100 years ago today - 5 April 1917

[Graeme]

5 APRIL 1917

General Headquarters, April 6th.

“Yesterday, and on the night of the 4th and 5th inst., several long-distance raids were carried out by our aeroplanes, and a number of important railway junctions, munition depots, and aerodromes were successfully bombed."

Artillery Co-operation — 119 targets were dealt with by aeroplane observation and nine by kite balloon observation.

Photography — 1,000 photographs were taken.

Hostile Aircraft — Our Offensive Patrols were successful in keeping hostile aircraft well over the lines and our artillery machines were able to carry out their work without interference. There was much hard fighting during the day and although the combats took place mostly far over the enemy's lines, he suffered far more heavily than we.

Hostile aircraft –

Lt J P V Lavarack & 2nd Lt L Baker-Jones, 12 Sqn, Albatros Scout destroyed

Capt F N Hudson, Capt R G H Pixley, Capt R Oxpsring, 2nd Lt R M Charley and Lt M D G Scott, 54 Sqn, Balloon in flames Gouy

Lt P Pike & Lt H B Griffith, 48 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Douai at 10:00/10:00 - a hostile machine engaged by Lt Pike & Lt H B Griffith was brought down apparently out of control. These two officers lost the formation and on returning home fought two rearguard actions, in one of which they drove down one hostile aeroplane.

Capt W L Robinson & 2nd Lt E Warburton, 48 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Douai at 10:15/10:15 - a patrol of 48 Squadron, led by Capt W L Robinson, VC, engaged 12 hostile aircraft near Douai. Capt Robinson engaged one hostile machine which he drove down out of control

Capt W V Strugnell, 54 Sqn, Balloon in flames Vendhuile at 10:47/10:47

2nd Lt H W Woollett, 24 Sqn, Albatros Scout crashed east of Honnecourt-sur-Escaut at 11:00/11:00 - a patrol of 24 Squadron engaged three HA near Honnecourt; Lt H W Woollett drove down one HA which was seen to crash east of Honnecourt

Capt G J Mahoney-Jones & Capt R M Knowles and Patrol, 20 Sqn, Halberstadt out of control Courtrai at 11:35/11:35
Capt G J Mahoney-Jones & Capt R M Knowles and Patrol, 20 Sqn, Halberstadt out of control Dadizeele at 11:40/11:40

Two Halberstadts were driven down out of control by a patrol of 20 Squadron; Capt G J Mahoney-Jones and Capt R M Knowles who, with others, engaged these machines, believed that both were destroyed.

Lt C R O'Brien & Lt J L Dickson, 43 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control east of La Bassée at 11:45/11:45 - engaged three hostile machines east of La Bassée. One of these was driven down out of control and the other two broke off the combat.

Lt H G White & Pte T Allum, 20 Sqn, Albatros Scout captured Neuve-Église at 11:45/11:45 - were attacked by two Albatros scouts near St Eloi. Two-thirds of a drum was fired at one hostile aircraft which was forced to land near Neuve Eglise, and the pilot, who was wounded, was taken prisoner; Ltn Josef Flintz, Jasta 18, Pow, G.20

2nd Lt J Lawson &, 20 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Wytschaete at 11:45/11:45

Capt A M Wilkinson & Lt L W Allen, 48 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Douai at 12:00/12:00 - a second patrol of 48 Squadron, led by Capt A M Wilkinson, saw three HA near Douai and engaged and drove down two of them, one out of control. Later, they engaged another and drove it down

Another patrol of 48 Squadron, led by Capt D M Tidmarsh, engaged a two-seater HA east of Douai - the HA disappeared in the clouds. Lt O W Berry engaged another HA south-east of Douai and drove it down in a steep spiral. Lt G N Brockhurst then dived on a red single-seater which was also driven down.

Lt V H Huston & 2nd Lt G N Blennerhasset, 18 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Inchy at 12:00/12:00
Lt V H Huston & 2nd Lt G N Blennerhasset, 18 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Inchy at 12:00/12:00 - part of a photographic patrol, they drove down two HA out of control and drove off several others

Capt R H Hood & 2nd Lt J R Smith, 18 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Inchy at 12:00/12:00

Flt Cdr R S Dallas, 1N Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control east-south-east of St Quentin at 12:00/12:00 - drove down an Albatros scout out of control south-east of St Quentin

Sgt J Dempsey & Sgt C H Nunn, 25 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Vimy Ridge at 12:00/12:00 - an Albatros scout which had been engaged by Sergt J Dempsey & Sergt C H Nunn, 25 Squadron, fell out of control

Flt Cdr R J O Compston, 8N Sqn, Halberstadt D out of control south-east of La Bassée at 12:45/12:45 - on a Sopwith Triplane, pursued three hostile aeroplanes and attacked the rear one which went down out of control.

2nd Lt G M Hopkins & 2nd Lt G O McEntee and 2nd Lt F H Kolligs & 2nd Lt J O Stewart, 22 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Honnecourt-sur-Escaut at 13:45/13:45 - a patrol of 22 Squadron drove down a German aeroplane out of control near Honnecourt

2nd Lt G A H Pidcock and Lt T Langwill, 60 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Riencourt at 16:45/16:45
Lt J M Elliott, 60 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Riencourt at 16:45/16:45

Lt T Langwill, with a patrol of 60 Squadron, engaged four HA. One HA dropped vertical and appeared to crash. During the patrol two other HA were driven down out of control, one by Lt C S Hall and one by Lt J McC Elliott.

2nd Lt C S Hall, 60 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Riencourt at 16:45/16:45 [2 April ?]

Flt Sub-Lt A L Thorne, 6N Sqn out of control Douai at 17:00/17:00 - also drove down a hostile machine out of control.

Flt Cdr E W Norton, 6N Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control west of Douai at 17:00/17:00
Flt Cdr E W Norton, 6N Sqn, Albatros Scout in flames west of Douai at 17:00/17:00 - drove down one hostile aeroplane in flames and one out of control west of Douai.

Flt Sub-Lt R R Thornley, 6N Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control west of Douai at 17:00/17:00

Lt C V de B Rogers and 2nd Lt E J Pascoe, 29 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Vitry-en-Artois at 18:35/18:35 - an Albatros scout was driven down out of control by Lt C V de B Rogers, 29 Squadron, near Vitry-en-Artois.

Maj H E Hervey and 2nd Lt D N Robertson, 60 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Riencourt at 18:45/18:45

2nd Lt B Scott-Foxwell, 29 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Douai at 19:00/19:00 - an Offensive Patrol of five Nieuports of 29 Squadron fought six HA near Arras and one HA was driven down out of control.

Capt H S Platt & 2nd Lt T Margerison, 57 Squadron, drove down a single-seater biplane which landed in a ploughed field.

Graeme