100 years ago today - 17 March 1918

[Graeme]

SUNDAY, 17 MARCH 1918

General Headquarters, March 17th.

“On the 17th inst. our aeroplanes once more raided Germany, attacking the barracks and railway station at Kaiserslautern with good results. Direct hits were observed on the railway station and a large fire was caused. The formation was attacked by a large number of hostile machines, which were driven off. All our machines returned.

General Headquarters, March 18th.

“On the 17th instant good visibility enabled us to carry out even more work in the air than on previous days. Much work was done by our artillery with observation from the air, and photography and reconnaissances by our aeroplanes were continued. The railway sidings at Somain, hostile rest billets on all parts of the front, and three of the enemy's aerodromes were all heavily bombed by us. A total of 10½ tons of bombs were dropped on these various targets. Over one of the aerodromes attacked a fierce encounter took place, as the result of which three hostile aeroplanes were brought down. Our own machines suffered no losses.

“During the day, 18 German machines were brought down and eight were driven down out of control. A hostile observation balloon was also destroyed by us. Four of our machines are missing.

“In the early part of the night, before the mist set in, our night-flying squadrons dropped five tons of bombs on two hostile aerodromes (one of which is occupied by large bombing machines), also on a big ammunition dump north-east of St. Quentin, and on hostile billets in the neighbourhood of Douai and Menin. All our machines returned.”

Admiralty, March 18th.

“During offensive patrols carried out by R.N.A.S. machines from Dunkirk from March 14th to 17th, five enemy machines were destroyed and five shot down out of control. In addition, in one engagement two enemy observers were seen to have been killed. All our machines returned safely.”

RFC Communiqué number 131:

On the 17th the weather was fine and the the visibility good.

Eighteen reconnaissances were carried out by Brigades and two photographic flights by 9th Brigade.

106 hostile batteries were engaged for destruction and 13 neutralized. Thirteen gun-pits were destroyed, 49 damaged, 63 explosions and 50 fires caused. Eighty-five zone calls were sent down.

134 [actually 1,434] photographs were taken, and 13¼ tons of bombs dropped as follows:-

Night 16th/17th – 116 25-lb bombs and seven 2-lb shells on billets opposite the Second Army front by No 58 Squadron.

134 25-lb bombs on rest billets opposite the 2nd Army front by No 102 Squadron.

Day 17th – 1st Brigade: 188 photographs. No 18 Squadron dropped four 112-lb, six 25-lb, and two 40-lb bombs on La Bassée, and eight 112-lb, two 25-lb and six 40-lb bombs on Avelin Aerodrome. 1st Wing dropped 63 25-lb bombs.

2nd Brigade: 408 photographs. No 57 Squadron dropped 13 112-lb and 72 25-lb bombs on Menin and Halluin. 11th Wing dropped 25 112-lb and 91 25-lb bombs on billets and 2nd Wing dropped 83 25-lb bombs on miscellaneous targets.

3rd Brigade: 421 photographs. Sixty-one 25-lb bombs were dropped.

5th Brigade: 366 photographs. Naval Squadron No 5 dropped 52 25-lb bombs on Busigny Aerodrome. No 48 Squadron dropped 29 25-lb on miscellaneous targets. 155 25-lb. bombs were dropped by the 15th Wing.

9th Wing: 51 photographs. No 27 Squadron dropped six 112-lb and 30 25-lb bombs on Saultain (Valenciennes) Aerodrome and one 112-lb and 28 25-lb on Somain Sidings.

8th Brigade: On the morning of the 17th inst., 10 machines of No 55 Squadron left to bomb military objectives at Mannheim. One returned with engine trouble and the remainder ran into thick clouds which prevented them from reaching their objective. Twenty 112-lb., nine 25-lb, and three 40-lb bombs were dropped from between 19,000 and 15,000 feet on the factories and railway station at Kaiserslautern. Rwo direct hits were obtained on the station, one truck being set on fire, and a large fire started. Sixteen E.A. attacked the formation but were driven off. Twenty-seven photographs were taken, shewing excellent results. All machines returned.

Enemy Aircraft:

EA were very active and a considerable amount of fighting took place.

EA were brought down out of control by the following:

Capt J L Trollope, No 43 Squadron; Flight Lieut A T Whealy, No 3 Squadron RNAS; Major A D Carter, No 19 Squadron; Capt A Roulstone, No 57 Squadron; 2nd-Lieut A E Venmore, No 57 Squadron; 2nd-Lieut H E Stewart, No 3 Squadron; 2nd-Lieut W C Dennett, No 3 Squadron; Capt G E Thomson, No 46 Squadron; Capt E R Tempest, No 64 Squadron; 2nd-Lieut A W B Proctor, No 84 Squadron (two); 2nd-Lieut J Loupinsky & Sergt A Remington, No 25 Squadron; Lieut G E Gibbons & 2nd-Lieut S A W Knights, No 62 Squadron; Capt H A Whistler, No 80 Squadron; 2nd-Lieut R T Mark, No 24 Squadron; 2nd-Lieut H B Richardson, No 24 Squadron; 2nd-Lieut W H Brown, No 84 Squadron (two); Capt F E Brown, No 84 Squadron (two).

