Something
to Write Home About by Stan Stokes. The
94th and 95th Pursuit Squadrons of the U.S. Army Air Service were the
first American units to see action in WW I following Americas entry into
the War. The units were assigned in March of 1918 to a former French
aerodrome at Villeneuve, which was located about twenty miles behind the
front line. The 94th had several experienced pilots who had flown with
the Lafayette Escadrille, including Major Raoul Lufbery, who had become
the top American ace with the Lafayette Escadrille. The weather in March
was poor for flying, and the 94th lacked appropriately equipped aircraft
to oppose attacking German planes. However, the unit could hear the
thunder of heavy guns in the distance, and when it was clear a string of
observation balloons could be seen in the distance. Rumors of German
advances startled the young flyers of the 94th, and compounded their
frustrations. On March 30 the unit was moved further back from the lines
to an aerodrome adjacent to the small village of Epiez. In early April
guns finally arrived for the units Neuport 28s. Major Huffer, commander
of the squadron, suggested the hat-in-the-ring insignia for the unit
which was drawn-up by Lt. J. Wentworth. On the morning of April 14, the
94th planned to fly its first combat sortie. Two of the pilots, Lt.
Douglas Campbell and Lt. Alan Winslow were to keep a sharp lookout at
the aeodrome for enemy fighters. Unfortunately the weather on the
morning of the 14th was marginal with a heavy mist, and the mission was
partially aborted. Later that morning two enemy aircraft buzzed the
aerodrome, and Winslow and Campbell rushed to their waiting machines.
Within a few minutes Alan Winslow had bagged a Hun, and shortly
thereafter Campbell was successful at downing the other aircraft. Both
enemy machines fell right on the doorstep of the aerodrome. These were
the first two enemy aircraft downed by pilots flying for the American
Air Service. It appears that the enemy pilots became disoriented in the
bad weather and mistook the 94ths aerodrome for their own. This double
victory for the Americans brought joy to the members of the American Air
Service and to the local inhabitants would had withstood unopposed
attacks by enemy aircraft. The young Winslow, who received the Croix de
Guerre, wrote his parents a letter on April 17, 1918 describing the
incident and all the commotion made thereafter, in which he indicated
that the 14th of April was the, happiest day of my life. Cables poured
in from all across the United States, and as Eddie Rickenbacker pointed
out in his Fighting the Flying
Circus, It was particularly fortunate for the squadron that such an
extraordinary success should have marked the very first day of our
operations ..... the episode put great confidence into all of us and we
felt that we were a match for the whole German Air Force.
Early Night Raiders by Stan Stokes.
One of the strategies utilized by the German military in WW I was the
terror bombing of civilian targets in hopes of swaying popular opinion
to permit favorable peace terms to be exacted. While this strategy was
flawed, the principal instrument utilized in its implementation early in
the War was the dirigible. While dirigibles had the range to hit targets
in Britain, they became increasingly vulnerable to attack as fighter
aircraft and ammunitions performance improved. One of the most
successful developers and builders of these dirigibles was Count von
Zeppelin. Zeppelin was a visionary in airship and aircraft design, and
by the time WW I had begun his interest had largely shifted from
lighter-than-air airships to more conventional aircraft designs.
Zeppelin was well aware that his giant dirigibles had severe limitations
in a military role, including their large size, slow speed, small
payload capacity, and most important their high flammability. What was
needed was a conventional aircraft capable of flying round-trip to
strategic military targets that could carry a meaningful payload. Such
aircraft would have to be fast enough and have sufficient defensive
armament to evade or fend off enemy pursuit aircraft to complete their
missions. The most impressive and successful aircraft in this class were
built by the Zeppelin-Werke Staaken, a company formed by Zeppelin in
Berlin with Robert Bosch as his partner. The company’s first goal was
to develop a long-range, six-engine, bomber/transport. By late 1915
German military authorities recognized the need for such aircraft and
laid down specifications for their design. Included in the specs were
the unique requirements for oxygen apparatus, in-flight servicing of the
engines, and for both onboard navigational and communications apparatus.
Called R-planes by the military, Zeppelin produced a series of three
giants, commonly all referred to as Zeppelin-Staakens. Only one of the
R-planes was actually downed by opposing fighters. The R.43 was downed
while flying a night bombing mission on August 10, 1918 near Abbeville,
England. The R. V series was the largest of the series, but only one
aircraft was produced. With a wingspan in excess of 138 feet, it was
powered by five 245-HP Maybach engines. Its gross weight at takeoff of
more than 28,000 pounds was 15 to 20 times that of a typical fighter
aircraft. Despite its size the wing loading of the Zeppelin-Staakens
compared favorably to most fighter aircraft of the era. Shown in Stan
Stokes’ painting is a Zeppelin-Staaken R. VI, the blunt-nosed,
4-engine, version of the German giants. This was the most widely built
version of the Zeppelin-Staaken series. Preparing for a night bombing
mission at dusk, the crew readies the massive aircraft for a long flight
to a target in Britain.
Moonlight Renegade by Stan Stokes.
On
July 2, 1900 Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin piloted his first
rigid-framed, lighter-than-air ship over Lake Constance in Germany.
Seventeen years later, on June 16, 1917, Zepellins latest creation, the
L-48, was readied at Nordholz, Germany for its first combat mission. The
huge L-48 was one of the newest and most technically advanced German
airships. Powered by five 250 HP Maybach engines, the great airship
could carry 6,000 pounds in bombs, and was manned by a crew of nineteen.
For this maiden mission the commodore of the North Sea Airship Division,
Victor Schutze, would be joining the L-48s skipper Kapitain-lieutenant
Franz George Eichler. Early in the afternoon the L-48 commenced its
mission along with several other airships from the Nordholz base. The
great Zeppelin would cruise at 60 MPH at 5,000 to 10,000 feet and would
ascend to approximately 20,000 feet when approaching its target. This
altitude would provide an effective defense against both anti-aircraft
or British fighters. RAF Captain Robert Saundby,
had returned from the front, to be put in charge of a very small
RFC squadron at Oxford Ness. June 16 was a cloudless night, perfect for
a Zeppelin attack., and at 11:15 PM Saundby launched his two active
aircraft equipped with incendiary machine gun bullets. As he gazed up at
the stars at 1:00 AM Saundby was startled to see a huge zeppelin
outlined by searchlights only a few miles away. Awakening two of his
mechanics, Saundby instructed them to fire up his single-seat DH2
fighter. Although obsolete and not equipped for night fighting, Saundby,
who had never flown at night, got the little pusher-propeller fighter in
the air, and began a long ascent. After fifteen minutes of flying
Saundby spotted the L-48, which was by now attracting anti-aircraft fire
which was exploding several thousand feet below the great airships
altitude. For an hour or so, Saundby tried to coax every bit of altitude
out of his little DH2, but he could not get in range. At around 3:00AM
the L-48 completed its bombing runs, and the Captain set a due
north course. With dawn only an hour away, Captain Eichler was anxious
to get out of British airspace. A report from an observation airship
which had accompanied the strike force that evening indicated favorable
winds at 13,000 feet. Captain Eichler gave the orders to descend.
