1917: 'Bloody April', Bombers, and Carrier Aircraft | A Not-So-Brief History Of Military Aviation #4

Thumbnail art courtesy of Ed Jackson - www.artbyedo.com/
To say that a lot happens in 1917 would be an understatement, especially when it comes to military aviation. It is a year that sees rapid aircraft development on all fronts: reconnaissance, fighters, bombers, and seaplanes. It is also another year of great chance, sometimes spurred by tactical necessity, sometimes spurred by public outcry. It would be the year of 'Bloody April', a dark time for the Royal Flying Corps, it would see many great aces rise and fall, and it would see America enter the war whilst Russia is rocked by revolution.
Perhaps the two most important developments, at least in terms of aviation, was the formation of even larger fighter wings and the beginning of sea-borne fighter and bombing aircraft. Despite fighter squadrons being formed by the end of 1916, these groups were quite small and easily dispersed in combat, with most aces earning victories in single engagements - this would changed by the end of the year. Meanwhile on the sea, the first steps are made to creating the first true aircraft carriers - a ship class that would forever change the face of naval warfare, and unseat the battleship as the ultimate projection of power at sea.
***
Producing these videos is a hobby of mine. I have a passion for history, and personally own a large collection of books, journals and other texts, and endeavor to do as much research as possible. However if there are any mistakes, please don't hesitate to reach out and correct anything :)
Sources:
www.amazon.com...
www.amazon.com...
www.amazon.com...

[@RexsHangar]

I was starting to get sick when I recorded this, so apologies if my presentation was a little off. Edit: A slight correction here. I somehow managed to confuse the concept of "bailing out" and "crash landing" when writing this thing explaining German tactics. The advantage to being over friendly territory was so they could LAND safely if they suffered damage or engine failure.

[@martinhampton6964]

no apologies needed; this was great and I learned lots

[@MOTV88]

Well researched, viable photographic material. Good job, can't wait for the next episode!

[@That_Freedom_Guy]

Oh God, that can feel like some kind of private hell. I feel for you. I hope you feel better soon. 👍

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

Was great, as always. Please take good care of yourself. Listen to your body, get sleep, lots of fluids. Hope you feel better soon.

[@milanmaletic3997]

Your presentation was as good as ever Rex. I hope that your health won't be getting in the way of making new content. Get well soon.

[@SephirothRyu]

You forgot one of the most famous WW1 aircraft: a painted doghouse with some sort of beagle sitting on top of it making gun noises.

[@charlesfaure1189]

And waving to the poor blighters in the trenches below--because blighters appreciate your waving to 'em.

[@chevlinpodhorodeski9814]

It's surprising he missed this one, I believe the pilot almost exclusively sized up against the red barron

[@TheWesternunionman]

Curse You Red Barron

[@stephenmeier4658]

There was a song too

[@chevlinpodhorodeski9814]

@@stephenmeier4658 haha I completely forgot about that! I had to sing that at my company's Christmas party when I first joined

[@EneTheGene]

Aircombat in ww1 is always overshadowed by that of ww2 so I'm really happy about this series existing and giving everyone an easy to digest look into that less talked about era. Thank you Rex!

[@bigblue6917]

Imagine getting into something made of string, wood and canvas with an engine and a machinegun and your up there to fight others flying something similar. You would think that was the definition of insanity. But it still fascinates us. The early ones were so slow, about 50 MPH, that if you had to fly into a strong headwind you had to tack across it like a sailing ship. Interestingly within 50 years you had the SR-71.

[@daviddunsmore103]

@@bigblue6917 If you tack across a crosswind, wouldn't you just get blown sideways? 🤔 Wouldn't it only increase your distance flown (and fuel consumption) to zigzag back and forth on your way back to your home base? Wouldn't that also increase your time over enemy territory, and thus the risk to yourself and your aircraft? If the place that you want to go to is directly upwind from your current location, wouldn't the fastest way to get there simply be to head straight into the wind, accepting the unavoidable reduction in ground speed? I feel like a vector diagram would help us here, LOL! 🌎

[@whyjnot420]

At the very least, I for one am one of the people who likes to slap people in the face with the insanity of the old so-called agile fighters from the days before the speed vs. agility argument fully emerged. The ability those pilots had, in order to keep up with the psychotic amount of twists and turns that were the hallmark of ww1 era dogfights.... my god, all I can do is admire them. (and I tend to be pretty good at keeping up with things when stuff is spinning and whatnot all around, from realworld stuff like roller coasters to video games.... but damn, I am still in awe of the stuff the people who pioneered aerial combat did, it was just insane.) Also, multiplane aircraft have a beauty that no monoplane can match. (not that ww1 had no monoplanes, but tbh, a wire braced monoplane does look kind of stupid in comparison to a nice proper cantilever monoplane... I do have to admit that)

