IAF Air Raid 31. Juli 1918 Saarbrücken

[hanshauprich]

Hello!



Was only 99 Sqdn involed in this Air Raid? How many planes where on the mission? Losses?

For that time I have an crash from an DH 4 near a small village next to my hometown, mayby shoot down by an Kest Fighter-Pilot.

Pilot must be POW the Observer DOW, a day later the plane exploded and about 8 children died also.

Are there any written History of No. 99 and 104 Sqdn. IAF?

Thanks for support!
h.

[Peter Cornwell]

Twelve DH9s of No.99 Squadron were involved in the morning sortie to Mainz (secondary target Saarbrücken) on 31 July 1918, while fourteen DH9s of No.104 Squadron also made for Saarbrücken around the same time. Meanwhile, twelve DH4s of No.55 Squadron made for Cologne but bombed their secondary targets at Coblenz due to cloud cover and very high winds. A good account can be found in Independent Force by Keith Rennles (Grub Street 2002).

A History Of 99 Squadron Independent Air Force by S/Ldr Pattinson (Heffer & Sons 1920) is a rare book to find but may have been re-published more recently?

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

Re: No.99 Squadron history.

http://www.naval-military-press.com/...mber-1918.html

Col.

[Leendert]

Hans,

99 Squadron lost no less than 7 aircraft that day with 5 KIA and 9 POW among the crew.
Perhaps you have some more details available to see who of the men may be the subject of your question?

As in an answer above, I looked in Independent Force by Keith Rennles.

Grüss,

Leendert

[hanshauprich]

Gentlemn, thank you!
h.

[Rainer]

99 Sqn IAF lost seven DH9s on 31 July 1918:
C6145 Lt E.L. Doidge KIA & Lt H.T. Melville KIA
C6149 2/Lt T.M. Ritchie POW & 2/Lt L.W.D. Stagg POW/DOW
C6196 Lt W.J. Garrity POW & 2/Lt G.H. Stephenson POW
C6278 Lt S.McB. Black POW & 2/Lt E. Singleton POW
D1029 2Lt F. Smith POW & 2Lt K.H. Ashton POW
D1032 2Lt L.R. Dennis KIA & 2Lt F.W. Wooley KIA
D3039 Lt M.T.S. Papenfus, DFC WIA/POW & Lt A.L. Benjamin POW

German claims on that day for this type of aircraft were:
Jasta 18: Lt K. Monnington for a DH9 at Grossblittersdorf
Jasta 65: OfStv Tiedje & Vfw J. Hohly for two DH4s, location unknown
Jasta 78: Vfw L. Reimann & Vfw E. Prime for two DH9s at Ruhlingen and Willerwald
Jasta 80: Flg L. Wittmann & Uffz Fritz Salb for two DH9s at Willerwald and north of Saargemünd; the latter pilot was KIA at Grossblittersdorf while flying an Albatros D.III

Source: "The Jasta War Chronology" by Norman Franks, Frank Bailey & Rick Duiven

[GMichalski]

hi,

great info

i think you must ask in The Aerodrome forum also
they are specialist in ww1...
maybe they can link all claims vs losses

probably some of the german claims were unconfirmed...
i have:

Josef Hohly unc 31/07/18 Jasta 65 D.H. 4 Falkenberg

Probably C6196 Lt W.J. Garrity POW & 2/Lt G.H. Stephenson POW

Kurt A Monnington unc 31/07/18 Jasta 18 * D.H.4 (¿D7223?) Grossblittersdorf

Probably #D.1032, 99 Sqn. IAF, 2/Lt. L.R. Dennis,KIA & 2/Lt. F.W. Woolley,KIA*

sources:
The Aerodrome
http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.n...ic.php?t=19085
http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.n...ic.php?t=18684

kind regards