The bombing of front line trenches from the air

[Will O'Brien]

I ask the question because I am currently researching a chap from the MGC who allegedly killed in an air attack on the front line positions he was stationed in........This snippet came from a newspaper report rather than an official document so I am trying to ascertain whether tale is plausible or not...........Comments most welcome.

[John_Hartley]

Will

By co-incidence I've just been reading a section of the 6th Cheshires history, where exactly that happened - 6 July 1917. 3 killed, 11 wounded (I think two of my researchees were DOW next day - havnt researched fully yet).

I know of two other occasions. One definately front line - killed by Flechette (?). The other was just behing front line - bomb dropped on Aid Post/Field Ambulance post

[Will O'Brien]

Will

By co-incidence I've just been reading a section of the 6th Cheshires history, where exactly that happened - 6 July 1917. 3 killed, 11 wounded (I think two of my researchees were DOW next day - havnt researched fully yet).

I know of two other occasions. One definately front line - killed by Flechette (?). The other was just behing front line - bomb dropped on Aid Post/Field Ambulance post

John...............Many thanks for sharing that............this at least gives credence to such incidents occurring

[Killratio]

Will & John,

The attacks on Trenches were quite common, particularly as part of the later offensives (Cambrai springs to mind). The germans even developed a number of armoured two seaters for specifically that task.

Your man could well have been killed by Flechette. These were often used (mostly in the earlier stages, I believe).

regards

Darryl

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

Hello Will,

I came across an entry in a German regimental that an English plane attempted to bomb a quarry near Fricourt. The plane came from the German rear and unfortunately the bomb overshot the German trenches and hit the English trench. They reported that the English aircraft never attempted it again.

Ralph

[Jonathan Saunders]

They reported that the English aircraft never attempted it again.

I am not sure how many times the British bombed German trenches but I have certainly come across many instances of pilots straffing German trench lines. The British were certainly bombing rear areas where there might be ammunition dumps or a build up of troops prior to an expected offensive for example.

[Guest AmericanDoughboy]

William,

I believe that the events you are speaking occured rarily from 1914 - 1916 but 1917 - 1918 it started to appear more often. I may be wrong, however.

-Doughboy

[Will O'Brien]

Darryl, Ralph. Jon, Doughboy.....................Many thanks for your thoughts on this one

[Bernard_Lewis]

Swansea Battalion War Diary records one instance of an air attack that resulted in several wounded. No other mentions though so I guess quite rare?

Bernard

[MartinWills]

Will,

You've not said when or where this incident is supposed to have happened?

I am aware from contemporary accounts that in August 1918 enemy bombing of Allied trenches was a regular occurence in the Loos sector - the tunnels dug there in that year were a great help in providing shelter.

Martin

[Killratio]

The simple reason that it "seems" rare from War Diaries is that the GAS fought an essentially defensive war. There were relatively few aircraft and a significant length of trench line. The GAS principally made these attacks during major operations or offensives.

Therefore the likelihood that a single Battalion or company would be in the line, at the point of strike, on multiple occasions is quite low.

To draw the conclusion from this that these attacks were rare is not valid.

As I said, specialised aeroplanes, Halberstadt and Albatros to name two manufacturers, were developed for the purpose. They carried an assortment of bombs and grenades. Grouped into “Battle Flights” they were heavily used to support the Storm Troops during March 18 to give but one example.

The work was almost universally despised by pilots as any aircraft below 2000ft was in grave danger of being shot down by every rifleman or machinegunner in the area….EVERY one, theirs or the enemy.

Once brought down, their fate was usually extremely unhappy, as the low altitude precluded them from getting back to their lines and the “locals” were less than friendly, having just been subject to their attentions. Many airmen from both sides were beaten or worse after they were clearly hors de combat.

Regards

Darryl

[Dolphin]

The classic German 'trench-strafer' was the Junkers J.I depicted below. Although not an overly attractive machine (to say the least) it was popular with its crews, who appreciated the 1000+lbs of armour plating which kept them protected during low level work.

