Kagohl 3 loss 22 July 1917

Regulus · 23 October 2005, 08:04 AM

A small quote from my book on that day after an attack on Britain by the bombers of Kagohl 3 :

"This are the British claims :

Bristol Fighter 48 Sqdn F2B A7146
Capt R Baker (p) and Lt GR Spencer (o)
Attacked one of 5 Gotha’s 8 miles NW of Oostende which crashed in the sea, at 10.40 hours British time.
?

It seems there was also another claim in the Dunkirk area.
No casualties found…

Concerning the 48 Sqdn attack it seems to have happened together with Lt.R.D. Coath and 2nd Lt. A.D. Merchant of the same squadron. Also in a report the Squandron’s CO, Major A.V. Bettington reported that the wreck was still visible 4 hours later ! According to British sources the plane crashed very close to the coast of Oostende . According to Cole and Cheesman, the German’s admitted one plane loss at landing, and this should be the one."

Any ideas on the plane's number ? Crew ? Or is this not correct ?

Thanks and best from Johan

Pete Wood · 25 October 2005, 01:17 PM

This one has long puzzled me, too.

As you state, the RFC communiques clearly state that the Gotha was still visible four hours later.

Survivors of a Gotha, downed in the sea, were few (Uffz Bruno Schneider did survive a dunking on the 22nd August 1917). So I would have expected to find at least one crew man who died that day.

If you trawl through the "A-Z" listing of Grub Street's 'Casualties of The German Air Service' you can find casualties (with no unit given) who are not mentioned in the 'Chronological listing.' One such example is Ltn Johann Bohm, died/killed on 22nd July 1917. Is he a possible candidate....??