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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0075.PDF
is, [/LIGHT AIR WORK IN EAST AFRICA. SOME details of the splendid work of the South AfricanSquadron of the Royal Flying Corps in East Africa is furnished by Reuter's correspondent with the East African Forces. Hesays :— " From the occupation' of Moschi to the enemy's finalretreat from -Kahe the aeronauts were busy bombing, observing and reconnoitring. On March 24th Major W , who had been delayed in South Africa by illness, took com-mand. Then the rain came, and the squadron went into quarters at Mbuyuni, and got busy overhauling its machineryin the light of the knowldege of local conditions already gained. On May 9th Lieut. B , with General H asan observer, traversed the Pangani River. The month, as a whole, was devoted to hard work—assembling new machinesand correcting the errors of the old. On the 22nd the Corps said good-bye to Kahe, and the advance commenced. Next day gallant S , testing a new Henri-Farman,crashed to earth, and was picked up as much a wreck as his machine. His brother pilots think he fainted in the air :they know of no other way to account for the sudden dip which his machine took. Capt. O'B was missing at thetime, and it was with intense relief that he was greeted on his return on foot. Fever now laid its hand upon the Corps,and quinine was scarce. Still the Flying Corps worked and scattered bombs about Handeni. " The Intelligence Department put on record the fact thatthe moral and actual effect of our bomb raids were invaluable in destroying the moral of the enemy. During the month ofJuly the main body lay at Msiha tinder the galling shell fire of the enemy, and it was with sheer delight that we witnessedthe air raids upon his camp at Ruhungu. " The picture had its reverse side. The air raids inflictedheavy loss upon the enemy's infantry, but as soon as the planes had disappeared the enemy manned his guns and took itout of us. " It was in July that the pilot T. experienced a forcedlanding, the crash rendering him unconscious. When he came to. he found in the neighbouring kraal a native whospoke English, and with this man's assistance was able to get to Handeni; but the native paid dearly for his simpleact of kindness, for a German patrol visited his kraal after- wards and hanged him, together with three of hiscompanions. - r " The work of the Corps at this time was very difficult.There was no opportunity of building an aerodrome close to the fighting line, and the planes had to traverse great distances to get at the enemy. The country, however,between our front and the- existing 'dromes was so thick and heavily wooded that it was impossible to get any nearer.On August 7th the move against Ruhungu commenced, anil great and ceaseless vigilance was required from the airmen.From being too far behind the squadron got too far in front, and found itself in difficulties with its transport unprotected,and the fighting then a quarter of a mile away. Orders were consequently given for retirement to Turiana. In AugustMorogora was visited for the first time by the ' birds,' and here the pilots received a warm reception. A naval gunmounted on a railway turntable made an excellent anti- aircraft weapon, but in the* face of a storm of shrapnel firedfrom that and other guns, and some erratic attempts with rockets, the railway station and the enemy's military lineswere successfully bombed. " On August 1 ith one of the most successful of the bombingraids took place, five aeroplanes attacking the town and fortified camp of Ngulu Kwa Boga. Subsequent reportsshow that the enemy suffered heavily. Altogether the day should be written down most successful, and it added to thedread which the enemy already had of ' the birds that -drop the eggs of death.' " The squadron was next located at Morogoro, and thepenultimate phase of the campaign had been brought to a conclusion. Its aircraft park was 350 miles behind it, and itsadvanced aircraft park 200 miles. Some concentration, therefore, appeared to be necessary, and that is now goingon. " The Flying Corps in East Africa has been of the greatestuse from a military..point of view, Indeed, without it the campaign must have been very greatly prolong"'. Whileupon this .subject it may not be inappropriate to point out how desirable it is thut a unit of the Flying Corps should bepermanently located in South Africa. We have a good start. It would be a pity to lose the peculiarly South Africancharacter of this unit, and we can only maintain that character by making South Africa its domicile and its recruitingground." In a message from Duthumi, dated January 4th, anddetailing the fighting in German East Africa on New Year's Day, Reuter's corresjMjmdent makes the following referenceto air work : " During the day aeroplanes patrolled the whole line, dropping bombs and spotting for the artillery,while the communications were well maintained by telephone, telegraph and wireless." Roumanian Honour for R.N.A.S. Pilot.IT is announced that the King of Roumania has con- ferred the Order of Michael the Brave on Flight-Lieut. A. F.Jacob, R.N.A.S., who while flying a Nieuport scout recently brought down near Braila a German twin-engine machine.It is understood Flight-Lieut. Jacob is the first foreigner to receive this high distinction. Fatal Accidents.AN inquest was held on January 6th relative to the death of Lieut. W. M. Fatt, Canadian, attached R.F.C., whowas killed in an aeroplane accident on January 4th. The evidence showed that the machine was flying at a greatheight and it descended slowly. When within 100 ft. of the ground it dashed down and caught fire. It was thoughtthat the pilot was in difficulties when trying to alight in a strong wind. A verdict was returned that " Death was dueto Burns," but that there was no definite evidence to show what caused the machine to fall. In a North Country district, also on January 6th, an inquestwas held respecting the death of Second Lieut. J. W. Mowat, R.F.C., whose machine fell during flying practice. The evi-dence showed that on January 5 th he went up for a first solo trip on a particular type of machine. He ascended all rightand was flying about when the machine was noticed to list and fall. A verdict of " Accidental Death " was returned. While descending near Leeds on the morning of January10th an aeroplane caught a tree top, and, coming, to earth, burst into flames. The pilot, Capt. R. Burdon, and thepassenger, Lieut. F. H. Turner, were both killed. News was received at Southampton on January 10th of thedeath while flying of Flight-Commander Edwin Rowland Moon, R.N.A.S.Caught in a snowstorm while flying near a Yorkshire aerodrome on January 13th, 2nd Lieut. T. H. French. R.F.C.,had to make a forced landing. The machine touching some trees crashed to the ground and burst into flames. The pilot was killed instantly. At the inquest en Jan. 17th, a verdictof " Death from Misadventure " was returned. Three Prominent French Pilots Killed.IN the death of Henri Bregi, as the result of a seaplane accident at Toulon, French aviation has lost one of itspioneers, as he secured his pilot's brevet (No. 26) on Decem- ber 21st, 1909, on a Voisin biplane. Later he flew a greatdeal on a Breguet biplane, .one of his most noteworthy flights being made in the summer of 1911, from Casablanca to Fez,a distance of 300 kilom.s. ' The pilot Sauva^ge, whose death is announced, had shotdown seven enemy machines. He started for a flight over, the German lines on January 7th, and was clearly seen by anotherFrench aviator to be struck by a splinter from a shell. He saw him plane down, but was not able to ascertain whetherhe succeeded in restarting his machine after reaching the ground. The death is also announced of the aviator Bedora, whowas injured when returning from a raid against Zeppelins. Echoes of Zeppelin Raid.Two decomposed and charred bodies, presumably those of members of the crew of the Zeppelin burnt off the DurhamCoast on November 28th, were washed ashore on the North- East Coast on January 9th. They were buried with militaryhonours two days later. On January 14th a third body was washed ashore at Cleveland. Apparently the recent severeweather has liberated the bodies from the wreckage. The Latest Zeppelins. ACCORDING to a story current in Paris, the Zeppelinfactories at Friedrichshafen have just turned out the " L40." It is stated that the screws now work almost noiselessly, andthe airship is fitted with an arrangement which allows it to be enveloped in gas, rendering it invisible. Probably this isone of the 170 odd which are presently to be sent over en mane to strafe us. 75
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