Time Line

Although Austria-Hungary was hampered by its weak industrial structure, it nevertheless produced one of the world’s first successful and widely produced reconnaissance airplanes in the Taube (Dove), which was noted for its elegant birdlike wings. Designed by Igo Etrich after more than 6 years of experimentations with monoplane designs, the Taube made its maiden flight at Wiener Neustadt on 29 November 1909. Subsequent modifications resulted in a military prototype that Etrich’s assistant, Karl Illner, used to carry a passenger on a cross-country flight in May 1910. After Chief of the General Staff Franz Conrad von Hötzendorff flew as an observer during a September 1910 meet at Wiener Neustadt, he enthusiastically called for purchasing 200 airplanes and training 400 pilots. Although the War Ministry remained reluctant to commit its limited funds for aviation, Conrad was successful, after lobbying Emperor Franz Josef personally, in winning a commitment to purchase a ...

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Although Austria-Hungary did not enjoy as much success with its version of the Albatros as did Germany with its versions, it would eventually produce an excellent armed reconnaissance aircraft with the Aviatik C.I biplane. Like Albatros, Aviatik had been allowed to open a branch (Oesterreichishe-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik Aviatik) within Austria-Hungary shortly before the outbreak of war in 1914. Its first aircraft, the B.II, was modeled closely after the same version in Germany. It had a top wing that was swept back slightly with sloping struts, supporting the top wing extensions. Instead of a center section, it had a cabane consisting of a trestle constructed from steel tubing to which a gravity fuel tank was attached. With the exception of the area around the cockpits (the pilot in the rear, the observer in front), the wooden-framed, canvas-covered fuselage was rectangular in shape. Powered by a 120 hp Austro-Daimler inline engine ...

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Although the zeppelin raids proved the futility of using hydrogen-filled airships as a strategic bomber, the Germans did not give up on strategic bombing. Instead, they turned to a new weapon that came available in Spring 1917, the twin-engine Gotha G-IV bomber. The Germans hoped that this new weapon, when combined with a resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917, would drive Britain from the war. In the first Gotha raid, conducted on 25 May 1917, a fleet of 23 bombers led by Captain Ernst Brandenburg headed toward London, but because of heavy fog ended up dropping their payloads over Folkestone, killing 95 civilians and injuring 195, more casualties than any single zeppelin raid. On 13 June Brandenburg led 20 Gothas in a noontime attack on London, dropping 7 tons of bombs that destroyed the Liverpool Street Station, killed 162 people, injured 432 others, and caused more than $600,000 ...

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Despite a few spectacular successes, such as the destruction of zeppelin sheds and Strange’s bombing at Courtai, the initial results of tactical and strategic bombing were extremely limited. Of 483 bombing attacks that the British and French launched against German targets between 1 March and 20 June 1915, only seven were considered successful. In addition, bombers proved extremely vulnerable to ground fire, antiaircraft guns, and enemy bombers. By late 1915 experience dictated the development of tactical guidelines for bombing, such as attacking targets downwind and flying in formation to minimize the impact of antiaircraft guns. In addition, daytime bombing raids were increasingly restricted to short runs or to entice enemy fighters into a trap, while nighttime bombing raids were used to fly deep into enemy territory. It should be noted that nighttime flying presented a host of problems because of the lack of training and instruments—obstacles that would ...

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Flight Lieutenant R L G Marix by Ivan Berryman.

On 8th October 1914, war in the air changed forever with what would become the first successful strategic bombing raid on Germany. As bad weather threatened to frustrate their mission, two little Sopwith Tabloids took off in search of the giant Zeppelin sheds at Cologne and Dusseldorf, one piloted by Squadron Commander D A Spenser Grey and the other by Flight Lieutenant Reggie Marix. Grey was beaten by poor visibility and instead chose to bomb the railway station at Cologne whilst Marix located the primary target and bombed it at once from a height of just 600ft. Almost immediately, the mighty LZ.25 that was housed inside began to burn and then blew up spectacularly, the fireball threatening to engulf Marixs Tabloid. Both Marix and Grey were awarded the Distinguished Service Order for their efforts. The age of aerial bombing had ...

