100 years ago today - 25 April 1918

[Graeme]

THURSDAY, 25 APRIL 1918

General Headquarters, April 26th.

“On the 25th inst. mist during the morning and thunderstorms later in the day prevented much flying being accomplished until the evening. In the northern area, however, the enemy's positions in the neighbourhood of Kemmel were reconnoitred by our machines, our pilots being compelled to fly within a few feet of the ground in order to make observation possible. Six hundred and fifty bombs were dropped by us on Menin, Roulers, Armentieres, and on the enemy's billets. Ten hostile machines were brought down in air fighting and two others were driven down out of control. Four other German machines were shot down by anti-aircraft gunfire and one by fire from our infantry. Two of our machines are missing."

RAF Communiqué number 4:

There were low clouds and mist with occasional bright intervals.

Ten reconnaissances were carried out, the majority at a low height. Twenty-two contact patrols were carried out by machines of the 1st, 2nd and 5th Brigades and one long-distance photographic flight by the 9th Brigade.

One hostile battery was successfully engaged for destruction with aeroplane observation. Five zone calls were sent down.

Fifteen tons of bombs were dropped as follows:-

Night 24th/25th – 1st Brigade: No 214 Squadron, 56 112-lb and three 550-lb bombs on Courtrai Railway Station. 14 112-lb bombs on Thourout Railway Station.

9th Brigade: No 58 Squadron, 2 112-lb and 14 25-lb bombs on Estaires. 8 112-lb and 53 25-lb bombs on Armentieres. No 83 Squadron, 10 112-lb and 78 25-lb bombs on Roulers.

Day 25th – 1st Brigade: No 18 Squadron, 9 112-lb and 19 25-lb bombs on Laventies, Estaires, Pont du Hem and La Bassee. No 46 Squadron, 53 25-lb bombs. No 40 Squadron, 21 25-lb bombs. No 203 Squadron, 52 25-lb bombs. No 208 Squadron, 28 25-lb bombs. 1st Wing, 32 25-lb bombs.

2nd Brigade: No 98 Squadron, 7 230-lb bombs on Armentieres and Gheluwe. No 206 Squadron, seven 230-lb bombs on Merville, Le Quesnoy and Estaires. No 20 Squadron, 9 112-lb bombs. No 74 Squadron, 46 25-lb bombs. No 1 Squadron, 26 25-lb bombs. No 54 Squadron, 20 25-lb bombs.

3rd Brigade: 20 25-lb bombs.

5th Brigade: 15th Wing, 47 25-lb bombs. 22nd Wing, 180 25-lb bombs.

7th Brigade: No 49 Squadron, 8 112-lb bombs on Roulers, 6 112-lb bombs on Kayem, Slyppe and Moorslede Aerodrome. No 211 Squadron, 30 25-lb bombs on Roulers, 40 25-lb bombs on Beerst.

Enemy Aircraft:

In the early morning low-flying E.A. were active on the 2nd Brigade front; during the remainder of the day there was practically no activity until after 5 p.m., when the weather cleared considerably and several combats took place. Four hostile machines were brought down by A.A. and two by infantry in addition to those brought down in combat.

Enemy machines were driven down out of control by the following: Capt R A Grosvenor, No 84 Squadron (two); Capt J V Sorsoleil. No 84 Squadron; Lieut H W L Saunders, No 84 Squadron; Capt G H Hackwill, No 54 Squadron; Capt C C Clark, No 1 Squadron.

Capt G H Hackwill, 54 Sqn, LVG C out of control south-east of Bailleul at 07:30/08:30 - Dived on LVG and after firing 100 rounds went down out of control; confirmed by J Battery A.A.

Capt C J Marchant, 2nd-Lieut J H Smith and 2nd-Lieut P M Tudhope, 46 Sqn, LVG C crashed north of Hinges at 08:30/09:30 – combat report marked 'No'

Capt C J Marchant, 2nd-Lieut P M Tudhope and 2nd-Lieut J H Smith, 46 Sqn, LVG C crashed north of Hinges at 08:30/09:30 – combat report marked 'No'

Lieut R Manzer, 84 Sqn, Albatros Scout broke up north of Abancourt at 17:00/18:00 - Lieut R Manzer, No 84 Squadron, in a general engagement between his patrol and a formation of E.A. scouts, observed one E.A. on the tail of one of our machines. Lieut Manzer fired at it from both guns from a range of about 50 yards and continued his bursts until within about 30 yards of the E.A. which stalled and fell in a vertical dive, followed for a short distance by Lieut Manzer, who eventually had to leave the E.A. as he was attacked by three other scouts. The E.A. he had shot down out of control, was seen to collapse in the air

Capt J V Sorsoleil, 84 Sqn, Albatros Scout out of control east of Wiencourt at 17:00/18:00 -

Lieut E A Clear, 84 Sqn, Pfalz Scout crashed south of Hangard Wood at 17:00/18:00 - Lieut E A Clear, No 84 Squadron, fired a good burst with both guns into one E.A. scout; he then dived at it and the E.A. went down in a very steep dive and crashed near the railway east of Wiencourt; Uffz August Meyer, Jasta 34b, Kia [?]

