24 March

(UTC+1)

Events on this day in the life of Manfred von Richthofen

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A little flying story

Der rote Kampfflieger von Rittmeister Manfred Freiherrn von Richthofen, 1917, 351.000 - 400.000, Verlag Ullstein & Co, Berlin-Wien?p. 120?

24 March 1917
Vaulx - Morchies

‘A little flying story (end of March 1917) The name Siegfried position is probably known to every youngster in the German Empire. During the days in which we retreated against these positions, there was naturally also a lot of activity in the air. Although the enemy had already occupied our abandoned territory on the ground, we did not leave the air to the English so soon, thanks to Jagdstaffel Boelcke. The British were only very cautious in venturing out of their previous positional war in the air. This was the time when our dear Prince Friedrich Karl sacrificed his life for his fatherland. During a fighter flight of the Boelcke fighter squadron, Lieutenant Voss had defeated an Englishman in aerial combat. He was pushed to the ground by his conqueror and landed in what can probably be described as neutral territory. We had already left it, but the enemy had not yet occupied it. Only patrols, both English and German, were in this unoccupied zone. The English aeroplane was between the lines. The good Englishman had probably believed that this area was already occupied by his own, as he was entitled to do. But Voss was of a different opinion. Without further ado, he landed next to his victim. With great speed he removed the enemy machine guns and other useful parts from the machine and stowed them in his own, took a match, and in a few moments the machine was ablaze. A minute later, he waved friendly to the Englishmen streaming in from all sides from his victorious airborne steed.’

A little flying story

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67590?p. ?

24 March 1917
Vaulx - Morchies

3947 Flt Sgt E P Critchley (Wia) & 12708 1/AM F Russell (Kia), 23 Sqn, FE2b A5485 – force landed Achiet-le-Grand after combat with HA during escort to photo reconnaissance; Ltn d R Werner Voss, Ja2, 21st victory [Vaulx – Morchies at 15:10]

Victory 30

Under the guns of the Red Baron, Norman Franks, Hal Giblin and Nigel McCrery?p. 84?

24 March 1917
Givenchy

“Combat Report: 1155 hrs, Givenchy. Spad No. 6607, with Hispano Suiza 140 hp motor. The first encountered here. Machine gun No. 4810. Occupant: Lieutenant Baker. I was flying with several of my gentlemen when I observed an enemy squadron passing our Front. Aside from this squadron, two new one-seaters which I did not know were flying nearby. They were extremely fast and handy. I attacked one of them and ascertained that my machine was the better one. After a long fight I managed to hit the adversary’s tank. The propellor stopped running. The plane had to go down. As the fight had taken place above the trenches, my adversary tried to escape, but I managed to force him to land behind our lines near Givenchy. The plane turned over, in a shell hole, upside down, and was taken by our troops. Weather: fine all day.”

Victory 67

Jagd in Flanderns Himmel, Karl Bodenschatz, Verlag Knorr & Hirth München, 1935?p. 74?

24 March 1918
Combles

From “Under the Guns of the Red Baron, Franks et al”: “1445 hrs, above Combles. SE5. Brought down behind the enemy’s lines. During a protracted single-seater fight between ten SE5s and 25 machines of my own Group, I attacked an Englishman at an altitude of 2.500 metres. Under my machine gun fire, both wings broke away from the aeroplane in the air. The pieces were scattered in the vicinity of Combles. Weather: fine. Gibbons listed Lt. W Porter of 56 Sqn, although he was killed an hour earlier versus Jasta 34b. As Richthofen’s combat report states the enemy aircraft disintegrated, McCone would be the more likely victim.”

From “Jagd in Flandrens Himmel, Bodenschatz”: “In einem längeren Einsitzerkampf zwischen etwa zehn S.E. und 25 Maschinen meines Geschwaders griff ich einen Engländer in der Höhe von 2500 m an. Dem Flugzeug brachen in meinem MG-Feuer in der Luft beide Flächen ab. Die Fetzen verteilten sich in der Gegend von Combles.

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