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Victoire 25

Event ID: 167

09 mars 1917

50.32487108970978, 2.7906211827892107
Between Roclincourt and Bailleul
Roclincourt

Source ID: 13

Under the guns of the Red Baron, Norman Franks, Hal Giblin and Nigel McCrery

ISBN: 9781898697275

« Rapport de combat : 1155 hrs, Vickers monoplace. No. sur la queue AMC 3425a. Entre Roclincourt et Bailleul, de ce côté de la ligne, à 500 mètres derrière les tranchées. Occupant : Inconnaissable, car complètement brûlé.

Avec trois de mes avions, j’ai attaqué plusieurs avions ennemis. L’appareil que j’avais désigné a vite pris feu et s’est précipité vers le bas après avoir tiré 100 coups de feu. Le plan se trouve de notre côté, mais ne peut être récupéré car il est presque entièrement brûlé et trop près du front. Temps : nuages bas et tempêtes de neige toute la journée ».

Comments (1)

  1. Uncertainty exists again regarding Richthofen’s Albatros. After Le Petit Rouge had been shot up by No.40 Squadron FE.8s on 6 March, it is unknown how long it took to prepare the machine for towing (photographs believed to be taken at that time reveal the elevator and horizontal stabilizers were removed and that the ailerons had been disconnected, likely as a precursor to removing the wings, all of which are associated with the vehicular towing of airplanes), return it to La Brayelle, and then, depending on the unknown extent of the damage, repair or even replace the fuel tanks and engine. Thus, while it is possible Le Petit Rouge had been repaired by the 9th, Richthofen’s description of « shot up » indicates the engine may have required more than passing attention and that he needed another Albatros for this sortie. 2006/16 is a perennial possibility, as is 1996/16, since Lübbert was still convalescing from his wounds three days earlier.

    Richthofen’s combat report reference of « A.M.C. 3425a » regards A2571’s batch number, not serial number. This also confirms that at least part of the rudder survived the pre/post-crash fires. Although ripe for the taking this rudder, either wholly or in part, has not been seen amongst the photographs of Richthofen’s victory souvenirs.

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