Meanwhile, Captain Saundby who had fought the cold and wind while
tailing the L-48 for nearly three hours, was startled to see the great
airship descending. Pushing his DH2 to the limit, Saundby emptied 8
canisters of incendiaries at the L-48. Recognizing the attack the L-48
dumped ballast, and immediately began to ascend. Saundbys last few round
met their target and the L-48 erupted. Saundby felt the surge of heat
and light, and struggled to keep his little craft under control. Within
minutes the L-48s maiden mission was over, as Saundby circled the 750
foot long fireball which had come down at Westford. Amazingly, two of
the L-48s crewmembers survived, the only people to ever survive a
zeppelin which had been ignited. One of these survivors,
Kapitanlieuntenant Meith wrote a letter describing the L-48s fateful
misssion, providing much of the historical basis for this incident.
The Fokker Scourge by Stan Stokes.
Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker was born in the Dutch East Indies in
1890. When his father retired the Fokker family returned to Holland,
where Anthony attended school. He dropped out of college, and being
deemed unfit for military service, worked at a number of odd jobs.
Fokkers father persuaded his son to attend an automobile mechanics
school in Germany, but Anthony was disappointed and convinced his father
to enroll him in a school near Mainz which offered courses in aircraft
construction and flying. This endeavor was not particularly successful,
and Anthony decided to build his own flying machine. He found a partner
in Oberlieutenant Von Daum, a fifty-year-old officer in the German
military. The aircraft was completed in 1910, and Fokker flew it
successfully on a number of flights. Von Daum, unfortunately, destroyed
the machine on his first attempt at flying it. The two partners then
teamed with a boat-builder to construct a second aircraft. In early 1912
Anthony had organized Fokker
Aviatik GmbH with money advanced from his father. Fokker won his first
contract for military aircraft in July 1913. Fokker became interested in
the design of the Moraine-Saulnier, which exhibited flying
characteristics far superior to the early Fokker designs. The Fokker M.5
(Eindecker I) emerged from the reengineering of a damaged Moraine-Sualnier.
With the outbreak of WW I, the German military ordered large numbers of
this aircraft for use as a scout. These Fokker scouts were good machines
and well-liked by the pilots that flew them. Early in 1915 the French
equipped their scouts with forward firing machine guns, and German
losses in aerial combat increased sharply. The French system was
simplistic and utilized shields on the propeller to deflect soft copper
shells. Anthony Fokkers company was the first to introduce a workable
machine gun synchronizer which would allow steel bullets to be used. The
German military ordered the new Fokker fighter in large numbers, and by
late 1915 the tide had shifted dramatically in favor of the Germans. The
British press coined the term Fokker Scourge to describe this new menace
which was increasing casualties to unprecedented numbers. Oswald Boelcke,
and Max Immelmann were two German pilot aces who became very popular.
Immelmann is depicted in Stan Stokes painting executing the aerial
maneuver which took his name. Immelman received the Blue Max (Pour le
Merite) to add to his Iron Cross following his eighth victory on January
12, 1916. He would officially be credited with fifteen victories prior
to his death in June of 1916. The Germans maintained that a defective
gun synchronizer caused Immelmann to shoot off his own propeller.
Fast and Furious by Stan Stokes.
Thomas
Sopwith was a distinguished British aviator who organized the Sopwith
Aviation Company. Sopwith produced an aircraft which won the coveted
Schneider Trophy race. With the start of WW I, Sopwith Aviation shifted
its focus to military aircraft, and was to become one the major
suppliers to both the Royal Air Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.
In October of 1914 two Sopwith Tabloids flew a 200-mile round trip
strike against the airship sheds at Dusseldorf and Cologne. The Sopwith
Strutter firmly entrenched Sopwith as a producer of quality-built
aircraft. The Strutter was a precursor of the Sopwith Pup, which would
serve as the Royal Navys first carrier aircraft. The first production
Pup was delivered to the Royal Navy in 1916. Most Pups were powered by a
80-HP Le Rhone radial engine, which gave the Pup a top speed of 115-MPH
and an endurance of three hours. Many Navy Pups were modified to utilize
a tripod mounted Lewis gun which could be fired forward or upwards
through a cutout in the upper wing. Sopwith Pups were also utilized on
battlecruisers. In fact, a Pup launched from the HMS
Yarmouth downed the Zeppelin L.23 in August of 1917. The Royal Navys
HMS Furious was the first
dedicated aircraft carrier in the world. The Furious was initially laid
down as a battlecruiser, but the design was modified during construction
to include a flying deck forward of the main bridge. This configuration
allowed aircraft to be launched as the Furious
steamed into the wind. An attempt at recovery
by having aircraft side slip on to the deck proved ineffective
with one of the early attempts resulting in the death of the pilot,
Squadron Commander E. H. Dunning, who had made the worlds first
successful carrier landing on a ship underway only days earllier. The
Royal Navy decided to further modify the Furious
by adding a second deck aft of the bridge. The fore and aft decks were
connected by a narrow ramp on either side of the funnel and bridge, and
this permitted aircraft to be to moved between the two decks. Sets of
longitudinal wires were set across the aft deck, and were designed to
catch the skids of the Sopwith Pups during landings.
Recovering aircraft was still tricky, and a rope barrier was
erected aft of the mainmast to prevent aircraft which overshot from
crashing into the superstructure of the ship. The first carrier-based
naval air strike in history was carried out against the Zeppelin hangars
at Tondern by the Furious on
July 19, 1918. Seven Sopwith Camels, each carrying two 50-pound bombs
were utilized for this mission. This important moment in the history of
naval aviation is captured magnificently in Stan Stokes highly detailed
painting entitled Fast and
Furious.
Gotcha by Stan Stokes. World
War I was the first major conflict in which the airplane became a
practical instrument of war. However, because of the slow speeds, small
armaments, limited fuel capacities and light weights of these aircraft
many pilots survived being shot down many times. These were the glory
days for early aviators with pilots from both sides having tremendous
status amongst both their peers and their adversaries. In Gotcha,
Stan Stokes has captured the camaraderie and good sportsmanship shown by
the military pilots of the time. In a beautiful scene Stokes shows the
downed German aviator dripping from the unscheduled bath just inflicted
upon him, as a Spad piloted by Eddie Rickenbacker, Americas top ranking
ace, passes overhead for a last look. Steam is rising from the engine of
the downed Fokker D VII, which was arguably one of the finest fighter
planes of World War I. About 700 Fokker D VIIs were produced during the
War, and the aircraft was capable of speeds of 125 MPH with a range of
134 Miles. The D VII was constructed with welded tubing and was fabric
covered. Most variants were armed with two 7.9 mm machine guns.
Rickenbacker, as a very young man, was involved in automobile racing and
engineering, and in 1914 he set a worlds speed record of 134 MPH in a
Blitzen-Benz racer. Rickenbacker was in England when WW I began, and
while there he became interested in Britains progress in aviation.
