Our Old Friend Green Tail

Hi

Given the level of minutia, errr, expertise here, I'll bet it is an old long solved discussion.
But this falls into the catagory of one of the Millions of things I just don't know. I have a internet challenged WW1 buff friend who is nagging me to ASK.
Has "Green Tail" as described by McCudden been identified with any particular pilot?
I have no photos of a Jasta 5 plane with a big K on it. Ya'll know?
I think he wants to do another Albatross model!

Rocky

[Ginger.]

That's the bit that gets me,they all had green tails!Yet Mac specifically identifies this one aircraft.My question is what coloured tails did the rest of his mob have to enable him to recognise this bloke on several occasions?
Greentail's name was Vizefeldwebel Otto Konnecke of Jasta 5 who survived the war with 35 kills.The Hun nobbled by Mac was Unteroffizier Julius Kiaser of Jasta 35b,who's kite apparently looked a lot like Konnecke's.

[Droops]

High in the Empty Blue by Alex Revell gives the same information that Ginger just provided. Mr. Revell drops in on occasion, we might get lucky and see him add to the discussion.

VBR,

John

[Dan_San_Abbott]

ProfFate:
The "greentail" that Capt. James McCudden shot down on 18 February 1918, was Vzfw Martin Klein. He was shot down over Beaurevoir. His fall was witnessed by Ltn. Hans Joachim Hippel, and in his interview described Klein's aircraft minus it's wings, diving passed him. Konnecke was not shot down. All Jasta 5 aircraft had green tails (with a red border), this was part of the Jasta marking. Konnecke's marking device was a red and white checkerboard. All the pilot's carried their initials under both lower wings. In McCudden's bio, he describes the markings as: "It had a green tail,the letter K, and a white inverted Vacross the top of the wing." It appears that Vzfw. Klein had the K on top of the upper wing with the white chevron, (also part of the Jasta 5 markings, along with the red spinner.)
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Ginger.]

That's what I love about this dogfighting game,just when you are doing a victory roll you get riddled by one of the real Aces who's been sat in the sun laughing all along!
If that Hun rotter Klein was in Jasta 5 all the better in my book.

Hi

Thanks, I knew you guys knew!

I am fond of Jasta 5, I had been arguing that there was, indeed a whole squadron of "green tails". But he was warped by "5years", and insisted that there was just the one guy due to the level of detail in Mc's description indicated that he KNEW it was just one man.
Curiously, I thought he would understand, as he has done v.Hippel! Oh, well.

I said I would ask, and you answered.....Thanks again.

Rocky

[Darryl]

Dan-San,

I hate to disagree, but with all due respect....

Klein and Von Hippel were attacked by Lt P.K.Hobson and Capt G.O. Johnson of 84 Squadron at 1100 British South East of Beaurevoir. Von Hippel describes the event in some detail (however he contradicts himself over some details.) The confusion arrises from the fact that Von Hippel was made aware of the facts of GT's downing, which were very similar and then fit his memories around those facts 45 years after the event (I mean no disrespect to vH, it is entirely understandable).
This brought him to the conclusion that Mac had been his attacker. All this goes back to an article in Jagdblatt in 1963,

The place at which Klein fell is some miles from Mac's claim.

In fact Mac's victims that day were Von Stein and Kaiser of J35b. The details of their loss (Von Stein was only wounded) fit exactly with the circumstances described in Mac's claim and as described in Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps. All this happened at 0940-0945.

The action took place around Vitry/Quiery La Motte/Utanville.

Kaiser's body was not found until the next day IIRC.

very best regards

Darryl

[Rick]

Dan,

I, too, must disagree with you. See C&C 24,1 The History of Jasta 35b, where irrefutable proof is given that the 'K' shot down by McCudden was Uffz. Justus Kaiser. See also 'High in the Empty Blue', where Alex draws the same conclusion.

Rick

[Ginger.]

Bloody hell Dan you missed!
Here I come head on all guns blazing,not even you'll know this one.>
Just how many Huns with the initial K did Mac shoot down. ???

[PeterL]

Waaaaaaait a minute! Two victories confirmed from German sources. Is this a record? Is this a German record?