[@whyjnot420]

@@bigblue6917 We had a family friend who died back in the early 00s. He was born around 1908 or so (I would need to ask my mother for the exact years). I always found it amazing that he was able to see the evolution of flight almost from the inception of heavier than air flight, through the space race and the first time a human walked on another world, all the way up to the point where international travel via jet was not only commonplace, but also safe & relatively cheap. Such an amazing span of time to have lived, with some of the highest points (Apollo being the absolute zenith if you ask me, and no that isn't a pun) mankind has reached, to some of the lowest of the low points we have crawled through. btw, I think the astronauts who rode the Saturn V have the best claim for the definition of pure insanity, but thats just me. Riding in a fuel tank the size of a skyscraper with a glorified shower head on the bottom shooting out a ginormous pillar of fire on a trip to another world... that beats ww1 dogfighting imo..... but to note is that it takes something that insane to get past ww1 aerial combat..... that is a testament to just how psychotic those early aviators were.

[@whyjnot420]

@@daviddunsmore103 If the wind is head on, and near your top speed, or even faster than you can fly (which it can easily be), the only option would be to tack as if you were sailing. It is not like you would be flying totally perpendicular to the direction of wind, but diagonally, just enough where you can make some headway. That is my understanding of it. Someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong here. Just like you can easily be caught in a downdraft that is faster than your climb rate, the wind at altitude can easily reach speeds that match or surpass what early aircraft could do. Not-so-much late war and interwar stuff, but if you look at the early war and especially the prewar stuff, as well as some of the biggest of the period (the Ca.4 type plane, the Ca.42, a massive triplane bomber, is listed with a top speed of something like 85mph, and this monster had 3, 400hp V-12 engines in it), it is easily possible. Also, early on in the war, there were not a whole lot of effective ways to shoot down a plane. AAA was even younger than aircraft were, machine guns that could be elevated to shoot at something high up were a novelty and planes could easily fly high enough where even volley fire from a company or platoon sized group would be pretty useless. This was the whole reason people started to stick machine guns on planes in the first place, also why early fighters were called "pursuit" aircraft (a legacy you can see even in ww2 with the P designation for USAAF fighters like the Thunderbolt and Mustang, P-47 & P-51 respectively). As they were meant to go chase after recon planes and down them before they could get back home. Since back then, the real stars were the recon planes as far as the brass in different militaries were concerned, since their reports and later photography was to them, what spy satellites are to us today. edit: btw, if you have never seen any, look up video of sailplanes that are flying into wind which is fast enough to keep them stationary or even get them into _negative_ numbers in terms of groundspeed... it is uncanny to behold, looks like black magic is keeping them aloft.

[@andrewcarter7503]

The casualties of "bloody April" are sometimes given as example of the heartless nature of those in charge but remember that number - fewer than 300 - was the sort of number of casualties you might expect in one small attack by the army. It was brutal but those aircrew probably saved many thousands of lives with the intelligence they gathered. Brave men indeed. If anyone wants a good novel about the WWI air war I heartily recommend Goshawk Squadron by Derek Robinson. Yes, hmm. Billy Bishop. He certainly claimed 72 aircraft shot down. He even became the first and only person to receive the VC based on his own uncorrobarted testimony. So devastating was the solo attack he described on a German airfield that after the war, it was found that there was no mention of it in German records.......

[@RaderizDorret]

300 men in one month was nothing compared to army losses in 1914 when a single day could end with 27,000 casualties

[@danielallenbutler1782]

"The hand of Fate being indiscriminate in its choices." What a well-crafted phrase, a dark masterpiece of understatement....

[@elennapointer701]

Billy Bishop's Victoria Cross is highly contentious in some circles, based mainly on the fact that the only source of reference for it its Bishop's own reports - i.e. there were no witnesses to the claims he made of strafing a German airfield, being forced to land nearby, repairing his aircraft under enemy ground fire and taking off again to fly for home. Reportedly his squadron-mates were astonished that he was awarded the VC, but the speculation at the time was that it was awarded to keep the Canadians happy.

[@mcuddy799]

At least there was no doubt about the merit of Billy Barker’s VC, whose actions were witnessed by several ground troops.

[@IncogNito-gg6uh]

Bishop was an excellent and aggressive pilot, but the fact he was awarded the VC solely on his own testimony boggles the mind.

