Albatros C2 - Kurt Weil

[wieesso]

Looking for information about the WWI pilot Kurt Weil and his plane.
Especially I'm looking for incidents of May 1916.
I heard a rumor that on May 6, 1916 he had a fight with a Russian pilot named B.V. Korvin-Kroukovsky.
So far I only found this photo
It is on this website http://commanderdarkwind.tumblr.com/...f-german-pilot
with the caption: "WWI Photo of German Pilot Kurt Weil, and Albatros C II Towed By Horse And Wagon"

Martin

[Volker_Nemsch]

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So far the caption seems to be right.

The German word "Abtransport!" can be translated as follows: "Removal!" or "Carry-off!".

So it seems that he had to land some distance away from his airfield and that his (defective or damaged) machine had to be towed back. Maybe the cause for this landing was the fight you mentioned?

.

[musec]

Hello Martin,

I would assume based on the photo, that the machine shown is actually Albatros C.I 228/15 as the C.II was a very different pusher driven design. See http://warnepieces.blogspot.co.uk/20...ircraft-4.html

Regards,

Clint

[Volker_Nemsch]

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... thank you for mentioning this very good link about the Albatros C.II.


Are there other technical data of this rare aircraft available somewhere, apart from the used powerplant?

.

[Froggy]

"Only a single example of the CII was built,very early in 1916,to assess the possibilities of the 'pusher' layout;designated Gitterschwanz(lit,trellis tail) by the Germans.The CII,bearing the military serial C27/196,was powered with the 150 h.p. Benz Bz III engine an appeared to use a complete set of CI wings and undercarriage chassis"

Source:German aircraft of WW1 Peter Gray &Owen Thetford

[wieesso]

Thank you all for your helpful reactions!
Where was probably this fight in May 1916?
So far I know B.V. Korvin-Kourkovsky was with the sixth corps...
Any assumptions?

Martin

[Volker_Nemsch]

.
The Albatros C.I on the photo clarly shows the "Iron Cross" on the left fuselage side, as used between 29 October 1916 and 17 March 1918.

Before the end of October 1916 German military aircraft generally also had black crosses, but they were surrounded by a white squarish field, bigger than the cross itself. Within the last days of October the markings had to be changed as follows: the white field was eliminated and all crosses had to be surrounded with a (mostly) 50mm white border.

Having this in mind, the photo was not taken before late 1916. But it is also possible that the photo was taken until mid-1917, because the trees in the background have leaves and there is high (new or fresh) grass in the foreground. Additionally there were stiil a few dozen Albatros C.I 2-seaters mentioned in the "Frontbestandsliste" at this time.

.

[Froggy]

May be Am I wrong , but I think the soldiers around the albatros are wearing russian uniforms ?

[Volker_Nemsch]

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Well, that's almost impossible to see, but I tried to identify the horsedrawn carriage (used for towing the aircraft) and this one looks much like one of the light of medium "German standardarised miltary carriages", called "Packwagen" oder "Proviantwagen".

Another thing is, that the caption is in German language. So why should the Germans publish a postcard or photo with an aircraft captured by the enemy?

But if the people on the photo are Russians, using German equipment for towing a captured aircraft...


Honstly: it's just my presumption, based on several small hints - not more...

.

[wieesso]

Thanks again for all your recent posts!
I am looking for the location of these air battle on May 6, 1916.
The interesting detail is, that the German Kurt Weil and the Russian Boris V. Korvin-Kroukovsky met again around 42 years later at an American university!
Any help available to find this location?

Martin