101 years ago

Graeme · 27 July 2016, 10:38 AM

RFC Communique number 3 covered the period 31 July to 4 August and number 4 the period 2 - 12 August 1915.

The first claim in this period was on 2 August:

Capt L G Hawker & Lt H J Payze, 6 Sqn, attacked two two-seaters. They fired 2½ drums from 200 to 150 yards range into the first which went down in a nose-dive near Houthem and force landed east of the lines at Wulverghem. They attacked the second at 7,500 feet over Wytschaete and chased it down to 5,000 feet. They later unsuccessfully attacked a third German machine.

Communique number 4 reports extensively on the fate of the Zeppelin that had attacked Dover on the night of 9/10 August and the RNAS' involvement.

Communique number 5 picks up the action for the period 11 to 19 August and relates Hawker's series of combats on 11 August.

Capt L G Hawker & Lt N Clifton, 6 Sqn, attacked an Aviatik C over Houthem at 15:45; while the Communique reports that they left it in a nose dive, there is a suggestion that the machine crashed.

Capt L G Hawker & Lt N Clifton, 6 Sqn, were attacked from behind by a very fast scout machine. Hawker made a sharp turn, the enemy scout crossed 50 feet in front of the FE then went down in a vertical nose-dive between Lille and Roubaix at 19:15.

The only other claim I have listed was made on 31 August 1915 and is reported in Communique number 8:

Lt L W B Rees & Flt Sgt J M Hargreaves, 11 Sqn, engaged an LVG between Bucquoy and Bapaume at 8,000 feet. They fired a drum and the EA dived into the clouds and was last seen going down in spirals and irregular "S" turns at 09:00; it was not seen to crash because of thick clouds.

In the combat report, Rees states that the indicated airspeed of the FB5 was 50 mph at 1150 rpm and that the enemy machine was 15 mph faster than the Vickers.

September 1915 to come.

Graeme

R Gannon · 27 July 2016, 03:53 PM

Hi Graeme

I think Hawker's VC action has slipped through the cracks.

The Alb 2-seater in flames Brit side at Hooge has to be FA 3 - Hptm H Roder & Obln A Uberlacker both kia.

Cheers Russ

Graeme · 27 July 2016, 04:46 PM

Hi Russ

I've got Hawker's VC action listed in the "July" thread - I've got the same German casualties as you.

Cheers

Graeme

James A. Pratt III · 28 July 2016, 04:01 PM

Great work keep it up. Here are some things I have picked up:
1 Aug 1 WIA AFP 6 CGAS could it be to the 3 Sqn combat in RFC Communiques?

19 Aug there is a 2Lt K Bamber & 2Lt EW Leggatt in a BE2 combat in RFC Com could this be Boelecke?

22 Aug Lt Leather and Lt Davis BE2c vs a parasol-Fokker damaged could this be Vfw G Nestler FFA 5?

on 23 or 31 Aug was a Von Wuhlish (O) WIA the 31 Aug could be Rees and Hargraves the 23rd could bt Lt Scholefield RFC Com.

I hope this is of some use.

R Gannon · 28 July 2016, 04:15 PM

19 Aug 15, I'd tend to go with what is in TSTBF II - Boelcke's #2 likely reflects the 2 Sqn BE2c of Capt JG Hearson & Capt WR Barker, shot up & FTL N of Arras.

and on 22 Aug another 2 Sqn BE2c (1687) was shot up by a Fokker over Seclin (Lt's Leather & Davis ok).

Cheers Russ