227 Junkers J.Is were produced and they saw service from late 1917 to the Armistice. At the same time AEG produced an armoured version of their C.IV biplane in the AEG J.I, which was fitted with two machine guns fitted to fire downwards at 45 degrees.

Cheers

Gareth

[Dolphin]

Further to my earlier post, here's a photograph of the downwards-firing machine guns on an AEG J.II, which was a modified version of the J.I. Some 600 AEG J type aircraft were manufactured.

It seems that the obliquely-firing guns weren't a great success due to the inherent difficulties of aiming the things.

Gareth

[Will O'Brien]

Will,

You've not said when or where this incident is supposed to have happened?

I am aware from contemporary accounts that in August 1918 enemy bombing of Allied trenches was a regular occurence in the Loos sector - the tunnels dug there in that year were a great help in providing shelter.

Martin

Martin..............The incident allegedly occurred on 21st September 1917..............Location is a tad more difficult. As the soldier in question is buried in Tyne Cot, I assume it occurred on the Ypres Salient.................Haven't the faintest idea whether he was an original burial there or a relocated casualty when they concentrated graves from the Passchendaele & Langemarck battlefields...........He was serving with the 28th Company MGC when killed which I suppose might give a clue to location.

[Adrian Roberts]

The British definitely made great use of low level strafing of German troops, using mainly single seaters such as the Camel, in the desperate attempt to stem the German advance in March 1918. Raymond Collishaw (fourth highest scoring British Empire ace) took part in this and gives an account in his book "Air Command". He quotes a German officer's account of how successful this was; the Camels flew so low he had to jump aside to avoid being hit by one, and one of his comrades was run over by the wheels of another as he lay on the ground.

The Sopwith Salamander was an armoured ground attack version of the Snipe, but it was only in the test stage when the war ended. The Germans therefore, with the AEG C.IV and Junkers J1 were well in advance of us in the development of specialised Ground Attack types.

The word 'Strafe' comes from the German word for 'destroy', as in the motto of the German Army (or possibly Navy) Airship crews: "Gott Strafe England" (or something like that).

One of my references says that "on 6th September [1917] twenty four Halberstadt CL.II's wrought havoc among Allied troops crossing the Somme bridges... and it was largely due to this type that the Germans were able to make such an effective counter attack at Cambrai on 30th November." Does anyone have any more info on the 6th Sept action - could it be the same as those that we've already mentioned?

[Guest Tom Brearley]

There's not a great deal I can add to the above, but it's perhaps worth making the point that aerial attacks on the trenches tended to be carried out predominantly with machine guns and (on the German side especially) with anti-personnel devices. (Flechettes were steel spikes dropped from tins.)

Bombs were more likely to be kept back for use in the rear areas, since the trench systems were well within artillery range, which could deliver more high explosive in a few minutes than a whole squadron of planes working all day.

Aircraft famously first 'went over the top' with the British ground troops at Arras in April 1917. It's always seemed a shame to me that more emphasis wasn't given to locating and attacking German counter-attack divisions from the air - here they could have had real strategic impact, rather than just nuisance value.

Tom

[KONDOA]

Totally out of theatre of course, the British actively employed bombing tactics against the Germans in East Africa where an advantage was gained over visually observed artillery work.

[Will O'Brien]

Adrian/Tom/Rupert...............Many thanks for your additional comments

[Gunner R.A.]

Will,

if it is any help one of the many soldiers that i am researching was killed by a bombing raid.

He was a private with the 9th Bn Duke of Wellington's and he was killed on the morning of the 30th of December 1915, the newspaper article states that " he was hit by a bomb dropped from a German plane" and that he "was killed outright".

The incident was witnessed by several of his comrades one of which wrote to his mother explaining how he had died.

I have still not researched this man any further and so i am not sure exactly where the 9th Bn was on this date ie. front line etc,

hope this helps,

yours,

Peter.

[KONDOA]

"On May 21st one of the forward posts was hit by a shell which killed 2/Lt. N.E.Riley, and two ther ransk, mortally wounding also 2/Lt. N.Fullard. The enemy was showing great activity and was expected to make an offensive. His front system had been raided at 3.a.m., and it was in retaliation for this that our front system was shelled and attacked by aeroplanes"

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