Did Montenegro Have Any Aircraft Or Aviators??

[brewdog]

I know it's not likely that Montenegro had aything resembling an air force, given its size and the fact they were forced to surrender in early 1916, which would've hindered any attempts to develop or organize one. Still, I've wondered if the Montenegrins had even 1 or 2 planes, or if any Montenegrins served in other Allied airforces.

[DTB]

Hi,

Montenegro had no planes of his own during the campaign of 1914-1916. Even the Serbs had very few (just a squadron of Farman artillery spotters).

The french sent an escadrille to the Serbs (you can see pictures with this links : http://past3d.free.fr/Serbie_avions_...avions_NB1.htm )

For Montenegro, the french navy sent hydroplanes from the aircraft carrier Foudre. The were based on a coastal city (I don't remember the name, maybe Budua).

First, two Voisin hydroplanes, but one crashed during his first takeoff. The second made a few recco missions on Cattaro but was destroyed on the ground by a strong wind.

The french navy then sent an other pair of hydroplanes : two Nieuport monoplanes. One of them met a Lohner E of the austrian navy (the french pilot tried to shot his opponent with a pistol !), but no casuality. Since the austrian Lohners made daily bombings to the french base, the local population was not very friendly to the french pilots because of this. They decided to move their base to the Antivari lake, but their fragile hydroplanes could'nt takeoff very well form the lake (seawater is better). The french navy finally withdrawed their hydroplanes in late 1914.

I'm not sure the Montenegro had other airplanes in 1915. Maybe one or two Montenegrin pilots were enlisted in the franco-serbian units in Saloniki in 1917-1918.

Regards,
DTB

Well, since DTB has pretty much written everything what I know about the "Montenegrian Air Force" in World War I, I might just add a small but interesting note about Montenegrians, and namely that a small group of eight Serbian and Montenegrians pilots fought in the French Air Service on the Western Front 1915-1918. The highest scorer in this small group was Montenegrian Lieutenant Pavle Matanovic, who scored three air victories on the Western Front. Others scored two one or none.

lp,

Klemen

[leo]

I have only known two Montenegrins. They were the toughest guys I ever met.