Russia - 1923 Fokker D.VII

Post Polish Russian War Soviet Aircraft

Someday I will learn how to be less obsessive, however I am not sure just when that will be. I have got stuck in to the inter war period. The depth of my madness can be measured in producing a total of 21 Fokker D.VII profiles in a single day. Add to that 4 new Nieuport 24 profiles and you can see what I mean. On the writing front, I have been working on my U.S.A.S section for my site. The structural part is in place. Now it is a matter of fleshing out the series of articles to bring it to life.

№ 1 OIAE Petrograd

Fokker D.VII, № 1 OIAE, A. T. Kozhevnikov Petrograd - 1923

This example is the Fokker D.VII flown by A.T.Kozhevnikov. He was the squadron leader of № 1 OIAE. The sphinx was his personal insignia. There was only one photo of this aircraft and there is a debate whether the wings carried red stars. The colors used on the Sphinx is conjectural. Some believe the color on the head-dress were blue, others claim it was red. Blue is more in keeping with color choices used by the Egyptians.

Fokker D.VII, № 1 OIAE, Pilot Unknown s/n 2 Petrograd - 1923

I have not been able to find identification for the flights. This example is from a flight which used a curved white arrow as their insignia.

Fokker D.VII, № 1 OIAE, Pilot Unknown s/n 3 Petrograd - 1923

This flight used a white cat as their insignia.

Fokker D.VII, № 1 OIAE, Pilot Unknown s/n 4 Petrograd - 1923

This flight reversed the color scheme The red marking is a bunch of grapes on a white rudder.

№ 2 OIAE Kiev

Fokker D.VII, № 2 OIAE, Pilot Unknown s/n 5 Kiev - 1923

This example shows the distinctive candy striped rudder see on many planes flying with the № 2 OIAE. The numbering conventions used by № 1 OIAE hold true. As with the previous examples use of red stars on the wings is conjectural.

A short History of Soviet Foker D.VII

After Anthony Fokker fled from Germany to the Netherlands with what was left of his inventory he needed a new large contract to rebuild is fortunes. He saw a perfect opportunity in selling arms to the Soviets. The market was wide open since no other weapon manufacturer would do business with the Bolsheviks. Fokker was not a man of deep political convictions, to him a customer is a customer, and Rubles spend just as well as Guilders. The Soviets contracted a large quantity of Fokker aircraft in during the early 1920's. These included 50 D.VII fighters, 42 C.III trainers, 3 C.1 two seaters, 52 D.XIII fighters. Fokker also sold the Soviets repair facilities for these aircraft.

The D.VII aircraft were delivered to Russia in two batches of 25. The first unit to receive them was the № 1 Otdelnaya Aviaeskadrilya (OIAE - independent squadron) was operational in Petrograd by December 1922 or early 1923. A second D.VII squadron № 2 OIAE was operational in Kiev by December 1922, guarding the Polish border. The aircraft of the squadron appear to have been divided into three flights of five plus a leaders aircraft. Each flight had its own tail marking and the aircraft of each flight were numbered 1 to 5.

The Fokker D.VII performed successfully in Soviet service for nearly a decade. The Soviets upgraded the D.VII in several ways including the installation of a wheel axle mounted auxiliary fuel tank. The D.VII remained in use as a trainer at least until the 1930's when it was phased out in favor of other more modern aircraft.

Russia - 1920 Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe

Red Stars and a very Red Nose.

In spite of a nasty cold I have been busy working up illustrations for Project X. I will be posting some details in March. I have been jumping between the Great War and the Inter-war period. My focus has shifted to aircraft flown by the Bolshevik forces. Research on the era is very problematic due to lack of records and the language barrier. With the passing of the last witnesses to events during World War One the task has become even more challenging.

The Mysterious Bolshevik Sopwith Snipes

By the late war The British needed a replacement for the aging Sopwith Camel.The new fighter to take up the fight was the Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe. Delivery of the new aircraft to the RAF began in the early Autumn of 1918. The Snipe was faster, easier to fly and structurally stronger than the Camel. These traits helped the Snipe become the preferred front-line RAF fighter during the early postwar era.

Documents show three Snipes were known to have served with the Soviet Air Service. One of the unsolved mysteries is how these aircraft were acquired. Records show no Royal Air Force units supplied with Snipes operating in Russia. The same can be said for the Polish squadrons opposing the Bolshevik forces. Two of the Snipes are fairly well known, almost nothing is known about the third example.

The Two Faces of Nelly

The most famous of the Soviet Snipes was serial number E6351 which was assigned to the 1^st Fighter Detachment. The pilot G. S. Sapozhnikov had the name “Nelly” painted on the starboard side of the fuselage behind the cockpit.

Sopwith Snipe - 1920

The paint scheme was basically the standard PC-10 finish with light gray panels around the cockpit and a natural metal cowl, under-sufaces are clear doped linen. National markings were red stars painted over the British RAF roundels. The rudder was still painted in the standard British tri-color stripes.

Sopwith Snipe - 1920

Sapozhnikov's Snipe was repainted. All of the British markings were removed. The new national markings were only applied to the bottom surfaces of the lower wing. Some profiles show the stars as red, however latest research state they are in fact black. A black Ace of Spades cover the fuselage roundels. The rudder is painted blue with a curved black arrow. Sapozhnikoz was killed in this aircraft when his engine failed on takeoff on December 8, 1920.

