Frank Luke's "first" kill

[Thomas Kepple]

Hello Forumites, I was looking for the type of German observation balloon that Luke flamed for his first kill. Was it a large "Drachen", or a smaller "Kite" balloon. Also,...(again with the also's).....Was he flying S.P.A.D. #26 at that time? Thank you for your time TeeKay.

Dear TKO,
First off, I believe that you might be mistaken in your differing the two types of German balloons-- both types were kite balloons and both were (probably) called drachens (dragons) by the krauts... And to this day, believe it or not, the inhabitants of Murvaux refer to 'em as saucissons (sausages)...

But to your other question-- please refer to OTF v.19 #2 Summer 2004 (p.118), where Alan B. Toelle did some remarkable research and concluded that Lt. Luke was flying Bleriot-built SPAD #21 (that's twenty-one; the last birthday that Frank celebrated); there's also a nice color profile of said machine on the inside of the back cover-- however, Toelle was unable to find a complete serial number for #21...

#26 was a later mount of Luke's, although, in Toelle's words, "that has never been identified with any certainty"; personally, I think that the photo of the machine with Luke, arms folded, leaning on the lower wing, was his aircraft-- the one in which he downed the 2 Fokkers and 3 balloons on 18 Sept 1918-- and that's the one with #26 on its side...

Always the best, Tom, and remember, whatever the hell anyone might claim, sunset on that fateful evening when Luke flew into eternity was at 7:30pm (more or less), and NOT two hours earlier, as is STILL reported-- and if it WERE two hours earlier, then global warming is the LEAST of our problems!

Captain "Marlin" Lewis

[PeterL]

And to this day, believe it or not, the inhabitants of Murvaux refer to 'em as saucissons (sausages)...

An old gentleman informed me at the RAF Museum thirty years ago that he and his companions referred the the Drachen as "Randy Rupert", on account of how it looked in profile. Rough soldiery eh?