Germany - 1918 Halberstadt CL.IV

The Most Effective Ground Attack Aircraft of WWW I

The holidays have thrown my posting schedule for a loop. In the US we have been celebrating Thanksgiving. A day of feasting on large flightless birds and tables groaning under the weight of side dishes. I have recuperated from digestive torpor in time to post today. I am into my early 6 weeks of doing full time charity work to bring food and Christmas gifts to those who are unable to provide for them self.

I decided to post some of my new profiles of one of my favorite planes of the war. I will post a few more when I get the time.

Halberstadt CL.IV Schlachtstaffel 21 Chateau Thierry July 1918 - 1918

This striking example was the aircraft flown by the CO of Schlachtstaffel 21 in the Battle of Chateau Thierry in mid-July of 1918. The white fuselage with white strikes made it a high priority on my profile list. The wings are standard five color lozenge fabric, while the tail plane is white.

Halberstadt CL.IV Unit and Pilot Unknown - 1918

The color scheme of this plane is a matter of conjecture. Most show it as varnished wood over-painted with the black and white design. Other references show it as a blue gray under surface with the black and white markings. In all the examples the wings were covered in German five color lozenge cloth. None of the sources had any information on what unit it served in or the identity of the flight crew.

Halberstadt CL.IV Unit and Pilot Unknown - 1918

The fuselage on this example is painted in a four color camouflage pattern, The diagonal stripe has a thin black stripe separating th red and yellow areas. The skull and crossbones is a favorite marking used by many nations. I assume it was a personal marking and not a unit identifier. The black number on the rudder is somewhat common, however most still bore the numbers on the fuselage.

The Halberstadt CL.IV was one of the most effective ground attack aircraft of World War I, relying on its good maneuverability to avoid ground fire. It appeared on the Western Front towards the end of the German offensives in 1918. Karl Thies, chief designer of the Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke, G.m.b.H., designed the CL.IV as a replacement for the CL.II, which was very successful in harassing Allied troops. Purpose of an improved version was to create a superior ground attack aircraft.

The new CL.IV featured a shorter, strengthened fuselage and a horizontal stabilizer of greater span and higher aspect ratio than that of the CL.II. These changes, along with a one-piece, horn-balanced elevator, gave the CL.IV much greater maneuverability than the CL.II. After tests were completed of the prototype in April 1918, at least 450 were ordered from Halberstadt, and an additional 250 aircraft from a subcontractor, LFG (Roland).

As with the CL.II, the CL.IV was powered by a single 160 hp (120 kW), 6 cylinder in-line, water cooled Mercedes aircraft engine. The aircraft was armed with a fixed forward-firing 0.312 in (7.92 mm) LMG 08/15 “Spandau” synchronized machine gun, and a single trainable 0.312 in (7.92 mm) “Parabellum” MG14 machine gun, on a ring mount in the observer's cockpit.

Flights of four to six CL.IVs flew close support missions, at an altitude of less than one hundred feet, suppressing enemy infantry and artillery fire just ahead of the advancing German troops. After these late German offensives stalled, Halberstadt CL.IVs were used to disrupt advancing Allied offensives by striking at enemy troop assembly points and night sorties were also made against Allied airfields and interception missions against Allied bombers as they returned from their missions.

References

1. From Wikipedia Halberstadt CL.IV, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halberstadt_CL.IV"

Germany - 1916 Halberstadt CL.II

Germany and Ground Attack Aircraft

I took a break from working on American units this weekend. What that means is I just shifted focus back to German aircraft and their operational organization. I took the opportunity to work up several models of Halberstadt aircraft and more Fokker D.VII.

As early as 1916 Germany developed purpose built Ground attack aircraft which supported infantry units. Armed with machine guns and anti-personel bombs these aircraft performed their missions well. One of the best designs was the Halberstadt CL.II.

Jagdgeschwader Nr.2

Halberstadt CL.II Jagdgeschwader Nr.2 - 1918

This example is painted in the standard scheme set by Rudolf Berthold after March 1918, when Hptm. Adolf Tutschek died and command passed to him. The red nose could indicate this example was attached to Jasta 15. The cross on the rudder is the Maltese cross in use in 1918.

Schlasta 21

Halberstadt CL.II “Martha”, Schlasta 21 sn C893/18, France Nov. 1918

This example has a very striking paint scheme. The name Martha is probably the name of the pilot's girlfriend. The number 3 on the rudder is unusual, The side mounted boxes for anti-personel munitions are absent. The wings are done in the standard lozenge scheme, a dark pattern on the upper surfaces, lighter on the lower. The tail plane is painted in the orange and dark green motif. Once again the Maltese crosses indicate the aircraft is in use in 1918.

Halberstadt CL.II Schlasta 21 sn 5, France Nov. 1918

This example is painted in a speckled pattern. The rear fuselage section is white with a yellow stripe separating the dark section from the white. The number in the white diamond may be an aircraft identifier. The wings are standard lozenge and the tail plane is white. The side boxes are mounted on the fuselage.