Returning to the States Rickenbacker figured that his expertise in
driving race cars should make him a great pilot, but the best he could
do was get himself assigned as General Pershings personal chauffeur. In
August 1917 Rickenbacker finally got his wish and was transferred to the
Army Air Corp, and by 1918 he was assigned to combat duty. Although
bothered by an ear infection which led to his hospitalization in Paris
for two months in 1918, Rickenbackers achievements were impressive. In
the month of October 1918 alone, he was credited with ten kills,
Rickenbacker is pictured by Stokes flying a Spad S.13 which was the best
French-built fighter of the War. The S.13 was produced in large numbers
(8,472) and was capable of 138 MPH with a range of 250 miles. The Spad
S.13 was armed with twin 0.303 inch machine guns. Rickenbackers squadron
was nicknamed the Hat in the Ring gang. After the War Rickenbacker had a
very successful business career, and he served as Chairman of Eastern
Airlines.
The Kaisers Battle by Stan Stokes.
By
the spring of 1918 WW I was fast approaching its climax. In the East,
Russia had collapsed, allowing Germany to amass a force of 3.5 million
troops in 194 divisions on the all-important Western Front. The German
strategy was to end the War before the full brunt of American
involvement could swing the balance irretrievably in favor of the
Allies. In an offensive of titanic proportions, later known as the
Kaisers Battle, German forces strove to break the three-and-a-half year
stalemate in trench warfare. This massive offensive would combine the
use of sturmtruppen trained to infiltrate Allied positions, massed
artillery attacks, and finally schlachtstasffein which were formations
of specialized ground attack aircraft. These units, while lacking the
publicity of the fighter squadrons, played a more offensive role than
any other aircraft of WW I. As part of German industrys Amerika Programm,
begun in mid-1917 to counter the anticipated arrival of an American air
armada, the Imperial German Air Force called for the development of a
new light, compact, highly maneuverable, two-seat aircraft to be known
as the CL class. These new aircraft were to be offensive machines to be
used to escort bombers and strafe trenches. One of the most successful
of the new class of aircraft was the Hannover CL IIIa. The Hannover, as
a single-engined aircraft, was unique in having a biplane tail. Its
purpose was to reduce the tailplane span, thereby affording a wider
field of fire for the observer/gunner. For a two seat aircraft the CL
IIIa was a smallish (38 foot wingspan) and compact aircraft, and was
often mistaken by Allied scouts as a single seater, whereupon they were
speedily disabused of their illusion by a hail of fire from the
observers Parabellum machine-gun. The small size of this aircraft
imparted great maneuverability and an excellent field of view for its
pilot. Powered by an Argus As III engine, the Hannover also utilized a
plywood fuselage, giving the aircraft great strength and the ability to
withstand a lot of punishment. These characteristics made the CL IIIa an
ideal ground attack aircraft. More than one thousand of these airplanes
were built, and they entered service in late 1917. The Hannoveranas, as
they were called by the RFC, were without doubt, formidable opponents.
Major James McCudden, V.C., the RFCs fourth ranking ace with 57
victories, was to write: These machines are very deceptive and pilots
are apt to mistake them for Albatros scouts until they get to close
range, when up pops the Hun gunner from inside his office. Johann Baur,
who later became the personal pilot of Adolf Hitler, flew Hannovers and
claimed nine victories. In Stan Stokes dramatic depiction, a CL IIIa
strafes counter-attacking British Mk IV tanks in a shell pocked
landscape during the Spring offensive of 1918, Germanys supreme bid for
victory in the West.
The First Battle of Britain by Stan Stokes.
By the Spring of 1917 the Western Front had been stalemated for more
than two years with the armies of Germany and the Allies deadlocked in
static trench warfare. At sea, the fleets of both Germany and Great
Britain were also at a strategic impasse following the inconclusive
Battle of Jutland in 1916. The unrestricted U-Boat campaign in the
Atlantic had resulted in Americas entry into the War, and Germany turned
to its fledgling air force to help break the deadlock. Night raids by
Zeppelins in 1915 and 1916 had proven ineffectual as the great airships
had proven vulnerable to the unpredictable weather and to increasingly
effective defenses. A new strategic weapon would therefore be utilized -
the heavy bomber. With a fleet of such airoplanes, the very heart of
London could be attacked. In March of 1917 a new unit was formed in
Flanders, soon to be known as the England Geschwader. Lead by Hauptman
Ernst Brandenburg, Kaghol 3 (the units official designation,) was
equipped with the Gotha G. IV. With a crew of three, and a wingspan of
nearly seventy-eight feet, the G. IV was an impressive flying machine.
Powered by twin 260-HP Mercedes six cylinder, in-line, water-cooled
engines, the Gotha had a top speed of 88-MPH. Its service ceiling was
more than 21,000 feet, and its range was 305 miles. The maximum bomb
load was 1,100 pounds, but on the first daylight raid on London, each
aircraft would carry six 110-lb bombs. For defensive purposes the Gothas
were armed with two 7.92mm machine guns. An interesting feature of the
G. IV was the ability of the rear gunner to fire not only rearwards and
upwards, but could also fire downwards through a specially designed
tunnel in the fuselage. On June 13, 1917 Brandenburg led his unit in his
red-tailed Gotha on the first daylight bombing raid to London. Twenty G.
Ivs departed on this historic mission, but two soon turned back, and
another four bombed other targets due to mechanical problems. A total of
128 bombs were dropped on the mission with devastating effects. All
told, 162 people were
killed in the raid, and another 432 were injured. It was a portent of
the future of aerial warfare. Although 94 defensive sorties were flown
against the raiders, only a few British fighters made contact with the
Gothas before they reached their targets. One fighter which did
intercept was a Bristol F2B piloted by Capt. C. W. E. Cole-Hamilton of
No. 35 Training Sqaudron. The observer, Capt. C. H. Keevil was killed
during the battle. After the safe return of all the Gothas, Brandenburg
was personally decorated with the Pour le Merite. Unfortunately, he was
seriously injured in a flying accident only six days later. By then the
first battle of Britain was well underway.
Austro-Hungarian Ace by Stan Stokes.
Born in
Wadowice, Galicia in 1889, Godwin Brumowski entered the military and
served as an officer in the Field Artillery Regiment No. 6 on the
Eastern Front during WW I. Interested in flying, Brumowski joined the
Luftfahrtruppen as an observer. Learning to fly on his own, he was
eventually promoted to command a fighting unit which was composed of
both scout and fighter aircraft. In 1916 Brumowski visited the Western
Front where he studied the tactics of the German fighting units. Very
impressed by what he had seen, Brumowskis goal was to command a unit
similar to von Richtofens Flying Circus. Upon his return Brumowski was
put in command of another fighting unit equipped with Brandenburg D1s.
