’s attack was from behind and above, and from Richthofen’s left. In addition, Richthofen could not have continued his pursuit of May for as long as he did with such a serious wound.

Members of 3 Squadron AFC with the remains of the triplane after it was stripped by souvenir hunters

A number of theorists support the Australian machine gunner theory with a number of candidates being discussed with Sergeant Cedric Popkin the most likely candidate. His position on the ground relative to the aircraft means that he certainly could have fired the fatal shot. This article by Geoffrey Miller in Sabretache”, the Journal and Proceedings of the Military History Society of Australia (Vol. XXXIX, No. 2, June 1998) gives more detail on the controversy.

However, Leon Bennett, in his book “Gunning for the Red Baron” casts doubt on this theory too though, suggesting a lone rifleman is more likely. Bennett suggests that a ground based machine gunner would expect to get a group of hits on the aircraft but this does not appear to be the case here. The evidence for this is not conclusive as the aircraft was rapidly taken apart by souvenir hunters. That said the engine remained and despite being close to the pilot in the Fokker DR1, was not hit at all. We know from a subsequent examination that Richthofen was struck by a single .303 round which was common to all the possible weapons used.

Richthofen after his death

There are those who also suggest that Richthofen contributed to his own demise by poor judgement caused by combat fatigue and the after effects of a head wound suffered in July 1917. He was flying low over the lines against common wisdom at the time. It is suggested that the prevailing wind was easterly instead of the normal westerly and the fluid nature of the front meant he could easily have ended up over the front without realizing it.

1 September 1917 – Three it’s a magic number

Following the success of the Sopwith Triplane, the German’s attempted to create their own version. A captured Sopwith Triplane was sent to the Fokker factory and Fokker instructed designer Reinhold Platz to build a triplane, but gave him no further information about the Sopwith design.

Platz responded with the V.4, an aircraft that bore little resemblance to the Sopwith other than the three wings. It was a small, rotary-powered triplane with a steel tube fuselage and thick cantilever wings – unusual at this time, first developed during Fokker’s government-mandated collaboration with Hugo Junkers. Initial tests revealed that the V.4 had unacceptably high control forces resulting from the use of unbalanced ailerons and elevators.

Fokker produced a revised prototype designated V.5. The most notable changes were the introduction of horn-balanced ailerons and elevators, as well as longer-span wings. The V.5 also featured interplane struts, which were not necessary from a structural standpoint, but which minimized wing flexing.

Walter Kember

On 14 July 1917, Idflieg issued an order for 20 pre-production aircraft. The V.5 prototype, serial 101/17, was tested to destruction at Adlershof on 11 August 1917.

Two further prototypes now designated F1, were issued on 28 August for combat evaluation to Manfred Von Richthofen (102/17) and Werner Voss (103/17).

Early this morning Manfred Von Richthofen flew his first mission in the aircraft at was successful in shooting down Lieutenant John Bristo Culley Madge and 2nd Lieutenant Walter Kember from 6 Squadron RFC in their RE8 (B782) near Zonnebeeke. Madge was wounded in the back and taken prisoner, while Kemble was killed.

The following video (at 01.44) shows Von Richthofen preparing for take off in 102/17.

6 July 1917 – Red Baron shot down

A six strong patrol from 20 Squadron RFC was on patrol in their FE2ds when they were attacked by a formation of 8 aircraft from Jasta 11. They were then joined another 20 plus enemy aircraft and then 4 Triplanes from 10 Naval Squadron.

A large scale fight ensued. Lieutenant Donald Charles Cunnell and 2nd Lieutenant Albert Edward Woodbridge from 20 Squadron claimed to have driven down four aircraft, and their colleagues Lieutenant Cecil Roy Richards and Lieutenant Albert Edward Wear, and 2nd Lieutenant W Durrand and Stuart Fowden Trotter also claimed to have driven down an Albatross scout each.

Their Naval 10 colleagues also got in on the action with Flight Lieutenant Raymond Collishaw, Flight Sub-Lieutenant William Melville Alexander, and Flight Sub-Lieutenant Ellis Vair Reid all claiming victories.

In the end only one confirmed loss was confirmed by the German authorities and that was Manfred Von Richthofen himself. He was hit in the head by a bullet. He was temporarily blinded and paralysed, and fell for some distance, but succeeded in making a forced landing in friendly territory.