[@kerrysimkins8434]

Something to consider is that between the wars Bishop was invited to Germany to meet with German aces among them Goering and Udet. If anyone would know his exploit didn't happen it would have been these veterans on the other side.

[@peterthurlow3418]

Dude. The mix of storytelling and historical documentation that you blend together is amazing. You have an awesome gift and I can’t wait to see more of your content. It is truly awesome! Keep up the good work!

[@James-kv6kb]

Don't call people dude not everybody is a 15-year-old

[@grafo-2671]

As always, another amazing video! Do you plan on expanding this series of "Not-So-Brief History" videos to cover the developments in the 20s and 30s? It's awesome to see every new video on your channel!

[@RexsHangar]

I plan to carry it all the way into the late Cold War era :)

[@alexripard]

This series needs to continue, its a fascinating look into an underappreciated part of aviation history

[@esmenhamaire6398]

Excellent video, as ever Rex! I hope you recover well and are soon feeling better. Please concentrate on your health, and don't worry about getting videos out whilst you're ill - the quality of your work is so good that I'm sure all here will be happy to wait for the next one until you are properly recovered!

[@MM22966]

This was GREAT!!! Haven't seen anything this nuts n' bolts-level of details since PlaneMan's old blog, and this is a video!!! Superb effort!

[@extragoogleaccount6061]

Rex! Can you make the 1918 video(s)? This series is/was sooo well done! You cover in more depth than the air-war is typically covered in MSM. There have been many questions I was left with after getting a surface level view of the air war, these videos do a great job of explaining how and why certain things happened the way they did, and you do a great job showing the crazy pace of development during these years! Edit: Also video(s) about the Eastern Front. I know your main area of focus is mid-war years. But again, this series is the best and I would love to see the first WW coverage completed! (Also, I know these must take a crazy long time to develop, but with the series stopping in January, I' afraid you may have moved on)

[@philp8872]

Yes please a 1918 video! I discovered this channel a few days ago. Rex you are really one of the best out there! I watch a lot of YT videos about aviation and some other topics, but I´m very selective about the channels, there is so much clickbait and rubbish out there. This channel is pure gold - thank you!

[@stijn4771]

2 years later now, just seen this series. Has the 1918 part been released yet? Can't find it sadly :(

[@SatelliteYL]

I would love a 1918 video. And I would love a mention of the WWI American Ace of Aces, Eddie Rickenbacker! You should read his autobiography if you haven’t already

[@atatexan]

Excellent! My grandfather was a RFC Observer for most of the war.

[@raypurchase801]

There's often a lot of criticism of the BE2, for having its gunner in the front cockpit. In reality, the BE2 had broadly the same casualty figures as other two-seaters. The biggest cause of casualties was the poor training of pilots, most of whom entered combat with only 20 hours of combined dual and solo flying. The BE2 was easy and safe to fly, unlike most other aircraft of the era.

[@GregMcCoy]

Rex, my fourth grade term paper (1967) was Aces of WW1. All these names take me back. Thank you.

[@enscroggs]

13:03 Another possible origin of JG-1's nickname comes from the use of large tents similar to those used by circus troupes as mobile hangars. Some accounts say that the first tent/hangar used by JG-1 was requisitioned directly from a bankrupt Belgian circus or carnival. When it arrived it still had its gaudy colors and flourishes which were painted over as quickly as possible, but not before a wag coined the 1st Fighter Wing's famous moniker.

[@persjofors2586]

I really like this series. The pace is perfect, the level of detail is perfect and virtually all that I have heard and seen is new information for me. Thank you Rex!

[@Jedi.Toby.M]

This is exactly what my Saturday needed...as always fantastic content, and thanks for some of that...off the wall...history lessons.

[@Firebrand55]

Many RFC pilots dreaded trench strafing. Flying along the length of the trenches gave small arms fire time to draw a bead on the flyers.....sitting ducks if you could dodge the aircraft bullets!

[@hlynnkeith9334]

A G Lee (No Parachute, Open Cockpit) had nightmares about trench strafing. He could not sleep, lived on milk and brandy. His CO got the doctor to ground him. He was transferred from the front to the Home Establishment. Lee joined 46 Squadron in May 1917, full of piss and vinegar and itching for action. When the doctor grounded him in November 1917, he was the senior pilot in the squadron. That is, he had more hours flying combat than any other man in the squadron. All those senior to him were dead. Six months flying with 46 Squadron. One of those -- July -- back in England flying defense against bombers and without a minute of combat. Stayed in the service and rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal.

