A French pilot makes an impressive raid deep into Germany…
On 17th November 1916 in a spectacular long distance
raid Capitaine Louis Robert de Beauchamp of the 4me Groupe de
Bombardement takes off from Luxeuil at 8am “dressed like an Eskimo” in
his specially prepared camouflaged ‘Strutter’ Ariel and flies 350kms to
spiral down and drop bombs on Munich railway station at midday before
flying at 12,000ft across the Brenner Pass and over the Dolomites to
Venice but cannot find the French airbase there.
Short of fuel after a 6 hour 45 minute flight of more than 650kms, he lands in a field but hits a hole and breaks the undercarriage slithering to a halt in the mud. His feat is widely celebrated, makes the headlines in newspapers and causes dismay in Germany.
Editor’s note. The above was taken from David Hassard’s weekly
newsletter “The Kingston Aviation Story - 100 years Ago This Week”. For
more fascinating stories go to www.kingstonaviation.org.
A Sopwith Baby pilot and his would-be rescuer are saved thanks to a homing pigeon….
On 16th November 1916 Fl Sub Lt Graham in “Baby”
8138 is forced down onto the sea by engine trouble. A float springs a
leak landing in heavy waves and the aircraft turns upside down. Graham
releases his nearly drowned homing pigeon but it does not reach the
loft. Over four hours later a searching Short floatplane spots the
pilot on an upturned float and lands making many unsuccessful attempts
to collect him until he goes out of sight in the broken water.
Taking off again the Short finds him and lands close enough to pick
him up utterly exhausted but could not then take off with the extra
weight. The Short pilot sends his pigeon with the message “12 miles NE
Nieuport taxying NW”. The pigeon arrives in Dunkirk an hour later and a
French torpedo boat is sent out to locate them and bring them back.
Editor’s note. The above was taken from David Hassard’s weekly
newsletter “The Kingston Aviation Story - 100 years Ago This Week”. For
more fascinating stories go to www.kingstonaviation.org.