Joe Wehner's Spad 13

Tim West · 3 March 2004, 10:07 PM

By chance does anyone know anything of Joe Wehner's Spad/s flown late summer of 1918?

Namely his planes assinged number and or special markings. A serial number would be nice also.

Also I would be interested in the "two blue-green Fokkers" mentioned below.

Quote:

Lieutenants Dawson, Luke, and Lennon destroyed balloon near Boinville (confirmed) and Lieutenant Clapp destroyed Fokker north of Verdun (unconfirmed). Lieutenant Wehner destroyed two blue-green Fokkers at Barcq and Lieutenant Luke destroyed enemy balloon in vicinity of Buzy (all confirmed).

Jasta 13 maybe???

TIA

There is more on this topic here

Rod_Filan · 4 March 2004, 10:16 AM

Tim,

Good question about Wehner's nr.

I looked into this quite some time ago and came up empty. I concluded that it was unknown/lost to history. I based that in part on "art" evidence. Every drawing/painting of FLJr attacking balloon w/Wehner that I could find,(Wehner's last flight) showed Luke in the foreground and Wehner's SPAD in a position that allowed the artist to avoid showing a number.

Hopefully someone here can prove me wrong. /o

VBR
Rod

Rick · 4 March 2004, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim West@Mar 3 2004, 10:07 PM
[b]

Jasta 13 maybe???

Date ?? And, yes, blue/green sounds like Jasta 13. R.

Cliff · 4 March 2004, 01:40 PM

Tim

According to a list of SPAD serials published in C&C(US) V.13#4 Wehner flew SPAD XIII # 7555. The article mentions that this number comes from a list of enemy aircraft in German hands.

Cliff

Tim West · 4 March 2004, 10:58 PM

Thank you all for replying

The date for the action at Barcq is Sep 14 1918. I guess my first post should have noted fall rather than summer.

I will go with the serial # 7555. It would be interesting if there is a account of Wehner's flight by the Germans.

Rod,
"art evidence" I like it!

Alan · 5 March 2004, 05:27 AM

Perhaps the lack of number might help.

If you could find out the markings of the others of the 27th maybe by process of elimination you could fathom Wehner's?

Unless there is some way of painting Luke and Joe so it obscures Joe's number......

Shooter · 5 March 2004, 05:58 AM

There is some likelihood that Joe didn't often (seldom? never?) strap on the same ride each time, Alan.

Shooter sends

Alan · 5 March 2004, 06:03 AM

True....didn't Hartney write a book about his war days? I wonder if he'd even have remembered to mention Joe....

Barrett · 5 March 2004, 08:01 AM

Wehner was No. 16 by Georg von Hantelmann of J.15. The day before, Hantelmann killed Maurice Boyau of Spa.77 so the lad (he was 19) seemed to specialize in balloon protection. His 8th kill had been David Putnam of the 139th.

Cigogne · 5 March 2004, 10:30 AM

An upcoming article in Over The Front will blow a lot of myths about Wehner. It is by a family member with a lot of personal photos that have never been published. Look for it in the Summer Issue. It gives a lot of insight into his character, personality, uses excerpts from personal letters home, etc.