German parchute supply missions

[centurion]

In the Vintage Aircraft fotofax of German Bombers of WW1 there is a nice photo of a Friedrichshafen GIIIa returning from a practice mission dropping parachute stores (using the gunners ventral hatch). Does any one know if parachute supply missions were carried out for real by the Germans?

[charlesmessenger]

The answer is yes. I am just reading a report by the 11th Australian Brigade on the attack at Hamel on 4 July 1918. It comments that ammunition and food were delivered to the forward troops by parachute [No 9 Sqn was involved in this] and that 'Enemy 'planes were also observed delivering food supplies by this method, some of which was dropped over our trenches by mistake.' There is no indicaztion of what type of German aircraft was used.

Charles M

[michaeldr]

Charles & Centurion,

In Peter Pedersen's book on 'Hamel' he mentions N0.9 Squadron and their parachute drops of ammunition

Each of their "twelve R.E.8's carried two 1,200-round boxes on a release mechanism designed by Captain L. J. Wackett"

Pedersen also says that the idea of the 'drop' was copied from the Germans who had used it previously on the Lys and the Aisne

regards

Michael

[centurion]

Michael Thanks. Was that the same Wacket after whom an Austrailian training arcraft was named?

Micheal and Charles

I would think that a Friedrichshafen GIIIa (same size as a Gotha bomber) would be somewhat vunerable dropping supplies in daylight over the WF (and an aircraft of that size would have been remarked on. Halberstadt or Hannover CLs would seem more likely in this role (or possibly one of the armoured J types) A Friedrichshafen would be a passing fighter pilot's dream and at low altitude a target for many guns. The photo I refer to was taken in October 1918. Did the Germans have any pockets, isolated garrisons etc. that needed replenishment?

[michaeldr]

quote: Was that the same Wacket after whom an Austrailian training arcraft was named?

You really need one of our Oz Pals to answer that one

however, Pedersen does add the remark that

"He would become a postwar pioneer of aviation in Australia."

regards

Michael

[michaeldr]

Biography here suggests it is probably the same man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Wackett

[charlesmessenger]

Centurion

Looking at Bean's Australian official history he states that the dropping of rations took place on 5 July and that parachutes were not used, which slightly contradicts the 12 Aus Bde report. Certainly German aircrew were using parachutes in 1918, but we still need firm confirmation on the parachuting of supplies. In autumn 1918 there were no German pockets like those on the Eastern Front in WW2 which would require air resupply.

Charles M

[michaeldr]

Charles & Centurion

for further details see page 272 here http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/histories/9/chapters/19.pdf

"…there was practice in a device for dropping boxes of small-arm

ammunition on the captured position, thus saving the infantry

carriers extra labour and danger. The dropping was done

by parachute from bomb-racks underneath the fuselage, and

experiments on the aerodrome convinced the corps and the

army staffs that the idea was good"

Also the note at the foot of the same page

"Major Blake (No. 3 Squadron commander) has stated that “this device for

dropping ammunition from aeroplanes was first obtained from a captured German

document. General Rawlinson (Fourth Army commander) asked whether it could

not be copied. The job was handed over to No. 3 Squadron and the preliminary

details were worked out. Captain Wackett was the pilot chosen to make the

early trials, he had a gift for mechanical invention. The apparatus used was the

ordinary bomb-rack and release-gear adapted to hold two boxes of ammunition

attached to parachutes. Much credit is due to the squadron’s workshop mechanics

under Sergeant Nicholson, whose skill made the success of the gear eventually

produced It was adopted throughout the R A F. for this purpose” (Sgt. W. H.

Nicholson. motor mechanic: of Cronulla, N.S.W.: b. Parramatta. N S W., 15 Aug.,

1894)"

Also page 274

"No. 9 British Squadron (also R.E.8’s), operating from the

Australian aerodrome, performed the work of dropping

ammunition on the new line, and delivered nearly 12,000

rounds by this means."

regards

Michael

[charlesmessenger]

Michael

Thanks for that. No 9 Squadron was used because No 3 Sqn AFC had other important tasks to perform as a Corps Sqn (artillery spotting and co-operation with own artillery, photography, ground attack). During 4 July each of the 12 RE8s of No 9 made four sorties, with a tgotal of 93 boxes being dropped. Two RE8s were shot down.

Charles M

[michaeldr]

I wonder what happened to that captured German document?

That might give Centurion an idea of when they first started using this system

best regards

Michael

[centurion]

Biography here suggests it is probably the same man

Thanks for that, wonder why nearly all Australian designed aircraft had to start with a W (Boomerang excepted). Probably fortunate that the Wacket was a trainer as sentences like " he pushed his Wacket into a dive, the Zero was in his sights" don't really work (it does with Wirraway, the only Australian designed warplane to shoot down an enemy)