The D1 was a fairly quick highly maneuverable aircraft. Unfortunately it
lacked synchronized machine guns, being equipped instead with a top-wing
mounted gun. This gun was not accessible by the pilot in flight to clear
jams, and its location also negatively affected the aircrafts
performance. Brumowski designed an insignia for his flight which
included a white skull on a black background. By 1917 Brumowskis
superiors agreed to put the officer in charge of a true fighter group
which would be equipped with Albatros D IIIs. These nimble aircraft also
had twin synchronized machine guns. Taking another page out of von
Richtofens book, Brumowski quickly decided that the six aircraft under
his command would be painted bright red. Flying primarily against
Italian opponents, Brumowski would go on to attain forty victories, the
most of any Austro-Hungarian ace. He would also survive the War, but was
killed in a plane crash in 1937. The Albatros D III flown by Brumowski
was produced under license by Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik A.G. for
the Royal and Imperial Air Service of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Although similar to their German counterparts, the Austrian Albatroses
differed in several respects. Power was supplied by an excellent Austro-Daimer
engine which had an output of 225-HP in the Series 253 model. The
aircraft was armed with twin Schwarzlase machine guns. These guns were
less reliable than their German counterparts. The Austrian engineers
also re-engineered the wing structure in such a way as to minimize some
of the structural problems which plagued the German models. Between
early 1917 and late 1918 a total of 540 Austrian produced D IIIs were
built. This was arguably the best single seat fighter to serve with the
Imperial Air Service during the War. It was flown by most of the
top-scoring Austro-Hungarian aces.
Balloon Buster Extraordinaire by Stan Stokes.
The
leading Belgian ace of WW I, Willy
Coppens de Houthhulst, was born on July 6, 1882 at Watermael Belgium.
The son of a successful artist, Willy was called up for military service
in 1912. After several years in the infantry, Willy was able to join the
air arm as a pupil pilot in 1915. He went to Britain for his flight
training where he met Albert Ball. He earned his wings and returned to
Belgium for advanced flight training at Etampes. Finally, he was posted
to No. 6 Squadron flying the B.E. 2C on reconnaissance missions. He
experienced his first aerial combat in May of 1917 when he survived an
attack by four German fighters. Still disappointed about being in
a reconnaissance unit, Willy was delighted in 1917 when he was
transferred to Fighter Escadrille No. 1 based at Les Moeres airfield.
Initially flying Neuport Scouts, the unit was re-equipped with a capable
French-made single seat fighter, the Hanriot HD.1. Designed by M. Dupont
in 1916, the HD.1 was a single-seat, staggered-wing, biplane powered by
a 120-HP Le Rhone rotary engine. The HD.1 had an interesting open
fronted cowling, and metal panels reached as far back as the cockpit. In
standard configuration the HD.1 was armed with only a single Vickers
machine gun, and was
capable of 114-MPH. This lack of fire power caused many of the Italian
pilots who flew the HD.1, including the top Italian ace to survive the
War, to add a second gun. Although generally ignored in France, more
than 800 were built for the Italians and more than 100 for the Belgians
during WW I. Throughout the winter of 1917-18 Coppens had no meaningful
enemy engagements. However, on March 18, 1918 he agreed to attack an
enemy balloon. These attacks were not easy because observation balloons
were almost always protected by anti-aircraft batteries. His first
attack was unsuccessful, and the young pilot learned that he must get
special incendiary bullets, if future attacks were to succeed. On April
11 he attained his first victory over a German fighter. In May, Coppens
received a very small allocation of incendiary bullets. He decided that
he would fire only four bullets at a time, and would fire only from very
close range. This formula proved unstoppable for the young pilot who
went on to attain 36 more victories during the remainder of 1918, making
Coppens clearly the Balloon
Buster Extraordinaire. Working in the Houthulst Forest region,
Coppens would pounce almost every time the Germans put up an observation
balloon. In September of 1918 he was awarded the Legion of Honour from
Georges Clemenceau. The balloon busting ace decided to repaint his
Hanriot from green to blue, because the original color reminded him of a
toy snake. On October 14th, following a successful balloon attack,
Coppens was hit with shrapnel. He managed to crash land his aircraft
behind his own lines and he was rushed to a hospital where one of his
legs was amputated. Coppens continued to fly after the War, and he also
served as Belgian Air Attaché in London.
He retired to Switzerland at the time the Germans invaded Belgium
in 1940.
Russian Giant by Stan Stokes.
Igor
Ivanovich Sikorsky was one of the early pioneers in the Russian aircraft
industry. He was a brilliant and tenacious designer. In contrast to the
accepted wisdom of the day, Sikorsky was convinced that very large
multi-engine aircraft would some day become commonplace. In 1913 he had
completed a 9,000 pound aircraft which was commonly referred to as the
Grand. Unfortunately this aircraft was destroyed in a freak accident
when the engine from another aircraft fell out of the sky and hit the
Grand while it was parked in its hangar. Not deterred by this stroke of
bad luck, Sikorsky went to work on an even more elaborate design. Called
the Ilya Muromets (after a Russian folk hero) the second of Sikorskys
Russian giants weighed slightly more than 10,000 pounds and was powered
by four German-made 100-HP Argus engines. With a 102 foot wingspan and a
70-foot fuselage, the Muromets was an extraordinary aircraft for its
time. An enclosed cabin was heated by the exhaust from the engines, and
two balconies were available. A washroom was included and the passenger
cabin was equipped with tables and chairs. Czar Nicholas II was a major
supporter of aviation, but many influential people in the military
questioned the value of the Muromets as a military weapon. Despite this
skepticism, Sikorsky took his pet dog and sixteen passengers aloft on
February 24, 1914. In June of 1914 Sikorsky piloted the Muromets on a
1,600 mile round trip flight from St. Petersburg to Kiev. Before
Sikorskys triumphant return to St. Petersburg, the seeds to WW I had
been sown by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo.
Sikorsky immediately went to work on building new and improved models of
his giant aircraft, with the specific interest now in producing a long
range bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. In October of 1914 a Muromets
dropped 320 pounds of bombs from an altitude of 4,000 feet at the
Petrograd testing grounds. In February of 1915, as depicted in Stan
Stokes painting entitled Russian Giant, a Ilya Muromets V Kievsky II
model dropped 600 pounds of bombs on the railway station at Mlava,
significantly damaging the facility. A total of 75 of Sikorskys giant
bombers were sent to the front between 1914 and 1918. The aircraft had
defensive armament with machine gunners in various positions. The bomber
was typically flown with a crew of four. Only three of the aircraft sent
to the front were destroyed in combat. As Revolution swept Russia near
the end of WW II Sikorsky left his homeland for the United States, where
he would become one of the giants of the American aviation industry.
Boom Boom Billy by Stan Stokes.
William
Avery Bishop, the top scoring RFC ace of WW I, was born in Ontario
Canada on February 8, 1894. He entered the Royal Military College in
1911 and after War broke out in Europe he was assigned to the 14th
Battalion of the Canadian Mounted Rifles. Bishop applied for a transfer
to the Royal Flying Corps in 1915. Following a few months of training he
was made an observer and was sent to France to fly with No. 21 squadron.
He was hospitalized for frostbite and later from injuries sustained in a
bad landing. In late 1916 he began pilot training and in March of 1917
Bishop was posted to No. 60 squadron flying Nieuport Scouts. On March 25
he experienced his first air combat, downing an Albatros single-seater.