The Halberstadt CL.II was the first German purpose designed aircraft for the ground attack role. The Halberstädter Flugzeug Werke began supplying the German Halberstadt D-II during the summer of 1916. The plane was created to provide air support for ground troops.

The CL.II was powered by the reliable 160 hp (120 kW), 6 cylinder in-line, water cooled Mercedes aircraft engine. and armed with three machine-guns and five 22-pound (10 kg) anti-personnel bombs, the plane soon established itself as the best ground attack fighters of the war.

References

1. From Wikipedia Halberstadt CL.II, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halberstadt_CL.II"
2. Angelucci, Enzo (ed.). "World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft". London: Jane's, 1981. ISBN 0 7106 0148 4.
3. Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam, 1962.
4. Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. "The Complete Book of Fighters". New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.

United States - 1918 Salmson 2a

Salmson 2a in the 1st Observation Group

I have been busy working on American aircraft groups and I have just finished a new master file for the Salmson 2a. So far I have done several French, American, and one British profile. The SAL 2a has a lot of detail to contend with. Once again it is fun with louvers time. I have worked up an easy way to add them. I make one louver, trim the image to give me the proper spacing, make a new image window the correct size and use a fill tool to make a row of them as long as I want. As long as I do the math before creating the new window I get a clean even row of them without any irregularities. A bit of copy pasting to a layer and the I have what I need fast and easy. Then all I need to do is tweak the opacity and the layer blending mode and I am done. Keeping them isolated on a single layer keeps things simple if I need to play with them later.

1^st Aero Squadron 1st Observation Group U.S.A.S.

Salmson 2a 1^st Aero Squadron - 1918

When the United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917, the 1^st Aero Squadron was still based at Columbus, New Mexico. The Army ordered the 1^st Aero Squadron to Fort Jay, New York City, to accompany the 1^st Division to France. The squadron arrived in August 1917, too late to join the 1^st Division, but sailed for France on its own under the command of Major Ralph Royce. It arrived at Le Havre on 3 September 1917, the first U.S. squadron in France.

Untested U.S. squadrons were initially sent to a fairly inactive sector of the Front north of Toul to acquire combat experience at minimum risk. The 1st Aero Squadron trained at Avord, Issoudun and Amanty, France, during the winter of 1917–18. While at Amanty a member of the squadron, Lt. Stephen W. Thompson, achieved the first aerial victory by the U.S. military. The aircraft used by the squadron were the Curtiss AR-1, Spad XIII pursuit plane, and Salmson 2 observation plane.

On 8 April 1918, the 1^st Aero Squadron was assigned to an aerodrome at Ourches, and was joined shortly after by the 12^th and 88^th Aero Squadrons to form the 1^st Corps Observation Group, the first U.S. air group. The group served as an observation unit for both the French XXXVIII Corps and the U.S. I Corps, moving its location nine times between April and November.

88^th Aero Squadron 1^st Observation Group U.S.A.S.

Salmson 2a 88^th Aero Squadron - 1918

Activated in the summer of 1917 as the Air Service 88th Aero Squadron; deployed to France during World War I and served on the Western Front. Engaged in combat as a corps observation squadron with I, III, IV, and V Army Corps, May 30 – November 10, 1918. After the armistice subsequently served with VII Army Corps in occupation force, November 1918 – May 1919 when the squadron returned to the United States

90^th Aero Squadron 1st Observation Group U.S.A.S.

Salmson 2a 90^th Aero Squadron - 1918

The 90^th Fighter Squadron was initially activated on 20 August 1917, as the 90^th Aero Squadron. Its first location was at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas. The first few months of its existence were consumed by the necessary training to prepare the men for operations in France during World War I. On 12 November 1917, the men of the 90^th arrived at Le Havre, France. The initial cadre of officers and enlisted men began preparing the infrastructure necessary to support their flying mission. The air contingent arrived soon after this first group.

The squadron's first aircraft were the Sopwith 1½ Strutter ground attack aircraft. The squadron upgraded to Salmson 2-A2s, SPAD Xis, and Breguet BR-14 observation aircraft. Pilots flew from Colombey-les-Belles and scored seven confirmed aerial victories (against aircraft) and participated in the final allied offensives. The 90^th earned a positive reputation for its ground attack missions during its continuous participation in the air offensive over Saint-Mihiel. Its first commander, First Lieutenant William G. Schauffler, designed the 90th's Pair o' Dice emblem displaying natural sevens during this campaign.

United States - 1918 DH-4

Never a Dull Moment

Work on the new section on the overview of American aero squadrons is going slowly but steadily. It has reminded me of the fact that nothing is simple, and each door you open is not an exit but another set of rooms and doors still unexplored.Besides laying out new pages and nailing down the navigation in a coherent manner, I am busy working on new master files and two new sets of unit insignias for this section. One insignia set is virtual decals for use on profiles, the other set is larger images to use in the articles.

