Shooting down low flying aircraft

[Terry Carter]

Hello Folks

I thought you might be interested to see this letter sent round the various brigades of the 19th Division concerning the shooting down of low flying enemy aircraft.

By the way, on 17 August, 1916, while in the front line north of Ovillers the war diary of the 1/7th Royal Warwicks notes that an enemy plane was brought down in flames in the battalion's lines. I wonder if that was the result of ground fire?

I have also come across other info sheets, one concerning carrier pigeons and the other concerning signalling procedure, whilst in action, between tank to tank and tank to infantry. If anyone is interested I will scan and put them on also.

Cheers

Terry

[Broznitsky]

Quite a few planes on both sides came down from ground fire I should think. A L/Cpl in my g'dad's battalion brought a two-seater down with a Lewis Gun on 1917-08-21 near Lens.

Peter

[Joe Sweeney]

Another "odd" method of shooting down aircraft, or at least attempting to do so was via the use of trench mortars.

I have quite a bit on the official instructions of how to use the stokes in an anti aircraft role, but have never read an account of one actually bringing down an aircraft. Has anyone ever come across an account of an LTMB bringing down an aircraft using its mortars?

Joe Sweeney

[Malcolm]

Maybe not so daft when you consider the single shot from an Aussie Gunner which got the Red Baron.

Aye

Malcolm

[Dolphin]

Terry

According to German records, their only loss on the Western Front on 17 August 1916 was a two-seater [type not specified] flown by OfStv Kasimir Branicke (P) and Ltn Paul Wagner (O) of Flieger Abteilung 42, which went down near Arras. It isn't unusual for the opposing sides to have differing opinions on where aircraft went down.

I hope this is of interest.

Dolphin

[Guest Pete Wood]

Another "odd" method of shooting down aircraft, or at least attempting to do so was via the use of trench mortars.

Although I had not heard of this method before, it does not surprise me.

The idea may have come about because of the large number of aeroplanes that were brought down by their own large guns, when the planes were carrying out artillery spotting.

Obviously most of these planes were brought down in No Man's Land.

[Alan Lines]

A bit off topic but still interesting.

Extract form the War Diary of the 43rd Btn. CEF. 28th May 1917.....

No: 859302 Pte. Wisenden, W.L. died as a result of wound in head from anti aircraft shell nose.

[John_Hartley]

One of my memorial researchees, Harry Eastwick, served with 18th Anti-Aircraft Section, ASC (also described as Indian Army Corps, Lahore Artillery).

In one letter home, he mentions that he is no longer with the "motor cycle gun". He doesnt describe this any further, but I wonder if this was a gun perhaps mounted on a sidecar. The letter dates from around September 1915, so organised anti-aircraft fire must have been an early activity.

Harry's story is told in my article published by Tom Morgan's Hellfire Corner site.

John