Frankl - 8 Apr 17

[R Gannon]

Epee

Graeme gives you the details and the contemporary Natrichtenblatt records his death as being the result of an air combat. Wing failure maybe, but it was bullet induced wing failure!

Roadhog

Chest Pulley now there is a name! Lots of guts, but no tactician - had a couple of attachments to your 25th Inf (Tropic Lighting) at Schoefield Barracks Hawaii and the guys there were always heaping schorn on the Marines for their frontal assault mentality. Actually dived off Pelliue island in the early 90's - did not get a chance to go ashore there, but the terrain I did see on Pelau main island was aweful and no place for a civilised guy to fight. There'a a nice Zero in about 5ft of water off one of the Islands.

Cheers to all

Russ

[Roadhog]

Dear Russ, My Dad woukld be the very first to agree with you about Chesty's lack of tactical finesse. Private First Classs John Edward Price was awarded his Silver Star and two of his eventual five Purple Hearts for action at Bloody Nose Ridge. He was a BAR man who helped fight off the Japanese tank counter attack at the airfield on the evening of the first day at Pelilu. He was also at New Britian and Okinawa. Dad died of a heart attack in May 1972. The docs said getting shot and hit in the chest with sharpnel three times eventually did him in.

I served in the 25th Infantry (the Electric Strawberry) from 1983-1986. Now that was a good time. VR, Scott

[AZ Aviator]

Bloody April... Black September, Franks, Guest & Bailey, reports the following, regarding 48 Squadron's encounter with Frankl and Jasta 4 on 8 April 1917: "At 2 o'clock, 48 Squadron were taking off to fly an OP between Arras, Lens and Vitry and they were intercepted by Frankl's Jasta 4 pilots as soon as they crossed the lines. In the brief fight which followed, 48's gunners claimed two Albatros Scouts as shot down, one by Captain D M Tidmarsh/ Second Lieutenant C B Holland, the other by the combined fire from three other crews, both over Remy-Eterpigny. Frankl's Albatros, 2158/16, fell between Vitry and Sailly, breaking up as it did so." Both Albatros D.III claims are shown to be for 1400 hours, and both were OOC. It was Tidmarsh's 4th victory. Hence, I would imagine that Frankl's demise at the hands of 48 Squadron RFC is more than a "possibility," i.e., unless I hear of a more authoritative source than the Bloody April... Black September data. Another good source of 48 Squadron history is No. 48 Squadron, RFC/RAF by Frank W. Bailey and Paul Chamberlain, Over The Front, Vol. 4, No. 2, Summer 1989; however, this comprehensive 48 page squadron history unfortunately does not specifically mention Frankl, although both the narrative and combat log discuss/list this particular combat.

[R Gannon]

Roadhog

Yeh I saw something on the History channel recently about Pelilu and the Japanese counter attack with tanks on the airfield. Tough fight.

I know we should be talking about Frankl, but my first visit to the 25th was in 1977 and was attached to 3/4 Cavalry (my background is armoured). Got to fire M60 from Huey's and was also invited to jump off the rail on a string (repeling). Also got to run up and down Koli Koli Pass. Second trip was 1990.

Russ

[R Gannon]

AZ Aviator

Remiss of me. Good to have you on board. Good to see someone who gets down and dirty in these things.

Cheers Russ.