Lieut G E Gibbons & 2nd-Lieut S A W Knights, 62 Sqn, Scout out of control - Vzfw Jedwiel, Js46, Wia

2nd-Lieut J Loupinsky & Sergt A Remington, 25 Sqn, E.A. out of control -

2nd-Lieut N W Hustings, 19 Sqn, Albatros Scout crashed - Lieut N W Hustings, No 19 Squadron, shot down an E.A. out of control which was confirmed to have crashed

Lieut J K Von I Peden, 3 Sqn, Pfalz Scout crashed at 07:10/07:10 - LtJ K V Peden, No 3 Squadron, whilst on low bombing, engaged one of two E.A. and sent it down to crash

2nd-Lieut H E Stewart, 3 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control at 07:10/07:10 -

Capt G E Thomson, 46 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Cambrai at 08:45/08:45 - Ltn Otto Wachhorst de Wente, Js46, Kia [?]

Capt G E Thomson, 46 Sqn, two-seater out of control Cambrai at 09:30/09:30 -

Flt Sub-Lieut A T Whealy, 3N Sqn, Aviatik C out of control west of Haubourdin at 10:50/10:50 -

Maj J A Cunningham, 65 Sqn, Albatros Scout crashed Zuidhoek at 11:25/11:25 - Major J A Cunningham, No 65 Squadron, attacked an E.A. scout which turned east and dived. Major Cunningham followed, firing both guns at close range, and the E.A. crashed at Zuidhoek

Capt E R Tempest, 64 Sqn, Pfalz Scout in flames Douai at 11:30/11:30 - Capt E R Tempest, No 64 Squadron, dived on one of five E.A. scouts and shot it down in flames; Vfw Otto Schulz, Js20, Kia [?]

Capt A Roulstone & 2nd-Lieut W C Venmore, 57 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control north of Menin at 11:30/11:30 -

Capt E R Tempest, Lieut C A Bissonette, Lieut K G P Hendrie, Lieut J F T Barrett and Lieut C B Stringer, 64 Sqn, Pfalz Scout out of control Biache at 11:35/11:35 -

Capt F E Brown, 84 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Busigny at 11:40/11:40 -

2nd-Lieut A W F Beauchamp-Proctor, 84 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control Busigny at 11:40/11:40 -

2nd-Lieut A W F Beauchamp-Proctor, 84 Sqn, Albatros Scout broke up west of Busigny at 11:42/11:42 - 2nd-Lieut A W B Proctor, No 84 Squadron, got on the tail of one E.A. scout and fired 100 rounds. The E.A. did a steep dive, followed by a zoom and a quick left-hand turn, whereupon the bottom left-hand plane gave way and the whole left wing crumpled up against the fuselage; OfStv Adolf Schreder, Js17, Kia [?]

2nd-Lieut A W F Beauchamp-Proctor, 84 Sqn, Pfalz Scout out of control west of Busigny at 11:45/11:45 -

2nd-Lieut C L Stubbs, 84 Sqn, Albatros Scout crashed Busigny at 11:45/11:45 - 2nd-Lieut C L Stubbs, No 84 Squadron, attacked an E.A. scout which he followed down to 5,000 feet continually firing, and the E.A. crashed in a village; OfStv Adolf Schreder, Js17, Kia [?]

2nd-Lieut J V Sorsoleil, 84 Sqn, Pfalz Scout crashed east of Mametz at 11:45/11:45 - 2nd-Lieut J V Sorsoleil, No 84 Squadron, shot down an E.A. which crashed one mile east of Moretz [sic]

Capt F E Brown, 84 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control W Busigny at 11:45/11:45 -

Capt J L Trollope, 43 Sqn, Schuckert D in flames Maugre at 11:45/11:45 - Capt J L Trollope, No 43 Squadron, attacked one of four E.A. at close range and it dived vertically, burst into flames, then broke up in the air

Capt J L Trollope, 43 Sqn, Schuckert D out of control east of Armentières at 12:00/12:00 -

Lieut A B Fairclough and 2nd-Lieut E Olivier, 19 Sqn, Albatros Scout in flames north-east of Menin at 12:15/12:15 - Lieut A B Fairclough, No 19 Squadron and 2nd-Lieut E Olivier both attacked one E.A. scout which went down in flames; Ltn d R Waldemar Janshen, Js28, Kia [?]

Capt P Huskinson, 19 Sqn, Pfalz Scout crashed near Roulers at 12:25/12:25 - Capt P Huskinson, No 19 Squadron, dived on an E.A. scout and followed it down to 3,500 feet, and saw it crash near Roulers; Ltn d R Waldemar Janshen, Js28, Kia [?]

2nd-Lieut E Olivier, 19 Sqn, Pfalz Scout destroyed Roulers at 12:25/12:25 - Ltn d R Waldemar Janshen, Js28, Kia [?]

Capt J Leacroft, 19 Sqn, Pfalz Scout in flames near De Ruiter at 12:25/12:25 - Capt J Leacroft, No 19 Squadron, shot down one E.A. in flames which was seen to crash; Ltn d R Waldemar Janshen, Js28, Kia [?]

Lieut M R N Jennings, 19 Sqn, Albatros Scout crashed souith-west of Roulers at 12:25/12:25 - Lieut M R N Jennings, 19 Squadron, shot down an E.A. seen to crash; Ltn d R Waldemar Jahnsen, Js28, Kia [?]

Maj A D Carter, 19 Sqn, Albatros Scout crashed Oostnieuwkerke at 12:35/12:35 - Ltn d R Waldemar Janshen, Js28, Kia [?]

more to come

Graeme