Raid against HQ of HGr. Kronprinz Rupprecht

Immo_Frese · 27 May 2003, 01:08 PM

Hi,

on 2 July 1918 at 01.00 am allied aircraft bombed the HQ of the german Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht at Tournai. The raid caused some damage and amongst other things some staff personnel were wounded by glass splinters.

I would like to know which british night-bombing squadrons were involved in this raid. It seems that staff HQ's were a main target at the beginning of July 1918 because the staff locations of german 17.Armee at Douai were bombed also on this date... *

Immo

Immo_Frese · 2 June 2003, 09:37 AM

:'( Nobody knows... *???

I think we can exclude a Squadron of the INDEPENDENT FORCE. Keith Rennles doesn't mention a attack on Tournai in his new book and besides this "IAF" mostly bombed industrial targets in Germany...

Any hints?

Immo

Vigilant · 7 June 2003, 06:25 AM

Immo

I agree you can discount the IF - they were based in Lorraine. My guess would be a FE2b squadron from 5th or 1st Armies - maybe 101 Sqn or 148 Sqn??

You might be aware that Crown Prince Rupprecht's HQ had been targeted by the RFC before. On 8Apr17 his chateau at Hardenpont, near Mons, was bombed by three DH4's. The raid was a disaster though with all three a/c being shot down on the 60 mile return journey.

Vig.

Immo_Frese · 10 June 2003, 01:19 AM

Hi Vigilant,

thank you very much for this interesting information.

101 or 148 Sqdn. is a new track for me!

The info on the raid of 8 Apr 1917 was new to me. Most probably the RFC tried to interrupt the communication lines between the the Heeresgruppe-HQ and the Army-HQ of german 6.Armee the day before the Battle of Arras started on 9 Apr 1917.

Immo

Soderbaum · 10 June 2003, 06:56 AM

Hi Immo

I dont think we can exclude French Night bombers in this area during the Summer of 1918 despite it normally is called a British front area..

If I remember correct there exist a Kofl 6 report which states that one French Night fighter was shot down in July 1918. This fighter(and others) perhaps protected French Night bombers during their raids..?

just some guesses
:-/
Gunnar

Immo_Frese · 10 June 2003, 08:38 AM

Gunnar,

this is of course another possibility! But until now I never heard of Fighter-protection for Bombers during night raids in WW1.

The fight you mentioned occured in the night of 21/22 July 1918 when Lt Aschebrenner and his crew of Bosta 7 claimed a french Fighter over Longpré around midnight.

:-/ Immo

Immo_Frese · 10 June 2003, 08:45 AM

...unfortunately I can't find a french Fighter -loss for this date in TFASWC - who knows at what sort of plane the crew fired in the darkness ?

Immo