Ready: Index Augie Blume’s The Russian Military Air Fleet in WW1 Volume 2.

[Jos]

Hello Marek,

Thanks for your info and photo. After I'd read your reply I looked what Augie has to say about Grochovalskiy on 1 October 1917. As Augie converted all the dates to the Western Style Calendar, he dates the victory on 14 October 1917.

Southwest Front 7th Army: Flyer (Starshi unterofitser I.D.) Pavlov (4th KAO) Shtabs Rotmistr T.V. Grokhovalskiy and Praporshik V.I. Yanchenko of 32nd KAO (on Nieuports XXIII's) hit an enemy aeroplane in battle with four enemy machines in Gorodok region. It fell east of Kutkovtse. Plane and flyers crashed.

However in the War Diary of 32nd KAO, Yanchenko did'nt mention the other pilots. I you read the part Augie has added in his book it looks like Yanchenko shot the plane down.
It seems that the victim was Martin Schön of Jasta 81. The German report stated that later a Russian Nieuport dropped a letter and photo regarding the burial of Schön.

Regards,

Jos

[Jos]

I added this to von Gorrissen:

Gorrissen, Karl von (page 22) C.O. Seeflugstation Putzig.

POW 06-04-1915 together with Erich Killinger. On 3 December 1917, the revolutionary government in Russia arranged an armistice with Germany. On February 1918, he was released from the POW camp and returned to Germany . He was promoted to Kapitänleutnant zur See on 17 March 1918, back dated to 26 April 1917. He was assigned to Fliegerabteilung I at Wärnemunde until his death on 17 July 1918 when his airplane suffered mechanical failure and crashed into the North Sea two Kilometers off List on Sylt.


Jos

[Gman]

Thank you for posting this.

[Jos]

Thanks to Gman I am able to post this info on Herbert Volck. I found some Wikipedia info and added this to his info.

Herbert Volck. Observer Feld Flieger Abt. 27. POW 20-10-1915

(Wikipedia: Volck was born on 04-04-1894 in Dorpat (Estonia). Died in concentration camp Buchenwald on 24-08-1944).

Shot down behind the Russian front (according to Wikipedia on 29-10-1915), he escaped twice.
After making it from Siberia to Mongolia he was captured by Russian Cossacks outside Russian territory.
The first treatment was alright, as he was an officer, he stated. Since it was illegal to escape he was now treated as a common criminal, which to say the least was not pleasant…
After the second escape he gets caught up in the chaos of the Revolution and finally makes it to Mossul, Persia in January 1918 after a 1000 km march. Hindenburg gets the personal debrief and recommends to write a book about it: The Wolfs. Die Wölfe. Mein sibirisch-kaukasisches Abenteuerbuch. Berlin 1918. Neuausgabe 1936 als Die Wölfe. 33000 Kilometer Kriegsabenteuer in Asien.
Between the wars he runs a detective agency. He personally knows Herman Goering and Martin Borman. (It seems that he worked for the Gestapo. He got problems with Heydrich, and was arrested in 1934. In WW2 he worked as a war correspondent . In 1942 his books were forbidden.
He was arrested again. This time for criticizing the war leading. Wikipedia)
Involvement during WII is unclear. He is executed in the concentration camp Buchenwald shortly after the assassination attempt on Hitler. As a WWI hero and officer this was unusual, therefore the suspected involvement in the overthrow. No records exist.




“Zur freundliche Erinnerung.
Herbert Volck
Leutnant Dragoner 16.
Mossul
im Januar 1918”

The description in the book reads: "Herbert Volck and his escape companion Josef Reis (bottom left) after their 1000 km foot march through Persia at the the German Flying Headquarter in Mossul, January 1918"

[Jos]

I found this letter in Die K.U.K. Luftschiffer-und Fliegertruppe Österreich-Ungarns 1794-1919 by Ernst Peter.

It's a letter from the Russians dropped by a Russian aircraft to inform about the fate of the crew of Hansa Brandenburg C.I nr. 63.54 of Flik 25: pilot Corporal Rudolf Horacek and observer Lieutenant der Reserve Richard Chalaupka von Sternwall. They were brought down on 08-05-1917 by pilot Praporshchick N.V. Navrotskiy of the 19th KAO in a Nieuport XXI. The letter is written French and German.

The names of the pilots are mentioned in the index.





The translation:

War Air Mail

To the officers of the Fliegerabteilung in Narajouw-Miasto.
With this letter we inform you that your comrades, Lieutenant Chaloupka and Horacek on 8 May 1917 were attacked by our aeroplane and were forced down. Both men are slightly wounded. Leutnant Chalaupka in the arm and Horacek in the hand.

Officers of the Fliegerabteilung in Wiktorouka.

[Barrett]

What a tremendous public service. Thank you!

I'll mention the book to Sergei Sikorsky, who still follows such things. We're working on a commemoration of next year's centennial of the Grand's historic flights.

[Jos]

I received 2 pages of the Kriegstagebuch Putzig from Andrei Alexandrov. Andrei wrote several very interesting articles in Over The Front; f.i. Out Of Luck: A Black Day of Russian Naval Aviation, 5 May 1917.


The two pages concern the capture of von Gorrissen and Killinger on 6 April 1915.


Jos











On 06-04-1916:

9u.00 p.m Danzig F.I. drahtet: 07u.40 Flugzeug 51 überfällig seit 2 Uhr nachmittags. Flieger Oberleutnant zur See von Gorrissen,
Beobachter Fähnrich zur See Killinger. Beabsichte Morgen Suche fortsetzen.