[@airplayn]

The picture of an SE-5A with a two bladed prop at 2:50 so it must have been any early SE-5A. By 1917-8 these were changed to four blades to fully utilize the latest Hisso engine's horsepower at the best RPM. and increase ground clearance. And those WW2 engines RPMs ran at about 1600 to 1800 at full throttle! But then, to best use the props power even modern aircraft engines seldom turn more than 2500. My 1951 Bellanca Cruisemaster had its HP boosted from 190 to 225 by increasing the compression ratio and upping the slow running O-435 from its normal 2300 all the way up to 2900, an insanely high RPM for an aeroengine even today. The planes most used at the front were more properly called the SE-5A as the original SE-5 had some problems and only a few dozen were made. It's easy to recognize the early marks as they actually had a partially enclosed cockpit, two short exhaust stacks at the front of the manifold and a large fuel tank above the wing center section. Less easy to see was the extended wingtips added to the later SE-5A as the SE-3 ha a more angled tip. I built a scale RC SE-5 that was so realistic it had hose clamps on the fuel lines and transparent inspection plates over the control surface bell-cranks on the stabilizer and aileron controls on the wings just as seen on the SE-5. I even had the large stitching that held on the side panels and even carved the balsa wood sides so that the fabric could be bunched up where it was sewn up. It actually got a 95% scale score which was extremely high for standoff scale way back in the 80s. I have pictures if anyone's interested. [e-mail]

[@caeserromero3013]

As a kid I played the WW1 strategy game Historyline 1914-1918 and I bloody HATED the Fokker DVII and the Gotha bomber. I encountered a good many of the aircraft you mention in that game, everything from the Voisin, through to the SPAD and Sopwith. The aircraft were introduced chronologically, so you could beat up on a Fokker E1 with DH2's but once the EIII turns up, you're toast unless you can double up on them. So tricky....

[@TheHypnogog]

I am fascinated by this era of air combat. Flight was still cutting edge technology, and it advanced so rapidly during this war. Great presentation, and I have to say- von Richtofen had a great cobbler. Whoever made those boots- man- they looked comfortable. /great grandfather was a cobbler, served with Germany v. Russia in WWI- had stories about Russians crossing the lines sometimes to trade and beg for boots. I had never read about unofficial truces on the Eastern Front, but he apparently told my mother this. Second hand histories are never very straight.

[@carlton511]

These videos are excellent.

[@TheRAFlemingsMr]

Fantastic job, thank you, WW1 on the ground has had volumes written about it but not so the air war. Again, thank you, I'd read of some of the pilots and some of the planes but you put it into a concise chronological presentation that was easy to follow and very interesting. Love your channel, keep up the great work and look forward to more of your "short" telling s of the who what where and when of air combat.

[@captaintoyota3171]

This channel is bound 4 greatness even if it is a niche topic

[@Mark-lx6xj]

Another great programme. My grandfather was a parson to the R.F.C. Also there is a Handley Page mentioned in T.E. Lawrence's seven pillars of wisdom, landing in the desert.

[@grrlpurpleable]

This is an outstanding series Rex! Keep up the great work.

[@brittakriep2938]

When you visit Waffenmuseum ( arms museum) in Oberndorf/ Germany, also visit Heimatmuseum/ home region museum in the same building. There is a small photo: During an airraid on Mauser works, two english pilots had been shot down. The photo was taken at the funeral, it shows the german priest and some german soldiers in background. So the german rearline soldiers had no hate against the british soldiers that they visited the funeral.

[@RexsHangar]

I'm planning to do a long tripe to Europe etc next year or something. So at one point I'm going to actually put up a videos where I'll take suggestions for museums etc to try and visit :)

[@brittakriep2938]

@@RexsHangar : Next to german town Ravensburg ( state Baden- Württemberg) in a small village ( forgotten the name), Freiherr von Brandenstein- Zeppelin loves. In his castle/palace he has few relicts of his famous ancestor. I saw this, when i visited his castle ( normaly no public openings) with a wellreputated historical society. And next to my homevillage is the town Kirchheim unter Teck. Next to town district Nabern is one of formerly three starting plattforms for Natter rocket plane. And on Teck mountain, not far away from former castle are relicts of a glider hall, a glider starting ramp and a glider lift build in Hitler era. Gliders , in Kirchheim unter Teck gliders are still produced ( Schemp- Hirth company), had been used as Propaganda and training to recruit pilots for Luftwaffe. ( And Queen Elizabeth ll grandmother was Mary von Teck).