Overview of the De Havilland DH-4

Designed in 1916 by Geoffrey de Havilland, the D.H.4 was the only British design manufactured by the Americans. It was easily identified by its rectangular fuselage and deep frontal radiator. Versatile, heavily armed and equipped with a powerful twelve cylinder engine. American built DH-4 used the Liberty engine. This biplane which operated as an observation aircraft and daylight bomber was fast and maneuverable. The American version was manufactured by Dayton-Wright and was called the “Liberty Plane”.

Sometimes called the “Flaming Coffin”, its huge fuel tank was dangerously positioned between the pilot and observer, hindering communication. Produced in vast numbers, 6295, of which 4846 were built in the United States, many D.H.4s were modified for civilian air service after the war.

Squadron-D Day Wing Northern Bombing Group U.S.M.C.

Dayton-Wright DH-4 Squadron-D Day Wing Northern Bombing Group U.S.M.C.

This American built Dayton-Wright DH-4 Liberty Plane flew in then Squadron-D Day Wing Northern Bombing Group of the United States Marine Corps. The profile shows the aircraft when at La-Frene, France during Oct of 1918. The white D-5 is the flight and airplane identifier. The Insignia is for the Marine Corps. The fuselage, wings and tail plane are painted olive drab on the upper surfaces and light gray on the lower areas. The wing roundels are added in the standard 4 place configuration (Upper wing top surface, Lower wing bottom surface). The landing gear struts are the newer reinforced design.

50^th Aero Squadron - 1st Observation Group U.S.A.S.

Airco D.H.4 50^th Aero Squadron - 1918

The 50^th was known as the Dutch Girl Squadron. They borrowed their squadron insignia from the label on a kitchen cleanser popular during that time. It went with their motto: “Cleaning up on Germany”. The examples I have seen have unbordered black numbers, and olive drab upper surfaces and varnished fabric on the lower surfaces. The wings on their American built DH-4 have roundels in the standard 4 spot scheme.

During Meuse-Argonne offensive the 50th Aero Squadron earned their reputation for heroism supporting the offensive by flying contact patrols where they were in constant communication with ground units and providing vital intelligence. On the 5^th of October Elements of the U.S. 77th Infantry Division (Who became known as the “Lost Battalion”) were cut off and surrounded on a heavily forested hillside northeast of the town of Binarville. The U.S. Army came up with a plan to resupply them from the air. The mission was give to the 50th. During attempts to locate the men, 1st Lt. Harold Goettler and 2nd Lt. Erwin Bleckley were brought down by ground fire on their second flight of the day Both men died and were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross that was upgraded in 1922 to the Medal of Honor.

11 ^th Aero Squadron 1^st Bombardment Group U.S.A.S.

Airco D.H.4 11^th Aero Squadron - 1918

The unit insignia was taken from a cartoon character Jiggs, invented five years before by an 11^th Squadron officer, George McManus, whose comic strip, “Bringing Up Father,” was the first of its kind to attract a worldwide readership.. The positioning of it is standard for the squadron. The white identifier number does not have a border. The lower wing surfaces are varnished fabric.

The unit was first organized on June 26, 1917 as the 11^th Aero Squadron, part of the 1^st Day Bombardment Group at Camp Kelly, Texas. During the Great War the 11^th was moved from Camp Kelly, and on January 1^st 1918 was relocated to England. On August 12, 1918 it was sent to France, where it remained until April 21 1919.

France - 1918 Breguet Br.14

Two Pairs of Breguet 14's

First off I want to thank all the veterans who have served us well in times of war defending freedom we should never take for granted. As long as we tell their stories they shall never be forgotten.

My posting schedule has been a bit erratic recently. Between working on new masters and profiles, working up the pages for the U.S.A.S. Pursuit, Observer, and Bombardment Groups, and the squadrons serving in them, I have been frazzled.

Today's post is a mixed bag of Breguet 14's in French service. The difference between the two versions of this aircraft are easy to spot.

Breguet Br.14A2

Breguet-Renault Br.14A2 Escadrille Br 234 sn 4644, 1918

This Breguet Br.14A2 from the Autumn of 1918 was powered by a Renault engine. The blue is not typical. The insignia for the 234^th Escadrille is a stylized Gallic angel on a blue field.

Breguet Br.14A2 Escadrille 509 Sg. Jean - 1917

The paint scheme is fairly standard. The unit markings area white dragon and quartered blue and white circle. The wing struts are light gray.

Breguet Br.14B2

Breguet Br.14B2 Escadrille 11 - 1917

Another example of a standard French camouflage scheme. The unit insignia is a red origami bird with eyes added to the head. The wing struts are natural wood.

Breguet Br.14B2 Million, Escadrille 504, sn 909 - 1917

Most examples I have seen of Breguet 14's in the 504^th Escadrille bear the red and white banding and the red cross. The lower red stripe is unusual.