contact patrols

[steven brown]

In my ongoing effort to find information on multi-seat operations I have been trying to find more detail about contact patrols and their variant, the counter attack patrol. These mission must have required a great deal of courage. Any task that required close proximity to the ground was hazardous, but circling around the point of a breakthrough at low altitude, attempting to identify friend from foe, seems extraordinarily dangerous. The point, as I understand it, of the counter attack patrol was to locate enemy forces massing to counter attact a breakthrough, and stafe and bomb them. I'm wondering if the contact patrols also engaged in direct support as a rule.

[bristol scout]

HI Steven
"The other main function of the squadron was contact patrol. It was an aerial liaison between the front line and the battalion and brigade headquarters, designed to keep them in close touch with each other during the inevitable disorganisation of other means of communication during an offensive. At such times, it was realised, the advance would often find itself cut off from it's supports and would have difficulty, or sometimes be actually unable, to send back word where they were. But an aeroplane patrolling at low altitude could easily see the red flares which the Tommies carried and were instructed to light at given times.
The observer could mark the positions of these flares on the map, write down their co-ordinations on a slip of paper, put it in a weighted message bag and, swooping down over battalion headquarters (whose position was known by a semi-circular sheet of white cloth pegged out on the ground), drop the message bag.
Such was the principle of contact patrol. It had two other refinements, a signalling groundsheet which consisted of a black and white venetian blind-this on an elastic return spring, opened white closed black, and enabled the ground to send morse messages to the machines above-and a Klaxon horn, which the machines carried, used to call on the infantry for flares and transmit Morse messages to the ground.
This was the theory............................................ .My logbool for July 1st. (1916) contains the following entries,
From our point of view an entire failure. Not a single ground sheet of battalion or brigade headquarters was seen. Only two flares were lit on the whole of both corps fronts....."

from 'Sagittarius rising'---Cecil Lewis.

'inevitable disorganisation...during an offensive'---well, yes---perhaps we should'nt be too harsh in our criticisms of generals who, through no fault of their own, lost control of the battles, once they had started----if only the indespensible hand held walkie talkie of the next war had been available then!

'An aeroplane patrolling at low altitude'---can you imagine the nerve required for that---sometimes well within the trajectory of the guns.

'Red flares, which the Tommies carried'..... but you can imagine how that would have been considered by those Tommies expected to 'light up'---and the response from the Germans....!

They actually just flew low enough to see the men in the trenches with accuracy.......brave, brave men.

Dave.

[steven brown]

Bristol,
Thanks for that quote from Cecil Lewis. I actually bought his book a week or two ago, and have not read it yet.
Earlier today I came upon an account from Sholto Douglas where he states that 43 squadron carried out the first counter attack patrols on May 3, 1917 at the 3rd Battle of the Scarpe ( I've never heard of that battle ). He mentions the danger of being hit by the British artillery. When the pilots shut down their motors, they could hear the artillery rounds passing them!
I know that contact patrols were being flown by 1916 by both the British and Germans, but is it known when it became normal procedure?

[bristol scout]

Certainly by mid 1916----then right up to the end, and, given the aggressive temperament (not just doctrine) of the British and Dominion crews, these patrols invariably resulted in a bit (sometimes a lot) of ground attack thrown in.
Heres another one from 1916-
"But perhaps the most important new use of aircraft during the Somme offensive (1916) was as a direct support of infantry. The duty was known as 'contact patrols' and, more than any other type of sortie, brought the pilots and observers right into the thick of the fighting on the ground. Just how the airmen could help the infantry was ably demonstrated on July 14th.
Capt. A.M.Miller, of 3 squadron was detailed to fly his Morane monoplane to the area of High Wood where the 7th. Division of the Secunderabad Cavalry were starting an advance. With his observer, Second Lieut. C.W. Short, he watched the progress of the combined advance. The two men could see German infantry hidden among the standing crops to front and east of High wood. They realised that high ground in front of the Germans would hide them from the British forces who were, in fact, advancing into a trap.
Communications between air and ground were, as always a problem, (so for expediencies sake) They dived down to three hundered feet and flew straight over the concealed Germans, who, as they had reasoned, began to fire at them, immediately giving away their position."
'The Royal Flying Corps-A History' by Geoffrey Norris.

Incredible feats of courage and devotion to duty like this were quite the norm. right up to the end.

The R.F.C./R.A.F. performed these duties selflessly because they were, and never lost sight of the fact, an adjunct of the Army--and something else the whole lot never lost sight of---even in the darkest days---was who would win in the end.

Third Scarpe was a short, called off, battle within the greater battle of ARRAS----Not one that the British Generals had wanted, but VERY unpleasant Machinations by Lloyd George had committed the British to 'toe the new French Favourite---Nivelle's--line, at a conference held at CALAIS.---Nivelles subsequent failures (he promised too much) brought about the french mutiny, and moment of extreme peril for the Allies.

I knew i had read this somewhere---it's from Sagittarius Rising again----"..... i saw something black ahead of the machine. I looked up quickly--There was nothing there. I blinked. Surely, if my eyes were worth anything, there had been something ....yes! There it was again! This time i focussed! It was a Howitzer shell, One of our own shells, slowing up as it reached the top of it's trajectory, turning slowly over and over like an ambling porpoise, and then plunging down to burst. Guns fire shells in a flat trajectory, Howitzers fling them high, like a lobbed tennis ball. ........."

Indomitable men.

Dave.

[steven brown]

Bristol,
Thanks again for the great quotes. It seemed logical to me that aircrew on contact patrol would engage in ground attack. Too great an oppurtunity to pass up.

[GilmoreDK]

Hi, this migth have been covered elsewhere on this exellent forum but: is there anyone who knows if the Germa J-type plase used for contact patrols operated with the Schlastas or with some other type of two-seater unit ?(a recon staffel for example).

- G

[steven brown]

GilmoreDK,
I'm too new at this to answer your question, but the Germans were flying contact patrols as early as 1916. Hopefully someone will answer your question. I'd like to know myself.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Hi GilmoreDK:
The German J type aircraft were issured to the Fl.Abt. attached Armee Korp and Armee Hauptquartier. They were equipped wireless radio transmitters ans receivers. THey were used for contact patrols at the point of attack, there purpose was visual observation of the battle and to determine the front line by observing the color of the uniforms. This meant very low, 50 to 100 meters over the battle. They were also used for re-supply of the front line troops with ammunition and food which were dropped by parachute. They were there for reconnaissance, not for battle. The fuselages were covered with 5 mm thick chrome steel armor, that protected the crew and engine from small arms fire.
In 1918, seven Alb.J.I aircraft which mounted a 20mm Becker Cannon, in addition to thier regular armament, of a fixed 08 Machine gun and a Parabellum Model 14 were issued to seven Shlachtstaffeln for trial and evaluation. The intent was the 20mm Becker cannon, would be used in attacking British and French tanks. The Alb.J.I was too slow for front line ground support and lacked the agility of the two seat fighter. They were returned to the Armee Flugparken.

[alex_revell]

Gents,
Cross and Cockade International Vol.40/2 Article: The development of Contact Patrols. by Michael Meech. Fine article. will tell you everything you need to know.

[steven brown]

Dan San Abbott,
In your last post you mentioned resupply from the air by the Germans. I've run accross that several times in my reading, but it's always just mentioned in passing. Do you know if it was a common practice or rarely done? I know the Germans even experimented using multi-engined aircraft for resupply.

[steven brown]

Alex Revell,
Thanks for that excellent reference.