[@tomt373]

Well, Kaiser Wilhelm was the eldest son of Frederick III and his wife Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, daughter of the British Queen Victoria. He was a grandson of Emperor Wilhelm I through his father's side and a grandson of the English Queen Victoria through his mother's side. Basically, it was Richthofen who instead of seeing it as a contest between gentlemen, made it a war of cold, ambitious merciless slaughter, seeking to rack up and keep his status of having the highest score. With his penchant to prey upon on the most vulnerable opponents, especially the green British pilots, became his "Achilles Heel" when he went for novice Wilfred May without realizing his squadron Roy Brown was watching over him, drove him onto the waiting guns of the Australians.

[@0Turbox]

@@tomt373 Nonsense, Manfred saw it more as a job and tried to finish a day with only one kill each. His brother was more of the opposite, who tried to shoot down as many in a day as possible.

[@tomt373]

@@0Turbox Oh, how considerate of him to limit himself to "Only one kill a day".🙄 And the death of Lt. Quentin Roosevelt was not an assasination meant to "put the fear" into the newly arrived American pilots? Knowing who he was, they had his plainly numbered Nieuport 28 biplane in their sights and looking at his corpse, it is obvious he was deliberately shot in the face AFTER his plane went down. No pilot could have came down in one piece with the huge 9mm holes he had in his head.

[@freddieclark]

Decent Video, a couple of points. MVR gained most of his victories in Albatross and Halberstadt aircraft, only 18 were in the Fokker Triplane. The French used group formations and aggressive tactics during the Verdun offensive.

[@johnmunns5964]

Is there a part 4 ? This is so well done 👍

[@Charlie_Ses]

This is a great video series, thanks. As an avid Biggles book reader in my youth this series really adds a lot of background and context to those books, which are incredibly informative imo. Interesting though, most WW1 Biggles books cover the period of the war when Camels dominated, so I assume mostly covered the latter 2 years of the war. Part 5 covering 1918 would be much appreciated, if you get time to produce it!

[@northmaineguy5896]

Having been a pilot for 50 years and having flown just about everything, I can't believe that pilots would climb into these string bags and fly them at 14,000 feet. Still, beautiful old birds from a craftsmanship perspective.

[@chrismoule7242]

20,000+ feet at the War's end, mostly with no oxygen.

[@Dr_Jebus]

Amazing as always! Glad the channel is doing so well.

[@chrismoule7242]

11:23 - "Mick" Mannock was nearly blind in one eye.

[@whyjnot420]

The brawl ("dogfight doesn't begin to describe it) that claimed Werner Voss' life in 1917 is easily one of the most insane instances of aerial combat in the history of aircraft. Voss gets my vote for best pilot of all time in terms of raw skill and that dogfight gets my vote for the most epic one ever. Really, read up on it, or at the least watch the episode of Dogfights that depicts it. Even if you disagree with me on Voss being the best and that particular battle being the most insane, you will agree that both rank up there in their respective categories of pilot & battle. McCudden's autobiography at the least is a must read in regard to this.

[@raypurchase801]

William Barker did something similar and lived.

[@randomobserver8168]

Really interesting and informative- The Fokker Dr1 triplane is so iconic of German aviation I don't think I ever realized it was so relatively flawed or produced in such small numbers by period standards. Nor that the Sopwith triplane, which I did know was first, had been so much more successful.

[@minot.8931]

The Sopwith was sturdier but had a less powerful engine and only a single machine gun. The DR1 was more powerful, had a better rate of climb and was the most manoeuvrable fighter of the day. It lacked top speed compared to the later British and German aircraft but was the ultimate dog-fighter aircraft. Voss engaged in his last dogfight against 6 RFC fighters for over half an hour, only being fatally struck when he started to run low of fuel and had to turn for home. All of the British aircraft returned to base riddled with bullets. I’d say DR1 was more successful than the Sopwith.. it’s a strange claim otherwise, so in my best Wikipedia I would say, “citation needed, Rex”.

[@luislealsantos]

Another great documentary. Thanks for sharing your hard work.

[@Pirate_Knight27]

This is one of my favorite aircraft series on youtube! Are you still working on part 4?

[@RexsHangar]

I've been suffering from hay fever for the first time in over a decade, so I apologise if my presentation is a little off - I had to re-do so many lines lol.

[@agdgdgwngo]

Me too, not used to getting it January though.

[@mbryson2899]

Riveting. Thank you for creating this even though you were ill.

[@johnladuke6475]

It's always interesting to hear about the trials and tribulations of the early air forces, when they were just subordinate arms of Army and Navy operations for their respective nations. Being treated like they're just a few niche reconnaisance units, hardly as critical as the boots on the ground or battleships off the coast. Still really disappointed that we haven't gotten a profile on Snoopy, one of the most famous aces of the war.

[@jeffingraca713]

I couldn't help but be amused by the opening photo with Eddie Rickenbacker and the comment about the British and French air forces.