Richthofen’s downed aircraft

Cunnell and Woodbridge have traditionally been credited with the victory including in the Official History (Volume 4, p142), though I have my doubts as to whether this is true. They claimed to have forced down an all red Albatross though didn’t claim a victory as they did not see it crash. Photographic evidence seems to suggest that Richthofen was not flying an all red Albatross that day, though serial number of the aircraft is unknown. Some theorists has suggested he was hit by friendly fire as he was hit behind the left ear. Even the Baron’s own account is unclear:

““After some time we approached so close to the last plane that I began to consider a means of attacking him. (Lt. Kurt) Wolff was flying below me. The hammering of a German machine gun indicated to me that he was fighting. Then my opponent turned and accepted the fight but at such a distance that one could hardly call it a real air fight. I had not even prepared my gun for fighting, for there was lots of time before I could begin to fight. Then I saw that the enemy’s observer (Woodbridge), probably from sheer excitement, opened fire. I let him shoot, for a distance of 300 yards and more the best marksmanship is helpless. One does not hit the target at such a distance. Now he flies toward me and I hope that I will succeed in getting behind him and opening fire. Suddenly something strikes me in the head…”

Nevertheless he was out of action until 16 August 1917, and returned against medical advice with an unhealed wound. The injury plagued him for the rest of his life.

All the British aircraft returned except for FE2d A6419 fron 20 Squadron whose pilot 2nd Lieutenant Durand force landed at 1 Squadron’s aerodrome. His observer Trotter was badly wounded and later died. (Wia; dow), 20 Sqn, FE2d A6419 – took off 09:53/10:53 FE2d A6419 force landed 1 Sqn after engagement with EA on offensive patrol 10:30/11:30

24 June 1917 – Flying Circus

It has become apparent to the German High Command that they would always be outnumbered in air operations over the Western Front as the average Jasta could only muster some six or eight aircraft in total for a patrol, and would often face one Allied formation after another.

In order to maintain some impact and local command of the air the Jastas began to fly in larger, composite groups to carry out operations.

Today this was made official with the formation of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) by combining Jastas 4,6, 10 and 11. Manfred Von Richthofen is in command. This became known to the British as the Flying Circus.

Its role is simple, to achieve localized air superiority wherever it was sent and to deny Allied air operations over a specific location. The unit will be mobile, and JG 1 and its supporting logistical infrastructure will travel to wherever local air superiority is needed.

Initially based at Marke (Jasta 11), Cuene (Jasta 4), Bissegem (Jasta 6) and Heule (Jasta 10), Richthofen has freedom to select his unit commanders and recruit individual pilots into JG 1, and alternately to transfer out any pilots he does not feel were up to standard.

In the longer run, this policy had the effect of making the Jagdgeschwader an elite unit, but robbing lesser Jastas of their best pilots also reduced the overall standard of the average unit. JG 1 itself suffered a dilution of talent when competent members were posted away to command their own Jastas in late 1917, when the number of Jastas were doubled from 40 to 80.

18 June 1917 – 9 Squadron lose two

9 Squadron RFC lost two of its RE8s and four crew today.

Around midday Lieutenant Bevis Heppel Bean and Lieutenant Edgar Thomas Philip failed to return from a photo-reconnaissance mission in RE8. They were apparently hit by anti-aircraft fire. Flakbatterie 101 claimed the hit. The aircraft crashed and both men were killed.

Ralph Walter Elly Ellis and Harold Carver Barlow

A little later Lieutenant Ralph Walter Elly Ellis and Lieutenant Harold Carver Barlow from 9 Squadron in RE8 A4290 became the 53rd victim of Manfred Von Richthofen. His Jasta 11 were out looking for easy prey when they came across A4290 on a photo-reconnaissance mission behind the German lines. Von Richthofen attacked from 8000 feet and fired 200 rounds then zoomed above the RE8. The RE8 went down in a spin and crashed. Both men were killed.

2 May 1917 – Easing off

After the frantic action of April, things have begun to calm down a little on the Western Front. On the one hand, the new German combat group has taken the pressure off those sectors where it is not operating. On the other Manfred von Richthofen has gone back to Germany on leave and this seems to have lessened the intensity of the group, though perhaps this was inevitable given the pressure of the last two months.