Bishop scored thirteen victories during Bloody April, and another
seven-and-a-half in May. He was awarded the DSO at this point. In early
June Bishop attacked a German airfield at dawn, and shot down three
Albatros aircraft taking off to challenge him. For this fete he received
the Victoria Cross. In constant combat during the summer months, Bishops
score rose to 45 by mid-August. He was the first to exceed the record of
the famous British Ace, Albert Ball. During this period Bishop
often flew as many as seven-eight hours each day. He was aggressive in
the air and obviously possessed excellent flying instincts and
marksmanship skills. Eleven of these 45 victories were achieved in the
SE-5 with which No. 60 squadron had been re-equipped. Promoted to Major,
Bishop returned to Canada for a recruiting tour. In 1918 he returned to
England, first as the Chief Instructor at Aerial Gunnery School, and
later as the Commander of No. 85 squadron. Once again Bishop was at his
best in the air. Flying SE-5s, Bishop claimed 27 more victories during
this final combat tour, including four Pfalz D.IIIs. Bishop received the
DFC, and returned to the Air Ministry in England for a short time before
returning to Canada in August of 1918. There he played an important role
in the formation of the new Canadian Air Force. Bishops official victory
total of 72, the highest for any RFC flyer in WW I, approached the
official total of von Richtofen who had 80. Some historians have
disputed Bishops score, indicating that he received credit for a number
of victories when he was flying alone. Following the War, Bishop formed
a commercial aviation company with another ace W.G. Barker. He later
served with the RCAF during WW II as an Air Marshal responsible for
training. Billy Bishop passed away in 1956 at the age of seventy. In
Stan Stokes nostalgic painting the top RFC ace is depicted early in his
career flying his Nieuport against a German Albatros.
The Air Pirate by Stan Stokes. The
Societe Anonyme dAeroplanes Morane-Saulnier first showed its aircraft at
the Salon Aeronautique in Paris in 1911. With the famous French airman
Roland Garos as its test pilot, the company received a lot of interest
in the products it displayed. The first production models were delivered
in 1913. The Type L was a parasol monoplane, and orders were received
from the French Air Corps. The Type L was the forerunner of the first
true family of fighters, the Fokker Eindeckers. When War began the Type
L was one of the fastest reconnaissance aircraft available. With its
high speed and excellent maneuverability, the Type L was a natural to
take on the role of interceptor, once it became evident that aircraft
were going to be utilized for more than just reconnaissance. The Type N
debuted in mid-1914. Its most characteristic feature was its
incorporation of a large prop spinner which completely covered the
engine. With no ailerons, all lateral control was made by warping the
wings through a complex system of control wires. In early 1916 the Type
I was introduced. It utilized a more powerful 110-HP rotary engine. The
Type I was capable of 176-MPH, with an operational ceiling of 3,500
feet. The large prop spinner was reshaped, and the undercarriage was
strengthened. These aircraft were not without their faults. Flying was
exceptionally difficult in bad weather, and the wing design was modified
several times to reduce the tendency of the Moraine-Saulnier to go into
an uncontrollable tail spin. A number of these aircraft were flown by
the Russians on the Romanian and Southwestern Fronts. The Moraine-Saulnier
monoplane of Lt. Ivan W Smirnoff is depicted in action in Stan Stokes
painting entitled The Air Pirate.
While the vast majority of the air combat in WW I took place on the
Western Front, air combat was not uncommon on the other fronts.
Smirnoff, an ex-infantryman, joined XIX Squadron in 1915 as a Sergeant.
He attained his first victory piloting a two-seater. His last victory,
which was recorded in November of 1917, was his twelfth. Fearing that he
would be executed by the Bolsheviks, Smirnoff fled Russia and served
briefly with the Royal Flying Corps. In 1922 he joined the Dutch airline
KLM. He flew for KLM for many years. In 1942, during WW II, Smirnoff was
Captain of a KLM DC-2 which was shot down by Imperial Japanese fighters
over the East Indies. Smirnoff survived this disaster, and he died in
October, 1956. Smirnoff is generally acknowledged to be the top scoring
Russian ace of WW I.
The Ringmaster by Stan Stokes. Born
in Prussia to wealthy aristocratic parents, Manfred Freherr von
Richtofen, The Red Baron, was to become the top ace of World War I, with
80 confirmed kills, and probably another 40-50 which took place over
enemy lines and could not be confirmed. Richtofen was originally a
cavalry officer, but with great persistence he was transferred to the
air arm. After a brief period on the eastern front Richtofen was
transferred to the western front in August 1915. His first confirmed
victory was recorded in September 1916 and by November he recorded
eleven kills, including Major Lance Hawker, the top British fighter
pilot. With his keen reflexes and eyesight he quickly ascended, and by
June 1917 Richtofen took control of a unit near Coutrai. This unit
became known as Richtofens Circus. By July the ringmaster had his
fifty-seventh victim. Despite his successes Richtofen shunned publicity
and became increasingly withdrawn. Richtofen was wounded in combat and
spent three weeks in the hospital recuperating. After his return to duty
Manfred became a vocal proponent of the Fokker triplane. The bright red
paint scheme utilized on one of Richtofens aircraft is what earned him
the nick-name, The Red Baron. Richtofens brother, Lothar, was also an
ace with forty victories to his credit. By April of 1918, aided by
Americas entry into the War, Germany was facing overwhelming numbers of
enemy aircraft, and many with performance capabilities the equal to, and
in some cases superior to, their own. The Germans mounted a final
desperate offensive, and on April 21,1918 The Red Baron finally fell
victim to the perils of combat. Although there is considerable
controversy over the Red Barons demise, it appears that Richtofen was
either killed by Captain Arthur Brown, a Canadian flying with the RAF,
or was shot down by Australian machine gunners while evading Captain
Brown. Richtofen was provided a full military funeral by the Allies, and
on the evening following his funeral a single RAF fighter dropped a
small package containing photos of the funeral onto the Circus
headquarters. By Wars end the Circus was credited with the destruction
of 644 aircraft, but 56 of its airmen had been killed, 32 seriously
wounded, and 6 captured. Richtofen is pictured in July of 1917 tangling
with Sopwith Camels in the skies over Belgium. Flying his beloved Fokker
triplane, the infamous Red Baron is shown positioning his aircraft for
yet another victory.
Magnificent Courage by Stan Stokes.
On April 6, 1916 the RFC formed several new squadrons, including the
No. 56 Squadron - Scouts. In March of 1917 the unit received the first
of its new SE5s. The aircraft was disappointing to the pilots, being
slower than expected, and its new Vickers machine gun with interrupter
gear was next to useless. Many modifications ensued in the field, and
many SE5s were fitted with Lewis guns located atop the upper wing, and
in some cases an additional Lewis was installed which could be fired
downward through the cockpit. In early April of 1917 No. 56 was ready to
see its first combat action, and the unit headed off to France. About
nine months earlier the pendulum of air superiority had swung back to
the Germans. The Fokker scourge of 1915 had previously been negated by
the deployment of DH2 and FE8 aircraft, but the newer German Albatros
and Halberstadt fighters had regained the upper hand. The RFC was once
again suffering unsustainable casualties. No. 56 Squadron was
immediately pressed into service upon its deployment in France, and over
the next several months gave a good account of itself. The Squadrons
first victory came on April 22, and went to Albert Ball who would become
a high scoring ace. On September 23, 1917 many of No. 56 Squadrons
pilots would become engaged in what would be considered as one of the
epic battles of early aerial warfare. At about 5:00 PM in the evening
eleven SE5s took off for a routine patrol. There were heavy clouds at
9,000 feet, effectively limiting the ceiling. Several engagements took
place prior to James McCudden noticing a lone SE5 from No. 60 Squadron
under attack by a German triplane. Unknown to McCudden was the fact that
the triplane was piloted by Werner Voss, a top German ace with 48
confirmed victories. During the next several minutes 7 SE5s focused
their efforts on attacking Voss triplane. Voss had several opportunities
to make a dash for the German lines, but chose to stay and fight.
