Another air raid on Etaples 11 Aug 1918

[stevenbecker]

Mates,

I have an officer wounded in a bombing raid on the Etaples area on the 11th Aug 1918, can anyone tell me about this raid?

Cheers

S.B

[Guest]

Hi Steve. Is this the one? From Scarletfinders

" Air Raid at Etaples: A/Principal Matron, Etaples, reported that on the night of the 10th they had an air raid lasting about one hour. One large bomb and one small one fell near the Chateau in the ward near 24 General Hospital, and the windows of one hut were smashed. All patients had been transferred to dug-outs. One officer was killed at one of the Base Depots and one died later from wounds. A good deal of damage was done in Etaples town.Miss B. C. Wrigley, VAD: Received from the Principal Commandant, VADs, copy of letter forwarded from the War office authorising the transfer of Miss B. C. Wrigley from the Joint Commission for duty in a Military Hospital in France. Forwarded this correspondence to the DGMS. "

Mike

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

Thanks, the only details I have comes from his file;

RUDD John Arthur Vet Capt 2 LH Bde Trn (6Co AASC) remain Egypt to Vet officer 5 Div Trn 3-16 att 5 DAC 4-17 to RBAA 5-18 WIA 11-8-18 abdoman & L/hand bomb in Flieger Abteilungen air attack on Etaples F&B married in UK

Does that mean he was hit in a Goths attack or some other aircraft?

Cheers

S.B

[kenf48]

Mate,

Thanks, the only details I have comes from his file;

RUDD John Arthur Vet Capt 2 LH Bde Trn (6Co AASC) remain Egypt to Vet officer 5 Div Trn 3-16 att 5 DAC 4-17 to RBAA 5-18 WIA 11-8-18 abdoman & L/hand bomb in Flieger Abteilungen air attack on Etaples F&B married in UK

Does that mean he was hit in a Goths attack or some other aircraft?

Cheers

S.B

More accurately Feldflieger Abteilung or Field Flying Companies. In 1918 the base depots, where hospitals were also located, were seen as legitimate targets, these became known as the 'hospital raids' although it's arguable that concentrations of infantry destined for the front were a legitimate target.

By 1918 the bombing squadrons were designated Boghol, the raid on Etaples on May 20th was conducted by Boghol 6 based at Matigny. I don't know which squadron carried out this raid in August. Boghol 6 flew AEG bombers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG_G.IV

The other medium bomber used for these attacks was the Friedrichshafen G111 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrichshafen_G.III

Gothas were used almost exclusively for long range bombing, by this stage of the war I believe the raids were limited by fuel shortages.

Ken

[stevenbecker]

Ken,

Thanks mate.

I notice you record these German Sqn's in the last coment section of the Estaples raids, so it may have been one of these.

Flieger Abteilungen was my idea on the type of raid, my thinking it was one of these other types then a Gotha, but didn't want to rule it out untill I checked further.

Cheers

S.B

[Ottawa1880]

Ken, coming years late to this conversation - hope I can jump in. Could you please tell me where the details are for Boghol 6 being involved in the 19 May 1918 Etaples raid? It is interesting as contemporary accounts refer to Gothas attacking the camp. I would imagine that for those writing they may have only heard of Gothas from the raids on the UK?

On 22/04/2014 at 18:26, kenf48 said:

More accurately Feldflieger Abteilung or Field Flying Companies. In 1918 the base depots, where hospitals were also located, were seen as legitimate targets, these became known as the 'hospital raids' although it's arguable that concentrations of infantry destined for the front were a legitimate target.

By 1918 the bombing squadrons were designated Boghol, the raid on Etaples on May 20th was conducted by Boghol 6 based at Matigny. I don't know which squadron carried out this raid in August. Boghol 6 flew AEG bombers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG_G.IV

The other medium bomber used for these attacks was the Friedrichshafen G111 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrichshafen_G.III

Gothas were used almost exclusively for long range bombing, by this stage of the war I believe the raids were limited by fuel shortages.

Ken

 

[kenf48]

3 hours ago, Ottawa1880 said:

Ken, coming years late to this conversation - hope I can jump in. Could you please tell me where the details are for Boghol 6 being involved in the 19 May 1918 Etaples raid? It is interesting as contemporary accounts refer to Gothas attacking the camp. I would imagine that for those writing they may have only heard of Gothas from the raids on the UK?

One aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.  The pilot was Ltn Ernest Schmitz of BG6, he subsequently died of wounds

Source Casualties of the German Air Service  Franks and Bailey 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casualties-German-Air-Service-1914-20/dp/1902304330

Two other crew members were captured (both from BG6)

Ltn Max Ziervogel

Obltn Kurt Jentzen

The squadron was formed on the 17 December 1917 and had previously been designated The  Independent  Bavarian Kampfstaffel S.36. 

Forum pal @Dolphin has pointed out elsewhere that records show Boghol 6 flew AEG Bombers (Reconnaissance and Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War).  The evidence is therefore fairly conclusive which squadron carried out the raid and therefore the aircraft deployed.

The Aerodrome Forum http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-69991.html has transcribed the GHQ diaries where it is described as 'One of the enemy's large bombing machines'. The AEG IV was used according to the wikipedia entry cited in my original post for short range, tactical bombing.

Apart from having a relative killed in the raid my interest is more in the context of the ethics and development of strategic bombing.  There was an official report on the raid(s) but I no longer have access.  

Again according to wikipedia the only surviving AEG bomber is in Ottawa-perhaps you could pop over there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG_G.IV#/media/File:AEG_GIV_CASM_2012_1.jpg

(note 3 crew)

[Ottawa1880]

That is very useful, thank you Ken. My grandfather Lt. William Thomas Bassett, RAF was lying in No. 24 General Hospital on the night of 19 May - having been admitted on 13 May with "influenza" (he had only been in France a week at 2ASDP at Rang-du-Fliers before he fell ill). He was discharged from 24GH on 23 May and sent back to his unit. This means that he would have gone through the raids of 19 and 21 May and likely slept out in the woods for a couple of nights. Unfortunately, we have none of his diaries or logbooks and he died six years before I was born. So, consequently, I am piecing together his story from his service records and casualty cards. Cheers, Paul

[Ottawa1880]

1 hour ago, kenf48 said:

One aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.  The pilot was Ltn Ernest Schmitz of BG6, he subsequently died of wounds

Source Casualties of the German Air Service  Franks and Bailey 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casualties-German-Air-Service-1914-20/dp/1902304330

Two other crew members were captured (both from BG6)

Ltn Max Ziervogel

Obltn Kurt Jentzen

The squadron was formed on the 17 December 1917 and had previously been designated The  Independent  Bavarian Kampfstaffel S.36. 

Forum pal @Dolphin has pointed out elsewhere that records show Boghol 6 flew AEG Bombers (Reconnaissance and Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War).  The evidence is therefore fairly conclusive which squadron carried out the raid and therefore the aircraft deployed.

The Aerodrome Forum http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-69991.html has transcribed the GHQ diaries where it is described as 'One of the enemy's large bombing machines'. The AEG IV was used according to the wikipedia entry cited in my original post for short range, tactical bombing.

Apart from having a relative killed in the raid my interest is more in the context of the ethics and development of strategic bombing.  There was an official report on the raid(s) but I no longer have access.  

Again according to wikipedia the only surviving AEG bomber is in Ottawa-perhaps you could pop over there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG_G.IV#/media/File:AEG_GIV_CASM_2012_1.jpg

(note 3 crew)

Ken, I have seen the AEG, although i did not draw the connection when I was last there - the National Aviation Museum is a great facility and my favourite of the National museums in Ottawa. Cheers, Paul