Massacred patrols and missions

It's classic Hollywood to culminate air war films with a squadron being massacred in one epic mission/finale - think of the Blue Max, Aces High, 633 Squadron and even Star Wars. Just like the Light Brigade or the 7th Cavalry, only in the air. What instances are there of large formations in WW1 suffering such huge casualties? What was the largest flight/patrol/sortie/mission to get totally wiped out?

Each historian is recommanded to put his hands off from those kind of Hollywood-stuff. Money-making by movies and serious historical research don't fit at all.

[Craig]

In BLOODY APRIL; BLACK SEPTEMBER, there are several accounts from the BLACK SEPTEMBER part of the book concerning "Camel slaughters", where flights performing low-level duty were nearly wiped out.

[Ginger.]

'You can't kill a Squadron'

I did such a good job with the German squadron that it completely disappeared

[Ginger.]

Well done that chap,you remind me of me,do you fly under Twoflags?

Hi Eddie,

Not having my library in front of me, I believe that on April 6, 1917, an inaugural flight of six RFC RE 8's ran into Jasta 11 and all six were shot down with 11 of 12 crew - KIA.

VBR,

Holck

[Graeme]

Only three RE8s of No 59 Sqn were lost on 6 April 1917, Otto Bernert, Karl Menckhoff and Kurt Wolff getting one each. Four FE2s from No 57 Sqn were lost that day (one each to Heinrich Gontermann, Otto Splitberger, Adolf von Tutscheck and Edmund Nathaniel) with the pilot of another being wounded.

Then there's the Circus' first encounter with the Bristol Fighter on 5 April, when four of the patrol of six were lost to Georg Simon, Sebastian Festner (W L Robinson VC) and two to MvR himself.

[Graeme]

It would seem that the largest single patrol loss suffered by the RFC etc on the Western Front was seven Camels of No 70 Sqn RAF lost in an action near Ecaillon, five miles east of Douai on 4 September 1918. The squadron was on temporary attachment from II Brigade and met a force of Fokker DVIIs (estimated to be 30 aeroplanes), over that part of the front before the British First Army. Another Camel was lost about an hour later at the same location.

On 26 September 1918, No 99 Sqn ( Independent Force)lost six DH9s in the course of a raid upon Thionville; two other DH9s were shot up, the observer in one being killed (pilot OK) and the pilot in another wounded (observer OK). They encountered about 30 or 40 aircraft (Fokker DVIIs ?) over Metz. Five were destroyed over Metz or during the return journey and one was destroyed upon landing.

Mannock & Co were supposed to have "slaughtered" half a dozen DFWs of a training flight early in September 1917 but felt so guilty that no claims were made (unlikely given Mannock's hatred of the enemy).

[leo]

Somewhere I read of an American flight of DH-4's being wiped out early in 1918. Aanyone have any details? Or, am I mistaken?

leo