Lübeck
Weiter durch N.K. 646

Von Tempsky

9u.00 p.m. Danzig F.I. wires: 07u.40 Plane 51 is overdue since 2 hrs. p.m. Pilot Oberleutnant zur see von Gorrissen and observer Fähnrich zur See Killinger. We’re indented to continue search tomorrow.

Lübeck
Continue through N.K. 646

Von Tempsky


On 07-04-1916:

7u.00 a.m. Danzig F.I. drahtet: 1081 Im Anschluss an 06.u.30. Flugzeug 51 ist heute 7u.00 nachmittags von Hilfsminensuchdivision in 154 Ypsylon Z 9 gekentert gefunden.
Flieger und Beobachter werden vermist. Vielleicht sind sie in Gefangenschaft geraten.

Lübeck.
Weiter durch N.K. 652

Flugstation drahtet an Lübeck:
T.P “151”. Ist für Oberleutnant von Gorrissen Ersatz bei Fliegerabteilung beantragt?
Flugstation

Von Tempsky.

7u.00 a.m. Danzig F.I. wires: 1081 In connection on 06u.30. Plane 51 is today 7 o’clock in the afternoon found capsized by Auxiliary Minesweeper Division in 154 Y Z 9.
Pilot and observer are missing. Maybe they are captured.

Lübeck.

Continue through N.K. 646
Flugstation wires to Lübeck:
T.P. “151”. Has there been asked for a replacement for Oberlieutenant von Gorrissen?
Flugstation.


Von Tempsky.

[Jos]

Here is a part of the Kriegstagebuch Seeflugstation Answald 1915




This is the report of Oberleutnant zur See Jacques von Roques and Obermaschinistenmaat Friedrich Stöckler from 12-09-1915 (Gregorian calendar), concerning the sinking of the sailing ship “Ila” in the Gulf of Riga.

Libau, 15 September 1915


Order: Flight to Dünamünde – Riga, Bomb shipyard of Ziese and other important spots.

Plane: D270, 160 HP Motor, 250 Liter petrol for 6 hours.

Pilot: Ober Leutnant zur See von Roques, Observer Obermachinistenmaat der Reserve Stöckler.

Report:

Start on 12-9-1915 5h.30 am in the harbor of Windau. Weather clear, Wind North 1 – 2. At the same time 5 other planes start with the same order.
Flight along the coast near Domesnäs; north from Irben two hostile destroyers are sighted. Altitude 1400 metres.
6h.45 flew from Domesnäs to Dünamünde , 135 degrees. Close to Domesnäs a thick cloudlayer began, which reached to Dünamünde. Here the 5 other planes lost their way, got disorientated and descended below the clouds.
7h.45 the coast came in sight through the clouds and in front of us we saw Dünamünde. Altitude 1900 metres.
Riga and surrounding area was only partly covered with clouds. In the harbor lay no war vessel , only several sailing ships. Four small harbor steamers sailed between Riga and Dünamünde. Because we couldn’t recognize the shipyard Ziese immediately, we flew for a long time above Riga and Dünamünde and shot pictures. After recognizing the shipyard, we dropped 2 bombs. We couldn’t see if we had success, because a cloud got in the way. During the second attack we dropped 6 bombs; 3 of them fell on a workshop building and 3 on the slipways. The workshop started to burn. 8h.45 we flew northern course, away from Dünamünde. 9h.30 we sighted through a gap in the clouds a two-masted schooner with a tugboat. I went down to 30 metres and circled around them.
After several warning shots with my rifle I ordered the tugboat to stop. After he casted off the sailing ship, I landed and taxied to the schooner. As I feared that the tugboat would ram the plane, I ordered my observer to fire several shots at him; one of the shots hit the machine. I fired several shots with my pistol at the sailing ship. On both ships the crew came on deck; raised their arms and waved as sign of surrender with several garments. The schooner lowered the longboat immediately; the 5 men strong crew left the ship and came to the plane. I sent my observer with this boat to the tugboat with the order to sink the sailing ship, because it transported iron from Gotland. Stöckler took over command of the tugboat, went long side of the schooner and let the people fetch their personal belongings. One of the crewmen was ordered into the loadroom, where he had to make a hole in the bottom. Hereafter Stöckler came back to the plane. At 10u.00 the sailing ship sank; the tugboat was released and I sent the people off.
The sailing ship was the Russian two-masted schooner “Ila”, home harbor Windau; cargo about 80 tons.

von Roques

Oberleutnant zur See.




On 30 October 1915 von Roques and Stöckler were captured by the Russians. Their plane (Brandenburg W. nr. 473) was forced to land by torpedo-boat destroyer Moskvityanain off Zerel, after the water pipe to the engine was cut by a bullet.


Jos

[Stoxim]

Originally Posted by Jos

T. (part 2)
• Trofimovich, Iosif Ivanovich (page 203, 349) Mechanic Shchetinin M-5 nr. 28 flying boat; Baltic Sea Fleet. WIA 17-09-1916.

Hello!
Surfing the web I found out this forum and name of my great-grandfather.
How can I get any additional information about him?
Thank you.

[Jos]

Hello Stoxim,

This is what I have:

17-09-1916 (Gregorian calendar)- In the Baltic Sea, 4 Shchetinin M-9 flying boats on a mission from Tserel (Zerel) on Ösel Island to the Kurland coast were attacked by 9 German aircraft from Windau. Shchetinin flying boat M-9 nr.28 was hit in the engine, but naval pilot Michman R.N. Kroun managed to return to his base. Mechanic unterofitser I.I. Trofimovich was badly wounded.



On 17 August 1915 he was awarded the St. George Soldiers Cross 4th Class. Details unknown. On 4 March 1917 he was decorated with the St. George Medal 4th Class. Details unknown.


Regards,

Jos