[@assessor1276]

I must point out that WW-1 pilots did not bail out - because they did not wear parachutes. Consequently, a fire or structural failure aloft nearly always resulted in the death of the pilot regardless of which side of the front line the combat occurred.

[@ivancho5854]

You beat me to it! Malfunctions and combat damage could easily force a landing, which even without a running engine could be possible on just a field if your luck held. Fixed gear, low stall speed and lots of lift - you've got to love the tri/biplane. All the best.

[@dd_ranchtexas4501]

@@ivancho5854 Beat me also. A little bit of WWII injected into WWI. History changed while I wasn't looking!

[@andrewcarter7503]

Can't remember which book but it published an extract from a pilot's letter to his wife explaing that he carried a pistol "to fight off the Germans if he's shot down". His diary entry of the same day gives the real reason - to shoot himself if his plane catches fire.

[@Sodbusterrod]

As others have stated, Germany issued parachutes in 1918.

[@bryce1334]

Great video! I love these WW1 plane videos I feel they don’t get as much focus as WW2.

[@mikepette4422]

WW1 never gets as much focus as WW2

[@SasukeUchiha-pv4xn]

When are you going to upload the next video in this series.

[@Agent_3141]

Can't believe I started this series without seeing if it was finished/ongoing

[@old_guard2431]

Watching the series for the second time, much easier without having to push the “Like” button. Waiting for the next video, for 1918, with bated breath. (OK, it has been awhile, have to actually breathe now and then.)

[@RARDingo]

Excellent presentation, thank you!

[@GT3Marine]

You touched on this topic in the video, but I would be interested in learning more about Pilot training throughout the years. How many flight hours were required by the militaries prior to earning your wings in WW1 versus 2, etc…

[@davidcarr7436]

The pilot pictured beside his Neuport(?) fighter at the 7:00 minute mark is Billy Bishop the highest scoring Canadian ace of WW1 with 72 confirmed victories. Awards include the Victoria Cross, DSM and bar, Distinguished Flying Cross and several others. He was Canada's first Air Vice Marshall and Canada's Air Marshall during WW2 and was fundamental in the creation of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained the majority of Canadian and Commonwealth pilots, navigators and radio operators during WW2.

[@caeserromero3013]

You could argue that Germany's (frankly unnecessary and brutal) bombing of civilian targets in England, gave the British a head start (when coupled with effective use of radar) in air defence in WW2...

[@LarS1963]

Very good summary. A small mistake: at 11:22 you have the pictures of Edward 'Mick' Mannock and Albert Ball in the wrong order. The first picture you show is of Albert Ball. Thanks for your effort, love the pictures.

[@SpeckleKen]

Perhaps the video has been edited since you commented, but the first picture at 11:22 is, in fact, of Mannock. This is one of the most well-known pictures of him. Also (although the addition of a VC and a 2nd Bar to the DSO is artistic license) it shows him with a major's crowns and a Bar to the MC, neither of which Ball wore - even in early 20th C photoshop.

[@Ther2000]

Would love to see more content around ww1 aviation. Great series

[@Dr.K.Wette_BE]

Very well made and documented !

[@somerandomguy___]

Yes! Another aviation history video I sure do wonder who might be partially responsible ;) Also i like that you only breifly monetion the red baron since he is so well known already so you could focus on what isn't as well known

[@malcolmherbert5127]

I don’t think any pilots, German or Allied, had the option of baling out in early 1917.

[@PassportToPimlico]

No they didn't. Both sides thought that it would encourage cowardice. I think that he meant downed pilots.

[@lambastepirate]

In 1918 they started issuing them to German pilots. The chute was invented by Otto Heinecke a ground crewman. About 1in 3 would die from the chute hanging up on plane, securing straps breaking or shroud lines being tangled. They fixed the strap problems the others remained, still that better than a shure death though!! The first reported successful bailout in combat came on April 1, 1918, when a Vizefeldwebel Weimar jumped clear of his stricken Albatros DVa. In late June Leutnants Helmut Steinbrecher and Ernst Udet likewise floated safely to the ground beneath their Heinecke chutes.

[@robertmore703]

@@PassportToPimlico also weight

[@mikepette4422]

Parachutes were given to all Balloon observers because it was recognized as a very very dangerous job. Germans were given parachutes layer in the war, the Brits were not because the leadership thought they would jump out too quickly instead of trying to nurse a damaged crate home. I can't recall if the french got parachutes or not. One of the most famous flyers to use his chute was German 60 kill ace Ernst Udet who would go on to be vital in the formation of the early Luftwaffe.

[@bobbrooks80]

Good content.