Demonstrating beautiful flying and determination, Voss held the massed
SE5s at bay, and managed to inflict damage on each and every one. With
maneuvers made so quickly and so unpredictably, none of the SE5 pilots
could keep Voss in their gunsights long enough to fire a meaningful
burst. Voss managed to damage two of the SE5s enough that they withdrew
from the fight, and a red-nosed German Albatros joined in the fray for a
short time. At one point in the battle McCudden indicated that the
triplane was in the cone of tracer bullets from at least five machines
simultaneously. Voss could out climb and outmaneuver all the RFC craft.
Minutes later at about 2,000 feet the SE5 piloted by Arthur Rhys Davids
managed to catch the German ace in a straight flat dive, and approached
to within feet of the triplanes tail, firing a solid burst before
pulling out of his dive. Moments later the triplane hit the ground and
disintegrated. Later that evening the pilots of 56 Squadron recounted
the epic battle speculating as to who might have been the pilot of the
German triplane. The next morning General Trenchard sent an aide to 56
Squdron to elicit details of the battle. In this report James McCudden
paid the following tribute to Voss, As long as I live I shall never
forget that German pilot who single-handedly fought seven of us for ten
minutes, and who put some bullets through all our machines. His flying
was wonderful, his courage magnificent, and in my opinion he is the
bravest German airman whom it has been my privilege to see fight.
Stuck in the Mud by Stan Stokes.
The
Lafayette Escadrille was a French air service squadron which was manned
by American volunteers during WW I. Thirty-eight Americans served with
the squadron during the war. Nine were killed in action and one was
accidentally killed in a fall from a horse. The squadron had four French
officers, and only one, Captain Georges Thenault, survived the war. The
Lafayette Escadrille accounted for a total of thirty-eight victories
during its service. Nearly half of these victories were accounted for by
Raoul Lufbery. Born in France, Lufbery was a soldier of fortune, having
joined the U.S. Army and barnstormed in the Orient. Lufbery joined the
aviation service initially as a mechanic but was attached to the
Lafayette Escadrille because of his prior service with the U.S. Army.
Lufbery achieved 17 confirmed victories, and prior to his being killed
in action in 1918, he gave instruction to some of Americas top aces of
the war, including Eddie Rickenbacker. The Lafayette Escadrille used a
Seminole Indian insignia until April 1917, and a Sioux Indian insignia
thereafter. The squadron initially flew the famous Nieuport fighting
scouts, and was equipped with the heavier and stronger Spad later in the
conflict. Many of the pilots preferred to fly the Nieuport because of
its tremendous maneuverability. The Nieuport 17 was one of the most
distinctive single-seat fighters of the War. This French-built aircraft
was utilized by British, Belgian, Italian, American, and Russian airmen.
Two of the most famous British aces, Billy Bishop and Albert Ball, flew
Nieuports for much of their service. The design of the Nieuport is
attributed to Franz Schneider who had suggested that a good compromise
between a monoplane and a biplane would be a design utilizing a large
upper wing and a much smaller lower wing. The resulting aircraft was
much stronger than the early monoplane designs which suffered from
frequent structural failures. The Nieuport 17 was initially powered by a
130 HP Clerget or a smaller 110 HP Le Rhone engine. The Nieuport 17
entered service in May 1916. Its performance at that time was superior
to any fighting aircraft. It was about 10 percent faster than any other
aircraft in service and could climb to 10,000 feet in approximately ten
minutes. The Germans thought enough of this aircraft that they produced
an improved copy of the 13-metre Nieuport Type-11 Baby. Aviation artist
Stan Stokes, in his outstanding painting entitled
Stuck in the Mud, shows a Nieuport of the Lafayette Escadrille in
the process of being extricated from the mud following an aborted
takeoff. The Lafayette Escadrille was absorbed into the 103rd Aero
Squadron USAS in 1918 with Americas official entry into the War.
Springtime in Venice by Stan Stokes.
Aviation
historians often overlook the contribution of the Italians to the
advancement of aircraft technology. This was particularly true during
aviations earliest years. Giulio Douhet was an Italian air power
theorist and advocate, similar to Billy Mitchell in America. Douhet
postured in the early 1900s that air power would be become the critical
influence on all future wars. He argued for a first strike capability
that could hit an adversary in the battlefield, at his supply lines, and
at his sources of production. The Russians and the Italians were the
leading nations in the development of large, long-range, strategic
bombers. In Russia the primary design force behind this movement was
Sikorsky (who would later immigrate to the United States) In Italy Count
Gianni Caproni di Taliedo was the guiding light with more than 300
aircraft designs to his credit. Born in 1886 Caproni had built at an
early age a small biplane powered by a small 25-HP engine. He was to
become a pioneer in the development of multi-engine aircraft. In 1913 he
designed a three-engine machine utilizing 80-HP Gnome-Rhône engines
with all three engines inside the fuselage. This arrangement proved
impractical and was scrapped for a more conventional system in the
Ca.31, which first flew in 1914. The first operational three-engine
Caproni was the Ca.32 biplane (military designation Ca.2) and it
utilized 100-HP Fiat 6-cylinder, liquid-cooled engines. The 32 had a
wingspan of almost 73 feet (compared to 98 feet for Sikorskys Ilya
Mourometz) and a maximum speed of about 72-MPH. The 32 was armed with
one or two machineguns, had a crew of 4, and a bomb capacity of 780 lbs.
These aircraft were utilized in the first Italian bombing raid of the
War. More than 164 Ca.32s were produced. In 1917 Caproni began a
production run of 269 Ca.33s, which were similar to the 32 but with more
powerful engines. Near the end of the War Caproni produced more than 225
Series 5 aircraft (some under license) Series 5 covered the Ca.44,
Ca.45, and Ca.46. The 46 could carry a 1984-pound bomb load at a maximum
speed of more than 94-MPH. One of the most distinctive in the series of
Caproni bombers was the Ca.42. This was a triplane configuration.
Thirty-two aircraft were built, and six of these were sent to the Royal
Navy Air Service. The 42 was primarily used for night bombing, although
a couple of variants were also produced, one of which was fitted with
floats and could carry two torpedoes, and another which had a biplane
tail fitted with a rear gunners position. In Stan Stokes painting one of
Capronis WW I tri-engine bombers overflys the beautiful city of Venice
in a scene very removed from the ravages of WW I trench warfare. Shortly
after the War Caproni conceived of a plan for a huge flying boat capable
of carrying 100 or more passengers on overseas journeys. The Ca-60 was a
55,000-pound behemoth powered by Liberty engines. Unfortunately
production technology was not yet as advanced as Capronis farsighted
thinking. The Ca-60 was destroyed during one of its early flight tests.
