Paroni1

Aviatik crashed!

At least one Boche less!Viva la France!

Jean spend about 200 rounds of it.Two witnesses,Jailler and Le Sort.

27 July

Claim to get credit Aviatik rejected.

The staff found the evidence to be unreliable.

In their opinion, the machine could have a technical fault.

Sacre Bleu! What a disappointing! I don't know what proof must give them that they believe it!

Jean and I decided to still show them.

27-28 July

Patrol own area and enemys area .Both ineffective.No sign of enemy.

Continue...

So close that you can smell sauerkraut!

July 26

Armand's Diary

Offensive patrol

Over the trenches,near St.Vith.Notice German Drachen !

Combat began!

Should be a easy prey...

Congratulations Seb_Toombs!

Quite Dynamic Duo,Andrews and Davies!

Boches have tough time yet,i suppose.

July 20-25

Armand's Diary

Flights are now every day.

Photo recon and escort missions.

Jean and i take off from Bryas.

Escort mission.Far little spots are Moranes from Esc 57.They have no guns,camera equipment instead.

Another screen from Flanders

July 17

Armand's Diary

Patrol over the Vimy Ridge.German activity increased in the region.

Drive off enemy recon and artillery spotting planes.

Jean once again ready to shoot the enemy but with meager results!Enemy slipped from us.

The fight took place south of Lens,near Douai aerodrome,Flanders.

Bryas aerodrome ,just landing.Truck columns on the way the front.On the horizon from there the city of St.Pol.

July 8

Armand's Diary

Navigation training and knowledging of landmarks on the flat land of Flanders.

It was peaceful day although rainy.

July 11

Offensive patrol to Haubordin aerodrome(Boches!)

Weather very nice,no clouds.

Engage against several Aviatiks but result was unsatisfactory for us.All ammo used but claim went Adjutant Le Sort.

July 13

Capitaine Fauvre and his observer made crash landing and hospitalised.

July 14

Patrol on your side,destination La Gourge railway junction.

Thunderstorms,our plane was like a kite in that weather!

No enemies sighted.

July 7

Armand's Diary

Jean and I were called to the commander's room.He was not in good mood.

He shouted so loud that our hair fluttered backwards.

"It is not enough for you to fly a fruitless flight far to the enemy side but to lose your plane intact to the enemy!"

"Boches dropped this picture our field yesterday.Now they get all info from it.
The next time  you get captured you can stay there!
Dismiss and get out!"

Hey Hasse Wind!

It was such a 50-50 situation whether Armand’s adventures continue!

July 1 1915

Very rainy day

Capitaine Fauvre lead us.

Mission patrol between Arras-St.Vith.

Artillery barrage continually at the front.

No enemies in sight.

July 4 1915

Capitaine Fauvre's claim went through and now he is our "ace".And generally the only one to have received air victories!

Mission patrol between Arras-Lens.Destroy enemy planes.

I working as a flight leader.

Very nice day.No clouds.

Near Arras ,over the front we saw enemy.The wind drove us to the side of enemy.It does not scare us because we noticed there are only two enemies.

And those are Aviatik B1.No armed,piece of cake!

We catch them and flew between them.Jean peppered them and EA disappeared somewhere.

The second EA was very low.When we were close,we saw that the propeller had stopped.We gave her coup- de- crace!

Aviatik made forced landing.

Our ammo was empty and not much the fuel ,so we headed home.

                                                                              Boche made forced landing

The anti-aircraft fire intensified when we got over the front.Suddenly strike hit an engine.

Mon Dieu!The fuel handler fell in instant.

Eventually the engine stopped and it was clear that we would have to make a forced landing on the enemy side.

My biggest concern was getting the bird down intact.It is not easy due to trenches and barbed wire.

Somehow we did it and we were that we live.Shouts were heard up close and we have not even matches that we could destroy the machine.

The joy was great when we arrived in Bryas.Bad news was that our victory claims rejected!

The guys of the same squadron demanded those machines for themselves!The end result was that no one get the credit.

June 30

Armand's Diary

Lovely place this Bryas.I was well received.Maybe it was because i brought a box of champagne!

No much time to get acquainted with the new machine.Tomorrow is the first combat flight.

My observer is Lieutenant Jean Perron.Our craft is Morane Saulnier L.

