Death of the Greatest

Immo_Frese · 12 April 2002, 01:55 AM

The story about von Haebler is very fascinating and of course - very mysterious. The triplane in which he was shot down 22.Mar 1918 was found the 26.Mar 1918 by advancing german troops at Havrincourt Wood. Is anybody aware of a photo of his crashed machine or does somebody know the name of the attacking german regiment?

VBR, Immo

rammjaeger · 12 April 2002, 04:31 AM

Hi Immo,

I wonder that the Brits did not remove the captured airplane. It is reportedly G 152 (source TJP) of the "Fighter G numbers"!
I think I remember another source claimed it was G 158.

VBR
Rammjaeger

Immo_Frese · 12 April 2002, 12:54 PM

Hi Rammjäger,

well, I think this is turning into a G.v.Haebler thread

His triplane was most likely brought down by AA-fire and it is said that the plane stood on its nose when found with handgrenades around. Probably there was a fight around the crashed plane in which v.Haebler was seriously wounded?

Havrincourt Wood was the center of the so called "Frontvorsprung bei Flesqiuères". The 17.Northern Division, 63.Naval Division and 47. London Division were defending this area under very heavy german artillery fire and gas attacks. Obviously the Brits had no time and no possibility to remove the crashed plane and I think because of this there was also no picture taken ??? Up to now I really don't know which german division leads the german attack to take Havrincourt Wood the 26 Mar 1918. Then perhaps we would be able to find out more about it...

VBR, Immo

rammjaeger · 12 April 2002, 10:22 PM

Hi Immo,

at least the Brits had enough time to hand out a G-number, so I think the chances are maybe not so bad that a photograph was taken too but that means possibly a trip to the PRO. As well I think it should be possible to determine the acting German infantry unit but I think it needs a good source book here.

VBR
Rammjaeger

PS:
Wir sollten uns über das Thema auf direktem Weg unterhalten.

13 April 2002, 07:10 PM

Graeme wrote
'There is a precedent for the belief by some Germans that MvR was shot on the ground. On 21 March 1917, Lt C E M Pickthorne, 32 Sqn, manoeuvred onto the tail of an Albatros scout that he forced to land behind the British lines. The German pilot was Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia who, while attempting to regain the German trenches, was shot by Australian infantry. He died of his wounds on 11 April 1917.'

Just adding to what Graeme mentioned the following is from the Australian official history
'On the day after it (the 7th Brigade AIF) took over, they were enlivened by watching a combat between four British and five German aeroplanes only a few hundred feet above the Lagnicourt Valley.
The men of the 26th Battalion were cheering and their officers were trying to keep them down when a German machine came to ground several hundred yards in front of the posts. Several Queenslanders, already racing towards it succeeded in shooting the pilot who had started to run away down the valley. They found him lying wounded, and to their great elation as they prepared to carry him to their lines, he told them that he was Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia.
He was carried to the aid post; before his death days later, in hospital, he thanked the Australians and others concerned for their kindness and "good sportsmanship"
He to was 'a sport' he said.'

Graeme · 13 April 2002, 11:37 PM

Aviatik

Looking through my (handwritten) notes, it looks like I picked up two different dates at some stage but discounted 6 April (I crossed through this date), believing I'd confused the date of his death with his date of birth.

Going to reference sources at my fingertips:

the A to Z list of casualties in

Casualties of the German Air Service (page 119) shows:

"Preuss, Kasimir von Preussen, Prinz Friedrich Karl Tassilo, Rittm, 6 Apr 93, Klein-Glienicke 6 Apr 17 [21 Mar]" indicating that he had been wounded on 21 March and died on 6 April.

The preamble to RFC Communque No 80 on page 27 of Royal flying corps communiques 1917-1918 states:

"Further reinforcement for the RFC in France this week was the arrival on March 21 of No 100 Squadron, equipped with FE2bs and FE2ds. Lt Pickthorn's victim that same day was Prince Friedrick Karl of Prussia, who force-landed his Albatros scout in front of some Allied trenches. Attempting to reach the German lines, he was shot by Australian infantry and died of his wounds on 11 April 1917."

I recall something appearing in a Cross and Cockade (GB) journal some years back. I'll try and locate it and see if it sheds any light on this.

Graeme