Dawn Patrol by Stan Stokes. The
fledgling air forces of WW I had no problem finding volunteers for a
life promising adventure, romance, and a chance for immortality. The
glamorized version of life as a WW I aviator, while not far off the mark
for national heroes like Max Immelmann, Oswold Boelcke, Charles
Nungesser, Manfred von Richtofen, René Fonck and Billy Bishop, was only
a pipe dream for most pilots. Honors accrued only to those with large
victory totals, and impressive wins, and as the War dragged on, the
chivalrous adventure became more and more unglamorous. In fact the
Allied command discouraged the use of parachutes – believing it the
pilots duty to stay with his aircraft. Many pilots did not return home.
The average expected lifespan of a new combat pilot during WW I was
about 5 weeks. The French suffered a 77 percent loss ratio during the
War, and the loss ratios for many British squadrons exceeded 90% early
in the War. The Great War had started only about ten years after the
Wright Brothers first flight and the aircraft flown at the beginning of
the War were very fragile and not yet truly suitable for combat. Flying
accidents and malfunctions took an enormous toll on both equipment and
pilots. Despite the frailties of the aircraft and the relative
inexperience of the military as to their use in combat roles,
an Italian staff officer named Giulio Douhet,
way back in 1909 had laid down the fundamental strategies of
future air combat. In order to conquer the air, it is necessary to
deprive the enemy of all means of flying, by striking them in the air,
at his bases of operation, or at his production centers. There were many
lesser known heroes of WW I, and one of the little known American aces
of WW I was 1st Lt. William P. Erwin of the 1st
Aero Squadron USAS. Erwin flew the Salmson 2A2 depicted in Stan Stokes
painting. Erwin would attain eight aerial victories in this type of
aircraft, making him the leading ace in this type of aircraft. Erwin was
born in Amarillo, Texas, but grew up in Chicago. He volunteered for
pilot training at the beginning of Americas entry into the War. He was
accepted and ultimately was sent to France Flying with Lt. D.H.
Dahringer, the first in a succession of observers, he downed his first
German aircraft in September 1917. He shot down a Rumpler two-seater a
couple of weeks later, and in early October during a dawn patrol he
claimed his third victory. He bagged two German 2-seaters on a late
afternoon mission to become an ace. On October 15 he bagged an
unspecified German aircraft and three days later he downed a Fokker D
VII. He completed his tally with the downing of another 2-seater on
October 22. Erwin earned the Distinguished Service Cross and the French
Croix de Guerre. He continued to be involved with aviation following the
War. He entered the Dole Air Race from Oakland to Hawaii, but his
aircraft was lost over the Pacific.
Mitchells Air Armada by Stan Stokes.
Germany,
concerned over the full brunt of Americas entry into the War, decided in
1918 to launch one last all-out offensive. Germanys air forces were to
play an important role in this offensive, but production of new aircraft
had lagged behind expectations. With insufficient numbers of aircraft,
German military leaders had to hope for technically superior machines to
offset their disadvantages in numbers. In early 1918 top aces were
brought back from the front to test competing designs. The overall
favorite was a Fokker design which would ultimately reach the front as
the D.VII. The aircraft was ordered into production immediately. The
Germans organized a couple more fighter groups which could be rapidly
deployed in those area where they could do the most good. The German
offensive, which is generally referred to as the Kaisers Battle, began
in the Spring and was focused on the area north of the Somme. British
forces were initially overwhelmed by the German offensive. German
airpower dominated in the early phases of the offensive. For the first
major counter offensive of the War in which American forces would play a
major role, Col. Billy Mitchell, Chief of the Air Service, assembled a
huge air armada, the objective of which was to wrest toal air
superiority from the German forces. Mitchell assembled 28 American
squadrons. More than 600 US-piloted aircraft were available to Mitchell
in this sector including more than 100 new American-built DH-4s with
Liberty engines. In addition Mitchell rested control of several hundred
additional aircraft in British, French, and Italian squadrons. Mitchells
total force amounted to nearly 1,500 aircraft – the largest air armada
ever assembled. In the
early days of the counter offensive Mitchells strategy worked
brilliantly, as the sheer number of Allied aircraft overwhelmed the
Germans. Later, as the fighting continued, the Germans would have some
success; especially with their Fokker D. VIIs. In Stan Stokes painting
DH-4 bombers of the US 11th Aero Squadron come under attack
by Fokker D.VIIs while on their way to another target during the St.
Mihiel offensive. The 11th Aero Squadron would be decimated
before the end of the offensive, losing all but one its aircraft. Five
of the six DH-4s sent to bomb Mars-la-Tour were downed by a flight led
by Hermann Becker, a significant German ace. The American built DH-4 was
capable of carrying a 450-pound bomb load. Powered with a 416-HP Liberty
12 engine, these aircraft were capable of 125 MPH, and were adequately
armed with 4 machine guns. The Fokker D. VIIs were powered with a 175-HP
Mercedes engine and were capable of 119 MPH. The Fokkers were typically
armed with twin Spandau machine guns.
You Cant Always Hide by Stan Stokes.
During
WW I there were two successful designers of flying boats; the American
Glen Hammond Curtiss and the Englishman John Cyril Porte. A flying boat
differs from a seaplane in that a seaplane is a modified land-based
aircraft, whereas a flying boat has the hull of a boat. Glen Curtiss had
built the first
U.S.
designed seaplane and had introduced a flying boat in 1912. John Porte,
who was born in 1883, had served with the Royal Navy for several years
prior to dedicating himself to aviation. He went to
America
in 1913 to work with Curtiss. In 1913 a British publisher and aviation
enthusiast, Lord Northcliffe, had established a $50,000 prize for the
first to cross the
Atlantic
in a hydroaeroplane. Curtiss built an aircraft, the twin-engine
America
, for Rodman Wanamaker, the wealthy American department store owner that
was supposed to challenge for the big prize. However, the design was
ineffective, and a frustrating period of modifications was undertaken.
When the Great War started Porte immediately returned to
England
accepting a commission in the Navy. He persuaded the Admiralty to
purchase Curtiss flying boats, and he organized a group at the
Felixstowe Naval Air Station to study flying boat design. The Curtiss
H.12 Large America flying boat was flown out of Felixstowe and Great
Yarmouth on anti-submarine and anti-Zeppelin patrols. The H.12 had an
endurance of 6-hours, with a maximum speed of 85-MPH. During their
patrol duties the H.12s sank three German submarines and downed two
Zeppelins. Working closely with Curtiss, Portes work resulted in a
superior hull design for a flying boat, and the use of more powerful
engines. Named after the Naval Air Station where they were designed,
this series of Felixstowe flying boats were superior machines. The most
important of the designs was the F.2A that went into production in 1917.
It was a twin-engine model with two powerful Rolls Royce engines. The
F.2A had a top speed of 95-MPH and a ceiling of 10,000 feet. It could
also stay aloft for up to ten hours with the use of extended tankage.
