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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0089.PDF
JANUARY 25, 1913. I/05EI AVIATION IN WAR. WE have received from Messrs. Farman Fieres the following interesting account of flights and reconnaissances, which was sent them by an aviator serving in the Greek army, at the Balkan theatre of war. The account covers a period of twenty days. _ It has often been said that aviation, in the Balkan War, has not given all the results that were expected of it. And this is in some manner true, for the Balkan States had made little preparation. They had no spare parts, few experienced pilots, and no organisation. However that may be true for the general run of aeroplanes out there, it is far from being the case with their Farman machines, which, in spite of what has been said above regarding the lack of preparation of the Balkan States, have rendered the greatest service. Even quite inexperienced pilots have been able to use them, and to report to their Commander-in-Chief observations of value. Their construction is such that in spite of the extremely rough ground where they had to operate, flights and landings were able to be made with very little breakage. We are of opinion that perhaps the best way to convey an idea of the services these machines have rendered to the Greek Government, is to relate the day-to-day flights made by Henry and Maurice Farman biplanes. This simple diary will be more eloquent than the more or less highly-coloured accounts that have been sent from the scene of hostilities. This short diary simply concerns the period from December 10th to January 1st. In Macedonia. There were seven Henry Farman biplanes in Macedonia—six with 50-h.p. Gnome motors and one fitted with an 80. Three of them remained unused for there were no pilots to fly them. The principal flights during this campaign were :— Lieut. Camberos, on the 8o-h.p. Gnome-Henry Farman, made a reconnaissance from Larissa to Cosani, about 85 kiloms., at a height of 1,600 metres, reporting information of the greatest value. Lieuts. Moutoussis and Notaras together made a scouting flight of more than 140 kiloms., on a 50 Gnome-Henry Farman biplane, at an altitude of between 1,100 and 1,200 metres, flying above opposing troops whose position they were able to reveal. In making short scouting flights two 50-Gnome biplanes were slightly damaged by landing on very bad ground, but repairs were effected easily. Lieut. Moutoussis on a 70-h. p. Maurice Farman biplane, flew above Salonica at a height of between 1,200 and 1,500 metres. That machine was ordered to be dismantled, and sent to the Epirus. In Epirus. The central aviation camp in Epirus was on the Plain of Nicopolis, 6 kiloms. from Preveza. The Chief of the flying squad was Capt. Bares, a French military pilot, having under him two Greek Lieut, pilots, Camberos and Notaras, who went through their tuition in France at the Farman school. On December loth, Capt. Bares and Lieut. Camberos tested the Farman biplane that had been assembled and made flights above Preveza. The following day, the nth, Notaras flew over Preveza, and in the afternoon Camberos left with a passenger for Philippias, 47 kiloms. from Preveza, and afforded interesting observations. On the 14th, Camberos was transferred to the Artillery, and on the following day Lieut. Moutoussis arrived. Two days later he tested the Maurice Farman biplane that had been erected in the meantime, and flew over l'reveza. The next day at 1 p.m. Moutoussis left to make a flight above Janina and landed at Amin Aga Han, 75 kiloms. from Preveza. The distance between Preveza and Janina was 106 kiloms. During this flight, flying at over 1,600 metres, he threw down bombs, creating a veritable panic amongst the Turkish troops. Many hostile bullets tore the fabric, but the machine continued its flight unaffected. Capt. Bares, on the return of Lieut. Moutoussis, used the same machine, and flew back over Janina, 2,300 metres up. Again several bullets pierced the fabric, but the machine returned to camp unaffected,except for a slight break that happened in landing on rough ground. That same day a new Maurice Farman biplane arrived, and erection was immediately proceeded with. On the 20th, Moutoussis flew over Preveza on the Maurice Farman, and made interesting reports. He continued his flights the next day. He made a second reconnaissance over Janina on a Maurice Farman on the 22nd inst., flying over the town at 2,100 metres, and throwing bombs, which, as on the previous occasion, had considerable effect. Several hostile bullets reached him, breaking a longeron, but without affecting the machine's flyirg qualities. He landed at Philippias. Next day he left that town for Nicopolis. On the 24th, Nolaras made flights with a passenger above l'reveza. Between then and the 27th, when a new machine arrived and was erected, the two lieutenants continued their scouting flights on their respective Farman biplanes. A Greek army pilot officer, Adamides, joined the corps on the 28th. A very excellent reconnaissance flight was made by Lieut. Notaras above the fort of Bisani and the town of Janina on New Year's Day. He flew at about 2,300 metres. Leaving the aerodrome at Nicopolis at 10.20 a.m., he returned at 12.18, reporting observations concern ing the garrison and the fortification", which were considered of Ihe highest importance by the Greek commanding officer. During this campaign of twenty days only three machines suffered damage, and what damage was done was easily repaired. ® ® ® ® Flying in Morocco. PARTICULARS are just to hand of two fine flights made in Morocco at Christmas time. On December 25th, Sergt. Feierstein went on his Bl^riot from Casablanca to Bou-Zuika and back, a distance of 140 kiloms., while on the following day, in obedience to orders, he took Lieut. Van den Vaero from Casablanca to Mogador, a non-stop flight of 350 kiloms. in three hours. TT7AD A FP OPT A NFS IN fiRFECE—The above photograph has been received from M. Kimon Stratigopoulos WAR ^f ^^^^rirprient underlying orders with Lieut. Moutoussis (No. 1 in photo). 89
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