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Although the primary danger pilots faced at first was from enemy (and friendly) ground fire, the need to prevent the enemy from carrying out reconnaissance became just as important as carrying out one’s own reconnaissance after a few weeks of war. As a result, the days of opposing pilots waving at each other in the air came to a quick end, as both sides resorted to a variety of weapons (e.g., bricks, large steel darts, grenades, pistols, rifles, and even grappling hooks) in an effort to drive the enemy from the skies. On 25 August 1914 pilots and observers in Royal Flying Corps No. 2 Squadron armed themselves with rifles and pistols. Within three days the British had forced three German Taubes to land. Although Germans would achieve similar successes of their own, the odds of hitting a moving target with a rifle or pistol were extremely small ...

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Prior to launching their offensive against Verdun on 21 February 1916, the Germans had conducted highly detailed photographic reconnaissance of French positions and concentrated their Fokker Eindeckers, including Boelcke’s squadron, in the area around Verdun in order to deny the French aerial reconnaissance of the massive German troop buildup. This policy of conducting an aerial blockade (Luftsperre) initially proved to be successful. Although a few French aircraft managed to get through the screen of German fighters, they were unable to gather enough information to convince the French High Command that the Germans were preparing a winter assault on Verdun. The critical mistake that the Germans made was to continue the aerial blockade after the onset of the battle. Even though doing so helped to protect German artillery positions, the Germans wasted aerial resources that could have been better used to disrupt the French supply line up the one road ...

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Although Italy was slow to begin developing its own aircraft industry— indeed, as late as January 1915 Italy had just 100 skilled aircraft workers—it was the first European power to use airplanes and airships in a war. Upon the outbreak of the Tripolitan War on 28 September 1911, the Italians entered Libya with two airships, two drachen balloons, and nine foreign-built airplanes. Italian pilots carried out the first heavier-than-air aerial reconnaissance mission on 23 October, when Captain Carlo Piazzo flew his Blériot approximately 1,000 ft above the Turkish lines and signaled the location of the enemy to Italian artillery. On 1 November Second Lieutenant Giulio Gavotti conducted the first aerial bombardment from an airplane, dropping four 2-kg grenades on Turkish forces. Italians also made successful use of aerial photography and wireless transmission. Although most foreign observers downplayed the offensive role of Italian aircraft in the conflict, Giulio Douhet ...

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For two years the Hansa-Brandenburg C I formed the backbone of Austrian World War I reconnaissance aviation. An exemplary design, it was rugged, long-ranged, and well-liked by its pilots.

 

In 1915 German aircraft designer Ernst Heinkel was commissioned to design a new two-seat reconnaissance craft for the Austro-Hungarian air service. His response was a sleek, modern design that could accept increasingly powerful engines without major modifications. The C I was a standard biplane in appearance, save for the two bay struts that canted inward. In what had become standard practice for the Austrian service, both pilot and gunner were housed in a spacious “tub” that kept the men in close proximity to facilitate cooperation. The C I first flew in 1916 and displayed exceptional takeoff, speed, and flying capabilities. The need for such a craft proved so great to Germany’s ally that two Austrian firms, Phonix and Ufag, were ...

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American DH4

For day squadrons, the DH-4 with Liberty motor, as manufactured in the United States, was selected. These planes were obtained from the U.S. Army and were packed and shipped to France. Four of these planes were assembled at Pauillac and from there flown to the field. As future shipments arrived, they were transfered to Eastleigh, but due to non-delivery of DH-4’s from the States, by the middle of August, the Commander, U.S. Naval Aviation Forces, Foreign Service, obtained by concession of the British Government, in exchange for Liberty motors, 54 DH-9a planes. As these were delivered to Base B at Eastleigh they were assembled and flown to the field. The first DH-4 arrived from Pauillac on September 7, 1918.

 

The first DH-4 arrived from Base B on October 2, 1918. Considerable delay in the assembly of the American DH-4 planes was caused by the fact ...

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