[@MrDorn123]

Is this the last part of this series?

[@welshpete12]

No apology needed , I hope you are getting better now Rex !

[@secularbeast1751]

Great series, Rex. Thank you and much appreciated.

[@georgetazberik6834]

Hey, do you plan to finish this series?

[@paulabraham2550]

Quite a few pictures of Fokker DVIIs in there, and even one of some DVIIIs. That's a bit anachronistic - I hope you've held some back for the next episode!

[@warspiteschannel4817]

@3:52: You said: "If a pilot was to bale out..." I just deleted my correction as I just spotted that you had corrected it yourself! Well done! B

[@johnhudghton2287]

Outstanding account. Thank you Rex.

[@davidcarr7436]

Nice picture of Billy Bishop in front of his Neuport.

[@paulhaynes8045]

Very interesting. I had no idea that deliberate 'large scale' bombing of British towns/cities by planes took place in WW1. I knew Kent coastal towns had suffered some damage, but assumed these were just one-off 'experiments'. The fact that London was deliberately bombed (and at night!) nearly a quarter of a century befor the Blitz was staggering. I've read a lot about both wars, so I was rather embarrassed to have missed this!

[@logjam88]

A small correction to an otherwise very informative vid: at :18 the flyer on the far left would be Eddie Rickenbacker, an American who didn't arrive on the WF until mid-June 1917 and din't start flying until early 1918.

[@scottmorse1798]

always enjoyable .Thankyou

[@robertmcmanus636]

My understanding is that there was no bailing out in WWI. That whether you were shot down over your own lines or those of the enemy, you were going down with your aircraft.

[@ericswain70]

Well done. Look forward to these.

[@JulienGardner]

I LOVE your chanel. Keep up the good work it's Amazing.

[@TayQuartermain]

What an awesome channel, keep up the good work.

[@felix25ize]

In fact, the real greatest was not Manfred von Richtoffen, but René Fonck. Just that the french critters of victory attribution were more drastic than the german ones .

[@retiredtom1654]

Very informative & well done. Keep it up!

[@spencerdawkins]

I am SO glad I'm subscribed!

[@JTA1961]

Wonder if the push/pull engines layout compromises efficiency of either & would guess probably the back ?

[@benwilson6145]

Thank you

[@MartinWillett]

8mm and .303" are very similar calibres. The German planes had twin rifle calibre machine guns whilst the British planes had a single rifle calibre machine gun. 8mm is 0.315 inches. .303 rifle bullets and 8mm bullets had very similar effects on people or aircraft. The intonation implied that 8mm was significantly better than .303 whilst in reality the effect of being sprayed by either gun was pretty much the same. Two of them would be superior to one, but the same number of either gun would be an even fight, as it was down in the trenches. Nobody on the British side complained that the Germans were using very slightly bigger bullets, they only complained that they were firing them.

[@timgosling6189]

What an excellent summary! The offensive/defensive strategy difference was significant and did lead the German air arm into a siege mentality, the first step into the loss of initiative. The factor of the prevailing westerly winds did of course assist the Germans, as once they had reacted to an incursion they would generally find the Allied aircraft battling into a headwind to get home. I'd also clarify that a British .303" equates to 7.69mm against 8mm for the Germans, so the disparity in firepower between aircraft was in number of machine guns more than calibre. By the way, for an excellent description of RFC flying training try Capt WE Johns 'Biggles Learns to Fly'. Yes it's dramatised but it is based on both his first-hand experience and the anecdotes of his contemporaries who had gone through the system in 1916-18.

[@chrismoule7242]

3:33 - I have not yet heard you refer to one of the most basic factors affecting this situation - apologies if I have missed it. This is wind, which of course the relatively slow & light WW1 aircraft were susceptible to. The prevailing winds blew from West to East. This meant that even if combat started on the allied [Western] side it would, if lasting for any length of time, drift over the lines to the German side. It also meant that it took longer [& used more fuel] for allied airmen to fly *back* from patrol than to fly exactly the same distance *out* on patrol - a significant issue.

[@bigblue6917]

The German pilots were unlikely to bailout at this time. Though the German air force did have some parachutes, some of which were issued in 1916, it was not until 1918 that it became more general. One reason for this is that the pilots did not like the extra 30 pounds the parachute added to the weight of the aircraft. Also one in three of the first 70 German airmen who used the parachute died. This was down to things like the static line getting tangled, the chute catching on the fuselage or the harness braking free. It was the 1st April 1918 that the first improved parachute was successfully used. And in late June 1918 one Leutnant Ernst Udet floated down to the ground. You have to wonder how differently history would have been without that parachute. Remember he was the person behind the Ju87 Stuka. And we know that the Japanese dive bombers we inspired by the Stuka. The British did not issue their parachutes to Royal Air Force squadrons until September 1918. France and America did not allow their pilots to use them during the war. The British did have parachutes which were issued to the observer in the observation balloons but these weighed some 80 pounds each. And no pilot would have found this acceptable.