Kenneth John Knaggs

The main event of the day was a mass scrap involving 40 aircraft in the evening.  Eight Albatros scouts from Jasta 11 attempted to attack some 25 Squadron FE’s over Vitry. Flight Lieutenant Robert Alexander Little from 8 Naval Squadron then attacked and claimed to have driven one out of control. Little was then attacked by 4 new Albatros scouts from Jasta 10. Little fled for the lines by putting his aircraft into a spin. Albert Ball and Kenneth John Knaggs from 56 Squadron then arrived and shot up some of the the enemy.

Claims were made by both sides, but in the end neither suffered any losses other than minor damage and injuries.

 

29 April 1917 – “Bay” Lost

Hubert Harvey-Kelly

Major Hubert Dunsterville ‘Bay’ Harvey-Kelly, the first RFC pilot to land in France at the outbreak of the war has been killed. As Squadron Commander of 19 Squadron RFC, Harvey-Kelly was not really supposed to be flying on operations (though many flew anyway). He was supposed to be meeting with Commander of the RFC Hugh Trenchard and Captain Maurice Baring. Lieutenant William Norman Hamilton recalled:

“I was ordered to send up three from C Flight. In the ordinary course of events, the other group should have taken the job as mine had already done one patrol that day, but, as the matter was urgent. I agreed to take up my pilots again. At the last moment. Harvey-Kelly insisted that he himself would go instead of me, but, as I declined to be left behind, I detailed one of my pilots, Harding, to remain behind, and to let Harvey-Kelly have his machine.”

The patrol of three SPADVIIs (Harvey-Kelly in A6681), with Hamilton (A6753) and Richard Applin (B1573)) spotted eight Albatrosses and attacked. Six Sopwith Triplanes from 1 Naval Squadron were nearby and expected to join the attack but again Hamilton recalled:

“I carried out my original plan of attacking the centre machine, noticing. as I did so, that Harvey-Kelly had apparently accounted for two Huns and was pretty busy with four or five more. I joined battle a second or two later, our position at that time being somewhere over Epincy. I didn’t see Harvey-Kelly again. as I was fully occupied with my little bunch and carried on a running fight until, over Douai, my gun jammed. I made a rapid examination and found my cursed drum had forced a double feed. so that there was nothing to be done except get away. I ‘split-arsed` to get toward our lines, when they managed to hole my main tank, which, being under my feet, was force-fed into the engine. Of course. the moment the pressure was released, my engine stopped, and as it stopped on the turn. I stalled and spun. I got her out of the spin almost immediately. switched on to my gravity tank, and dived to pick up my engine. but in doing so I naturally lost a bit of height and cooled my engine to such an extent that she wouldn’t give me full revolutions.”

Richard Applin

Hamilton was forced to land and taken prisoner.

During the dogfight Harvey-Kelly was shot down by Leutnant Kurt Wolff of Jasta 11. Lieutenant Applin was shot down by Manfred Von Richthofen Lothar Von Richthofen claimed Hamilton.

Harvey-Kelly crashed and suffered serious head wounds. He died three days later in a German Hospital.

Applin was also killed. By his own account Manfred von Richthofen attacked a helpless Applin after his engine stopped:

“My man was the first who fell down. I suppose I had smashed up his engine. At any rate, he made up his mind to land. I no longer gave pardon to him. Therefore, I attacked him a second time and the consequence was that his whole machine went to pieces. His planes dropped off like pieces of paper and the body of the machine fell like a stone, burning fiercely. It dropped into a morass. It was impossible to dig it out and I have never discovered the name of my opponent. He had disappeared. Only the end of the tail was visible and marked the place where he had dug his own grave.”

28 April 1917 – More of the same

Captain Albert Ball from 56 Squadron was out on a lone wolf patrol in his SE5 (A4850). First he claimed to have driven down a hostile machine near Noyelles. He then destroyed an Albatros two-seater west of Cambrai. Finally he waited above the clouds for any hostile machines to appear and saw a two-seater Albatros which he promptly pursued. The enemy put its nose down and fled.

When at about 500 feet from the ground Captain Ball’s machine was hit by anti-aircraft and most of his controls were shot away and the fuselage was very severely damaged. He got into a spin but righted it and returned to the aerodrome where he made a perfect landing. In the event he was only credited with the Albatross west of Cambrai (for his 36th victory) – though German records do not record any losses that day.