Poland 1920-1293 Morane-Saulnier A-1 MoS-30

Polish Advanced Trainers

When Poland became an independent nation, one of the important needs was the creation of an effective air force. In the beginning the core was composed of veterans serving with the Germans and Austrians during the First World War. Soon aviators from many nations joined them to create a formidable fighting force. Still more aviators were needed to defend the promise of independence for this fledgling nation. To meet this need flight schools were created to swell the ranks of combat pilots who would defend their country and eventually fight for freedom during the Second World War.

The Morane-Saulnier A-1 had very modern lines and was very streamlined. Even though 1,210 were produced it never made a big impact at the front during the Great War. By mid-May 1918 it was withdrawn to serve as an advanced trainer, designated MoS 30. When France began aiding Poland in their efforts for independence the Morane-Saulnier A-1 was a perfect fit for use in the Polish Advanced Flying Schools.

Morane-Saulnier A-1 MoS-30 E1 - Advanced Flying School, Poznan Lawica 1920

When the MS A1 was deployed in Poland many of them retained their French markings. I am not sure if they retained the roundels on the wing or if they carried Polish markings.

Morane-Saulnier A-1 MoS-30 E1 - Advanced Flying School, Grudziadz 1922

This is another example of the standard French camouflage pattern. Notable it the lack of wheel covers and color change of the MS logo on the cowling.

Morane-Saulnier A-1 MoS-30 E1 - Advanced Flying School, Grudziadz 1923

In ths profile you see the French camouflage scheme still in use but there is a the shift to use of Polish national insignias.

Morane-Saulnie AI MS-30 E1 - Advanced Flying School, Bydgoszcz 1923

This example has the dark green color we associate with interwar aircraft. One obvious change is the wide pale blue area on the fuselage. This is fairly atypical. Most late Polish aircraft use gray on the lower surfaces.

Greece-Turkey 1918-1922 Airco DH.9

Airco D.H.9 of the Second Greco-Turkish War

Slowly but surely I am getting back to normal after the holidays. Between medical appointments and working up profiles and new galleries and new navigation for them which are been viewable on galleries on my main site I have been a bit busy. Life has been interesting. I use the term advisably since the Chinese use the phrase as a curse. “May you live in interesting times” is not a friendly wish.

Today's post is another look at the aircraft used during the Second Greco-Turkish War. Once again both sides used the same aircraft type. The Greeks were supplied by Britain, and the Turks by captured Greek equipment. Such are the fortunes of war.

Royal Hellenic Naval Air Service

Airco D.H.9 - 1918

This aircraft had carried a typical RNAS color scheme before entering Greek service. In some profile examples show the fuselage and fin painted in very light gray to white paint scheme. Greek roundels are only painted on the wings. The forward fuselage section was natural metal both sides of the fuselage carry a Greek flag. This was the personal aircraft of the top Greek ace of WW1 Aristides Moraitinis during 1918. This aircraft served with the Royal Hellenic Naval Air Service and was stationed at the Moudros airfield, Lemnosin January of 1921.

Airco D.H.9 - 1921

This British built DH.9 first served RNAS before it was given to the Royal Hellenic Naval Air Service and was stationed at Alfion-Karahisar airfield during July 1921. The aircraft is finished in PC10 Dope on upper flying surfaces, fin, undercarriage legs and rear fuselage. The fuselage panels were painted battleship gray, and the under surfaces and wheel covers are clear doped Linen. The blue and white Greek national markings were converted from existing RNAS roundels from when they were based at Moudros during WW1. The serial number is painted in white, and is partially obscured by a dark gray or black wavy line. This pattern was a theater marking applied to all operational aircraft involved in the Greco-Turkish war of 1919-1922. Note that roundels on the lower wing surface do not have a 1 inch White outline.

Turkish Air Force

Airco D.H.9 - 1921

This was a Greek aircraft captured by the Turks when it made a forced landing at Mugla on 27th July 1921. The plane was named “Ismet” after the commander of the Western Front. The name is painted onto the red square of the national insignia both sides of the fuselage.this aircraft was used extensively throughout the Turkish War of Independence. After the war it was converted into a two-seat trainer and it was used at the flying school in Gaziemir-Izmir until it was retire in 1924.

Airco D.H.9 - 1922

This was one of three Greek Navy planes deserted at the Gaziemir airfield after the Greek withdrawal and evacuation of Izmir on 9th September 1922. It was named “Ganimet” which translates as War Gain. The name is painted onto the red square of the national insignia on the starboard side of the fuselage. The port side insignia bears the identification number 262. It was converted into a two-seat trainer and used at the flying school in Gaziemir-Izmir until 1924.

References

1. Wings Palette - Airco DH.9/9A - Greece: retrieved from http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/b/47/23/0
2. Wings Palette - Airco DH.9/9A - Turkey retrieved from http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/b/47/137/0

A Side Note:

Recently during image searches I have noticed a trend which is does not bode well. It seems users of several highly trafficked and well known forums are not only “Hot linking” (using a URL to images on other people's server so they are stealing bandwidth) but they do not even have the common courtesy to ask permission to use images or give credit to the owner of the material and a link back to the site they are robbing. Hot linking and use media without attribution is theft of intellectual property pure and simple. Not only has my work been pilfered but the work of many others have been treated the same way. There is a trend where the hosts of the forums are turning a blind eye to the problem even after receiving email about the problem. I see them just as culpable as the abusers. We are better than that people.