Crashed Plane

Buddecke · 15 September 2008, 11:39 AM

Hello,
anybody know this photo ? Any hints. Thanks

Buddecke

Buddecke · 15 September 2008, 11:41 AM

German Pilot of this victory ?????

Gregvan · 15 September 2008, 02:55 PM

Hi Buddecke,

I have the strong feeling I've seen this photo somewhere before, but I cannot recall where. Perhaps in an old issue of Cross & Cockade...

The crashed aircraft is a SPAD fighter, for sure. I think it's a SPAD VII, but I'll have to study the photo some more.

Greg

Gregvan · 15 September 2008, 04:39 PM

Hi Buddecke,

Well, I've located where your photo was previously published, but the questionable caption raises more questions than it answers.

The photo was published in Cross & Cockade (US) Volume 10 No. 3, Fall 1969, on page 265 in the article "Enemy Aircraft in German Hands, " by F.H. Hitchins. This was a multi-part series detailing the German Abschüsse lists, and this particular piece chronicled the a/c shot down in March-April 1917.

Your photo was supplied in this article by William Ross Puglisi (who used the pseudonym "Ross" in the photo credit). He captioned the photo as "French Spad VII. Lt. Lorillard + 6 April 1917 by Lt. Bongartz."

There are some serious problems with that tentative identification. First and foremost, Bongartz did claim a SPAD on 6 April, but it's well-known that on that date he brought down the SPAD VII No. 244 of Lt. Jean Mistarlet of Escadrille N 31 (even though the unit was re-equipping with Spads, it still carried the "N" prefix). Mistarlet was taken POW, and there are several very good photos showing his SPAD completely intact, with an inscription on the fuselage stating that the machine was brought down on 6 April 1917 by Jasta 36. The German pilot (?) in your photo doesn't look anything like Bongartz, so I'm assuming that Puglisi made an understandable error in this case (remember, he was putting these things together almost 40 years ago).

If the Spad VII in your photo WAS brought down on 6 April 1917, then it might indeed have been flown by Lt. Lorillard of Escadrille N48 who was missing in action on that date. On 6 April, Ltn. Baldamus of Jasta 9 claimed a SPAD, northwest of Fresnes at 1810 hrs for his 16th victory. Ltn. W Albert of Jasta 31 also claimed a SPAD at Mars-sous-Bourg for his 2nd victory, according to "The Jasta War Chronology".

The fellow in your photo doesn't look especially like Baldamus either. Perhaps it's Albert, but that is mere speculation and nothing more.

Sorry I cannot be of more help.

Greg