9 July 1916 - Victories for Dorme & Heurtaux

[Gregvan]

Hello,

This day 100 years ago was a very active one in the air over the Western Front. I cannot hope to provide a comprehensive account at all, but here are some highlights.

9 July saw the first confirmed victory for René Dorme of Escadrille N3, the original Cigognes Escadrille. He had already been awarded a 'probable' over an LVG northeast of Compiégne on 11 April, but this was his first confirmed victory. This is a portrait of Dorme by the famous French aviation artist Paul Lengelle.


On the morning of the 9th of April, as the French infantry advanced towards Barleux, Dorme was pursuing an LVG near Péronne, at 0900 hrs. He was flying his Nieuport 16 N939, coded '12' on the aft fuselage. He wrote, "I opened fire at point blank range, five to six meters from the Hun. I saw the observer fall stone dead in his cockpit, and the aircraft spun down." Though it fell in enemy lines it was confirmed. In the evening he attacked another two-seater which went back to its own lines in a glide, and was simply recorded as another 'probable'.

This shows Dorme in the cockpit of N939. On one version of this photo he dated it as 9 July 1916. He considered that he had avenged the wounding of his good friend Joseph Guiget, who had been wounded by a Fokker on 1 July. He wrote, "I avenged him and avenged him well. I was fortunate enough to kill the Hun at my third bullet, and to see him corkscrew down." For his efforts on 9 July, Dorme was proposed for the Médaille Militaire by Capitaine Brocard.

On the same day, at 0900 hrs, SLt Alfred Heurtaux was also awarded his first confirmed victory over an LVG, near Bertincourt. Jon Guttman says, in fact, that the LVG was a shared victory between Dorme and Heurtaux, but I'm not sure about that. Heurtaux would go on to command the Escadrille and survived the war with 21 victories, though not without being grievously wounded.


Mathieu Tenant de la Tour also scored a victory on 9 July, an EA at Péronne at 2005 hrs.


As for Dorme, he would go on to score 23 confirmed victories and at least 29 'probables'. He was known as Père Dorme to his comrades, and this nickname adorned his various aircraft.


For those of you wishing to know more about Dorme, I can do no better than to recommend this marvelous, amazing book by Marc Chassard.

"The Air war of Two Aces" interweaves the story of the two friends Dorme and Joseph Guiget, and is written in both fFrench and English. It is wonderfully designed and illustrated, with many rare photos and color profiles. It may be hard to find but it's worth it.

I'm sure Froggy can add more details about Dorme, Heurtaux and Tenant de la Tour!

[Gregvan]

Also on this day, the Farman F40 crews of Escadrille MF36 were again tasked with assisting the French artillery to bombard the 'Tirpitz' battery at Mariakerke, as they had done on the previous day. Once again, Nieuports of No. 1 Wing RNAS escorted them on their long journey. Farman F40 Nr 4, crewed by Sgt. Laffon and Lt. Conal, was attacked by a German aircraft which was driven down near Westende by an RNAS Nieuport. Flight Sub-Lt Rodney Stanley Dallas was flying Nieuport 3994, and escorting F40 Nr 2, crewed by Sgt. Barthes and S/Lt. Richard. During this flight Dallas claimed a Fokker shot down at Mariakerke. It was, I believe, his fifth victory. This is Dallas with an unidentified Nieuport 11.

I hope that our good friend Breguet won't mind me 'poaching' in his territory by posting something about Dallas - as Breguet has literally written the book about Dallas. " Australian Hawk Over the Western Front. You all should read it!
In addition, FSL L H Irving of No 1 Wing RNAS forced-landed his Nieuport, at Nieuport (!) and fled from his aircraft as it was shelled to destruction (he survived).

In this same general action, Belgian Lt. Jaumotte and S/Lt. Wouters of the 1ere Escadrille were on a photographic mission to Mariakerke to record the results of the artillery bombardment. They were being escorted by the aggressive Capitaine Jacquet and his observer Lt. Robin of the same unit. Jacquet recorded combats with three Aviatiks, one LVG and one Fokker, driving the Fokker down out of control.

Of this day, Trevor Henshaw wrote: 'With weather improving, this was the most intense day yet of air fighting, and the entire front saw many combats and casualties. ...What had become apparent was that substantial numbers of (German) troops were being removed from around Lens and Thelus in order to reinforce the German Army Front south of the Somme. In turn, large number of troops were being brought down from Lille in the north to take their place, The great upsurge in German air activity was no doubt to facilitate and cover these redeployments."

Among the RFC losses on this day were two FE2b's from No. 11 Sqdn. One was 6948, crewed by Lt. Speer and 2Lt. Wedgewood, both KIA. The other was 6952, crewed by 2Lt Macintyre (WIA,shot in the left leg and hand, POW) and 2Lt Floyd, (WIA, died of wounds on 11.7.16). The latter crew were most likely shot down by Gustav Leffers of Armeekommando Nord. Macintyre later recalled that he was planning to bomb a target SW of Bapaume's railway station when he spotted a Fokker approaching from the south. He turned toward the hostile aircraft and Floyd fired a burst at it. Subsequently the Fokker swung around behind them and fired a burst as Floyd was manning the rear gun, wounding both men - then the FE2b crashed. It was Leffers' fifth victory.

[Pips]

Wonderful post Greg.

[Froggy]

Bonjour

Thanks you Greg for your very interesting articles !

Quote "On the same day, at 0900 hrs, SLt Alfred Heurtaux was also awarded his first confirmed victory over an LVG, near Bertincourt. Jon Guttman says, in fact, that the LVG was a shared victory between Dorme and Heurtaux, but I'm not sure about that. ."

The official log book of escadrille N3 give 3 distinct confirmed victories on that day

N° 22 for Heurtaux
N° 23 for Dorme
N°24 for Tenant De La Tour






As you can see Dorme was flying his Nieuport N 939 on that day
Cordialement
Bruno

[DTB]

Dorme !



The guy fighting a personnal crusade against Germany...