Capt R A Grosvenor, 84 Sqn, Pfalz Scout broke up east of Wiencourt at 17:00/18:00 - Capt R A Grosvenor, No 84 Squadron, whilst on patrol observed five E.A. scouts upon which his formation dived; he engaged one E.A. at close range and it started to dive, followed by Capt Grosvenor to about 4,000 feet when the top right-hand plane of the E.A. crumpled up

Capt R A Grosvenor, 84 Sqn, Pfalz Scout out of control east of Wiencourt at 17:00/18:00 -

Capt R A Grosvenor, 84 Sqn, Pfalz Scout out of control east of Wiencourt at 17:00/18:00 -

Lieut H W L Saunders, 84 Sqn, Pfalz Scout out of control Wiencourt at 17:00/18:00 -

Capt J V Sorsoleil, 84 Sqn, Pfalz Scout in flames Wiencourt at 17:05/18:05 - Capt J V Sorsoleil, No 84 Squadron, whilst on patrol observed five E.A. scouts, two of which were being engaged by one of our machines. He dived on one and fired along burst from both guns into it. The E.A. went down vertically, emitting smoke, and finally burst into flamesc1c1

Lieut R H Little & A/Sergt W Beales, 48 Sqn, Rumpler C crashed [by Beales] east of Harbonnieres at 17:05/18:05 - Lieut R H Little & Sergt W Beales, No 48 Squadron, attacked an E.A. two-seater and fired a drum of Buckingham into it from a range of 300 yards. The E.A. put its nose down and flew into the ground, crashing one mile west of Harbonnieres

Lieut E A Clear, 84 Sqn, two-seater crashed south of Hangard Wood at 17:10/18:10 - Lieut E A Clear, No 84 Squadron, while returning home, saw an E.A. two-seater flying around Hangard. He dived on it and fired a good burst from long range, the E.A. turning east and shortly afterwards coming back. Lieut Clear dived again without any apparent result and the E.A. again turned east. Lieut Clear then flew into the clouds for a short time, and finally made another attack on the E.A. which went down out of control and crashed south of Hangard Wood, bursting into flames upon hitting the ground; Vzfw Johannes Grunenberg (Kia) & ? (Ok), FA 223 [?]

Capt J Gilmour, 65 Sqn, Albatros Scout in flames north of Lamotte at 18:00/19:00 - Capt J Gilmour, No 65 Squadron, dived on a formation of seven E.A. scouts and attacked the rear machine. After firing a short burst into it the E.A. went down in flames

Lieut K C Mills, 1 Sqn, Fokker DrI crashed Becelaere at 18:45/19:45 - Lieut K C Mills, No 1 Squadron, with the rest of his patrol dived on a formation of E.A. scouts, but owing to engine trouble was cut off from his patrol. He was then attacked by two triplanes and two E.A. scouts; after manoeuvring for some time, he fired a good burst with both guns at close range into one of the triplanes which went down vertically with black smoke coming out and was seen to crash between Becelaere and Dadizeele

Capt C C Clark, 1 Sqn, Pfalz Scout out of control Houthem - Zillebeke at 18:50/19:50 - Dived on Pfalz scout and after firing 200 rounds it turned on its side and went down on its back, engine full on. Confirmed by Lieut C C Mills.

Lieut F A S Nesbitt, 1 Sqn, Pfalz Scout out of control Houthem at 18:55/19:55 -

Lieut J C Bateman, 1 Sqn, Pfalz Scout out of control Houthem at 18:55/19:55 -

Lieut W Beaver & Corpl M B Mather, 20 Sqn, Albatros Scout in flames north of Ploegsteert Wood at 19:35/20:35 - Lieut W Beaver & Corpl M B Mather, No 20 Squadron, whilst on a long-distance reconnaissance, attacked five E.A. scouts over Ploegsteert Wood. Getting to within 200 yards of the nearest E.A., Lieut Beaver fired a burst of 100 rounds into it and the E.A. went down out of control and burst into flames on the ground just north of Ploegsteert Wood; Ltn King, Jasta 40, Kia [?]

more to come

Graeme