MvR's 79th and 80th.....

[Tim West]

Heya all,

I am working on a scene depicting MvR's flight on April 20th 1918. He gains his 79th and 80th victories on this day.

The description of the melee sounds very fast and intense. Lots of action. Anyhow members of 3 sqd. report attacking a flight of solid painted triplanes. Particulary they mention a blue plane and a green and white plane. Could these be 139 and the unidentified plane shown at the bottom of pg. 14 of the data file special?

I read that 139 was flown by Jasta 5 also but not sure which dates....maybe they did not recieve it till after the 20th?

If anyone has something to add or can identify other possibilities for the Jasta 11 planes......excluding 425, that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

[Tim West]

Oh, and any help with 3 squadron markings for Camels D6439 and B7393. Also C6730 would be nice as well.

I have very little on the camel.

Thanks again.

[PFFF]

In a Air Wars magaizne there was a print of Lt Lewis (80th victium) by his plane
which had the word "Rhodesia" spelled on it. No credit or source listed

[Taz]

Tim- The white Dr.I was most likely 545/17 of Hans Weiss, whose triplane had a white upper wing top surface, turtle deck, fuselage sides from cross field back and rudder and elevator. The blue Dr.I could have been 155/17 (not confirmed) of Eberhardt Mohnicke, whose Triplane was all blue from just aft of the cockpit and step. See Richthofen's Circus by Greg VanWyngarden.

3 Squadron used two white vertical bars behind the cockades with a letter or number in front of the cockade depending on flight. This letter or number was often repeated above and below the wings (quote). A flight used A-H, B flight 1-8, and C flight S-Z. See British Aviation Squadron Markings of World War I.
Do not know which individual flights each aircraft was assigned to. One of our British experts can probably help if you ask in what flight the individual officers were in the People section.

Taz
Terry Phillips

[buzz1941]

There was a Harleyford book that had basic profiles of all the unfortunates whom the Red baron shot down -- but I shan't trust it, given the age of it.

Of course, you could do the Bloody Red Baron shooting down Arch Whitehouse...

[jtisch]

There is an article in OTF v.3 no. 1 about MvR's 80th victim, Lt. "Tommy" Lewis, with some of his letters to a friend and, alas,only one so-so picture of him in his Camel. I think I have another photo somewhere where it shows the "Rhodesia" painted on the port side. Now to find it!

Cheers,

jtisch

[Tim West]

Thanks all,

This has given me some direction. Its a big help. Now to go dig some more.

Thanks.

[Tim West]

Terry,
You were right , Weiss did take part and downed 1 Camel.

There was also a downed DR-I claimed by Capt.DJ Bell. The victim is unknown. Also a 209 pilot sent a DR-I OoC.

Anyhow, making progress.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

TimWest:
Shortly after the German offensive of 21 March 1918, the RFC/RAF ceased using unit markings on reconnaissance and bombing aircraft. The individual aircraft markings were continued in use, letter or numbers.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[RED BARON RETURNS]

Originally Posted by Tim West

Oh, and any help with 3 squadron markings for Camels D6439 and B7393. Also C6730 would be nice as well.

I have very little on the camel.

Thanks again.

TIM,
I WAS JUST READING A BOOK CALLED MANFRED VON RICHTHOFEN AND THE AIRCRAFT HE FLEW BY DAVID BAKER.
HIS 79TH VICTORY WAS RAYMOND-BAKER SOPWITH CAMEL D6439 AND 80TH VICTORY LEWIS WAS SOPWITH CAMEL B7393 AND I CHECKED ALL MY DATA AND CAN'T FIND A REAL GOOD PIC OF LEWIS B7393.THERE ARE TWO PAINTINGS BY RICH THISTLE WILL THEY HELP?MY FATHER HAS A PRINT BY J.B.DENEER "VON RICHTHOFEN 80TH AND FINAL VICTORY" AND THAT ONE SHOWED TWO WHITE STRIPES ON THE BACK ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND THISTLE PRINT HAS A B ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE.AS FOR HANS WEISS FOKKER DR1 I THINK THIS IS HIS PLANE.IT'S FROM JASTA 11.
SORRY I TRIED.
LATER DAYS,
JEP
RED BARON