[@RexsHangar]

Yeah this is correct. I somehow managed to confuse emergency landing and bailing out when writing this - I blame the cold and flu pills.

[@allangibson2408]

The Stuka was inspired by the American Curtiss F8C Falcon (as were the Japanese family of dive bombers).

[@bigblue6917]

@@allangibson2408 I did forget to mention that, Allan. So thanks. My point was, as I am sure you know, that without Udet the iconic Stuka would never have made it to the Luftwaffe. I may be wrong but I understood that the Japanese took to the dive bomber after seeing the Stuka. Of course the US Navy's Dauntless and Helldiver managed to acquit themselves very well.

[@bigblue6917]

@@RexsHangar I had wondered if you'd confused the two. Funnily enough I had recently carried out some research on the subject of parachutes because there is that old chestnut about the top brass banning there use so that pilots would not bailout but try and land the aircraft instead. Turns out the chutes were just too heavy. Albert Ball, like many other pilots, lowered his windscreen slightly just to squeeze out a bit more speed from his aircraft. So adding all that extra weight for a parachute is something they would not want to do. My late father used to drink a half bottle of whisky when he had a sever cold. He said it did not cure it but by then he really did not care.

[@jmi5969]

4:48 Rex counting One. Two. Three.. reminds me of George C. Scott in the War Room. "One, our hopes for recalling the 843rd bomb wing are quickly being reduced to a very low order of probability..."

[@martinstirling7949]

Good video, although at 6:55 you mention the Airco DH2 (which was a single seat fighter). The picture you show is a 2 seater, probably a Vickers Gunbus.

[@michaeltelson9798]

I know that my maternal grandfather was an aircraft mechanic in WWI, but not sure on which aircraft. When he did mention it the name “Harry Tate” would come up in the conversation. He was a music hall singer popular at the time and his name sounds like the RE 8’s designation and became that aircraft’s nickname. Do I always assumed that he worked on those.

[@Lensman864]

Great work! I'm really enjoying your output.

[@FlyingBuzzard]

Spectacular History Information

[@sneg__]

Was this "Flying Circus" the inspiration for the naming of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"?

[@That_Freedom_Guy]

I have always assumed so. 🦶

[@kommandantgalileo]

will we ever get a part 5?

[@thomasgangl8990]

One of many brutal facts of the air war then was that pilots were not able to bail out of their damaged plane as stated in the video (sorry, I didn't read your correction before posting my comment). Although working parachutes were a pre-war invention used at air shows, they were not distributed for military use. Only the German Luftstreitkräfte did so in the summer of 1918, with one of the first pilots forced to entrust his life to one actually being the ace Ernst Udet. He lived to tell the tale. No allied flying service did follow this example, certainly not out of lack of resources. The idea of the RFC/RAF behind this decision was that a pilot would certainly fight for survival of the (expensive) airplane if his own life depended on it.

[@tonyromano6220]

Great video! Thank you.

[@jjohnsonTX]

Excellent. Keep 'em coming.

[@roscoewhite3793]

I've added this channel to my list of favourite KZbin military history channels, and it's a small list. (The others are Mark Felton, Drachinifel, and Ed Nash).

[@DeltaAssaultGaming]

I was just watching Flyboys last night. What a coincidence

[@j3lny425]

You should have saved your time.

[@1faustus]

''If a pilot were to bail out.......he could be back in the air the next day'' How would he do that? To my knowledge only Zeppelin and observation balloon crews had parachutes.

[@jasonz7788]

Great work Sir thank you for the awesome job

[@nigelroche7888]

Very well presented, thank you.

[@WayOutGaming]

Weird fact, I'm pretty sure I read that Fonck died by falling off a ladder while repairing his roof in either the late 60s or early 70s. Not sure how true this is, but if it is true, it's always weird to me how people survive wars only to die in accidental ways.

[@michaeltelson9798]

DH 4’s had a problem with their fuel tank with the aircraft going in flames easily. Merian Cooper, the Explorer and future film maker (King Kong) had to crash his burning aircraft behind German lines and was taken prisoner. He had a parachute, but wanted to save his observer who was badly wounded.

[@j.t.frompa5508]

Great series but one question! Did you make a 1918 video? I've tried to find it but no luck. Thanks!