100 years ago today - 24 April 1918

[Graeme]

WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 1918

General Headquarters, April 25th.

“On the 24th inst. mist again hampered work in the air. Our aeroplanes on the southern part of the British front carried out several low reconnaissances, and engaged the enemy's attacking troops in the neighbourhood of Villers-Bretonneux with bombs and machine-gun fire from a very low height. Two hostile machines were brought down in combat and another was shot down in our lines by our infantry. Two of our machines are missing.

“During the night the southern portion of the front was covered in mist, and our machines were unable to leave the ground. In the north, however, 5½ tons of bombs were dropped by us on Estaires, Armentières, Roulers, and the railway stations at Courtrai and Thourout. All our machines returned."

RAF Communiqué number 4:

There were low clouds and mist all day and very little flying was possible.

Machines of the 5th Brigade carried out several low reconnaissances and engaged with bombs and machine-gun fire the enemy's troops which were attacking in the neighbourhood of Villers-Bretonneux.

Fifteen reconnaissances and eight contact patrols were carried out, of which five were by machines of the 5th Brigade.

Twenty-two hostile batteries were successfully engaged for destruction with aeroplane observation and 15 neutralized; one gun-pit was destroyed, one damaged, 14 explosions and 17 fires caused. Sixty-three zone calls were sent down.

Twenty-six and three-quarter tons of bombs were dropped as follows:-

Night 23rd/24th - 1st, Brigade: No 2 Squadron, 66 25-lb bombs on Provin, Richebourg St Vaast, Neuf Berquin and Estaires.

3rd Brigade: No 102 Squadron, 459 25-lb bombs on roads in the neighbourhood of Bapaume.

5th Brigade: No 101 Squadron, 126 25-lb bombs on Caix.

7th Brigade: No 214 Squadron, 4 250-lb and 48 112-lb bombs on Courtrai Railway Station, 14 112-lb bombs on Roulers, 14 112-lb bombs on Tournai, 3 112-lb bombs on Cortemarck, 9 112-lb bombs on Lichtervelde, 16 112-lb bombs on Thourout Railway Station, and three 550-lb bombs on Zeebrugge, bursts being seen on Darse, a coke factory and the Mole.

9th Brigade: No 58 Squadron, 16 112-lb and 115 25-lb bombs on Roulers Railway Station. No 83 Squadron, 18 112-lb and 142 25-lb bombs.

Day 24th – 9th Brigade: No 18 Squadron, 15 112-lb and 36 25-lb bombs on Estaires, La Gorgue and Billy Montigny. 1st Wing, 46 25-lb bombs,

2nd Brigade: No 206 Squadron, 8 230-lb bombs on Estaires. No 98 Squadron, 7 230-lb bombs on Armentières. No 20 Squadron, 7 112-lb bombs. No 1 Squadron, 5 25-lb bombs. 2nd Wing, 28 25-lb bombs.

3rd Brigade: No 57 Squadron, 12 112-lb bombs on Bapaume. 35 25-lb bombs.

5th Brigade: No 205 Squadron, 4 112-lb and 24 25-lb bombs on Chaulnes Railway Junction. 15th Wing, 82 25-lb bombs. 22nd Wing, 296 25-lb bombs.

7th Brigade: No 49 Squadron, 15 112-lb bombs on Ostend harbour and docks; 2 112-lb bombs on Westende. No 211 Squadron, 65 25-lb bombs on Ostend Harbour and docks.

Enemy Aircraft:

Enemy aircraft activity was very slight and no combats took place except on the front of the 5th Brigade, where a few low-flying E.A. were encountered. One E.A. was brought down in our lines by infantry, in addition to those brought down in combat.

Capt R A Grosvenor, 84 Sqn, two-seater out of control Villers-Bretonneux at 18:10/19:10 - Capt R A Grosvenor, No 84 Squadron, shot down one E.A. out of control; Vfw Kurt Engel (Kia) & Ltn Julius Koslowski (Wia, Dow 28-Oct-1918), FA 238 ?

Lieut C G Edwards, 209 Sqn, Pfalz Scout crashed Warfusée - Abancourt at 18:50/19:50 - Lieut C G Edwards, No 209 Squadron, while dropping bombs near Warfusee-Abancourt, was attacked from behind by a Pfalz Scout. Lieut Edwards did a climbing turn to the right and the E.A. turned to the left and dived. Lieut Edwards then fired a short burst of 20 rounds at the E.A. which went down and crashed on the ground

Casualties:

? (Ok) & 2nd-Lieut F G Brown (Wia), 35 Sqn, AW FK8 - ground fire

2nd-Lieut W L Thomas (Wia), 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2B – ground fire

Lieut W L Sumison (Wia), 84 Sqn, SE5a B134 – ground fire

Capt A W Beauchamp-Proctor (Ok), 84 Sqn, SE5a C1794 - damaged by machine-gun fire from ground on offensive patrol Amiens - St Quentin road

Lieut H D Harrington (Pow), 65 Sqn, Camel D6436 – took off 11:20/12:20 and last seen over Villers-Bretonneux on patrol

2nd-Lieut F C Ransley (Ok) & 2nd-Lieut C W Davies (Ok), 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2B C4886 – took off 11:25/12:25 then shot about by enemy machine-gun fire on LOP Villers-Bretonneux and returned aerodrome 12:00/13:00

2nd-Lieut T G Jackson (Ok) & Lieut A E Ansell (Ok), 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2B A7114 – took off 13:10/14:10 then shot about by enemy machine-gun fire on LOP Villers-Bretonneux 14:10/15:10

Capt K A Lister Kaye (Ok), 84 Sqn, SE5a C9623 – took off 15:30/16:30 then damaged by machine-gun fire from ground on offensive patrol Villers-Bretonneux and returned aerodrome 16:35/17:35

Lieut F C Stovin (Kia), 209 Sqn, Camel B6311 – took off 16:45/17:45 then missing on special mission

Lieut C G Edwards (Ok), 209 Sqn, Camel D3331 - shot through after dropping bombs on troops and shooting down Pfalz on special mission 18:50/19:50

Graeme