Forced to Land (FTL) as a 'victory/credit' in aerial combat

[Grid]

When looking at claims for RFC/RNAS/RAF airmen there is the odd one for 'Forced to Land.' In the standard work on this, Shores, Franks and Guests Above the Trenches state:

• 'credit was also given for aircraft forced to land in Allied lines where these were subsequently captured' (p. 6). 
• 'It is worth noting that both the United States Air Service and the Austro-Hungarians allowed 'forced to land' claims until the end of the war' (p. 7)
• 'Forced to Land (NB in Palestine this category was only allowed if the aircraft had also been strafed on the ground)'. (p. 45)

I thought I read somewhere that FTL was accepted on the Western Front until 1916 by the British, but was not 1917-1918. Can anyone confirm that?

[topgun1918]

As with most things, it's impossible to be specific about when forced to land claims ceased being viewed as decisive and included in a pilot's 'tally'.  In terms of the western front, up until the end of May 1917, around 80 forced to land claims appear to have been accepted by RFC/RNAS Higher Authority, then up until the end of the war only a further 16 seem to have made the grade.

It is evident, from looking at the endorsements on combat reports, that some degree of 'grading' took place in terms of the number of rounds fired, the range at which the engagement took place and the damage likely to have been inflicted; I suspect that as the volume of combats increased, this process became too much to administer and as a result, forced to lands were relegated to the 'indecisive' pile. 

Graeme

[Grid]

Apologies for the quality of this one, but an example of one in 1918. Were the 'further 16' you mention above Western Front or ME? Cheers.

[topgun1918]

Hi Keith

The figures I gave were for the Western Front only.

Graeme

 

[nils d]

Looking at ATT it seems the authors stopped counting FTLs after Albert Balls brace on 28 September 1916.

Do we accept that as the cut -off point?