Jasta 11 was also at work again. Early in the moring Manfred von Richthofen brought down 2nd Lieutenant Reginald William Follit and 2nd Lieutenant Frederick James Kirkham from 13 Squadron in BE2e 7221. Both were taken prisoner but Follit died shortly afterwards of his wounds.

Later that morning another group from Jasta 11 clashed with 16 Squadron. Leutnant Kurt Wolff shot down 2nd Lieutenant John Victor Wischer and 2nd Lieutenant Arthur A Baerlein in BE2g A2745. Both were taken prisoner.

16 Squadron suffered further casualties when Captain Augustus Wieland Bird and 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Charles Perryman in BE2e A2896 – had their patrol tank hit. They wrecked the aircraft making a forced landing near Vimy. Perryman was injured in the crash.

Eric Ogilvie McMurtry

Finally, Major Eric Ogilvie McMurtry And Lieutenant Harry Denver Mason were killed when their BE2e A2944 was hit by a British shell destroying the aircraft.

Last of all 2nd Lieutenant Clifford M Reece and 2nd Class Air Mechanic A Moult from 43 Squadron were shot down by Edmund Nathanael from Jasta 5  in their Sopwith Strutter A993.

22 April 1917 – Superior Aircraft

For the most part the Germans have the superior equipment and the losses incurred in April show that this is a distinct advantage in combat. The Sopwith Triplane, although under-gunned is at least fast and manoeuvrable and a match for most German aircraft. At around 1720, 1 Naval Squadron ran into a group of 14 enemy aircraft. With a height advantage they engaged in dive and attack tactics, climbing away using their superior performance and then attacking again. In the event, Flight Commander Roderic Stanley Dallas claimed to have shot down two enemy aircraft and his colleague Flight Sub-Lieutenant Thomas Grey Culling one.

John K Hollis

Shortly before this, around 1600, six FE2b’s from 11 Squadron RFC made a second attempt to photograph the Drocourt-Queant switch. An earlier attempt had been turned back by two enemy fighters. On this occasion Jasta 11 appeared and 11 Squadron fled for home under attack. In the event Sergeant John K Hollis and Lieutenant Bernard Joseph Tolhurst in FE2b A5501 were shot down by Leutnant Kurt Wolff. Both were taken prisoner though Tolhurst Later died of his wounds.

Bernard Joseph Tolhurst

One aircraft escaped unharmed but four others were badly damaged and crashed on the British side of the lines:

• Captain Edye Rolleston Manning and Corporal Reginald E Tollerfield in FE2b A810
• Lieutenant William Fred Fletcher and Lieutenant Waldemar Franklin in FE2b 7020
• 2nd Lieutenant John James Paine and 2nd Lieutenant Joseph Rothwell in FE2b A5500
• Lieutenant Charles Allen Parker and 2nd Lieutenant James Ernest Bytheway Hesketh in FE2b A820.

Manning and Parker escaped unharmed. Fletcher, Franklin, Paine and Rothwell were injured. Tollerfield and Hesketh both later died of their wounds. The latter was held in the aircraft by Parker after he fell over the side and despite this Parker managed to land and drag him away from the burning aircraft. Two victories were claimed by Manfred von Richthofen and Kurt Wolff.

Later that evening 6 FE2bs from 18 Squadron attempted a bombing attack on the aerodrome at Cambrai escorted by five SPADs from 23 Squadron RFC and six Sopwith Pups from 3 (Naval) Squadron. Soon after the bombs had been dropped, the formation was attacked by four enemy single-seaters, but the Sopwiths had little difficulty in driving them off, and escorted the bombers safely home. In the confusion, the SPADs, got separated from the main formation. The Flight Commander spotted a group of aircraft and climbed to join them – unfortunately they were Albatrosses from Jasta 12. Two of the SPADs were shot down and the pilots taken prisoner:

• 2nd Lieutenant Kevin Robert Furniss in SPADVII A6695 claimed by Hauptmann Paul Hennig von Osterroht
• 2nd Lieutenant Frank Colin Craig in SPAD VII A6682 – claimed by Unteroffizer Reinhold Joerk (Craig’s gun jammed and his engine and fuel tank wre holed)

The flight commander Captain Kenneth Campbell McCallum was shot in the foot but managed to get back over the lines.