Observer uses the only weapon.

Bryas July 1915

The story of a pilot

Sous Lieutenant Armand Bertil Bouchant

Born in Rouen 8\6 1896.Son of a winery ,he expected to continue his father's work.
But then came a summer 1914 and everything changed.He served in the cavalry and took part of Plan XVII.
The end result was so murderous and terrifying that Armand decided to join Aeronautique Militaire.
After a long training and many crash landings Armand was commanded to Escadrille MS 15 at Bryas Aerodrome.

I thought the same thing as the Morane fighters approached Verdun above!

3 hours ago, Paroni1 said:

German telegram 25 June:

We have suffered a great loss:Feldwebel  von Tabbert and Leutnant Steeger died when their Aviatik crashed to the woods North of Verdun.

it is not yet clear whether the collision was caused by damage done by the enemy or was it due to the inexperience of the pilot.

Lack of maintenance parts,next flight would be 23th day.

My partner Viktor made crash landing when he was returning his leave.

His injuries were fortunately mild.He spend recovery time in Metz at field hospital.

Actual mourning came 18th day because our hero Max Immelmann died.

His example has led me to consider moving to a fighter pilot.

June 23

Photo recon find to batteries near Verdun

Safely home

Karls Diary

13 June

Photo mission to railway station,Reims.

No AA.

Porcher,busy day!

Karls Diary

Viktor left 10-days leave and i went on a flight course to Koblenz.

My next mission(photo mission enemy battery)would be 12th June.

My observer is Leutnant Helmut Steeger.

Between Thiaucort and Pont-A-Mous,one village which could not recognise.

Our artillery shoots!

June 5

Photo recon mission trenches near Verdun.

Weather was rainy,thick clouds.

Trenches are black stripes.Note an explosion in horizon!

Weak visibility overall.

Karls Diary

Fritz and Karl,Porcher June 1915

Viktor and Karl      June 1915

Karls Diary

When back in Porcher,there was heated conversation between our commander Debrodt and Oberleutnant Oskar Henke.

Henkes claim,Morane Bullet was rejected.Lack of eyewitnesses.Henke was only one in this squadron who has confirmed victory.

May be he gets more chance add to tally it!

Viktor and i were ordered to enter the commander's room.

We get the instructions for tomorrow.

Again photo reconnaissance mission.Must to find enemys batteries that we can make counter-batteries for it.

It is somewhere near Pont-A-Mous.

Finally when everything was clear Debrodt pointed out:Get your slimy dog out here!

I smiled when we leave at room.My darling dane hund Fritz followed me everywhere.It is slimy at all but eat my to ruin.My all daily allowance consumes it in food.

June 4

Aviatik lift once again to the sky.

AA has awaken!

Ruins of Pont-A-Mous

Photos are taken via road and edge of forest .Batteries should be there.

Light AA but not big harm.

Safely home.

June 2

Karls Diary

After the photographic results were examined,

we were assigned artillery spotting for the flight.

Back to the front.

Viktor sent the coordinates.

The view was both beautiful and awful.No AA and Enemy planes neither.

Safely home return.

On 2.1.2022 at 10:38 PM, Paroni1 said:

June 1

Karls Diary

We took off at 9.00 in the morning,Oberleutnant Viktor Aeckerle and i. The weather was beautiful as it should be.

Our task was to photograph the trenches  in St. Mihiel.

Although I had only flown in Taube before,

Aviatik was easy to learn.

The biggest drawback was the lack of front visibility,because the observer sit there.We have not an armament because a camera was heavy that load would to be too heavy.

1st shot from Verdun 2.bmp

First picture by Viktor's brand new camera.Lakes of Grand Etang at sight.The front line appears in horizon.

Actual target was south of Thiaucort.Distance from our airfield is about 20km straight to south.

Frenchmen trenches.Ruins of old Fiery village are barely sight.Quiet,no enemy AA.

Safely back to home.

On 2.1.2022 at 10:38 PM, Paroni1 said:

 

Quote

 

5 hours ago, epower said:

There may be a size limitation.  Try one under 1.0 MB

No matter which format or size.Appear loading error files.

Did not allow jpg files(1,7MB) to be transferred.I try someone else later.

What format do you send the images in?