Felixstowes would typically carry a pair of 230-pound bombs mounted
under the lower wings. The aircraft was well armed with as many as four
machine guns installed. The biggest of all the Felixstowe designs was
the five-engine Fury, a 15-ton giant that appeared in 1918.
The Flying boats proved their worth during WW I. They had
victories against enemy U-boats, Zeppelins, and seaplanes.
Royal Navy Ace by Stan Stokes.
Tommy Sopwith was born in 1888. He became the second person to fly
the English Channel, and he established the Sopwith Aviation Company in
1912. His first successful aircraft design was the Sopwith Tabloid. This
was a very modern aircraft when introduced in 1913. With its top speed
of 92-MPH the Tabloid won the 1914 Schneider Trophy race. Two other
early Sopwith designs were the Bat Boat, one of the first flying boats
flown by the Naval Wing, and the Three-Seater, a large observation
aircraft. Sopwith proliferated many other designs during the Great War,
including the Snipe, Pup, Dolphin, Salamander, Strutter, and Camel.
Sopwiths triplane was introduced in 1917. It evolved from the need for
an aircraft with a superior rate of climb. By reducing the length and
width of the wings, and by adding a third wing, the desired results were
achieved. The triplane was a sound design with good rate of climb and
very good maneuverability. It was somewhat underpowered when compared
with its German adversaries. It
was powered with either a 110-HP or 130-HP Clerget engine. The Sopwith
Triplane utilized a convention design with I-sections and longertrons
made of spruce wood. The fabric was separated from the structural
members by thin strips of spruce, and the forward section of the
fuselage was covered with sheet aluminum. The Triplane had a steerable
tailskid, and the undercarriage was built with streamlined steel tubing.
This diminutive aircraft was 26 feet 6 inches in span and just under 19
feet in length. The maximum speed of the aircraft was 117-MPH;
attainable at 5,000 feet altitude. With a service ceiling of 20,500 feet
the Triplane had a maximum endurance of 90 minutes.
Maneuverability was a hallmark of Sopwith designs and the
triplane was no exception to this rule. Many Royal Naval Air Service
pilots flew the Triplane. For most of 1917 the pilots of Navy 1, 8, and
10 squadrons in Flanders flew Triplanes. Sopwith also produced a 200-HP
Hispano-Suiza powered triplane that had larger wings to compensate for
the increased engine weight. More than 20,000 aircraft were built of
Sopwith design prior to the companys merger with Hawker in 1933. Captain
R.A. Little was the RNASs highest-scoring ace with a total of 47
victories. He had fifteen victories (Nos 22-36) that were attained while
flying the Sopwith Triplane with No 8 Squadron RNAS between April 1917
and July 1917.
Showtime at the Circus by Stan Stokes.
Born
in Prussia to wealthy aristocratic parents, Manfred F. von Richtofen,
The Red Baron, was to become the top ace of World War I, with 80
confirmed kills, and probably another 40-50 which took place over enemy
lines and could not be confirmed. Richtofen was originally a cavalry
officer, but with great persistence he was transferred to the air arm.
After a brief period on the eastern front Richtofen was transferred to
the western front in August 1915. His first confirmed victory was
recorded in September 1916 and by November he recorded eleven kills,
including Major L. Hawker, the top British fighter pilot at that point
in time. With his keen reflexes and eyesight he quickly ascended, and by
June 1917 Richtofen took control of a unit near Coutrai. This unit
became known as Richtofens Circus. By July the ringmaster had his
fifty-seventh victim. Despite his successes Richtofen shunned publicity
and became increasingly withdrawn. Richtofen was wounded in combat and
spent three weeks in the hospital recuperating. After his return to duty
Manfred became a vocal proponent of the Fokker triplane. The bright red
paint scheme utilized on one of Richtofens aircraft is what earned him
the nickname, The Red Baron. Richtofens brother, Lothar, was also an ace
with forty victories to his credit. By April of 1918, aided by Americas
entry into the War, Germany was facing overwhelming numbers of enemy
aircraft, and many with performance capabilities the equal to, and in
some cases superior to, their own. The Germans mounted a final desperate
offensive, and on April 21,1918 The Red Baron finally fell victim to the
perils of combat. Although there is considerable controversy over the
Red Barons demise, it appears that Richtofen was either killed by
Captain Arthur Brown, a Canadian flying with the RAF, or was shot down
by Australian machine gunners while evading Captain Brown. Richtofen was
provided a full military funeral by the Allies, and on the evening
following his funeral a single RAF fighter dropped a small package
containing photos of the funeral onto the Circus headquarters. By Wars
end the Circus was credited with the destruction of 644 aircraft, but 56
of its airmen had been killed, 32 seriously wounded, and 6 captured.
The Brothers Richthofen by Stan Stokes.
Arguably the best
brother team of two fighter aces was Manfred and Lothar von Richtofen,
with 120 WW I aerial victories between them. Manfred, who became known
as The Red Baron, was the top ace of WW I and his reputation is still
alive and well today thanks to movies and books. The Richtofen family
was minor nobility, and Manfred painted the aircraft he flew in the
squadron he commanded bright red – hence the name Red Baron. Manfred
was born in Poland in 1892, and was sent to military school at age
eleven. When WW I commenced Manfred, commissioned as a lieutenant,
initially served in the cavalry. He became enthralled with aircraft
while watching planes perform aerial reconnaissance missions. In 1915 he
attended flying school, and was first assigned as an observer to a
bombing squadron. Inspired by the exploits of the famous ace Oswald
Boelcke Manfred put in for pilot training. He passed the pilots test on
his third try. He was fortunate to fly with Boelcke in Jasta 2, a unit
of promising young pilots. In October of 1916 Manfred witnessed the
death of Boelcke when the great ace collided in midair with one of his
squadron mates. Richtofen carried Boelckes medals at the funeral, a
symbolic portending of his future greatness. Richtofen began flying an
Albatros D.1 with red stripes and had good success including the downing
of Lanoe Hawker the first British ace of the War. By early 1917 Manfred
had sixteen victories and was awarded the Blue Max. At the same time he
was given command of his own unit, Jasta 11. As an incredible leader
Manfred trained his pilots well in both aerial tactics and strategies.
He insisted on formation flying principles and his pilots were not
permitted to fly recklessly or attack without assistance. They were
taught to look for situations of relative advantage whether in terms of
altitude, position of the sun, or relative strength. This scientific
approach made Jasta 11 one of the most successful units. It became a
squadron of aces, including Ernst Udet, Werner Voss and Lothar Richtofen,
Manfreds younger brother. JG 1, a group of four Jastas, was organized in
June of 1917 with Manfred as its Commander. With all the planes painted
bright colors for identification, this unit became known as Richtofens
Flying Circus. This crack unit was moved around the front as needed, and
it concentrated on intercepting and destroying enemy aircraft. Very
little reconnaissance or escort missions were flown. The unit attained
between June 1917 and November 1918 an incredible 644 aerial victories
compared to the loss of only 52 of its own aircraft. The Fokker Dr. 1
triplane was deployed with JG 1 in
