How many missions per day?

[Wulfryk]

Hi Everyone

This is my first post as a registered user (although I've been reading this forum for some time now) so it's good moment to say "hello".

Maybe you could help me with one thing I've been wondering about: how many missions/sorties a "typical" fighter pilot would fly in one day (either Allied or German/Austro-Hungarian).

From the victories statistic I can see that there must have been more then one a day (e.g. a pilot scores his "kills" in the morning and afternoon) - but was it a standard or rather an exception. I mean - were there any rules, like "one day one mission" and other were volunary? Or there were no rules and everything depended on current needs?

I'll be gratefull for any comments. Thanks in advance.

Regards from Poland.
Wulf

[stephen]

I can speak on the US and British air services; there are others more qualified to talk about German and other forces.

In both Brit and US services, the number of patrols fluctuated with demand. During Messines Ridge and St. Mihiel, squadrons were flying four patrols per day and that's only because daylight hours and necessary maintenance wouldn't permit any more.

The average, overall, was probably two patrols per day. In quiet times some days had no patrols at all, only "alert" periods where pilots were on call. Zero or one was a light day, two was standard, three was a bit heavy, and four or five was extreme. Orders were only posted from wing command the night before and there was no absolute standard.

Hope that helps, and welcome to the forum! We're glad to have you.

[tcrean7828]

Originally Posted by Wulfryk

Hi Everyone

This is my first post as a registered user (although I've been reading this forum for some time now) so it's good moment to say "hello".

Maybe you could help me with one thing I've been wondering about: how many missions/sorties a "typical" fighter pilot would fly in one day (either Allied or German/Austro-Hungarian).

From the victories statistic I can see that there must have been more then one a day (e.g. a pilot scores his "kills" in the morning and afternoon) - but was it a standard or rather an exception. I mean - were there any rules, like "one day one mission" and other were volunary? Or there were no rules and everything depended on current needs?

I'll be gratefull for any comments. Thanks in advance.

Regards from Poland.
Wulf

Wulfryk,

From what I have read so far it was usually a morning and an evening patrol, with an occasional lone wolf sortie thrown in for good measure. That is if the pilot felt up to it or was particulary pleased with himself at the mornings hunt.

And then again , if the WEATHER permitted it.

A lot of the flights were up to mother nature and what she decreed would populate the heavens. (i.e. rain, fog, cloud cover, ceiling heights, wind and from which direction and how fast, etc.)

cul

tcrean7828

tom

[Taz]

Wulf- Welcome to the Forum. The number of sorties a day varied not only with weather but also with time of year. In May-August, the days were considerably longer and I have read grumbles about flying 0430 hours sorties and 2100 hours sorties on the same day because the sun came up so early and went down so late. Winter, obviously, was just the opposite. Some German units performing reaction type defense from forward operating locations, like JG I, flew up to five sorties per day even though they did not launch until enemy aircraft were sighted or reported. Richard Wenzl of Jasta 6 in Richthofen Flieger reports flying up to five combat sorties per day in the summer of 1918. Plus this did not count the sorties from the main operating base to the forward operating location and return. So up to seven take-offs and landings per day, even if the shuttles were not full-fledged combat sorties. No wonder they got good at what they did.

Taz
Terry Phillips

[jtisch]

One more possible factor on the German side would be the fuel rationing that was put into effect in the later part of '18 (I don't remember exactly when off the top of my head).

[Wulfryk]

Thanks for your comments. This is very helpful.
Any other comments are welcome as well.

[Der Grüne Flieger]

Wulfryk,

I just finished reading Rene Fonck's autobiography, "Ace of Aces", so this might give a bit of the French perspective. Pretty much the same as the other member's posts, typically two flights per day, with mother nature's approval. Much more flying in the summer, hardly a flight at all in the toughest months of winter.

Fonck mentions that he also did lone wolf sorties to avenge his fallen comrades. He also talked about the change in lone wolf tactics, from the beginning to the end of the war. How it became less popular.

A few months ago I read a book by a British aviator, I can't recall his name or the name of his book. He died young of TB after the war and was sent to hospital to rehabilitate a couple of times during his tour of duty. He wrote of two and three flights per day as normal.

Phil